Projects/Edu/KStars/QA List 2.6.0

 

Under Construction
This is a new page, currently under construction!

List of expected behaviors for KStars 2.6.0

Please test these behaviors, and indicate whether it works correctly or not. Once a behavior has been tested, attach one of the following codes to the beginning of the line to indicate its status.

• No symbol or Black: behavior not yet tested
• * or Red: behavior causes KStars to crash
• X or Orange: behavior is broken
• B or Yellow: behavior sort-of works, or is buggy
• U or Cyan: Usability issue
• C or Green: behavior works correctly

---

Mouse Navigation

• Moving the mouse shows the current sky coordinates of the mouse in the statusbar.
• Clicking the mouse identifies the nearest object in the statusbar; the object's "long name" is shown
• Hovering the mouse attaches a temporary label to the nearest object.
• Hover labels fade out when the mouse moves
• Hover labels only appear when the map is not in motion
• Double-clicking attaches a label to the nearest object, centers it in the display, and engages tracking.
• The double-click label is removed when the object is no longer centered
• Click-and-drag moves the map such that the cursor remains roughly in the same place in the sky.
• Dragging the sky disengages tracking
• Dragging the sky to one of the poles does not cause odd behavior
• Click-and-drag with Ctrl pressed draws a rectangle in the map that defines a new area to be displayed when the mouse button is released
• Click-and-drag with the middle mouse button zooms in and out according to the vertical motion of the mouse
• Scrolling the mouse wheel zooms in and out.
• Scrolling the mouse wheel while holding down Shift / Ctrl decreases the amount of zooming in / out.
• Right-click opens a context-sensitive popup menu for the object nearest the mouse cursor.

Keyboard commands

• Arrow keys: scroll the display. Holding Shift increases the speed
• [0-9] center on a major solar system body (0 is the sun, 3 is the moon; the rest are planets in order from Mercury to Pluto)
• [<,>] Advance clock forward/backward by one time step (clock will be paused if it isn't already)

Object Actions:

• C: Track object
• D: Open the Details window
• L: Attach/Remove the label
• O: Add object to Observing List
• T: Attach/remove trail (solar system only)
• Pressing Shift targets action on the focused object, rather than the clicked object

Menu functions and keyboard shortcuts

If a menu action opens a window, the window's behavior is listed elsewhere. Just check to see if it opens here.

File Menu

• Open a FITS image in the FITS Viewer tool [Ctrl+O]
• Save Sky image [Ctrl+I]
• Run script [Ctrl+R]
• Printing Wizard
• Print [Ctrl+P] (print dialog opens)
• Quit [Ctrl+Q]

Time Menu

• Set time to now [Ctrl+E]
• Set time [Ctrl+S]
• Advance one step backward in time
• Start/Stop clock
• Advance one step forward in time

Pointing Menu

• Zenith [Z]
• North [N]
• East [E]
• South [S]
• West [W]
• Set focus manually [Ctrl+M]
• Find object [Ctrl+F]
• Engage/Stop tracking [Ctrl+T]

View Menu

• Zoom in [Ctrl++]
• Zoom out [Ctrl+-]
• Default zoom [Ctrl+Z]
• Zoom to angular size [Ctrl+Shift+Z]
• Full-screen mode [Ctrl+Shift+F]
• Horizontal/Equatorial Coordinates [Space]
• Projections sub-menu (test switching only here)

Devices Menu

[NOTE: These features require that KStars be compiled with INDI support]

Telescope wizard

• Help button displays KStars hand book.
• Next/Back buttons work.
• Listed telescopes reflect system + user added telescopes.
• Setting Time and Location open the appropriate dialog boxes and perform the correct time or location updates.
• Setting port name initiate a scan for that specific port, whereas leaving the port empty initiates a complete auto port scan. Both actions can be canceled at any time.
• Automatic port scan.

Telescope properties

• Telescope list reflect system & user added telescope.
• Selecting a telescope update all property fields.
• Removing a telescope shows a confirmation box.
• Saving updated properties works.

Device manager

• Device manager allows the user to start/shutdown device drivers and connect to remote INDI servers.
• Device manager has a list of devices, containing device name, status and mode.
• Device manager has a Server Log box that contains information for every running device.
• Starting in Local mode creates an INDI server and connects to it.
• Starting in Server mode only creates a server, KStars does not connect to it.
• Starting one driver in Local mode works.
• Starting multiple drivers in Local mode works.
• Stopping one driver does not stop server.
• Stopping multiple drivers does not stop server.
• The Run Service button enables the user to run selected device.
• The Stop Service button enables the user to stop selected device.
• The Close button enables the user to close Device Manager windows.
• In the Client tab, the user can Add/Modify/Remove a host.
• In the Client tab, the user can establish/stop a connection by pressing the Connect/Disconnect buttons.

INDI Control panel

• INDI Control Panel allows users to control all the features supported by a device.

Tools Menu (test opening tools only here)

• Calculator [Ctrl+C]
• Devices
• Sky Calendar
• Altitude vs. Time [Ctrl+A]
• What's Up Tonight [Ctrl+U]
• What's Interesting [Ctrl+W]
• Script Builder [Ctrl+B]
• Solar System [Ctrl+Y]
• Ekos [Ctrl+K]
• Jupiter's Moons [Ctrl+J]
• Flags

Observation Menu

• Observation Planner [Ctrl+L]
• Execute the session Plan [Ctrl+2]

Observation Planner [Ctrl+L]

• The user can open an observation session list.
• The user can open the Observing List Wizard.
• The observation session can be saved using Save/Save as buttons..
• The user can easily set up the current Location and Date.
• More objects can be added to the list by using the Find Object or What's up Tonight tool.
• An image can be added to an object by pressing the Find Image button on the right .
• Within the Find Image window, the user can open an image from his hard drive.
• The Download all Images button downloads the SDSS/DSS images of all the objects in the current list.
• The Delete all Images button deletes the stored DSS/SDSS images.
• The Delete button deletes the current set image.
• The Make window small button shrinks the size of the Observation Planner window.

Execute the session Plan [Ctrl+2]

• The user is able to see some information about the selected object and also to add observing notes.
• The user is able to add new objects to the list using Add new object to list button.
• The user is able to remove the selected object from the list by pressing Remove object from list button.
• The user is able to enter and set session detailsː Location, Begin time of the session, Weather, Equipment, Comments and Language.
• By pressing the Next Page button the user will access the second page of Session Plan, that contains information about equipment.
• Pressing the Next Target button will cause the Execute Session to open the first window again for the next object.
• By pressing the End Session button, the user will save and end the current session.
• By pressing the Close button, the Execute Session window will be closed.

Settings Menu

• Infoboxes Display toggles
• Toolbar display toggles
• Toolbar customization
• Statusbar display toggles
• Color scheme toggles
• Field-of-view (FOV) Symbol selector
• FOV Editor
• Artificial Horizon
• Configure Observation Logging
• Geographic Location [Ctrl+G]
• Configure Shortcuts
• Configure Toolbars
• Configure KStars
• Startup Wizard

Configure Observation Logging

• List your Equipment [Ctrl+0]
• Manage Observer [Ctrl+1]

Help Menu

• KStars Handbook [F1]
• Tip of the Day
• What's this? [Shift+F1]
• Report Bug
• About KStars
• About KDE

Toolbars

Main toolbar

• Zoom in/out
• Find object...
• Geographic
• Set Time
• Advance one step backward in time
• Stop/Start clock
• Advance one step forward in time
• Set Timestep widget

View toolbar

• Show stars
• Show deep-sky objects
• Show Solar system objects
• Show supernovae
• Show satellites
• Show constellation lines
• Show constellation names
• Show constellation art (BETA)
• Show constellation boundaries
• Show Milky Way
• Show equatorial coordinate grid
• Show horizontal coordinate grid
• Show opaque ground

INDI toolbar

• Show Ekos
• Show INDI Control Panel
• Show FITS Viewer
• Show Device Manager

Centering and tracking

• Center+Track on object (double-click, popup menu, click then press "C")
• Center+Track on empty sky (double-click, popup menu)
• If requested position moves display below horizon, confirm dialog is shown
• If startup position is below horizon, recenter dialog is shown
• Information in "Focus" InfoBox updates correctly when recentering

Info boxes

• Displayed with semi-transparent backgound
• Highlight color on click
• "Shade" on double-click
• Move on drag
• Collision avoidance works
• "Stick" to screen edges
• Remember position and shade-state on restart

