I'm creating a WebDriver tutorial

[water]

Internet Explorer is nearly dead, newer versions of Firefox can't any longer be automated using Stilgar's FF UDF.

Hence more and more users (including me) need to look at automating Webbrowsers using WebDriver.
That's why I have started to create a tutorial in the wiki.
It should describe all necessary steps from intallation to usage.

I'm still collecting ideas for the tutorial - that's where you come into play.
What do you expect to see in such a tutorial?

• Which browsers should be covered (Firefox, Chrome and Edge are settled)?
• Any questions for the FAQ?
• Which (high level) coding examples do you expect (like "How to attach to a running browser instance")
• ...

Like to see your comments

 

ToDo-List:

• Add "Tools" section and add ChroPath plugin. Done.
• FAQ: "How to attach to a running browser instance". Done.
• Explain the difference between iuiautomation, iaccessible, autoit, webdriver. Done. The AutoIt FAQ 40 has been extended.
• Detailed description of each function. Done
• Example for "how to deal with downloading". Use function _WD_DownloadFile.
• Example for "how to deal with popups (alerts, print or save dialog). Use function_WD_AlertRespond to respond to a user prompt.
• Example for "how to deal with multiple tabs". Use functions _WD_NewTab (create a new tab), _WD_Window (close or switch to a tab) and _WD_Attach (attach to existing tab).

Edited February 8, 2020 by water

[JLogan3o13]

One thing you could include, as something of a tertiary tool, would be the ChroPath plugin for all major browsers. It makes finding an element by XPath, ID or CSS incredibly easy.

[Exit]

1 hour ago, water said:

"How to attach to a running browser instance"

The answer to this question would be great, if answered positive. Especially in Chrome. 

[ViciousXUSMC]

Last time I had to venture into this I used IUIAutomation, and it was kind of hard for me.

So looking forward to something that might be easier to use!  

[water]

On 1/2/2020 at 6:48 PM, JLogan3o13 said:

One thing you could include, as something of a tertiary tool, would be the ChroPath plugin

Done

[junkew]

Maybe add a faq where the difference between approach with iuiautomation, iaccessible, autoit, webdriver is explained.  They are complementary technologies and sometimes need to be mixed to reach an endgoal.

[water]

FAQ is always a good idea
Maybe extend your FAQ 40 or add a new FAQ item with the different approaches you mentioned above? And add links to the threads where the concepts are explained in detail?

I think this way more users will find the FAQ.

What do you think?
 

[junkew]

I will extend faq40.

In the WD wiki examples tutorial add examples on

* how to deal with downloading or navigating pdf

* how to deal with popups

** alert popup

** print or save dialog

* how to deal with multiple tabs

* ...

 

 

[Nine]

All are very good points.   But the most important purpose of a tutorial is to start you up with easy problems (like installation, Hello World first script), and then move on to  higher difficulties of issues.  What I like about tutorial is also the explanation of the concepts,  like what is the difference between absolute xPath and relative. Sorry if I am too simplistic. 

[JLogan3o13]

@Nine I agree with the first half of your statement; a tutorial as something of a "Quick-Start Guide". The explanation of concepts is great, and has a lot of value, but I would simply caution throwing in too much of that at the beginning. If someone is able to pick the UDF up and quickly get up to speed using it, they are much more likely to spend the time learning about the why and how of it. If all the theory is thrown at them first, they may get frustrated and not stick with it.

[water]

The tutorial already covers the steps "Installation" and "Concepts and Terms".
It will not cover general concepts like xPath etc. which are not unique to WebDriver. Else it would become to big and unreadable (my opinion).

The wiki is open to everyone to add or modify it. I'm just the guy who started the tutorial

[mLipok]

btw.
Finally I need to start using WebDriver.
Will look at this in spare time (hope I find some spare time soon).

 

[CYCho]

@Danp2 has been very helpful for beginners to learn how to use WebDriver. I'm sure he wanted to write a tutorial himself only if he had time. Thank you, @water, for initiating this project.

I would appreciate if someone could add a tutorial for use of _WD_Window, _WD_Action and _WD_ElementAction functions and compostion of $sDesiredCapabilities among other things. Though I have been using WebDriver for almost a year now, I still don't know how to use some of the "commands" in these functions.

Thnak you and I have a great expectation.

