Forum Discussion

John_Laird's avatar
John_Laird
Contributor
9 years ago

how to use wildcards in object paths?

I am trying to click on a button using an object reference. Problem is, there are up to 20 variations of the path to the button. This is the path for button 1:   Aliases.ACMConfig.frmMain.panelCont...
  • tristaanogre's avatar
    tristaanogre
    9 years ago

    Actually... I would take a different approach...

    I'm assuming that the list of HourlyMeternnArchive components is dynamic... that from test run to test run there could be more or less of those items. In that case, I wouldn't use mapping at all for the specific items but, instead, use a FindChild or FindAllChildren  to dynamically find the specific item(s) I want to click on based upon a set of criteria. Mapping it with the wildcard in the criteria and having all the items basically point to the same map is going to result in a lot of ambiguous recognition. In fact, I'd go with FindAllChildren to bring back an array of all the objects and then, using a for loop, click through each one... OR, otherwise use the array to interact with the individual components.  Probably better in the long run than wildcarding things.


     

    [EDIT] even if the list of objects isn't dynamic and is a fixed length, you could still use "FindAllChildren" to create an object in memory containing the list of all the objects.  Then, all you would have to do is reference by index... something like:


     

    //BTW... this is a HORRENDOUS mapping... consider in the Aliases section of NameMapping that you reduce this down to something more manageable

    var ChildList = Aliases.ACMConfig.frmMain.panelControl1.superTabControl1.suptabConfiguration.userControlConfiguration1.toolStripContainer2.ToolStripContentPanel.tabObjects.acmObjectView.acmObjectView.DocumentsHost.DocumentContainer.panelMain.panelMain_Container.tabControlOptions.tabConfiguration.userControlAsiCustomDialog.tabControl1.tabPage8.gbMeters.FindAllChildren("WndClass", "ReferenceButton"); //This is just a guess... you would need to fill in proper properties etc

    ChildList(0).Click() //Would click on btnReferenceSelect_HourlyMeter1Archive or whatever is first in the list.. etc.
John_Laird's avatar
John_Laird
Contributor

Not quite. I mapped the button control and added the wildcard (*) so that it would accept 1-20 in that section of text as valid but when I click "Highlight" in the "Edit Name Mapping Item" dialog it still throws an error:

 

 

Still not sure why this is not working.

Marsha_R's avatar
Marsha_R
Moderator
9 years ago

I wouldn't expect that to work because asking for the highlight is looking for a particular object with * in it on screen and that doesn't exist.

 

What it should allow you to do now is put HourlyMeter1 or HourlyMeter2 etc. in a test and not have it tell you that the object doesn't exist.  They will both match the name mapping with HourlyMeter*.

  • John_Laird's avatar
    John_Laird
    Contributor
    9 years ago

    No joy. Thinking I'm not understanding the intent here. Maybe if I explain this better it will help. These are the buttons I want to be able to map without adding an object path or alias for each one:

     

     

    One of these buttons is only visible at a given time. I have a drop down box. If the drop down box is set to index 0 ("meter 1") then btnReferenceSelect_HourlyMeter1Archive is visible. If I switch to index 1 ("meter 2") then btnReferenceSelect_HourlyMeter2Archive is visible and so forth all the way to meter 20. All I'm trying to do here is add a line to my keyword test where I can use a wildcard and not have to alias map or type an object path for all 20 buttons.

     

    • Marsha_R's avatar
      Marsha_R
      Moderator
      9 years ago

      If you are using the name mapping with the wildcard, then it is telling TestComplete that any object that matches (in your case) HourlyMeter* should use the same structure.  When you go to your test and you say click button HourlyMeter10Archive, TestComplete will see that HourlyMeter* is a match for that and it will use that mapping. 

       

      If what you are looking for is a generic way to click the button, then you can build a string with the button number in it and then use that variable in the click button line.  You will still have to have some way to decide if it is HourlyMeter1 or HourlyMeter2 or HourlyMeter10000000, but the click button can always be something like Project.Variables.Mybuttonstring.ClickButton.

      • tristaanogre's avatar
        tristaanogre
        Esteemed Contributor
        9 years ago

        Actually... I would take a different approach...

        I'm assuming that the list of HourlyMeternnArchive components is dynamic... that from test run to test run there could be more or less of those items. In that case, I wouldn't use mapping at all for the specific items but, instead, use a FindChild or FindAllChildren  to dynamically find the specific item(s) I want to click on based upon a set of criteria. Mapping it with the wildcard in the criteria and having all the items basically point to the same map is going to result in a lot of ambiguous recognition. In fact, I'd go with FindAllChildren to bring back an array of all the objects and then, using a for loop, click through each one... OR, otherwise use the array to interact with the individual components.  Probably better in the long run than wildcarding things.


         

        [EDIT] even if the list of objects isn't dynamic and is a fixed length, you could still use "FindAllChildren" to create an object in memory containing the list of all the objects.  Then, all you would have to do is reference by index... something like:


         

        //BTW... this is a HORRENDOUS mapping... consider in the Aliases section of NameMapping that you reduce this down to something more manageable

        var ChildList = Aliases.ACMConfig.frmMain.panelControl1.superTabControl1.suptabConfiguration.userControlConfiguration1.toolStripContainer2.ToolStripContentPanel.tabObjects.acmObjectView.acmObjectView.DocumentsHost.DocumentContainer.panelMain.panelMain_Container.tabControlOptions.tabConfiguration.userControlAsiCustomDialog.tabControl1.tabPage8.gbMeters.FindAllChildren("WndClass", "ReferenceButton"); //This is just a guess... you would need to fill in proper properties etc

        ChildList(0).Click() //Would click on btnReferenceSelect_HourlyMeter1Archive or whatever is first in the list.. etc.