Archived: TestStand 2013 Bug Fixes

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Overview



This document contains the TestStand Bug Fixes that were discovered before and since the release of TestStand 2013. Not every bug fix known to NI will appear on this list; it is intended to only show the severe and more common issues that have been addressed.

Each Issue appears as a row in the table and includes these fields:

  • Issue ID - the number at the top of each of the cells in the first column. When you report an issue to NI, you may be given this ID, you can also find IDs posted by NI on the discussion forums or in Knowledge Base articles.
  • Legacy ID (optional) -  If an issue has a legacy ID from NI's legacy/deprecated bug reporting database, you will see it appear on a separate line directly below the Issue ID in the table, or to the right of the Issue ID in the table of contents (separated by a space).
  • Issue Title: in italics - it describes the issue in one sentence or less
  • Problem Description - a few sentences which describe the problem in further detail. The brief description given does not necessarily describe the problem in full detail, and it is expected that you might want more information on an issue. If you would like more information on an issue feel free to contact NI (contact information below) and reference the ID number given in the document.
  • Workaround - possible ways to work around the problem. The workarounds that appear in the document are not always tested by NI and are not guaranteed to resolve the issue. If a workaround refers you to the NI KnowledgeBase, please visit www.ni.com/kb/ and enter that KB number in the search field to locate the specific document.
  • Reported Version - the earliest version of TestStand the issue was reported in. If you discover the issue appears in an earlier version of TestStand than is reported in this field, you can report that to NI (contact information below) to have the field updated.
  • Resolved Version - version the issue was resolved or was no longer applicable. If an issue has not been resolved "N/A" will be reported.
  • Date Added - the date the issue was added to the document (not necessarily the reported date)

Contents

Contacting NI

Feel free to contact NI regarding this document or issues in the document. If you are contacting NI in regards to a specific issue, be sure to reference the ID number given in the document to the NI representative. The ID number contains the current issue ID number as well as the legacy ID number (use the current ID number when contacting National Instruments). You can contact us through any of the normal support channels including phone, email, or the discussion forums. Visit the NI Website to contact us. 

Bug Fixes by Category

The following sections list the bugs that existed in TestStand 2012 SP1 or earlier and have been fixed in TestStand 2013. This is not an exhaustive list of issues fixed in TestStand 2013. If you reported an issue to National Instruments and were given a CAR ID to track the issue, you can search for the CAR ID in the ID or Legacy ID column to determine whether the issue has been fixed.

Bug Fixes

The following items are Bug Fixes in TestStand 2013.

IDLegacy IDFixed IssueIssue Details
.NET Adapter
356700
Closing Microsoft Visual Studio after you debug .NET code from TestStand prevents the Visual Studio process from exitingAfter you use Visual Studio to debug .NET code modules in TestStand, closing Visual Studio ends the TestStand process but does not end the VSdebugController process used to debug .NET code. If you launch TestStand again and attempt to debug .NET steps, you might receive the Error Code: -17502; System Level Exception error. This issue no longer occurs with Microsoft Visual Studio 2012.
Database
357315
An error can occur when you log binary data to an Oracle databaseYou might encounter the following error when you log binary data to an Oracle database: An error occurred calling 'LogResults' in 'ITSDBLog' of 'zNI TestStand Database Logging'
An error occurred while setting a column value.

