# add test start time to Test.xml file

**URL:** https://discourse.cmake.org/t/add-test-start-time-to-test-xml-file/10355
**Category:** Code
**Tags:** tool:ctest
**Created:** [March 13, 2024, 1:55pm UTC](https://discourse.cmake.org/t/add-test-start-time-to-test-xml-file/10355 "2024-03-13T13:55:04Z")
**Posts on this page:** 2
**Page:** 1

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### Author: ![pkiran](https://discourse.cmake.org/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/p/dc4da7/32.png) [@pkiran](https://discourse.cmake.org/u/pkiran)
#### Post date: [March 13, 2024, 1:55pm UTC](https://discourse.cmake.org/t/add-test-start-time-to-test-xml-file/10355/1 "2024-03-13T13:55:05Z")

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Hello,

I would like o request if it is possible to add start time stamps of individual tests to the “Test.xml” file. Would be useful to create a execution timeline of tests from this file, since we will have start time stamp and the time duration belonging to a test in a single place.

Do you think this would be a good value to keep in the Test.xml?

Thanks

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### Author: ![craig.scott](https://discourse.cmake.org/user_avatar/discourse.cmake.org/craig.scott/32/20_2.png) [@craig.scott](https://discourse.cmake.org/u/craig.scott)
#### Post date: [March 13, 2024, 10:09pm UTC](https://discourse.cmake.org/t/add-test-start-time-to-test-xml-file/10355/2 "2024-03-13T22:09:24Z")

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This looks very similar to the [issue](https://gitlab.kitware.com/cmake/cmake/-/issues/25509) you already opened in the issue tracker, except that here you’re asking for the start time to be recorded in `Test.xml` rather than the json output file. I suggest you add a note to that existing issue mentioning `Test.xml` as well.
