TestComplete samples (both built-in and additional) are located in the <Users>\Public\Public Documents\TestComplete 14 Samples folder.

Some file managers display the Public Documents folder as Documents.

The object-driven testing (ODT) functionality is deprecated. Do not use it to create new tests. It will be removed from the product in one of the future releases. As an alternative, you can create custom classes in your scripts. For more information, see Alternatives to the ODT functionality.

Once we have created the classes, we can create objects based on these classes. We will start creating the object hierarchy with the topmost object based on the ClsNotepadTest class and then we will create other objects down in the hierarchy.

Creating Objects

To create an object, use the following code:

JavaScript, JScript

TestObj = ODT.Classes.New("ClsNotepadTest");

VBScript

Set TestObj = ODT.Classes.New("ClsNotepadTest")

DelphiScript

TestObj := ODT.Classes.New('ClsNotepadTest');

C++Script, C#Script

TestObj = ODT["Classes"]["New"]("ClsNotepadTest");

The objects created programmatically are deleted after a test run. In order to save an object to the ODT or Data editor, create a variable in one of data groups and save a reference to the object to this variable.

JavaScript, JScript

// Obtains a group
group = ODT.Data.Groups("TestSample");
// Creates a variable that stores a reference to the object
group.AddVariable("ReleaseTest", TestObj);

VBScript

' Obtains a group
Set group = ODT.Data.Groups("TestSample")
' Creates a variable that stores a reference to the object
group.AddVariable "ReleaseTest", TestObj

DelphiScript

// Obtains a group
group := ODT.Data.Groups('TestSample');
// Creates a variable that stores a reference to the object
group.AddVariable('ReleaseTest', TestObj);

C++Script, C#Script

// Obtains a group
group = ODT["Data"]["Groups"]("TestSample");
// Creates a variable that stores a reference to the object
group["AddVariable"]("ReleaseTest", TestObj);

There is another way to create an object: You can do this by calling the AddVarOfClassType method of the Group object:

JavaScript, JScript

TestObj = group.AddVarOfClassType("ReleaseTest", "ClsNotepadTest");

VBScript

Set TestObj = group.AddVarOfClassType("ReleaseTest", "ClsNotepadTest")

DelphiScript

TestObj := group.AddVarOfClassType('ReleaseTest', 'ClsNotepadTest');

C++Script, C#Script

TestObj = group["AddVarOfClassType"]("ReleaseTest", "ClsNotepadTest");

Note:

If an object contains “class” properties, TestComplete automatically creates new class instances upon object creation. There is no need to create instances of these classes manually.

Specifying Property Values

Once we have created the object, we can call its methods and modify its properties. To access the object’s property or method, use the following syntax: object.property_name or object.method_name. For instance, the following code modifies the ID property of the ClsNotepadTest object:

JavaScript, JScript

TestObj.ID = "ReleaseTest";

VBScript

TestObj.ID = "ReleaseTest"

DelphiScript

TestObj.ID := 'ReleaseTest';

C++Script, C#Script

TestObj["ID"] = "ReleaseTest";

The Files property of the ClsNotepadTest object holds an array of ClsFile objects that are used to test individual files to be processed via Notepad. Below is the code that adds one item to the array.

JavaScript, JScript

FileObj = TestObj.Files.AddItemOfClassType("ClsFile");

VBScript

Set FileObj = TestObj.Files.AddItemOfClassType("ClsFile")

DelphiScript

FileObj := TestObj.Files.AddItemOfClassType('ClsFile');

C++Script, C#Script

FileObj = TestObj["Files"]["AddItemOfClassType"]("ClsFile");

Note that when you are adding a "class" item to an array using the AddItemOfClassType method, TestComplete automatically creates a new instance of the class specified in the AddItemOfClassType call.

Once you have created the ClsFile objects, you can specify their properties in the same manner as you specified properties of the ClsNotepadTest object. For instance, the code below specifies the path to the desired file (if only the file name is given, this means the file is in the current project’s folder).

JavaScript, JScript

FileObj.Path = "C:\\TestFiles\\file1.txt";

VBScript

FileObj.Path = "C:\TestFiles\file1.txt"

DelphiScript

FileObj.Path := 'C:\TestFiles\file1.txt';

C++Script, C#Script

FileObj["Path"] = "C:\\TestFiles\\file1.txt";

To specify what operations will be used to test the given file, we will use the form’s Operations property. You can add the ClsOperation objects to the Operations array in the same manner as you added the ClsFile objects to the ClsNotepadTest.Files array, for example,

JavaScript, JScript

OperationObj = FileObj.Operations.AddItemOfClassType("ClsOperation");
OperationObj.ID = "Find";
OperationObj.MenuPath = "Edit|Find...";

VBScript

Set OperationObj = FileObj.Operations.AddItemOfClassType("ClsOperation")
OperationObj.ID = "Find"
OperationObj.MenuPath = "Edit|Find..."