Description: ORA-22990: LOB locators cannot span transactions
Number: -2147467259
NativeError: 22990
The error appears when all of the following conditions are true:
  • You are logging data to an Oracle database.
  • You enable the Share Data Link Between Executions option on the Data Link tab of the Database Options dialog box.
  • You are logging binary data to the database.
  • TestStand 2013 and later now warn you when you configure a database logging schema with these settings.
Installation
360674
Measurement & Automation Explorer can display incorrect installed versions after uninstalling TestStand 2012If you have both TestStand 2010 (not TestStand 2010 SP1) or earlier and TestStand 2012 installed, and then you uninstall TestStand 2012, the software section of Measurement & Automation Explorer (MAX) incorrectly indicates that TestStand 2012 is installed and TestStand 2010 or earlier is not installed.
361582
TestStand Version Selector incorrectly displays TestStand 2012 as an available version to activate after you uninstall TestStand 2012The TestStand Version Selector incorrectly allows you to select TestStand 2012 in the Installed TestStand Versions combo box after you uninstall TestStand 2012.
LabVIEW
133550
VI Namespace is not used when TestStand finds code modulesIf you call two VIs with the same name in different namespaces—such as VIs contained in different LabVIEW libraries— in TestStand and you use a relative file path to specify the VIs, TestStand uses the first VI it finds in its search paths without considering the associated namespace. This can cause TestStand to use a different VI than the one you originally specified.
253149
TestStand does not recognize changes to parameter settings in VI code modulesIf you change only the parameter settings within a VI code module, such as changing a parameter from recommended to required, steps that call the VI do not update to reflect the change until you reselect the step or reload the code module. The TestStand 2013 and later LabVIEW Module panel now displays an error provider icon.
295614
Using a LabVIEW Project reference parameter in a LabVIEW code module can cause a run-time errorIf you call a LabVIEW code module that includes a reference to a project as an input or output in the VI connector pane, and you pass this parameter to or from a TestStand property in the VI Parameter Table, the following error occurs: Parameter 'Project Reference': Type of argument expression 'Locals.test' is incompatible with parameter. Specified value does not have the expected type. -17313; Could not accept the parameter passed in. This issue occurs only when you configure the LabVIEW Adapter to use the LabVIEW Development System.
339699
TestStand cannot find VIs in a packed project library that specifies a file path that includes multibyte charactersOn operating systems for languages that require multibyte support, such as Chinese versions of Windows, TestStand cannot find VIs in a packed project library that specifies a file path that includes multibyte characters.
381085
Update VI Calls dialog box does not update code modules a Run VI Asynchronously step callsThe Update VI Calls dialog box does not update code modules a Run VI Asynchronously step calls.
386613
Preload Progress dialog box can become non-responsive while modules loadWhen you open or execute a large sequence file that contains multiple LabVIEW code modules that might take a long time to preload, the Preload Progress dialog box can become non-responsive in some cases. If this occurs, the Preload Progress dialog box correctly dismisses when preloading modules completes.
397930
Enabling the Logging option for subproperties of a dynamic data type parameter causes a TestStand crashIf you are calling a VI code module that has an input or output parameter that is a dynamic data type, TestStand might crash if you enable the Log option for any subproperties of the parameter.
405883
Configuring a Run VI Asynchronously step in a TestStand User Interface can cause a system-level errorWhen you configure a Run VI Asynchronously step in a TestStand User Interface and you click the Edit LabVIEW Call button to launch the Edit LabVIEW VI Call dialog box, click Cancel, and then click the Edit LabVIEW Call button a second time, TestStand returns an error that indicates that a system-level error has occurred.
407194
LabVIEW Run-Time Engine number of threads setting is not respectedWhen you configure the Number of Threads option for the LabVIEW Run-Time Engine (RTE) in the LabVIEW Adapter Configuration dialog box to a non-default value, TestStand ignores the value you specify and instead uses the default value. In some cases, this results in a system-level error when you specify a non-default number of threads and you attempt to execute LabVIEW steps in the LabVIEW RTE.
4985641AHCIMFTestStand UI Controls do not process some key strokes in LabVIEW user interfacesLabVIEW does not call PreTranslateAccelerator for ActiveX controls, which prevents TestStand UI Controls in LabVIEW user interfaces from processing some key strokes, such as pressing <Tab> to autocomplete expressions or navigate within controls, pressing <Ctrl-Shift> to perform an operation, or pressing <Shift-Arrow> to select multiple items.
