Requirements for Testing Flash and Flex Applications

Applies to TestComplete 15.40, last modified on July 05, 2022
Flash Player has reached end of life on December 31, 2020. Support for Flash and Flex applications is now deprecated in TestComplete and will be removed in a future release.

The information in this topic applies to web tests that locate web objects by using internal identification properties provided by TestComplete and run in local environments.

This topic describes requirements that should be met in order for TestComplete to be able to test Flash and Flex applications properly. If something goes wrong, check the requirements listed in the following sections:

Flash and Flex Support Plugins

Core Flash and Flex Plugins

TestComplete support for testing Flash and Flex applications is provided by the following plugins:

  • Web Testing

  • Flash Support

  • Chrome Support

  • Firefox Support

  • Open Applications

These plugins are installed and enabled automatically. Therefore, you can test most Flash and Flex applications right out-of-box, without any additional configuration.

You can check to see if these plugins are active by selecting File > Install Extensions from the TestComplete main menu. If one of these plugins is not available, you need to run the TestComplete installation in the Repair mode.

To use the plugins, you must have a license for TestComplete Web module.

Plugins for Flash and Flex Controls Automation

The TestComplete Web module also includes pre-installed plugins for automated testing of Flash and Flex controls. These plugins provide test objects, methods and properties for automating various operations on Flash and Flex controls, getting their contents, state and so on.

Just like core Flash and Flex support plugins, these plugins are also installed and enabled automatically.

You can verify that these plugins are active using the File | Install Extensions dialog. To re-install the plugins, run the TestComplete installation in the Repair mode.

Supported Web Browsers

With TestComplete, you can test Flash and Flex applications running in the following web browsers:

  • Microsoft Internet Explorer ver. 11.

  • Microsoft Edge.

    Note: Recording web tests is only supported in Chromium-based Edge.

  • Mozilla Firefox ver. 91 ESR, 94 - 98.

    If you use a later version of Firefox, check whether a patch is available for it.

  • Google Chrome ver. 99.

    If you have a TestComplete version earlier than 12.42, your version of the SmartBear Test Extension will be incompatible with newer versions of the Chrome web browser. To test web applications in Chrome 99, you will have to upgrade your TestComplete to some later version. We recommend using version 15.40.

    If you use a later version of Google Chrome, check whether a patch is available for it.

  • Any web browser based on the Microsoft WebBrowser control.

    Note: The Edge-based WebBrowser control is not supported.

Supported Runtimes

With TestComplete you can test Flash and Flex applications running under Flash Player standalone as well as self-executed Flash and Flex applications. For better recognition and exposing of objects of tested Flex applications, we recommend using standalone Flash Player version 10.1.102.64 or later.

Adobe Flash Player Plugin

To run Flash and Flex applications in a web browser, you must install the Adobe Flash Player plugin in it. For better recognition and exposing of objects of tested Flex applications, we recommend using Flash Player version 10.1.102.64 or later.

Preparing Flash and Flex Applications for Testing

In order to test your Flash and Flex applications with TestComplete, you do not have to implement Automation API interfaces or change your code in any way. TestComplete can expose your application's objects automatically. But you may need to make some preparations of the environment or configure the browser you use before the testing. You may also need to make some preparations that depend on the testing approach you choose.

Most of the settings you may need to adjust are common for all testing approaches and set by default. Before testing a Flash or Flex application you just need to perform some preparations that depend on the way of testing you choose. The following topics list all preparations that you may need to perform before testing your application. If something goes wrong, you need to check whether all of the listed requirements are met:

Testing Flash and Flex Applications Running Under Another User Account

To test Flash and Flex applications that run under a different user account, you need to configure certain COM Security settings on the computer. For details, see Settings for Testing Open Applications in RunAs Mode.

In addition, TestComplete must be launched with administrator privileges.

See Also

Testing Flash and Flex Applications
Supported Controls
Installing Extensions

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