[water]

I have talked to Danp2 before starting with the tutorial  and have incorporated some of his suggestions.

I think a detailed overview of all available functions would be helpful.

[Danp2]

2 hours ago, CYCho said:

I would appreciate if someone could add a tutorial for use of _WD_Window, _WD_Action and _WD_ElementAction

That is essentially what wd_demo is supposed to be... a tutorial to demonstrate the basic functionality of these functions. That said, I don't feel that it is my job as the UDF developer to "spoon feed" you with example after example of how to call these functions and to utilize each of the available options. The ultimate answer to all of those questions is to reference the W3C specs.

For example -- Look at the function _WD_ElementAction. In the header it gives links to the specific sections of the W3C specs that it implements. Follow those links to get a better understanding of the underlying technology that the function is implementing.

Feel free to ask for input on any of these functions, but be prepared to show that you've attempted to understand them on your own. 😉

Quote

compostion of $sDesiredCapabilities

This is defined elsewhere (W3C specs as well as the individual webdriver consoles) and is outside the scope of this wiki entry IMO.

[Sopr]

I am a complete newbie to autoit coding and do agree that IE is almost dead and none of our customer portals work in it, so I need to write some code compatible with chrome or Firefox. When truing to use WD I hit a wall, that there are no materials for beginners, wiki is good start.

Can you please add some easy beginner type scripts as example? So far there is the wd_demo, but that covers just tasks, of opening a page and entering data in to active input object. 

How do I identify and click on a web button or a link?

Can you please add an example with syntax example and how to use it?

At the moment wiki has the Function name, description and some comments, but no actual syntax examples and explanations on what each part on the function is used for.

[water]

At the end of the wiki you find a reference to the example scripts thread:
"Water's thread in the Example Scripts forum - WebDriver example scripts collection"

There you'll find some scripts to play with.

[Sopr]

On 4/16/2021 at 3:58 PM, water said:

At the end of the wiki you find a reference to the example scripts thread:
"Water's thread in the Example Scripts forum - WebDriver example scripts collection"

There you'll find some scripts to play with.

I have tried that, but there are just 1 script there and a part of other. Example of getting data from enforcmenttracker was helpful a bit, but it still has a lot of gaps. Starting fromthe fact that enforcementtracker webpage does not open so a few example screenshots would be good.

What about the syntax? For example what does $_WD_LOCATOR_ByXPath, mean and what is the data in the string after it?

[mLipok]

24 minutes ago, Sopr said:

For example what does $_WD_LOCATOR_ByXPath, mean and what is the data in the string after it?

There is many ways of finding element in an HTML DOM structure.
Take a look here:
https://developer.mozilla.org/en-US/docs/Web/XPath
https://www.w3schools.com/xml/xpath_syntax.asp


This following (my own helpler) functions, will give you a hint:

expandcollapse popup

Func _WD_Click_ByXPath($s_Session, $s_XPath, $b_Highlight = False)
;~  https://www.w3schools.com/xml/xpath_syntax.asp
    Local $s_Element = _WD_FindElement($s_Session, $_WD_LOCATOR_ByXPath, $s_XPath)
    If @error Then Return SetError(@error, @extended, $s_Element)

    If $b_Highlight Then _WD_HighlightElement($s_Session, $s_Element)
    Local $v_Result = _WD_ElementAction($s_Session, $s_Element, 'click')
    Return SetError(@error, @extended, $v_Result)
EndFunc   ;==>_WD_Click_ByXPath

Func _WD_Click_ByCSSQuerySelector($s_Session, $s_CSS_Query_Selector, $b_Highlight = False)
;~  https://webdriver.io/docs/selectors/
;~  https://www.w3.org/TR/css3-selectors/#selectors
;~  https://testelka.pl/selektory-css/
;~  https://testelka.pl/selektory-w-selenium-mozliwosci-xpatha-i-cssa-na-przykladach/
    Local $s_Element = _WD_FindElement($s_Session, $_WD_LOCATOR_ByCSSSelector, $s_CSS_Query_Selector)
    If @error Then Return SetError(@error, @extended, $s_Element)

    If $b_Highlight Then _WD_HighlightElement($s_Session, $s_Element)
    Local $v_Result = _WD_ElementAction($s_Session, $s_Element, 'click')
    Return SetError(@error, @extended, $v_Result)
EndFunc   ;==>_WD_Click_ByCSSQuerySelector

