Program that can log/control many multimeters and other devices.

[HKJ]

I am just the opposite, I know Python quite well and I am trying to avoid Java basically because I am a beginner there and had bad experiences when Java was young....

The only issues I know from back then was:
1) Java was a little slow for some stuff, that is not a issues anymore.
2) The safety was not perfect for a web-browser plugin. That job has been taken over by java-script and Java is not used for that anymore.

[Cyclotron]

Of course the new one MUST be backwards compatible with the (awesome) current definitions.
Chatting with an (hallucinated and drunk as always) AI vomited this at me:

PyVISA: The industry standard for communicating with test equipment via GPIB, USB, RS232, or Ethernet (SCPI commands).
PySerial: Perfect for simpler devices that talk over virtual serial/COM ports.
Plotting & Dashboards: Instead of built-in Java GUI windows, Python lets you stream live data directly into Plotly/Dash, Streamlit, or Grafana for gorgeous, web-accessible telemetry dashboards.
Data Analysis: Instantly pipe your logged data into Pandas, NumPy, or SciPy for immediate post-processing and curve fitting.

bah...... take all the above with a lot of salt (not just a pinch)....


It seems there is already an alternative out of the box:
https://pymodaq.cnrs.fr/
I will try it out for TEA and report it a new thread, when I will have time in 2027.

I am just the opposite, I know Python quite well and I am trying to avoid Java basically because I am a beginner there and had bad experiences when Java was young....

Do not get me wrong, your job is a white gloves 6 stars project that helped thousand of peoples here.... plus the passion you have in documenting and maintaining it is an example for me

I am just curious about possible alternative.... No need to reply, I do not want to pollute this awesome thread.

I created VMSG to let tools like TC use VISA-attached instruments as if they were connecting to a Prologix or Agilent E5810A, since I emulate both on the network side.

I also tend to program in Python because it's been my "hammer" for everything for the past few years since I left Perl. 

[flash2b]

Indeed. Unfortunately, it looks like it mostly gives up after around 1200 something lines. That's fine for most definitions, but some are significantly longer. I dunno if there's a way to fix that or not. I couldn't find one.

Try loading my Batronix Magnova definition and see how it looks for you.

Thanks,
Josh

line 1201 has an error in your def: :readmath: ""+getElement(value,3, ",")";

remove the last " and it will render. (I would not dare to do myself  )

There are no limit is NP++ for coloring, just checked !!

[KungFuJosh]

Indeed. Unfortunately, it looks like it mostly gives up after around 1200 something lines. That's fine for most definitions, but some are significantly longer. I dunno if there's a way to fix that or not. I couldn't find one.

Try loading my Batronix Magnova definition and see how it looks for you.

Thanks,
Josh

line 1201 has an error in your def: :readmath: ""+getElement(value,3, ",")";

remove the last " and it will render. (I would not dare to do myself  )

There are no limit is NP++ for coloring, just checked !!

Thanks for not editing it, it's the first quote that's a typo.

[flash2b]

I have made a Notepad++ User Defined Language config to help coding TestController definition files.

After importing, open Language > User Defined Language > Define your language, go to the Comment & Number tab, and under Comment line position tick "Force at the beginning of line". Without it every semicolon starts a comment, including the ones separating commands.

Interesting idea, I may add it somewhere in the documentation, but will wait for your update.

I have made a Notepad++ User Defined Language config to help coding TestController definition files.

Here is my new 1.01 version, embedded in the XML is:

<!--
    TestController Definition - Notepad++ User Defined Language
    Version 1.01 - 24-08-2026
    Written by Flash2b Username "Flash2b" at EEVblog.com and www.circuitsonline.net
    For use with TestController: https://lygte-info.dk/project/TestControllerIntro%20UK.html
 -->

Instructions:
- After importing, open Language > User Defined Language > Define your language, go to the Comment & Number tab, and under Comment line position tick "Force at the beginning of line". Without it every semicolon starts a comment, including the ones separating commands.
- You can add your own keywords for highlight in the 7th group. (the sample content is my list of  #replacetext space holder values)



You can add a link as a download on your own site (for TestController) HKJ, you have my consent.

[ Attachment Invalid Or Does Not Exist ]

Edit: this is the latest version including auto completion and two theme color described here: https://www.eevblog.com/forum/testgear/program-that-can-log-from-many-multimeters/msg6342766/#msg6342766

[flash2b]

Indeed. Unfortunately, it looks like it mostly gives up after around 1200 something lines. That's fine for most definitions, but some are significantly longer. I dunno if there's a way to fix that or not. I couldn't find one.

Try loading my Batronix Magnova definition and see how it looks for you.

Thanks,
Josh

line 1201 has an error in your def: :readmath: ""+getElement(value,3, ",")";

remove the last " and it will render. (I would not dare to do myself  )

There are no limit is NP++ for coloring, just checked !!

Thanks for not editing it, it's the first quote that's a typo.

Very happy that I did not edited it. But you see its usefulness in full effect.

[KungFuJosh]

Very happy that I did not edited it. But you see its usefulness in full effect.

Absolutely- I love it. Very nice work!

BTW- n++ does have limitations (user switchable) but the default is like 200MB. I don't think any of our definitions are going to get that big. 

[KungFuJosh]

I sent you a PM with colors that work with the Obsidian theme.

[flash2b]

I can make a Light theme version and an Obsidian theme version.

Is is ok to integrate the colors, which I got in PM from you ? @KungFuJosh

If yes I will make a 1.02 version with two as a choice. (also did add some more stuff already)

@same error with "around line 4146 and so on @KungFuJosh

[Cyclotron]

I have made a Notepad++ User Defined Language config to help coding TestController definition files.

After importing, open Language > User Defined Language > Define your language, go to the Comment & Number tab, and under Comment line position tick "Force at the beginning of line". Without it every semicolon starts a comment, including the ones separating commands.

Interesting idea, I may add it somewhere in the documentation, but will wait for your update.

I have made a Notepad++ User Defined Language config to help coding TestController definition files.

Here is my new 1.01 version, embedded in the XML is:

<!--
    TestController Definition - Notepad++ User Defined Language
    Version 1.01 - 24-08-2026
    Written by Flash2b Username "Flash2b" at EEVblog.com and www.circuitsonline.net
    For use with TestController: https://lygte-info.dk/project/TestControllerIntro%20UK.html
 -->

Instructions:
- After importing, open Language > User Defined Language > Define your language, go to the Comment & Number tab, and under Comment line position tick "Force at the beginning of line". Without it every semicolon starts a comment, including the ones separating commands.
- You can add your own keywords for highlight in the 7th group. (the sample content is my list of  #replacetext space holder values)



You can add a link as a download on your own site (for TestController) HKJ, you have my consent.

(Attachment Link)

Nice work.  Maybe a couple of issues to consider based on searches against the current shipping driver list and docs:

Item 1:

forcePureLC="0"
; is TC's line comment only at the start of a line. Everywhere else it's a command separator:

forcePureLC="0" is "allow line comment anywhere", so Notepad++ greys out the tail of every one of those. In the stock corpus ~11,800 lines carry a non-comment ;. In practice :write:/:read:/:update: — the three most common lines in any driver — render as comment from the semicolon onward.

Fix?: forcePureLC="2" ("allow preceding whitespace").

Item 2:

<Keywords name="Delimiters">00" 01 02"</Keywords>

Field 01 (escape) is empty, but the corpus has 466 \" sequences and 2,302 \xNN escapes. Each \" currently closes the string and inverts the coloring for the rest of the line. Fix: 00" 01\ 02".

2 possible features:
1.  An autocompletion file. plugins/APIs/TestController Definition.xml gives Ctrl+Space completion with parameter hints for the ~200 functions. This is the single biggest usability win available, and the keyword lists are already 80% of the work.
2. A functionList parser. functionList/testcontroller.xml producing a navigable tree of #metadef / #meta / #cmdSetup blocks. The corpus averages 36 #cmdSetup blocks per driver, and some have hundreds — an outline pane is worth more than any color.

[flash2b]

I will take a look. Item 1 and 2.

Did you do this :- After importing, open Language > User Defined Language > Define your language, go to the Comment & Number tab, and under Comment line position tick "Force at the beginning of line". Without it every semicolon starts a comment, including the ones separating commands.

:read: :write: render purple so are fine.

But your remark is to set it in the XML I recon.

Will update anyway also look at autocomplete.

Tomorrow.

[Cyclotron]

I will take a look. Item 1 and 2.

Did you do this :- After importing, open Language > User Defined Language > Define your language, go to the Comment & Number tab, and under Comment line position tick "Force at the beginning of line". Without it every semicolon starts a comment, including the ones separating commands.

But your remark is to set it in the XML I recon.

