Generally, simulating keystrokes in web browsers is similar to simulating keystrokes in other applications. So, all the techniques described in the Simulating Keystrokes topic can be applied to browsers as well. However, there are some aspects and techniques that improve interaction with web browsers. This topic describes these aspects.

Entering Text in the Address Bar

Important: Use the Navigate keyword test operation or the Navigate scripting method to open web pages. When possible, avoid automating actions against the address bar. See Navigate to Web Pages for examples.
TestComplete records text input into the browser’s address bar by using the Navigate operation or the Navigate scripting method. However, the Navigate operation is not recorded if you do not perform any actions (clicks, text input and so on) on the open page.
If you need to simulate typing text in Internet Explorer's address bar, you can use the Keys method.

Interaction With Web Page Controls

TestComplete exposes methods and properties of objects that correspond to web page elements. So, when you need to check or modify some values on a web page, it is better to use native members of appropriate controls. To find out which members are exposed, explore the web page structure in the Object Browser.

Note: The following code demonstrates how to assign text to the value property. The sample procedure works with the edit boxes located on the https://services.smartbear.com/Samples/TestComplete14/WebOrders/Login.aspx web page.

JavaScript, JScript

function Test()
{

  var url = "http://services.smartbear.com/samples/TestComplete14/WebOrders/Login.aspx";
  Browsers.Item(btIExplorer).Run(url);
  var page = Sys.Browser("*").Page("*");

  page.NativeWebObject.Find("id", "ctl00_MainContent_username", "input").value = "Tester";
  page.NativeWebObject.Find("id", "ctl00_MainContent_password", "input").value = "test";
  page.NativeWebObject.Find("id", "ctl00_MainContent_login_button", "input").Click();

}

Python

def Test():
  url = "http://services.smartbear.com/samples/TestComplete14/WebOrders/Login.aspx";
  Browsers.Item[btIExplorer].Run(url);
  page = Sys.Browser("*").Page("*");

  page.NativeWebObject.Find("id", "ctl00_MainContent_username", "input").value = "Tester";
  page.NativeWebObject.Find("id", "ctl00_MainContent_password", "input").value = "test";
  page.NativeWebObject.Find("id", "ctl00_MainContent_login_button", "input").Click();

VBScript

Sub Test

  Dim url, page
  url = "http://services.smartbear.com/samples/TestComplete14/WebOrders/Login.aspx"
  Browsers.Item(btIExplorer).Run url
  Set page = Sys.Browser("*").Page("*")

  page.NativeWebObject.Find("id", "ctl00_MainContent_username", "input").value = "Tester"
  page.NativeWebObject.Find("id", "ctl00_MainContent_password", "input").value = "test"
  page.NativeWebObject.Find("id", "ctl00_MainContent_login_button", "input").Click

End Sub

DelphiScript

procedure Test();
var url, page;
begin

  url := 'http://services.smartbear.com/samples/TestComplete14/WebOrders/Login.aspx';
  Browsers.Item(btIExplorer).Run(url);
  page := Sys.Browser('*').Page('*');

  page.NativeWebObject.Find('id', 'ctl00_MainContent_username', 'input').value := 'Tester';
  page.NativeWebObject.Find('id', 'ctl00_MainContent_password', 'input').value := 'test';
  page.NativeWebObject.Find('id', 'ctl00_MainContent_login_button', 'input').Click;

end;

C++Script, C#Script

function Test()
{

  var url = "http://services.smartbear.com/samples/TestComplete14/WebOrders/Login.aspx";
  Browsers["Item"](btIExplorer)["Run"](url);
  var page = Sys["Browser"]("*")["Page"]("*");
  page["NativeWebObject"]["Find"]("id", "ctl00_MainContent_username", "input")["value"] = "Tester";
  page["NativeWebObject"]["Find"]("id", "ctl00_MainContent_password", "input")["value"] = "test";
  page["NativeWebObject"]["Find"]("id", "ctl00_MainContent_login_button", "input")["Click"]();

}

During the recording, TestComplete analyzes actions on the controls and substitutes keyboard and mouse actions with actions on the corresponding native members. For example, input into an edit box will be interpreted as textbox1.Text = "New Text" rather than textbox1.Keys("New Text[Enter]").

Simulating Keystrokes in Browsers

Entering Text in the Address Bar

Interaction With Web Page Controls

See Also