Color schemes

• Show all available schemes, incl. predefined and custom
• All color settings change upon selecting a new scheme
• Color settings persistent on reload
• Custom scheme appears in menu after creating in in the Configure dialog
• Custom scheme is removed from menu if it is removed in the Configure dialog

Dialogs

Download new data

• Dialog displays all available download items (Steinicke NGC/IC catalog, Abell Planetary Nebulae Catalog, Sharpless HII region Catalog, Hickson Compact Groups, Tycho-2 Star Catalog, USNO NOMAD Catalog, Inline thumbnail images, Thumbnails for details window)
• Each item gets downloaded and installed correctly
• For each item, the details window is opened by pressing the Details button.
• By clicking on the author's name, the default email client will be opened enabling the user to easily send an email to the author.
• Each item gets uninstalled correctly
• The add-ons list can be ordered byː Newest, Rating, Most downloads or Installed
• The search method works correctly

FITS viewer

• File open dialog displays only FITS files.
• FITS image is opened and displayed properly.
• Image coordinates, pixel value, image dimensions, and zoom value are displayed in status bar.
• Undo/Redo work
• Zoom in/out, Default zoom
• Rotate Right
• Rotate Left
• Flip Horizontal
• Flip Vertical
• Mark/Unmark Stars works
• Statistics
• Auto stretch
• FITS header
• Closing without save issues a warning dialog
• Save and Save As work
• All shortcuts work (i.e. Ctrl+H for opening the FITS Header window)

Histogram tool

• Range of pixel values can be updated with edit boxes or by dragging the blue/red symbols: red symbol not draggable in initial position

Save sky image

• Saves image to file: Doesn't seem to save GIF
• Image matches screen display (without FOV or infobox overlays)

Run script

• Executes the selected script.
• Statusbar messages indicate script is running/finished.

Print

• Prints image of current skymap (without infoboxes or FOV symbols)
• Ask to reset color scheme if background is not white
• Color scheme is properly reset for printing, and reverted afterward

Set time

• Simulation clock is set to selected time
• Selected date displayed properly in calendar widget
• It is not possible to select an invalid date

Set focus manually

• Setting RA/Dec coordinates works
• Setting Az/Alt coordinates works

Find object

• Filter by name works
• Filter by type works
• Highlighted object is centered in map when user hits return or presses Ok
• Dialog message when a match fails; window does not close
• Up/Down arrow keys navigate the list of objects
• The Object Details window is opened by clicking on Details button

Zoom to angular size

• Zoom is set to display the angle entered
• Min/max values make sense

FOV symbol editor

• Selected symbol is shown in preview pane
• Creating a new symbol works
• Editing an existing symbol works
• Removing a symbol works (if this symbol is currently in use, what should happen?)

Geographic location

• Set the location by highlighting a city from the list.
• The red crosshair's position on the map will be updated by highlighting a city from the list.
• Use the City Filter to make searches easier.
• Use the Province Filter to make searches easier.
• Use the Country Filter to make searches easier.
• Define a completely new location by pressing the Clear Fields button, and entering the data for the new location.
• Use the Add City to List button to record a new custom version of some location.
• Use the Remove City from List button to remove the selected location from the list.
• Latitude, longitude and UT offset values for a given location must be correct.

Startup Wizard

• Set Geographic location works
• Download Extra Data works

Object Details (from popup menu)

• The window is divided into a number of tabs depending on the selected object: General, Position, Links, Advanced and Log.
• General tab contains names and catalog designations, object type, and magnitude (brightness).
• Using the General tab, the current object can be added to Observing List.
• Using the General tab, the current object can be centered in Map.
• Using the General tab, the current object can be centered in Telescope.
• Position tab contains object's Equatorial and Horizontal coordinates, as well as its rise, set and transit times.
• In the Links tab, the internet links associated with this object can be managed.
• Add custom links to the object using the Add Link button.
• Modify or remove any link using the Edit Link and Remove Link buttons.
• Query professional astronomical databases on the internet using The Advanced Tab.
• Using the Log Tab, type in some text that will remain associated with this object's Details window.
• User's notes are saved correctly such that they can be used next time in KStars.

