Preload Progress Dialog Box

When you open or execute a large sequence file that contains multiple code modules that might take a long time to preload, TestStand launches the Preload Progress dialog box, which displays a progress indicator as TestStand preloads the code modules.

TestStand calculates the percent completion value for the Preload Progress dialog box to display by scanning the sequence file and any called sequence files for the total number of code modules the sequence files contain and counting each code module as it preloads. The Preload Progress dialog box displays the sequence file name, sequence name, step name, code module name, and code module path for each code module TestStand preloads.
Note The preload progress indicator factors in building LabVIEW source files to determine the preload percent completion if the Enable Build Source Files and Execute option is enabled in LabVIEW Adapter Configuration.

The Preload Progress dialog box launches only after a delay period you specify and only when you open or execute a sequence file that specifies an appropriate preload option or contains a step that specifies an appropriate preload option, as the following table describes. The Preload Progress dialog box includes only the code modules specified by steps or contained in sequence files that specify an appropriate preload option.

Action You Perform Sequence File Properties Load Option Step Properties Load Option
Open a sequence file Preload when opening sequence file —
Use step load option Preload when opening sequence file
Execute a sequence file Preload when execution begins —
Use step load option Preload when execution begins
You can modify the option for a sequence file by using the General tab of the Sequence File Properties dialog box. You can modify the option for a step by using the Run Options panel of the Step Settings pane in the TestStand Sequence Editor or the Run Options tab of the Step Properties dialog box in a TestStand User Interface .
Note In the sequence editor, if you enable the TestStand Sequence Analyzer to analyze the sequence file when you initiate an execution and the sequence file or step specifies to preload code modules when execution begins, the sequence analyzer preloads the code modules for analysis, and the Preload Progress dialog box does not launch. If you cancel the sequence analyzer before analysis completes, the Preload Progress dialog box launches after the specified delay period and displays the preload progress for the remaining code modules that the sequence analyzer did not preload. If you disable the sequence analyzer and the sequence file or step specifies to preload code modules when execution begins, the Preload Progress dialog box launches.

By default, the Preload Progress dialog box launches after a delay period of 3 seconds. You can use the Preload Progress Dialog Box Delay option on the Preferences tab of the Station Options dialog box to modify the delay period value. You can also use the StationOptions.PreloadProgressDelay property of the TestStand API to programmatically modify the delay period value. Specify a negative value to disable the Preload Progress dialog box but continue to preload the sequence file.

In addition, you can use the TestStand API to programmatically specify that the Preload Progress dialog box launches. Pass the GetSeqFile_PreloadModules constant for the Engine.GetSequenceFileEx method to launch the Preload Progress dialog box when you open a sequence file. Pass the ExecTypeMask_DisplayPreloadProgress constant for the Engine.NewExecution or SequenceContext.NewExecution methods to launch the Preload Progress dialog box when you execute a sequence file.
Note If you want to use the TestStand API to open or execute multiple sequence files simultaneously in different threads and the sequence files contain one or more steps that specify the Preload when opening sequence file load option or the Preload when execution begins load option, respectively, the Preload Progress dialog box correctly displays the progress of preloading code modules for all sequence files but might not correctly display the sequence file name, sequence name, step name, code module name, and code module path for each code module. For this case, National Instruments recommends that you do not pass the GetSeqFile_PreloadModules constant for opening sequence files or the ExecTypeMask_DisplayPreloadProgress constant for executing sequence files.

Click the Cancel button in the Preload Progress dialog box when you open a sequence file to cancel the preload and open the sequence file without preloading the code modules.

Click the Cancel button in the Preload Progress dialog box when you execute a sequence file to cancel the preload and prevent the execution from initiating.