Clicking a Button in Desktop Windows Applications

Note: To learn how to simulate user actions over button controls in web applications, see Working With Button Controls in Web Applications.

While testing button controls, you can use specific properties and methods of the corresponding program object to perform certain actions and obtain data stored in controls. You can call these methods and properties from your keyword tests, as well as from scripts. This topic describes how to work with the needed properties and methods from your scripts. However, when testing a control from your keyword test, you can use the same methods and properties calling them from keyword test operations. For more information, see Keyword Tests Basic Operations.

There are several ways to click a button in an application:

• Use the Click or ClickButton actions. These actions simulate a single click on a button. Here is an example of how to perform a click via these actions:

  JavaScript, JScript

  Python

  VBScript

  DelphiScript

  C++Script, C#Script

  Copy Code

  JavaScript, JScript

  myButton.Click();

  myButton.ClickButton();

  Python

  myButton.Click()
  myButton.ClickButton()

  VBScript

  myButton.Click

  myButton.ClickButton

  DelphiScript

  myButton.Click;

  myButton.ClickButton;

  C++Script, C#Script

  myButton["Click"]();

  myButton["ClickButton"]();

• You can click a button by simulating keystrokes that represent an access key. An access key is an underlined symbol within the button caption. It permits a click of a button by pressing the Alt key in combination with the assigned access key. For example, if the underlined symbol is F, you should simulate pressing the Alt+F key combination (for detailed information about simulating keystrokes, see the Simulating Keystrokes topic). The example below simulates an access key:

  JavaScript, JScript

  Python

  VBScript

  DelphiScript

  C++Script, C#Script

  Copy Code

  JavaScript, JScript

  myButton.Keys("~f");
  

  Python

  myButton.Keys("~f")

  VBScript

  myButton.Keys "~f"
  

  DelphiScript

  myButton.Keys('~f');
  

  C++Script, C#Script

  myButton["Keys"]("~f");
  

• You can click a button by setting the focus to it (for example, by using the Tab key) and simulating the Space key press. For detailed information on how to simulate keystrokes, see the Simulating Keystrokes topic. Here is an example:

  JavaScript, JScript

  Python

  VBScript

  DelphiScript

  C++Script, C#Script

  Copy Code

  JavaScript, JScript

  ...
  Sys.Keys("[Tab][Tab][Tab]");
  Sys.Keys("[X32]");
  ...
  

  Python

  ...
  Sys.Keys("[Tab][Tab][Tab]")
  Sys.Keys("[X32]")
  ...

  VBScript

  ...
  Sys.Keys "[Tab][Tab][Tab]"
  Sys.Keys "[X32]"
  ...
  

  DelphiScript

  ...
  Sys.Keys('[Tab][Tab][Tab]');
  Sys.Keys('[X32]');
  ...
  

  C++Script, C#Script

  ...
  Sys["Keys"]("[Tab][Tab][Tab]");
  Sys["Keys"]("[X32]");
  ...
  

See Also

Working With Button Controls in Desktop Windows Applications
Checking a Button's State in Desktop Windows Applications
Click Action
ClickButton Action (Button Controls)
Simulating Keystrokes
Working With Button Controls in Web Applications