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pramod_tr_rao's avatar
pramod_tr_rao
Occasional Contributor
12 years ago

Test Complete does not wait until the entire Page/Frame is loaded even though we wait for the ready state to be complete

Hi,    We have an issue where Test Complete performs operation on an object even before the entire Page/Frame is loaded. We have put in a function that checks and waits until the readystate of the ...
  • AlexKaras's avatar
    AlexKaras
    12 years ago
    Hi Pramod,



    Does your tested web page contain script(s) code that modify the content of the page?

    The case is that browsers set the page ready flag (that TestComplete looks for) when the page is obtained from the server. Then, the browser executes scripts on the page. But this happens with the ready flag already set. Depending on the scripts, browser and local system load, scripts execution can take significant time.

    According to my experience, the best way is to wait until the page is loaded (page.Wait). Then, it is really good if you can find some object that, if found on the page, indicates that the browser completed scripts processing and the page is ready to interact with the end-user. Wait for this object to exists.

    Then you may proceed with the test using your current approach: not to try to perform some action against some object on the page, but first check if this object exists and wait (using timeout) until the object appears if it was not found. And only after the object was found, proceed with the actions against it.



    The described approach works pretty well for me for several highly scripted web applications.



    Hope this will help.
AlexKaras's avatar
AlexKaras
Champion Level 3
12 years ago
Hi Pramod,



I did not hear about any other alternative than waiting for the target object until it appears within the reasonable period of time.

I never used NativeWebObject.Find(), but prefer .Find()/.FindChild()/.FindChildByXPath().

I am also not happy with this approach, but this is the price that you are required to pay if you use dynamic 'self-modifying' web pages. As opposed to the old good desktop applications that have all resources available when started, 'self-modifying' web pages constantly download something from the web and you never know when this or that IU element is available. So waiting for the object is the only approach I can imagine so far.

Again, it is very good to have an object (either 'global' one, of page/window-specific) that, with a high probability, is created last. Wait until this object is created, then look for the target object you need and only then work with this target object. The reason for this suggestion is that it is possible that your target tested object may already exist on the page and even be visible, but the browser might still be busy with script execution to create other objects and/or populate your tested object and other objects with data. This may result in that if you don't wait until the browser is ready to interact with the end-user, your actions against the tested object (clicks, etc.) might be 'lost' or cleared by the browser or object's code and this will lead to the test failure.

(Again, consider the fact that TestComplete usually imitates end-user actions. And this is exactly corresponds to how human acts: wait for the page to be rendered on the screen, than wait for the UI element he/she needs, then try to use this UI element. Wait until the browser seems to be ready to interact with you if it doesn't respond and repeat the attempt to use the UI element.)