Recording Specifics (Legacy)

Applies to TestComplete 15.70, last modified on December 11, 2024
The information below concerns legacy mobile tests that work with mobile devices connected to the local computer. For new mobile tests, we recommend using the newer cloud-compatible approach.

General Recording Specifics

When recording user actions, TestComplete takes into account various factors and events that occur in the system and in the application under test. These factors and events affect the test commands that TestComplete records:

  • During recording, TestComplete recognizes windows and controls with which you are working, and records user actions as calls to methods and properties of these objects. If it is impossible to do that, TestComplete resorts to recording mouse clicks with coordinates and keyboard events. Low-level recording like mouse movements or pressing and releasing mouse buttons is also possible, but in many cases it is not so convenient as object-level recording.

  • Depending on the tested application and on its controls, keyboard input can be recorded with the SetText or Keys method call.

  • Some third-party software can prevent recording keyboard events.

We recommend that you read the Recording Specifics topic that mentions the points you should pay your attention to and describes possible issues and workarounds. The sections below describe the specifics of recording tests for iOS mobile applications.

Specifics of Recording Tests for iOS Applications

  • For TestComplete to record user actions on an iOS application, both the application and the iOS device should be prepared for testing. For detailed instructions, see Preparing Applications, Devices, and Test Computers for iOS Testing (Legacy).

  • We recommend that you launch the application on the device before recording or right after you start recording. See Recording iOS Tests (Legacy).

  • TestComplete can record user actions only for one application at a time. If you switch to another application during recording, the recorded test commands will be lost. This can happen when you press the Home button (it activates the SpringBoard), when you launch another tested application, or when your switch to another application on your device in some other way.

  • TestComplete does not support recording of gestures and pressing on-device buttons for iOS.

  • TestComplete records text input as the SetText action of the corresponding control. If a control does not have the SetText action, TestComplete will record text input as the Device Keys keyword-test operation or as the iOSDevice.Keys method.

    If you enter text with a virtual keyboard, TestComplete will record the input as the SetText or Keys methods or the Device Keys operation. It will not record it as touches of individual keyboard keys.

  • Text input in iOS TextField controls is recorded as setting the wText property if you do not press the Return (Enter) button at the end of the input.

  • We do not recommend that you touch the “Dismiss-Key” key on the device keyboard during recording (this key hides the keyboard). TestComplete does not record a touch on this key. If you record test commands on objects overlapped by the keyboard, the recorded test will fail to run correctly.

See Also

Testing iOS Applications (Legacy)
Recording Specifics (General)

Highlight search results