LabWindows/CVI
218283
Edit Code operation might navigate to the wrong location in a LabWindows/CVI source fileWhen you use the Edit Code operation for the LabWindows/CVI Adapter, TestStand might navigate to the wrong location in the source file if you made edits to the file that modify line numbers or if you have not rebuilt the project.
384718
Out-of-memory error occurs when using LabWindows/CVI-built TestStand User Interfaces on Microsoft Windows 8Refer to the following National Instruments support article, KnowledgeBase 64GCHJUB: Out of Memory Exception when Using LabWindows/CVI Built TestStand User Interface On Windows 8, for information about this issue and how to resolve it.
3925748IACA9QReload Prototype button remains dimmed after building a DLLWhen you use the LabWindows/CVI Module tab on the Step Settings pane in the TestStand Sequence Editor to create a LabWindows/CVI DLL, the Reload Prototype button on the LabWindows/CVI Module tab remains dimmed after you build the DLL in LabWindows/CVI.
4991241EC6KIFTestStand incorrectly treats a LabWindows/CVI function with a char* output parameter as a constantIf you create a LabWindows/CVI function that uses a character pointer (char*) to create an output string parameter, TestStand incorrectly maps the parameter as type C String (Const), even if the function panel for the LabWindows/CVI function you are calling defines the parameter as an output. This setting prevents the code module from making any changes to the parameter.
Microsoft Visual Studio
287170
You might receive Error 1 "Interop Type Cannot Be Embedded" when you reference the TestStand API in Microsoft Visual Studio 2010Refer to the National Instruments support article, Error 1 "Interop Type Cannot Be Embedded" When Referencing the TestStand API in a New Visual Studio 2010 Project that Targets the .NET 4.0 Framework for more information about this issue.
309092
Attempting to build a TestStand User Interface in Microsoft Visual Studio 2010 might result in an error when targeting the .NET Framework version 2.0 through 3.5Refer to the National Instruments support article, Why do I Receive an Error when Using Visual Studio 2010 to Build a TestStand User Interface?, for more information about this issue.
Miscellaneous
132943
XML Packaging Utility fails on a multibyte operating system with English (US) regional settingsUsing the XML Packaging Utility to package a TestStand XML report and its style sheet returns an error if you are using a multibyte operating system but have the English (US) regional settings selected.
150427
Switching from a literal path to an expression in the Configure Call Executable dialog box does not refresh the found path displayIf you specify a path literal in any of the path controls in the Configure Call Executable dialog box in a TestStand User Interface, the found path control, located below the File Pathname control, updates to show the full path. If you enable the Specify File Path by Expression option, specify a new expression or modify an existing expression, and then disable the Specify File Path by Expression option, the found path control does not update but continues to show the previous full path. This issue affects all path controls that have a found path control below them in the Configure Call Executable dialog box. This behavior does not occur on the Call Executable edit tabs on the Step Settings pane in the TestStand Sequence Editor.
175490
Configuring a Goto step to execute an Else or Else If step causes TestStand to skip the stepIf you configure a Goto step to go to an Else or Else If step, the step and any steps in the Else section do not execute. Since no clear desired behavior is defined in this case, TestStand disables the option to select Else and Else If steps in a Goto step. You can still use an expression to select Else or Else If steps.
3502647LCM4G0On-the-fly database logging leaks memory when an execution repeatedly creates new threadsOn-the-fly database logging slowly leaks memory when executions repeatedly use a Sequence Call step to create new threads.
360245
The TestStand Sequence Analyzer does not honor code module load and unload settingsWhen analyzing a sequence file, the TestStand Sequence Analyzer loads code modules as part of the analysis process. However, the analyzer does not honor any load or unload options for the code modules. Instead, the analyzer preloads all code modules before analysis and does not unload them after analysis completes. This can cause an error in the following scenarios:
  • A sequence can load two different VI code modules with the same name as long as you configure the code modules to be unloaded dynamically. However, the analyzer reports that the second code module could not be loaded because the first code module remains in memory during analysis.
  • If you have configured the analyzer to analyze before executing, VI code modules the analyzer preloads can conflict with dynamically loaded modules in the sequence. In this case, TestStand returns an error similar to the following error:

    Unable to load VI '<VI 1 path>'.
    LabVIEW already has the VI '<VI 2 path>' loaded and cannot load different VIs with the same name.
363524
The += operator might not function correctly for appending elements to an arrayWhen you use the += operator to append to an array, TestStand might not correctly set the parent of the added elements, which can cause errors when you attempt to access or delete the elements. This behavior occurs when the following conditions are true:
  • You are using an array literal to build the array being concatenated.
  • The array literal contains references to existing properties.
For example, this behavior occurs for the expression Locals.myArray += {Locals.myNumber}.
365348
The UUT Information dialog box for the Parallel process model incorrectly restricts certain users from terminating or aborting test socketsUsers with only Terminate and Abort permissions cannot click the Terminate and Abort buttons in the UUT information dialog box for the Parallel process model. The buttons are disabled unless the user has all available permissions through the GrantAll privilege.
366735
Copying and pasting multiple watch expressions can cause the Watch View pane to error in certain casesIf you select multiple watch expressions on the Watch View pane and some expressions you select are valid but others are invalid, and you then attempt to copy and paste the expressions, TestStand returns the Object reference not set to an instance of an object error. An invalid watch expression displays an "X" icon to the left of the expression.
397573
The ProcessCleanup callback executes even if the ProcessSetup callback is skipped due to an errorIf an error occurs in the Begin entry point in a process model plug-in, the process model does not call the ProcessSetup callback in the client file, but it does call the ProcessCleanup callback. TestStand 2013 fixes this behavior by calling only the ProcessCleanup callback if the ProcessSetup callback executes.
5116147BK2TUZSequenceFilePreInteractive and SequenceFilePostInteractive callbacks do not execute when run interactivelyTestStand does not call the SequenceFilePreInteractive and SequenceFilePostInteractive callbacks when running a step interactively using a process model.
Reports
347289
XML reports might display an incorrect number of results and incorrect failure chain informationWhen you generate a XML report and do not use on-the-fly report generation, the Number of Results value and the failure chain information can be incorrect if the sequence file uses Engine callbacks. The report includes the steps in these callbacks in the Number of Results value but does not include the results for the steps in the report. In addition, the failure chain in the report might also incorrectly contain references to steps in the Engine callbacks.
347733
The TestStand Offline Results Processing Utility loads slowly when the inbox or outbox contains a large number of filesIf the inbox or outbox of the offline results processing utility contains 50,000 or more files, the utility can appear unresponsive and slow. The severity of the problem increases as the number of files increases.
357691
ATML reports generated on non-English operating systems contain an improperly formatted start dateThe ATML Test Results and Session Information schema requires that timestamps use the yyyy-mm-ddThh:mm:ss format. On a computer with a non-English operating system, the localized date is not properly converted to the English format the ATML Test Results and Session Information schema requires.
365232
ATML report hyperlinks do not function for filenames that contain multibyte charactersIf an ATML report contains hyperlinks to sequence files, the links do not function if the filenames contain multibyte characters. This issue occurs only when you are using a multibyte operating system.
366100
The Basic Step Time Report example result processing plug-in does not function if Microsoft Visual Basic for Applications is not installedRefer to the National Instruments support article, Knowledgebase 65TBQIUB: TestStand Basic Step Time Report Example Result Processing Plug-in Is Not Generating the Excel Report, for more information about this issue.
367731
When you specify a report path by expression, the <Unique> macro does not function if the path does not existWhen you specify a report path by expression, the <Unique> macro does not function if the path does not exist. If you are simultaneously generating multiple reports using the same expression, the reports can be overwritten because the report name will not be unique.
390043
ATML reports do not display icons correctly when report path contains Japanese charactersWhen you execute a sequence file on a Japanese operating system and the report path contains Japanese characters, the ATML report cannot load the images for the expand/collapse button and the error icon. TestStand 2013 fixes this issue for all stylesheets except for tr5_horizontal.xsl.