Image viewer (from popup menu)

• Selected image is shown; window is sized to fit image
• Authorship and copyright in statusbar
• Save button works

Popup menu

• The right click popup menu is context-sensitive, meaning its content varies depending on what kind of object you click on.
• The name(s) of the object, and its type.
• Rise, Transit, and Set times for the object.
• Center & Track: Center the display on this location, and engage tracking. Equivalent to double-clicking.
• Add flag.
• Angular Distance To: compute the angular distance between two selected objects.
• Details: Open the Object Details window for this object. (not available for all objects)
• Attach/Remove Label.
• Add/Remove from Observing List. (not available for all objects)
• Add/Remove Trail. (not available for all objects)
• Simulate eyepiece view,
• Give image resources. (not available for all objects)
• Give information resources. (not available for all objects)
• Show SDSS Image. (not available for all objects)
• Show DSS Image. (not available for all objects)

Tools

Calculator

Note: changes in the modules are not reflected until the widget loses input focus. This may not be ideal, but doing immediate updates doesn't work. Consider the JD module. Let's say I want to clear the current number and enter a new one. As soon as I delete the text, it would try to process the blank line as a date. Then if I typed a "2", it would try to use that. Basically, there needs to be a way to indicate that you are done editing.

• Julian Day calculator works correctly, both ways.
• Sidereal Time Calculator works correctly, both ways.
• Information displayed in the Almanac seems correct.
• Equinoxes and Solstices displayed are correct
• Equatorial to Galactic Coords conversion works
• Conversion from Equatorial to Horizontal coordinates is accurate
• Horizontal Coordinates UI
• Ecliptic Coordinates tool UI
• Data shown in the ecliptic coordinates tool seems accurate
• Angular distance tool UI works as expected
• Angular distances reported seem accurate
• Geodetic coordinates UI works as expected
• Data displayed by Geodetic coordinates tool seems correct
• LSR Velocity tool UI works as expected
• LSR Velocity tool seems to produce correct results
• Planet Coordinates tool UI behaves as expected
• Planet coordinates shown seem accurate
• Conjunctions tool UI behaves as expected
• Conjunctions tool reports all conjunctions correctly

Observing List

• Removing an object named "star"
• Selecting by magnitude in wizard [count not updated properly]

Altitude vs. time

• Find Object works
• Using the Plot button, an object's altitude curve is drawn smoothly and correctly.
• Clear Fields button clears the Name, RA, Dec and Equinox text boxes.
• Clear List button clears the entire plot.
• The format for RA coordinate isː hh mm ss.s
• The format for Dec coordinate isː dd mm ss.s
• Zoom in works correctly.
• Zoom out works correctly.
• The plot can be smoothly panned using the mouse movement, keeping the limitations on the plot sides.
• There should exist a zoom out limitation for the most dominant curve. The plot cannot be zoomed out pass today's curve.
• Compute button will calculate the correct altitude for an object using a certain Local Time.
• The Local Time can be set using the spin box or by entering manually the value.
• The Local Time value must be correct. In example, you can't use an hour bigger than 23ː59.
• The Rise/Set/Transit markers are drawn at the correct position on the curve.
• The colors used for Rise/Set/Transit markers must match the colors marked on the buttonsː red for Rise, blue for Set and green for Transit time.
• The opaque green ground must start at 0 degrees altitude.
• The dashed line must indicate the correct time and must be drawn at the right position on the plot.
• The curve of the current highlighted object from the list must be drawn with a thicker, white line, while the others curves must be drawn with a thinner, red line.
• The Rise/Set/Transit markers must be drawn above the altitude curves.
• The date and location can be updated using the Date & Location tab.
• By hovering the mouse above a curve, a black tool tip will appear, displaying the name of the object, the local sidereal time, the local time and the altitude value for that position.

What's up tonight

• The date and location are correct
• Almanac data are correct
• Displays objects that are visible on the given date, from the given location
• Changing the Date works, and updates the list of objects and almanac
• Changing the Location works, and updates the list of objects and almanac
• Selecting Evening/Morning/All Night works, and updates the list of objects
• Selecting the minimum magnitude works, and updates the list of object
• Selected object is displayed in right panel correctly
• The Rise/Set/Transit data are correct
• Center Object button works
• Details button works
• Add to List button adds the selected object to the Observing list

What's Interesting

• User can rate how light-polluted is the night-sky.
• A rating can have values in range 1 to 9.
• Clicking on the Wikipedia link will open the Bortle dark-sky scale in the default web browser.
• The Defaults button will reset the rating value to 4, which is the default value.
• User can set the equipment settingsː equipment type and parameters.
• The Telescope and Binoculars check boxes work.
• User can add a new telescope by pressing the Add new telescope button, which will open the Configure Equipment window.
• In the Configure Equipment window, user can save or remove an equipment from the list.
• In the Configure Equipment window are four tabs (Telescope, Eyepiece, Lens and Filter) and each tab contains specific parameters for current equipment type.
• The Defaults button works.