Will update anyway also look at autocomplete.

Tomorrow.

Tomorrow, or if/when you're interested. Yes, sorry, I was indicating you might want that as a default giving the notiion that it is also a spearator in some places.

[KungFuJosh]

I can make a Light theme version and an Obsidian theme version.

Is is ok to integrate the colors, which I got in PM from you ? @KungFuJosh

If yes I will make a 1.02 version with two as a choice. (also did add some more stuff already)

@same error with "around line 4146 and so on @KungFuJosh

Yes, you can use the colors. Less work for me.

Thanks, nice catch. There's a bunch there I had to clean up. Definitely a useful tool!

BTW- it highlights "if" even in the middle of words.

[KungFuJosh]

We were both wrong. I needed to add a quote to 1201 (now 1202), not remove one. Weird, but that's why we test lol.

I also added colon to operators1. I like the way it breaks up the content, especially with longer SCPI commands.

ETA: I made some more changes. I'll PM you.

Thanks,
Josh

[flash2b]

Thanx KungFuJosh and Cyclotron

I will make a new, better NP++ UDL XML, today or tomorrow in 2 color themes.

(give me some time, I am extremely busy with paid work)
Done !

[flash2b]

Ok new version Light and Dark.

Re-import is needed since they can both be loaded in NP++ with distinct names.

Changes
- Cyclotron item 1 and 2 are added
- KungFuJosh colors are added to dark with a slight change to keywords 3 4 7 8 colors for better readability from around 2.4–2.7:1 contrast to 4.5–6:1 range contrast. If you do not like it, I'll make a third theme for Obsedian to
- some other additions e.g. more units like dBv and some more


Known limitations due to UDF 2.1 restrictions
- Keywords inside prose still match (for, to, do)
- \xNN uncoloured
- ext="" means users must pick the language manually
- Colour stopping mid-file means an unmatched quote above

@KungFuJosh your mods with the : do not work for me and mess up my :tip: :readmath: etc, so I did not implement it. I tried it.... Please re-apply your mods if you want to use 1.02, I am sorry !

Instructions: (UDL only, autoCompletion below) (item 1 fix is not transportable)
- After importing, open Language > User Defined Language > Define your language, go to the Comment & Number tab, and under Comment line position tick "Allow preceding white space". Without it every semicolon starts a comment, including the ones separating commands. (should check it, already there)
- You can add your own keywords for highlight in the 7th group. (the sample content is my list of #replacetext space holder values)


[ Attachment Invalid Or Does Not Exist ]

(it is not 100% perfect, but close. I may add the # directives (it is now only the prefix) also for highlighting, but 1.02 is good enough now and #command are highlighted)

One post below

[flash2b]

I've added autoCompletion on request of Cyclotron.

These are in the zip in the autoCompletion folder.

Limitation
The directives. #scpiCmd, #cmdSetup, #metaSection, #replacetext are what you type most, and they're not in any keyword group — group 1 is just the # prefix. ( I will change this later ) fixed it !!

Install autoCompletion

1. Put both files (from the autoCompletion folder in the ZIP) in Notepad++'s autoCompletion folder — that's inside the install directory, next to notepad++.exe, not in APPDATA. (? ▸ Debug Info shows the path if you're unsure.) It is: <Notepad++ install dir>\autoCompletion\
2. Don't rename them. Notepad++ matches the file name to the language name, so TestController Definition Light.xml only works for the language called TestController Definition Light. Both can sit there together.
3. Settings ▸ Preferences ▸ Auto-Completion: tick Enable auto-completion on each input, choose Function and word completion, and set From 1st character (or 2nd — the default of 3 is too late for #eol).
4. Restart Notepad++.

Use
Type #sc and #scpiCmd is offered; :up offers the four update tags; form offers formatDouble, formatSI and the rest. Ctrl+Space forces the list open if you dismissed it.

Remember still beta version of autoCompletion

[ Attachment Invalid Or Does Not Exist ]

[KungFuJosh]

@KungFuJosh your mods with the : do not work for me and mess up my :tip: :readmath: etc, so I did not implement it. I tried it.... Please re-apply your mods if you want to use 1.02, I am sorry !

For both to work as keywords, you need to remove the colons from the word list so the list would say readmath instead of :readmath:, etc. I PM'd you a working example.

I'll see how the color scheme works, and report back. Worst case, I'll reapply my version.

I'll edit the new one, and send it in PM again after it's all tested.