TestStand Deployment Utility
368256
TestStand Deployment Utility does not notify you if certain steps do not have a code module specifiedIf you attempt to deploy a sequence that contains LabWindows/CVI, C/C++ DLL, or HTBasic steps that do not have a code module specified, the TestStand Deployment Utility does not provide a warning and errors might occur when you run the sequence on the target computer.
387069
TestStand Deployment Utility can create multiple copies of DLL files that LabVIEW code modules referenceIf you create a deployment that meets all of the following conditions, the resulting image contains two copies of the referenced DLL:
  • The deployment contains a VI that calls a DLL
  • You include the called DLL in the deployment
One copy of the DLL will exist in the destination you specify for the DLL, and a second copy will exist in the supportvis directory because the DLL is a dependency of a VI in the deployment. Any VIs in the deployment that reference the DLL will use the supportvis directory location. This behavior can cause VIs that call the DLL to break in the case that the duplicate DLL requires other DLL dependencies in a specific location because the dependent DLLs will not be moved to the support VIs directory.
TestStand Engine
254341
Creating an attribute for a parameter of a substep code module results in an errorWhen you specify the code module for a substep and attempt to create an attribute for a parameter of the code module, the Attributes dialog box returns the "One or more errors have occurred. Please save your work and restart the application." error. This behavior does not occur for substeps that use the .NET Adapter.
254771
FTP Files step type does not use the current sequence file directory search path to determine a relative path when browsing for filesWhen you use the FTP Files step type and browse for files, TestStand prompts you to add a search directory or use an absolute path even when the file you want to select resides in the current sequence file directory or a subdirectory of the current sequence file directory.
298378
TestStand Engine File dialog box does not display correctly and is unusable when you set the font size to 150% DPI on Windows 7On Windows 7, when you set the font size to 150% DPI, the OK, Cancel, and Help buttons, the File Name field, and the Files of Type filter are not visible in the TestStand Engine File dialog box.
322852
Enabling the Log option for parameters of a substep can cause an errorWhen you configure the code module for a substep of a custom step type, enabling the Log option for any parameter on the Module tab of the Step Settings pane can result in a run-time error similar to the following error: Error executing substep '<substepName>'. Parameter <parameterName>': The following error occurred while logging additional result '<parameterName>': Array offset -1 is out of range; range is 0..1. This error occurs because substeps do not support logging additional results. TestStand 2013 and later no longer allows you to configure additional results for substeps.
339035
Reordering array elements in a large array takes a long time and appears to hang TestStandIf you attempt to reorder the elements in an array property using drag and drop, the operation can take a long time to complete for large arrays. During this time, you cannot interact with the TestStand environment and it appears to be hanging.
358061
Dialog boxes generated in new executions do not display when created within a remote engineIf you call a sequence on a remote target and the sequence creates a new execution, any dialog boxes the execution generates—such as a message box or a run-time error dialog box—do not display, making it appear that the execution is hanging.
359021
The PropertyObject.CreateReportSection method does not function properly with default input valuesThe PropertyObject.CreateReportSection method returns an error if you do not directly specify the Format parameter. This behavior occurs because the default value of this parameter is an empty string, but the only supported value is XML.
359900
An error occurs when you select multiple Sequence Call steps and the steps have different values for CanEditModulePrototype settingTestStand returns the Error occurred while trying to refresh edit panel 'SeqEdit.y': Object Reference not set to an instance of an object. error when all of the following conditions are true:
  • You create a custom step type that uses the Sequence Adapter.
  • You enable the Edit Module Prototype option on the Disable Properties tab of the Step Type Properties dialog box for the custom step type.
  • You create an instance of the step in a sequence and a standard Sequence Call step.
