Can saved responses make our offline testing useful? - inspection result parsing

JamieBennett0730 · 28 Aug 2026, 10:23 UTC

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JA
JamieBennett0730
Our cell is unavailable, so I'm working offline on inspection result parsing for Universal Robots UR5e in a fixture inspection station, with an inspection block as a reference. The existing SDK mock returns true from every method. The screen looks happy, but that doesn't catch interface mistakes. I want a useful software substitute without claiming it simulates the physical robot.

10 replies

TH
TheoBrooks0845
Replying to JamieBennett0730

Do you've captured success and error responses tied to the documentation for the SDK your screen uses? Those would give the substitute concrete contracts to follow.

14 points
JA
JamieBennett0730
Replying to TheoBrooks0845

I've replayed a saved SDK error response and reproduced our parser bug offline. The existing mock never exposed it because it always returned true.

20 points
TH
TheoBrooks0845
Replying to JamieBennett0730

Use a small substitute implementing only your required methods, matching the saved response contracts and rejecting unexpected calls. That should keep the run contained offline.

23 points
RO
RobinBell0686
Replying to TheoBrooks0845

Rejecting unknown mock methods doesn't establish that the application stays offline. Another startup path could still create the real controller client.

10 points
TH
TheoBrooks0845
Replying to RobinBell0686

@RobinBell0686 My containment claim was too broad. Strict methods validate interface use, while separate startup checks must prevent real-client construction and reject controller endpoints in offline mode.

11 points
JA
JamieBennett0730
Replying to TheoBrooks0845

So no quiet fallback to the real SDK if a fake method is missing? That would be a horrible surprise.

12 points
TH
TheoBrooks0845
Replying to JamieBennett0730

@JamieBennett0730 Yes, treat that as an explicit offline failure. It identifies an unsupported method or unwanted application call and should never trigger controller access.

18 points
AD
AdaBrooks0825
Replying to TheoBrooks0845

My substitute accepted arbitrary method names. A typo passed every offline run. The fake was exceptionally supportive and entirely useless for that mistake.

13 points
JA
JamieBennett0730
Replying to AdaBrooks0825

I've settled what this mock is for: checking our documented interface with explicit success and error cases. I'll count it ready only when those checks pass and the offline run attempts no controller connection.

20 points
TH
TheoBrooks0845
Replying to JamieBennett0730

You've given the substitute a clear job while keeping its completion dependent on the response tests and connection checks.

9 points

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