Variables Pane Context Menu - Sequence File Window
- Updated2024-10-09
- 6 minute(s) read
Variables Pane Context Menu - Sequence File Window
Variables Pane Context Menu
To access the context menu, right-click the Variables pane. The items in the Locals context menu vary depending on the type of variable or variable subproperty you right-click:
The Variables pane context menu can contain the following items:
- Insert —A submenu from which you select the data type for the local, parameter, file global, or station global variable you want to insert. If you want to insert a variable with a custom data type , you must create a named data type. You can create a named data type in the Types window. After you create a named data type, it appears in the Types submenu of the Insert submenu. If you insert an array, the Array Bounds dialog box launches. Notice that sequences always start with one local variable, ResultList . If you delete this local variable, TestStand cannot collect results for the sequence.
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Insert Element
—When you right-click an element of a one-dimensional array, this option inserts a new array element below the element you select. When you right-click the one-dimensional array when it is expanded, this option inserts a new array element at the lowest array index.
Note If you right-click the one-dimensional array when it is not expanded, you cannot insert a new element.
- Cut —Removes the selected variable and places it on the clipboard. When you right-click an element of a one-dimensional array, this option removes the array element and places it on the clipboard. You can select and cut multiple array elements simultaneously.
- Copy —Copies the selected variable to the clipboard. When you right-click an element of a one-dimensional array, this option copies the array element to the clipboard. You can select and copy multiple array elements simultaneously.
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Paste
—Inserts the variable from the clipboard.
When you right-click an element of a one-dimensional array, this option pastes a copied array element below the selected element if the copied array element specifies the same data type as the other existing array elements. If the array element you want to paste does not specify the same data type as the other existing array elements, this option is not available.
When you right-click the one-dimensional array when it is expanded, this option pastes the copied array element at the lowest array index. When you select and copy multiple array elements simultaneously, you can paste the array elements as a group.
Note If you right-click the one-dimensional array when it is not expanded, TestStand inserts the copied array element as a new variable below the array.You can also drag into the array a variable from outside the array if the variable is the same data type as the other existing array elements. You can press the <Ctrl> key while you drag to copy the variable you select and insert the copy in the array but retain the original variable.Note If the array is an array of containers, you can paste a variable from outside the array but you cannot drag and drop a variable from outside the array.You can also paste an array element outside of the array or drag an array element from the array and drop it outside of the array to create a new local variable, parameter, file global variable, station global variable, or subproperty. TestStand names the new variable using the same name as the array. If a variable with the same name as the array already exists, TestStand appends to the variable name a suffix _ n , where n is the lowest variable greater than or equal to 1 that makes the variable name unique.
- Delete —Deletes the variable. When you right-click an element of a one-dimensional array, this option deletes the array element.
- Copy Value —Copies the value of the selected property to the clipboard. When you right-click a one-dimensional array, this option copies the values of all the array elements to the clipboard as a flat list, with one element value per line.
- Rename —Displays a control for renaming the selected variable or subproperty.
- Smart Rename —Launches the Smart Rename dialog box, where you can rename a variable and then update all references to that variable.
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Pass By Reference
—The parameter is a reference to the argument the calling sequence passes to the parameter. Passing a parameter by reference allows the subsequence to change the actual value of the argument in the calling sequence.
When you disable this option for a parameter, TestStand copies the argument value the calling sequence passes as the parameter. This prevents the subsequence from changing the value of the argument in the calling sequence. Copying a large object or array you pass as a parameter can degrade performance.
Enable this option when you want to return a value from a subsequence to the calling sequence. You can also enable the option to reduce the time required to pass a large object or array to a subsequence. Disable the option when you want to guarantee that any changes a subsequence makes to a parameter do not affect the argument in the calling sequence.
Note Do not pass a parameter by reference to a subsequence you call in a separate thread unless you want the new thread to see changes you make to the variable in the calling sequence after the sequence call returns.
- Check Type —TestStand verifies that the data type and representation of the argument you pass as a parameter is compatible with the data type and representation of the parameter. For example, TestStand reports a run-time error when you set this option for a String parameter and then pass a numeric value instead. Although type checking is usually a fast operation, you can disable this option when you want to avoid any possible overhead. You can also disable this option when you want to pass arguments with different types or representations in the same parameter field for calls. To pass arguments in this way, specify Container as the data type for the parameter and disable the Check Type option. You can use the PropertyExists expression function to determine whether the argument a calling sequence passes to the container parameter contains a particular subproperty.
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Advanced
—Launches a submenu that contains the following options:
- Edit Flags —Launches the Edit Flags dialog box, in which you can modify the flags for the variable or subproperty.
- Edit Attributes —Launches the Attributes dialog box, in which you can create and edit attributes for the variable or subproperty.
- Numeric Format —Launches the Numeric Format dialog box, in which you can specify the format TestStand uses to display the value of a numeric property. This control is available only for numeric properties and numeric array properties.
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Representation
—The numeric data type standard to use for a number variable or parameter.
- Double-Precision 64-bit Floating Point (default) —Specifies double-precision, 64-bit floating-point representation.
- Signed 64-bit Integer —Specifies signed 64-bit integer representation.
- Unsigned 64-bit Integer —Specifies unsigned 64-bit integer representation.
- Propagate to Subsequence —Specifies whether a local variable is visible at run time in subsequences the sequence calls. The variable continues to propagate as the call chain extends. Typically, you configure local variables to propagate to automatically pass a set of values to all subsequences a sequence calls.
- Allow Propagation from Caller —Specifies which variable takes precedence when a subsequence defines a variable with the same name as a variable a calling sequence propagates. When you disable this option, TestStand preserves the local variable in the subsequence. When you enable this option, TestStand replaces the variable in the subsequence with the variable the caller propagates. When a propagated variable replaces an existing sequence variable, TestStand generates an error if the types of the variables do not match.
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View
—Lists the available panes or windows for a sequence file. These commands are available only when a Sequence File window is active.
- Steps —Displays the Steps pane where you edit the steps in the Setup, Main, and Cleanup step groups for the sequence file.
- Sequences —Displays the Sequences pane where you edit the sequences in the sequence file.
- Variables —Displays the Variables pane where you edit the locals, parameters, and file globals for the sequence file and station globals.
- Types —Displays the Types window where you can edit step types, custom data types, and built-in data types. The TestStand Sequence Editor selects the active sequence file in the Type Palettes window.