Write TestStand results through a .net application to an external database.

[rkenshin]

Hi Guys,

I'm looking into a solution where i have to write TestStand Tests' results to a database through a predefined API that can be accessed in the tests' sequence.

Currently the way the test results are written to a database is through ODBC and by explicitly writing SQL statements into TestStand. I want, instead to write an application say in .Net and encapsulate those SQL statements calls within it. 

Is this doable at all ? Can I write the application, build the DLL, load it into TestStand and through a .Net Adpater make it available to the Tests' sequence. 

To make even the process worse, the actuall .Net application will consume webservice that will do the actual writing to the database. 

This is my first experience with TestStand and i'm not sure I'm on the right track. Most of the docs i sifted through don't seem to hint to externalizing database interaction through a third party object (.Net, Active X or any DLL).

Would appreciate your comments on this

Thank you

ken.

[snowpunter]

Yes.

TS can call .NET code with ease so any webservice app that gets built into a .NET assembly can be called directly from TS.

You have a few options on how to architect it:

1. Create .NET action steps that will log to the appropriate database at the very end of your MainSequence. All built-in database logging in TS is diabled.
2. Create .NET action steps in a LogToDatabase callback in your sequence file that will use the options specified in the Configure->Database Options menu to log to the appropriate database. Built-in database logging is turned on in TS, but on-the-fly logging is off.

[rkenshin]

Thank you for your reply. 

The options you suggested are on how the .Net application we will write, is finally called within TestStand isn't it ? 

Can .Net Adapter be used at all to facilitate the interaction between the .Net Application & Test Sequence ?

Again, i'm quite new to TestStand API  and any clarifications would be appreciated.

Best 

Ken

[snowpunter]

Yes and yes. Take a look at Chapter 5 in the TestStand Reference Manual for more info. Start->Programs->National Instruments->TestStand->Documentation

[snowpunter]

Also the computer.seq example at C:\Documents and Settings\All Users\Documents\National Instruments\TestStand VERSION\Examples\Demo\DotNet

[rkenshin]

Great thank you. I was under the impression that you can only call external test written in .net though the .net apdater and any kind of application and thus any database manipulation has to be done within TestStand only.

I will dig futher into this then. 

Best

Ken