Script builder

• Short documentation for the function highlighted in the Function Browser is correct.
• When a function is highlighted in the Current Script box, the Function Arguments panel will contain items for specifying values for any arguments that the highlighted function requires.
• New Script button creates a new empty script.
• Open Script button enables the user to use a script that already exists in the system.
• Save Script/Save Script As buttons are correctly saving the current script, letting the user to choose the desired location of the saving.
• Pressing Test Script will correctly run the current script in the main KStars window.
• Add Function button adds the currently-highlighted function in the Function Browser to the Current Script box (you can also add a function by double-clicking on it).
• Remove Function button removes the currently-highlighted function from the Current Script box.
• Copy Function button duplicates the currently-highlighted function from the Current Script box.
• Move Up/Move Down buttons enable the user to set the desired running order of the functions.
• A warning dialog will pop-up if the New Script button is pressed and the current script has unsaved changes.

Solar system

• Solar System Viewer displays a model of our solar system as seen from above.
• The display can be zoomed in and out with the + and - keys or by using the mouse scroll.
• The display can be recentered with the arrow keys, or by double-clicking anywhere in the window with the mouse.
• The display can be also centered on a planet with the 0–9 keys (0 is the Sun; 9 is Pluto).
• The timestep can be adjusted.
• The Today button reset the display to its default state.
• The Stop/Run button enables the user to stop/continue the simulation.

Jupiter's moons

• This tool displays the positions of Jupiter's four largest moons (Io, Europa, Ganymede, and Callisto) relative to Jupiter, as a function of time.
• Each track is assigned a different color to distinguish it from the others; the name labels at the top of the window indicate the color used by each moon.
• The time axis can be expanded or compressed using the + and - keys.
• The time displayed at the center of the window can be changed with the [ and ] keys.
• The Close button closes the window.

Flags

• Flags manager allows the user to mark flags on the map by giving the RA/Dec coordinates.
• Add button works.
• Save changes button works.
• The user can set a custom label, a label color and an icon for a flag.
• The Flag manager window contains documentation for how to add custom icons in KStars.
• Delete button will remove the highlighted flag from the list and from KStars Sky-Map.
• Centre in Map button works.
• Centre in Telescope button works.
• If KStars did not find any active telescopes, then a warning dialog will pop up.

Details window

• Displays object information
• Testing Resource links works
• Editing Resource links works
• Removing resource links works
• Interacting with online databases works

Thumbnail Picker

• Displays list of images found via Google image search
• Selecting an image from the list displays it in the viewer
• Editing the image works
• Closing the window places the selected image in the Details window
• KIO jobs are terminated in the console after quitting KStars

Ekos

• By default, Ekos uses Simulators profile.
• The Simulators profile can not be removed from the Profile list.
• The user can add a new device profile using the + button and then Save button.
• The user can remove a profile using the - button.
• The new profiles that has been added are kept when a new KStars' instance is opened.
• The profiles that has been removed from the lists will not come back when a new KStars' instance is opened.
• The Edit profile button opens the Profile Editor, enabling the user to modify the current profile.
• INDI starts by pressing Start INDI button.
• The device can be connected using Connect button.
• The device can be disconnected using Disconnect button.
• Once a device is connected, a number of tabs will come up: Mount, CCD, Focus, Align and Guide.
• Test the Scheduler, Mount, CCD, Focus, Align and Guide tabs.

Sky Projections

• Lambert Azimuthal Equal Area
• Azimuthal Equidistant
• Orthographic
• Equirectangular [mouse nav broken; arrow keys work]
• Streographic
• Gnomonic [cpu 100% at low zoom, eventually crashes]

---

Discovered issues:

Use this section to add issues discovered while testing the program that are not listed above.

• KStars doesn't know my city's coordinates, while Marble does. Could not they share the a common datasheet with cities' positions?

A: Will bring in Marble Widget eventually

---