DelphiScript

OperationObj := FileObj.Operations.AddItemOfClassType('ClsOperation');
OperationObj.ID := 'Find';
OperationObj.MenuPath := 'Edit|Find...';

C++Script, C#Script

OperationObj = FileObj["Operations"]["AddItemOfClassType"]("ClsOperation");
OperationObj["ID"] = "Find";
OperationObj["MenuPath"] = "Edit|Find...";

To specify which values will be input for each operation, we will use the Values property of the ClsOperation object. This property holds an array of testing values. Each item of this array will be an object. This is made to have sets of data specific for the chosen operation:

JavaScript, JScript

// Adds an item to the Values array
ValueObj = OperationObj.Values.AddItemOfClassType("ClsFindData");
ValueObj.FindText = "aaa";

VBScript

' Adds an item to the Values array
Set ValueObj = OperationObj.Values.AddItemOfClassType("ClsFindData")
ValueObj.FindText = "aaa"

DelphiScript

// Adds an item to the Values array
ValueObj := OperationObj.Values.AddItemOfClassType('ClsFindData');
ValueObj.FindText := 'aaa';

C++Script, C#Script

// Adds an item to the Values array
ValueObj = OperationObj["Values"]["AddItemOfClassType"]("ClsFindData");
ValueObj["FindText"] = "aaa";

Working With Objects in Methods

To address the object to which a method belongs, within this method, use the keyword This in VBScript, JScript, C++Script and C#Script projects. Use the keyword Self in DelphiScript projects. You can access an object's properties and methods by using these keywords. For instance, the Init method of the ClsNotepadTest object can include the following code:

JavaScript, JScript

function Init()
{
  for( i = 0; i < This.Files.Count; i++)
  {
    FileObj = This.Files(i);
    // Perform some actions over the ClsFile object ...
  }
}

VBScript

Sub Init
  For i = 0 To This.Files.Count - 1
    Set FileObj = This.Files(i)
    ' Perform some actions over the ClsFile object ...
  Next
End Sub

DelphiScript

procedure Init;
var
  i, FileObj : OleVariant;
begin
  for i := 0 to Self.Files.Count - 1 do
  begin
    FileObj := Self.Files[i];
    // Perform some actions over the ClsFile object ...
  end;
end;

C++Script, C#Script

function Init()
{
  var i, FileObj;
  for( i = 0; i < This["Files"]["Count"]; i++)
  {
    FileObj = This["Files"](i);
    // Perform some actions over the ClsFile object ...
  }
}

Note:

Note that the This and Self keywords can only be used within script routines that represent object methods. Outside object methods, the values of these keywords are undefined.

Suppose that within a method that belongs to an object instance you need to access the object that holds a reference to the method’s object. To accomplish this, use the Owner property. Below is the illustration of how to do this, taken from our example. The MainUnit.ClsReplaceData_FindReplace script routine plays the role of the ClsReplaceData.Replace method; the first owner of the instance of the ClsFindReplace class is the Values array, whose owner is an instance of the ClsOperation class.

JavaScript, JScript

function ClsReplaceData_FindReplace()
{
  ...
  This.Owner.Owner.Execute();
  ...
}

VBScript

Sub ClsReplaceData_FindReplace
  ...
  Call This.Owner.Owner.Execute
  ...
End Sub

DelphiScript

procedure ClsReplaceData_FindReplace;
begin
  ...
  Self.Owner.Owner.Execute;
  ...
end;

C++Script, C#Script

function ClsReplaceData_FindReplace()
{
  ...
  This["Owner"]["Owner"]["Execute"]();
  ...
}

The full code for this tutorial is available in the <TestComplete Samples>\Common\Object-Driven Testing folder. If you do not have it, download the TestComplete Samples installation package from the https://support.smartbear.com/downloads/testcomplete/samples/ page of our website and run it.

We would like to note that a custom object can only be referred to by one property, array item or a data-group variable. That is, two or more properties, array items or data-group variables referring to the same object is not allowed. For instance, if you need to exchange values of two properties that store objects, you need to assign an empty value (Nothing in VBScript, null in JScript, C++Script and C#Script and nil in DelphiScript) to one of these properties before exchanging. See 4. Working With Custom Objects in Scripts for sample code.

2. Creating Objects Programmatically

See Also