Thanks,
Josh

ETA: I added periods also.

[KungFuJosh]

The color scheme looks good now, but the purple on var is just a little too intense. Otherwise, looks great. Here's a couple examples with colons working fine as described above.

Thanks,
Josh

[KungFuJosh]

1. Put both files (from the autoCompletion folder in the ZIP) in Notepad++'s autoCompletion folder — that's inside the install directory, next to notepad++.exe, not in APPDATA. (? ▸ Debug Info shows the path if you're unsure.) It is: <Notepad++ install dir>\autoCompletion\
2. Don't rename them. Notepad++ matches the file name to the language name, so TestController Definition Light.xml only works for the language called TestController Definition Light. Both can sit there together.

Optional suggestion, but I would simplify this and just use UserLang name="TestController". It's unlikely anybody will use more than one theme, so there's no reason to separate them. Then everything works with less effort.

Alternatively, you could include a 3rd generic option that uses only TestController as the name.

Thanks,
Josh

[flash2b]

Thank you for your PM, @KungFuJosh.

I already tried you : approach and deleting them from group 2.

Since : proceeds then :enable:, the enable is not colored. That is why I did not implement it. I will investigate it again, so when is working the way I like it I'll include it.

UserLang name="TestController" is possible drop the theme also drop it in the autoCompletion. So two UDL files and 1 autoCompletion. The filename of the seconds needs to follow the UDL UserLang name.

Also keen to get feedback on the autoCompletion i've drafted.

You cannot have it all with UDL 2.1 and it also not 100% perfect, close but not perfect. It is because regex is not supported by it.

Well I hope other def makers will benefit from it. Will do updates in the future making things even better.

Edit
I rechecked.

Your approach is fine as :tip: text never uses read, write, enable, update, color, format or string (etc) in lower case mid-sentence. I use those words a lot in my :tip: and do not want to Uppercase them to prevent them coloring.

I also have a version running with all #directives in them (same as autoCompletion) and not just the prefix. For now I will "monitor" what to do for a next version.

[KungFuJosh]

I don't mind if tip text gets highlighted, or the periods I added get highlighted in tip text or numbers.

Highlighting has no functional effect besides visual reference for us while editing.

I like how highlighting breaks things up, and makes it easier to see. Tip text is inconsequential in that sense...except maybe pointing out typos.

[flash2b]

Let me sleep on it.... 

[KungFuJosh]

Sleep as long as you like; my local copy already works the way I want it to.

[flash2b]

Dear HKJ,

I am creating an Other Menu for my definition.

Why are #otherList / #otherText not handled by the meta processor the way #metaSection is? A script that works as an external file cannot be pasted into #otherText unchanged - every line-leading # needs \x23 and every column name containing a space needs \x22.

Today:

Code: [Select]

#otherList
  menuItem[0]="Colours Normal.txt";
  menuItem[1]="Colours Dark.txt";

#otherText
  if (name=="Colours Dark.txt")
    runScriptAsync("""#delay 0
      \x23if (!isLogging())
        \x23Log 1
      \x23endif
#metaSection Sec0440
      \x23ChartCurves XACX0440.AI01 \x22XACX0440.DO DO1\x22
#metaSection
      \x23ChartBackground black black -
    """);
  endif;

Proposed:

Code: [Select]

#metaOtherList
  menuItem[0]="Colours Normal.txt";
  menuItem[1]="Colours Dark.txt";

#metaOtherText
  if (name=="Colours Dark.txt")
    runScriptAsync("""#delay 0
      #if (!isLogging())
        #Log 1
      #endif
#metaSection Sec0440
      #ChartCurves XACX0440.AI01 "XACX0440.DO DO1"
#metaSection
      #ChartBackground black black -
    """);
  endif;

If the #other* content went through meta processing the inline script would be identical to the external one, and could be copied either way. #metaSection already works inside the block, so the meta pass is visiting those lines already.

To ensure backwards compatibility the existing #otherList and #otherText would stay exactly as they are, so no existing definition changes or needs retesting. The new #metaOtherList and #metaOtherText would be opt-in and only affect definitions that choose to use them. It is a change to how the block is preprocessed rather than a new capability, since the meta pass already runs over those lines today.

Personal note: this would let me embed external scripts into definitions far more easily, and I would use the Other menu a lot more often as a result. I suspect the same is true for other authors - the escaping is most of the reason the Other menu is rarely used.