Testing JavaFX Applications - Overview

General Notes on Testing JavaFX Applications

Preparing JavaFX Applications for Testing

Creating and Recording Tests for JavaFX Applications

About Test Types

About JavaFX Object Identification and Name Mapping

About Support for JavaFX Controls

Using Native JavaFX Methods and Fields in Testing

Viewing Object Properties, Fields and Methods

Where to Go Next

With TestComplete, you can easily test JavaFX applications. You can perform any kind of testing – unit, functional, regression and so on. The easiest way to create a test for your application is to record a keyword test or a script routine. When playing back a test, TestComplete repeats all the recorded actions you performed over the tested JavaFX application during recording. If needed, you can also extend the recorded test manually using a number of specific features provided by TestComplete.

TestComplete provides full support for automated testing of applications created with any development tool using JavaFX SDK v. 2.2.7 - 2.2.45, 8, 9, 10, 11.

To test JavaFX applications, you must also have Java Runtime Environment (JRE) v. 1.6 - 1.8 or 9 installed on your computer.

You can get access to the internals of any JavaFX application on a Java virtual machine:

• Standalone JavaFX applications.
• JavaFX applications deployed with Java Web Start (JNLP).

• JavaFX applets opened in Internet Explorer.

• JavaFX content in Swing applications.

In order to get access to a JavaFX application’s internals, there is no need to prepare the application for testing, change the JavaFX code in any way or add specific files. However, if you are testing a JavaFX application embedded into a web page, you may need to configure your browser. For detailed information, see Preparing Web Browsers.

With TestComplete, you can record and play back user actions in JavaFX applications, or you can create tests manually from scratch. Usually, it is easier to record the test first and then modify and enhance the recorded test.

When you record a test, you interact with the tested JavaFX application as an end-user would: navigate through the application’s screens, fill out forms and so on. TestComplete captures all actions you perform in the application and adds them to the test.

A test consists of a sequence of operations that define various interactions with objects in the tested application. For example, in the sample test below you can see that item selection from a combo box is represented by the ClickItem operation, clicking buttons and radio buttons - as the ClickButton operation, and so on.

Sample keyword test recorded against a JavaFX application

def Test1():
  scene = Aliases.java.Stage.Scene;
  scene.listview.ClickItem("Item 1");
  swingTextField = scene.SwingTextField;
  swingTextField.Keys("New Text");
  scene.button.ClickButton();
  scene.radiobutton.ClickButton();

The recorded tests can be modified and enhanced in a number of ways to create more flexible and efficient tests. For example, you can:

• Add new operations, reorder operations and modify their parameters.

• Delete or disable unneeded operations (for example, superfluous recorded operations).

• Insert checkpoints for verifying objects and values in the tested application.

• Create data-driven tests that run multiple test iterations using different sets of data.

Refer to the following topics to learn more about creating and enhancing tests:

There are two major test formats in TestComplete:

• Keyword tests - visually configured tests with grid-based editing interface. Best suited for novice users and those without programming knowledge.

• Scripts - code written in one of the supported scripting languages. May be better suited for advanced users.

You select the test type when creating a test and cannot change it later. However, you can mix keyword tests and scripts within the same test project and call them from each other.

TestComplete also includes additional test types, such as low-level procedures, unit tests, distributed tests and so on. You can use them to address specific testing needs. However, most automation is typically done using keyword tests and scripts.

Each object in an application has a number of properties, such as its location, text, type and so on. Some object properties are persistent and unchanging, and therefore can be used to locate objects in applications and differentiate among various objects.

When you record a test, TestComplete captures all windows and controls that you interacted with during the recording session and adds them to the Name Mapping project item (also known as the object repository or GUI map). For each captured object, TestComplete does the following:

• Selects a set of properties and values that uniquely identify the object in the application and saves them to Name Mapping as the object identification criteria. These properties will be used for locating the object during subsequent test recording, editing and run sessions.

• Generates an alias (name) that will be used to reference this object in tests. By default, TestComplete generates aliases based on object names defined in the application by developers.

• Automatically captures and adds images of the mapped objects to the Name Mapping repository. This helps you understand which window or control one or another mapped object matches.

The following image shows sample Name Mapping for a JavaFX application:

Here, the listview object is identified using only one property - JavaFXObjectName. This property holds the object name as it is defined by the application developers in the application’s source code. However, JavaFX application objects can also be located by other properties, such as their class name, text and so on -- whatever best identifies a specific object.

If needed, you can modify the default Name Mapping generated by TestComplete. For example, you can:

• Change the identification properties and values to define more robust identification criteria or to reflect major GUI changes in newer versions of the tested application.

• Rename aliases to more meaningful and descriptive aliases, so that it is easier for you to understand which object is which.

• Manually add new objects to Name Mapping.

For more information, see Name Mapping.

Keep in mind that the object hierarchy in Name Mapping mirrors the object hierarchy in the tested application. When locating an object, TestComplete takes into account its entire parent hierarchy. If any object in the parent hierarchy cannot be found using the specified property values, the target object cannot be located as well. That is why it is important to select unique and unchanging properties for object identification.

TestComplete recognizes individual controls of JavaFX applications and lets you interact with them both at design time and during test recording or playback. In addition, it simplifies testing of the application's user interface, since it includes special features used to test the most frequently used JavaFX controls.

For detailed information on support for JavaFX application controls, see Support for JavaFX Applications' Controls.

TestComplete makes visual objects of JavaFX applications available for testing, that is you can recognize these objects, interact with them and work with their native members. TestComplete gets access to all the internal elements of an application. All private, protected and publicfields and methods become available for testing.

TestComplete cannot get access to the internals of JavaFX objects if the tested application was launched with the -verbose or -verbose:class command-line argument.

TestComplete also provides you with a special JavaClasses object that allows calling routines that reside in Java classes from scripts. To call these routines, you should first add the desired class name to the project’s Java Bridge options. Classes added to the Java Bridge list, as well as types and type members defined in these classes, become available in scripts and are displayed in the Code Completion window as child objects of the JavaClasses object. For detailed information on calling routines from Java classes, see Calling Functions From Java Classes.

For detailed information on how to address exposed fields and methods from your tests, see Accessing Native Methods of JavaFX Objects and Addressing Objects in JavaFX Applications.

To see what operations (methods) are available for objects in your tested JavaFX application, as well as the object properties, fields and their values, you can use the Object Browser or Object Spy. The available properties and methods include those provided by TestComplete, as well as native object fields and methods defined by the developers in the application’s source code.

You can view the object properties and methods both at design time and at run time when the test is paused.

For more information on using the Object Browser, see Object Browser and Exploring Applications.

For further information about automating tests with TestComplete, refer to the following sections: