As many of you know, we have been working hard on the next release of Test Design Studio.  The current code base has served us well, but we began to encounter limitations that prevented us from evolving the software in the direction we wanted to go.  As a result, this release is requirement almost a complete rewrite of the underlying code!  Needless to say, this effort is significant and is why this release of Test Design Studio is taking longer than previous release.

What’s changing?  For starters, the GUI interface is being completed updated and written using Windows Presentation Foundation (WPF).  This technology allows for dynamic user interfaces that help create a compelling user experience.  The first thing you will notice is that the traditional toolbar is being replaced by the popular “Ribbon” control used in modern applications like Microsoft Office and native Windows 7 applications.

(NOTE: This screen shot represents an early build of the application and will certainly change before the application is released)

As you can see, the interface is similar to the existing v2.0 layout, but has received a facelift.  Even more graphical updates are present that cannot be seen in the screen shot.

We are also adopting the “Backstage” concept introduced with Microsoft Office 2010.  This displays a large-area menu when you drop-down the application button in the ribbon.  This additional space will be fully utilized to make common tasks easier to perform and more user-friendly to new users.  The following screen shows the Backstage and the new “Recent” tab for accessing recent files and projects.

This screen also highlights an alternate “Black” theme that we plan to incorporate into the final release.  As you can see, the new functionality makes it easy to see a list of recently used files and projects, and you can even control how many recent files are displayed directly in the backstage side menu.  You will also be able to “pin” items to the list to ensure they are always available at the top.

We hope this brief introduction to Test Design Studio 3 makes you as excited for the product as we are.  We will continue to highlight new features and functionality on our blog, so check back for updates.

We know everyone wants to know when this version will be released, and we regret to say that a release date has not been established due to the huge amount of work that is required to finalize this release.  Our goal is to make the release available before the end of 2011.  All users who purchase the current release of Test Design Studio 2.0 in 2011 will automatically receive this upgrade no matter when it is released!  All prior customers who maintain their maintenance will also receive the upgrade at no additional charge.