  • You select both steps simultaniously
If you dismiss the error, the error immediately reappears, and you must terminate the TestStand process to recover.
360098
The Sequence.GetEffectiveType method returns incorrect values when called from a running sequenceThe Sequence.GetEffectiveType method always returns the value 0 when called using a reference to a running copy of a sequence, such as the RunState.Sequence.GetEffectiveType() call.
413101
Password caching between TestStand sessions fails on computers with names longer than 9 charactersWhen unlocking a password protected type or file, you can select to remember the password in future sessions, allowing files that use that password to automatically unlocked when reopening in TestStand. However, a file or type will not automatically unlock in a new session if the machine name is 10 characters or more.
5095146RGGIMFTestStand ignores Use Single-Threaded Apartment setting for the execution type maskIf you configure a Sequence Call step to use a new execution and include the ExecTypeMask_UseSTA (Value: 0x100) setting in the execution type mask, the execution does not use the single-threaded apartment (STA) concurrency model. If the new execution contains a step that launches any dialog boxes that contain ActiveX controls, the steps do not execute correctly.
5104446KCHJUZUndo operation fails to remove instances of a type with the NotDeleteable flagAfter creating an instance of a type that has the NotDeleteable flag set for instances of the type, TestStand returns the Item is locked, protected, or in use and cannot be deleted. Error accessing item. error if you attempt to undo the creation of the instance.
TestStand Sequence Editor
308947
An error occurs when you use the Paste function in an array of object referencesIf you copy an object reference property to the clipboard and then attempt to paste the object reference into an array of object reference properties, TestStand returns the Expected Container found Object Reference. Error Code: -17308, Specified value does not have the expected type error.
350367
The Module tab on the Step Settings pane does not display in certain cases after you change the type for a stepThe Module tab on the Step Settings pane does not display when you complete the following steps, and you cannot configure the code module and its parameters for the step.
  1. Create a step type, and disable the Specify Module option on the Disable Properties tab of the Step Type Properties dialog box.
  2. Create an instance of the step type.
  3. Change the type of the new step to a different step type that does support a Module tab on the Step Settings pane, such as an Action step.
359036
An error can occur when you use the Find/Replace in Files dialog box in sequence files with a SequenceFileLoad Engine callbackWhen you use the Find/Replace in Files dialog box to replace text in an unopened sequence file, the following error can occur if the sequence file contains a SequenceFileLoad Engine callback: Replacing the matched text in the value of object <object> with <string> failed.
Cannot edit <sequence file name>. The file is either in use by an execution, marked as read-only, or you do not have the necessary user privileges.
This error occurs because the callback executes when the Find/Replace in Files dialog box opens the sequence file, which blocks the Find/Replace in Files dialog box from editing the sequence file.
5157847RDI9YLCreate Custom Data Type from Cluster dialog box appears multiple times when multiple steps are selectedThe LabVIEW Module tab incorrectly launches the Create Custom Data Type from Cluster dialog box multiple times when you select multiple steps and you click the Create Custom Data Type button.
TestStand User Interface (UI) Controls
5023543FETR00Cannot navigate to adapter buttons using the keyboard within the Insertion Palette paneYou cannot use the keyboard to navigate to the adapter buttons within the Insertion Palette pane for non-.NET applications.

Glossary of Terms

 

  • Bug ID - When an issue is reported to NI, you may be given this ID or find it on ni.com.  You may also find IDs posted by NI on the discussion forums or in KnowledgeBase articles.
  • Legacy ID – An older issue ID that refers to the same issue.  You may instead find this issue ID in older known issues documents.
  • Description - A few sentences which describe the problem. The brief description given does not necessarily describe the problem in full detail.
  • Workaround - Possible ways to work around the problem.
  • Reported Version - The earliest version in which the issue was reported.
  • Resolved Version - Version in which the issue was resolved or was no longer applicable. "N/A" indicates that the issue has not been resolved.
  • Date Added - The date the issue was added to the document (not the reported date).