Test objects

What is this?

Test objects (DUTs, "devices under test") are the physical items examined in test sequences — with type, status, part/serial number, and optional barcode scanning via chain of custody. The overview lists every test object in the organization.

How to use it

• Create: New test object at the top of the page. Choose a type; the type's properties (Settings → Test object types) are offered for filling in.
• Project column: Shows which projects the test object is actually used in, via its test sequences (if several: the first few, then summarized as "+N more", full list in the tooltip). A test object with no linked test sequence shows "–" here.
• Filtering: The dropdowns above the table let you filter by project and by test object type, in addition to free-text search.
• Additional columns: The "Columns" button opens a picker with every type property across all test object types in the organization. Each selected property becomes its own column; test objects whose type doesn't define it show "–" there. The selection only applies to your own account.
• CSV/Excel import and export: "Export" at the top of the page delivers every test object as CSV or Excel (.xlsx), including type and every defined property (type and global properties, one property_<key> column each). "Import" reads the same layout back in. The type is resolved from the type column by name comparison (case-insensitive); a type name that isn't found produces a warning after import, and the test object is still created without a type. Rows without a name are skipped. Required properties are not enforced on import.
• Import preview: After selecting a file, a preview opens first — nothing is saved yet. It shows, per row, whether a new test object will be created or an existing one updated (or the row skipped), plus any issues such as invalid status, unknown type, invalid property values, or an unknown ID. For an update, the preview additionally lists every field that will actually change, one by one (old value → new value, including properties) — fields with no change don't appear. For very large files, the preview shows only the first 200 rows in detail; the summary counts above still cover every row. Only clicking "Import entries" writes the data; "Cancel" discards the file without any changes.
• Editing via export → import (no duplicates): The exported file's first column is each test object's ID. Editing that exported file — changing values, appending new rows with the ID column left blank — and re-importing it updates the existing test object for rows with a known ID instead of creating a second one; only rows with no (or an unknown) ID create a new test object. This makes it possible to manage the entire dataset as a table. An unknown ID (e.g. from another organization, or an already-deleted test object) creates a new entry and is reported in the success message.
• Change status: On the detail page, clicking the status badge next to the name opens the status picker directly — no need to go through the edit form. For several test objects at once, use the bulk selection in the table.
• Automatic status: When an assigned test step starts, the test object changes to “In test”. Once all steps across its active sequences are terminal (passed, failed, skipped, or cancelled), it changes to “Tested”. “Archived” is never overwritten automatically.
• Barcode scan / chain of custody: See chain-of-custody.
• Photos: The detail page lets you upload up to 2 photos (PNG or JPG, up to 5 MB each). "Choose photo" opens a dialog with a title (required), an optional description, and the file picker — the upload happens once you confirm in the dialog. These photos automatically appear on that test object's page in every project report that uses it (see berichte).

Common issues

• "A test object shows no project even though it's in use." The column only reads non-archived test sequences (no templates); check whether the sequence in question is assigned to a project.
• "The project filter doesn't find a test object." The filter narrows down to test objects with at least one active (non-deleted) test sequence in that project — pure templates don't count.
• "Maximum number of photos reached." A test object allows at most 2 photos. Remove an existing one before uploading a new one.
• "Only valid PNG and JPEG files are supported." A different file format (e.g. PDF, HEIC) was selected — export it as PNG or JPG and upload again.
• "Fewer test objects were created than expected on import." Rows without a name are skipped — the count is shown in the message after import.
• "A property from my import file is missing on the imported test object." Either the value was invalid for the field type (e.g. text in a number property) — reported as "invalid property values" — or the column isn't a known property of that type or a global property, in which case it shows up under "unrecognized columns ignored".
• "The file could not be read." Either the file is corrupt or, despite the .xlsx extension, not a real Excel file, or it contains invalid characters (e.g. from a broken export/encoding) — in both cases nothing is imported.
• "After re-importing, the test object exists twice." Check whether the ID column survived in the edited file — if it was deleted or cleared, the import treats the row as a new test object.
• "Editing an empty status cell reset the status." For a row with a known ID, an empty status cell is left untouched; an invalid value (e.g. a typo) is also not applied but reported as "invalid status" — only a valid new status is actually set.