Insertion Palette Pane
The sequence editor and user interfaces display items you can insert into sequence files on the Insertion Palette pane. The pane contains two lists: Step Types and Templates. The Step Types list displays the TestStand step type menu, and the Templates list displays user-defined template sequences, steps, and variables.
Step Types List
The Step Types list contains the step types from the loaded type palette files specified in the Types window and from the active Sequence File window. Before you insert a step that can use any module adapter, such as the Action, Numeric Limit Test, Multiple Numeric Limit Test, String Value Test, and Pass/Fail Test step types, you must select an adapter by clicking on an adapter icon above the Step Types list. You can customize the structure of the Step Type list menu in the Step Type Menu Editor dialog box by selecting Customize from the context menu of the Step Types list.
Templates List
Use the Templates list to hold copies of steps, variables, and sequences you reuse during the development of sequence files. For example, you can add a step that calls a specific LabVIEW VI you typically use, or a sequence that contains common setup steps, cleanup steps, and local variables.
Drag steps from the Steps pane, variables from the Variables pane, and sequences from the Sequences pane and drop them on the Templates list to add steps, variables, or sequences to the Templates list. Use the context menu to rename, copy, paste, delete, import, and export the items in the Templates list. Use drag and drop to rearrange the items in the list. Select Insert Folder from the context menu to add folders to the list.
You must drag a sequence, step, or variable from the Templates list to a sequence file, make changes, drag the item back to the Templates list, and delete the original item from the Templates list to edit the item.
Do not confuse step templates with custom step types, which have similar functionality but different use cases. Refer to Chapter 13, Custom Step Types, of the NI TestStand Reference Manual for more information about when to use step templates and custom step types.
Inserting Sequences, Steps, and Variables
You can use one of the following operations to insert a step from the Step Types list to the Steps pane, or a sequence, step, and variable from the Templates list to the Sequences, Steps, and Variables panes:
- Double-click an item on the Insertion Palette pane. TestStand inserts the item above the current step, sequence, or variable depending on the type of the item.
- Select an item on the Insertion Palette pane and press <Enter>. TestStand inserts the item below the current step, sequence, or variable depending on the type of the item.
- Right-click an item on the Insertion Palette pane and select Insert. TestStand inserts the item below the current step, sequence, or variable depending on the type of the item.
- Drag an item from the Insertion Palette pane and drop the item in the corresponding pane that contains a list of that type of items.