The TestStand search directories dialog appears to add and remove items by adding or removing entries to and from the TestExec.ini file directly. This poses a problem because it isn't using the TestStand API to manipulate search directories. This results in a difference in behavior between the API and the dialog. In the case of the dialog, you can add search directory entries that don't exist (invalid paths) but with the API, you can't do so. It would be really nice if either:
1. The search directory dialog used the TestStand API for adding and removing entries (so that there isn't a discrepancy in behavior)
2. The TestStand API allowed addition of non-existent (invalid) search directory paths
It is convenient for me to have search directory entries that are invalid so that my deployments will run on either Windows 7 or Windows XP rather than having to create a separate deployment for each operating system. You can obviously do that through the TestStand search directories dialog. However, that is not possible if you attempt to do it programmatically through the TestStand API.
In addition to using the search directories dialog, I also have a utility that can be used to programmatically modify the search directory entries. Because the TestStand API throws errors if you try to add a search directory entry that is an invalid path, the utility often ends up modifying more than the user-requested changes (by being forced to remove invalid paths that were configured previously through the search directories dialog).