Func _WD_Click_ByID($s_Session, $s_Id, $b_Highlight = False)
    Local $s_Element = _WD_GetElementById($s_Session, $s_Id)
    If @error Then Return SetError(@error, @extended, $s_Element)

    If $b_Highlight Then _WD_HighlightElement($s_Session, $s_Element)
    Local $v_Result = _WD_ElementAction($s_Session, $s_Element, 'click')
    Return SetError(@error, @extended, $v_Result)
EndFunc   ;==>_WD_Click_ByID

Func _WD_Click_ByName($s_Session, $s_Name, $b_Highlight = False)
    Local $s_Element = _WD_GetElementByName($s_Session, $s_Name)
    If @error Then Return SetError(@error, @extended, $s_Element)

    If $b_Highlight Then _WD_HighlightElement($s_Session, $s_Element)
    Local $v_Result = _WD_ElementAction($s_Session, $s_Element, 'click')
    Return SetError(@error, @extended, $v_Result)
EndFunc   ;==>_WD_Click_ByName

Func _WD_SetElementValue_ByID($s_Session, $s_Id, $s_Value, $i_Style = Default, $b_Highlight = False)
    Local $s_Element = _WD_FindElement($s_Session, $_WD_LOCATOR_ByXPath, "//*[@id='" & $s_Id & "']")
    If @error Then Return SetError(@error, @extended, $s_Element)

    If $b_Highlight Then _WD_HighlightElement($s_Session, $s_Element)
    Local $v_Result = _WD_SetElementValue($s_Session, $s_Element, $s_Value, $i_Style)
    Return SetError(@error, @extended, $v_Result)
EndFunc   ;==>_WD_SetElementValue_ByID

Func _WD_SetElementValue_ByName($s_Session, $s_Name, $s_Value, $i_Style = Default, $b_Highlight = False)
    Local $s_Element = _WD_GetElementByName($s_Session, $s_Name)
    If @error Then Return SetError(@error, @extended, $s_Element)

    If $b_Highlight Then _WD_HighlightElement($s_Session, $s_Element)
    Local $v_Result = _WD_SetElementValue($s_Session, $s_Element, $s_Value, $i_Style)
    Return SetError(@error, @extended, $v_Result)
EndFunc   ;==>_WD_SetElementValue_ByName

Func _WD_SetElementValue_ByXPath($s_Session, $s_XPath, $s_Value, $i_Style = Default, $b_Highlight = False)
    Local $s_Element = _WD_FindElement($s_Session, $_WD_LOCATOR_ByXPath, $s_XPath)
    If @error Then Return SetError(@error, @extended, $s_Element)

    If $b_Highlight Then _WD_HighlightElement($s_Session, $s_Element)
    Local $v_Result = _WD_SetElementValue($s_Session, $s_Element, $s_Value, $i_Style)
    Return SetError(@error, @extended, $v_Result)
EndFunc   ;==>_WD_SetElementValue_ByXPath

Func _WD_SetElementValue_ByCSSQuerySelector($s_Session, $s_CSS_Query_Selector, $s_Value, $i_Style = Default, $b_Highlight = False)
    Local $s_Element = _WD_FindElement($s_Session, $_WD_LOCATOR_ByCSSSelector, $s_CSS_Query_Selector)
    If @error Then Return SetError(@error, @extended, $s_Element)

    If $b_Highlight Then _WD_HighlightElement($s_Session, $s_Element)
    Local $v_Result = _WD_SetElementValue($s_Session, $s_Element, $s_Value, $i_Style)
    Return SetError(@error, @extended, $v_Result)
EndFunc   ;==>_WD_SetElementValue_ByCSSQuerySelector

 

[water]

10 hours ago, Sopr said:

getting data from enforcmenttracker was helpful a bit, but it still has a lot of gaps.

Primary goal of the examples in AutoIt and the wiki is to explain basic use of a function - they do not cover everything. If you need to solve more complex tasks you get help at the forum.

The WebDriver UDF uses external components and definitions like XPath, external browser based drivers etc.
This means the forum and the wiki link to the relevant sources but do not explain everything in depth.

Coding with the WebDriver UDF can be a bit complex (at least when you start) but you get very good support from the forum. So keep your questions rolling