Flex 4 Automation – New feature list

October 9, 2009 at 6:18 am 9 comments

In Flex4 (the beta available) , automation framework supports the following new features.

AIR automation.
Marahshalling support for Flex and AIR application. (multi version , different application domain, different security domain etc)
Modified custom control handling.
Trail for spark automation (only some components are enabled in Beta2)
Performance improvement in replaying the script

etc…

However the testing tools using the automation framework need to do certain modifications to leverage these new features.

AIR automation of flex controls this includes

Windowed application.
Multiple window.
Drag and drop operations inside AIR applications.

How to get the multiwindow details :
The windows are not children of Application in fact in all-purpose they are independent application instance. Even after closing the main application window the sub application can exists.
Now the automationManager listens to the user interaction on the sub Windows also and will dispatch the record event on these also similar to as it handled on the main window.

The change needed in the tools

You can listen to the AutomationAirEvent.NEW_AIR_WINDOW from the AutomationManager and get the uniqueId formed for this new window by the automationManager.
You can get the window corresponding to the id from using getAirWindow API on the AutomationManager2 passing the window id. You have to ensure the object received is valid. (e.g. getting the window object after the window is closed).

If your tool needs to get the hwnd of the new window, there is no direct way. However this can be logically handled. If you would like to know more about this, or about any of the new features, you can contact me at ranik@adobe.com (I will try to address this more in further posts as time permits 🙂 )

Entry filed under: Flex Automation. Tags: Flex Automation.

9 Comments Add your own

1. Jean | April 2, 2010 at 7:37 am

Will the AutoQuick source based on Flex 4 be released?Just like the agent facilitates the communication between the Flex application and automation tools.
Reply
- 2. raniskumar | April 13, 2010 at 12:56 pm
  
  AutoQuick source does not change much for Flex4. There is no plan to update this for Flex4. You can refer the flex4 teaflex.xml files and update the xml appropriately.
  Reply
3. Sonia | February 2, 2011 at 8:58 am

Hello Kumar,
I’m sonia.
I’m facing problem at login screen. When I’m entering password by using QTP,password is not getting encrypted but manual it’s working fine.

First,previously,We were using Flex SDK 3. recently we’ve updated updated our SDK from 3.0 to SDK 4.0.0. Inearlier version it is working fine but currently we’re unable to login.

Second,In QTP ,I can not view Setsceure method.because flex doe snot support that method.I had word with my developers,they have refused to help.according to them It’s purely QTP issue and adobe issue.

Ranis,Please help me out. I’ll really appreciate your time and help.

Sonia
Reply
- 4. raniskumar | April 6, 2011 at 9:51 am
  
  If i remember correctly we have discussed over mails. I am not sure whether your issue is resolved. If you need any help, share a sample.
  Reply
5. Ravi | April 28, 2011 at 3:47 pm

I want to learn flex automation
Reply
- 6. raniskumar | July 21, 2011 at 12:57 pm
  
  go through different documentations, code available with flash builder, blog posts.
  there is no tutorial.
  Reply
7. cheat | July 13, 2011 at 4:51 am

hi! i have some problem with automation in flex 4.0
i can not record and play back html browser components with AIR
projects.Please give me resolution thank first
Reply
- 8. raniskumar | July 21, 2011 at 12:29 pm
  
  This is not supported from the Flex framework as it is running inside webkit. So you may have to seach for the tools which supports webkit automation.
  Reply
9. Manoj | October 21, 2011 at 6:02 am

How to identify a customized flex control when QTP even fails to identify this control, and this control is created by using multiple mxml files. The application gui controls are developed using mxml.

Below is the hiererchy used:
Browser(“PatentFamily”).FlexApplication(“FlexClient”).FlexBox(“PatentAppScreen”).FlexDividedBox(“Main Information”).FlexForm(“PA_Topic”).
The custom object is placed in the FlexForm which is not getting identified. When I tried to get the automation children of this form It does not give the children too.

Not sure how this can be handled. Please help.
Reply