.. _getting_started_page: =============== Getting Started =============== Features ======== **niveristand** has two major capabilities: system definition scripting, and real-time sequence scripting and deployment. NI recommends you use an editor with code completion, such as `Visual Studio Code `_, to make it easier to browse and use this code. Scripting system definition files --------------------------------- You can script system definition (.nivssdf) files for use in the NI VeriStand editor and deploy them to the NI VeriStand engine. Real-time sequences ------------------- You can create and run NI VeriStand real-time (RT) sequences from Python that work in both the NI VeriStand engine and Stimulus Profile Editor: - Convert Python functions into real-time sequences and save the converted Python functions to a file. - Run test sequences in two different modes: - Deterministic Mode Deploys a real-time sequence to a running NI VeriStand system and executes the sequence in real-time. - Python Mode Runs a test sequence from a host machine that communicates with an NI VeriStand system through the Gateway. Python mode emulates the behavior of Deterministic mode. Python mode is useful in the following cases: - You need to debug your real-time sequence. - You want to take full advantage of the Python ecosystem. .. include:: ../README.rst :start-after: _installation_section: :end-before: _usage_section: Usage ===== Refer to :doc:`sysdef_examples` for detailed examples of how to script a system definition file. Refer to :doc:`basic_rt_sequence_examples` for detailed examples of how to write a Python real-time sequence.