If you are interested we can collaborate on creating this...we are taking a similar tdd approach to automating flex apps. We too explored using the automation package and found some useful functionality, but we still intend to abstract this to a higher level api so one can write test scripts using AS3 and never have to deal with the automation packages. Currently we are experimenting with using asunit and flexunit as our test runner...no need to reinvent the wheel here. The one thing that they both lack though is a mechanism to handle async events in the setUp method.
Also since the Flash Player is single threaded, everything is event based. Which doesn't work very well with procedural scripts. Basically you end up have to pass in continuation functions all over the place which is very messy. Currently we are working with the Flash VM team to see if they can provide something that will help us get around this issue. Can your school "assignment" only be completed on your own, or can you collaborate with others in an open source project? We have already created a project on sourceforge to house the new framework. Would you like to join us in this endeavor? --- In flexcoders@yahoogroups.com, "pmotzfeldt" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > > Hi, I am a last year student at Norwegian University of Science and > Technology and in my assignment I will try to make an open source > framework for functional testing of flex applications. > > I have been playing a bit with the automation in Flex and is capable > to record event, even though I do not need that, because I am going to > have an Test Driven Development approach for this framework. > > But one thing that I have not managed is to programatically drive the > Flex application. What methods in the automation package do you use, I > have tried the replay event stuff, but does not get any response? > > Do you have any pointers? > > --- In flexcoders@yahoogroups.com, "brian.knorr" <wundahwheel@> wrote: > > > > > > I started playing around with the automation package. I first had to > > copy the automation source from the Flex SDK into my project and > > compile it...for some reason the classes are not accessible starting > > out. I see that I can drive the Flex UI through the automation events > > programmatically...I did a little test and it seems to work so far. I > > will continue looking into leveraging the automation classes found in > > the SDK. I still plan on creating a scripting layer that abstracts > > folks from having to do event based logic. But why do I need FDS? It > > seems to work fine so far without it. > > > > > > --- In flexcoders@yahoogroups.com, "Matt Chotin" <mchotin@> wrote: > > > > > > FDS requirement first: it is a licensing requirement; it is not a > > > technical requirement. And the license is that you need to pay > for one > > > FDS CPU license per tester seat. That license could be Departmental > > > (list $6k) or Enterprise. So if you're looking to create a tool that > > > can be used for free by the testers, the automation framework is > > > probably not for you. But if you're just looking to avoid using QTP > > > then this could give you a big head start. > > > > > > > > > > > > We are working on documentation for writing an agent. That has been > > > slower to come out because it's primarily ISV/partners who are > > > interested in building agents. When the docs are ready we'll post > them. > > > > > > > > > > > > I think it is fair to say that playback is essentially what you > need to > > > support scripting, even if you don't need recording. QTP for example > > > records actions into scripts, then the tool plays the script back > and we > > > turn those into the playback commands. You can do the same thing. > > > Either you can write to the automation framework directly with events, > > > or you could write some layer that takes your own scripting calls and > > > generates the automation events for you. The automation framework is > > > written in AS and exposes classes, methods, and events, so it is > capable > > > of being used programmatically. > > > > > > > > > > > > Matt > > > > > > > > > > > > ________________________________ > > > > > > From: flexcoders@yahoogroups.com > [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] On > > > Behalf Of brian.knorr > > > Sent: Thursday, February 08, 2007 7:35 AM > > > To: flexcoders@yahoogroups.com > > > Subject: [flexcoders] Re: any interest in an alternative to QTP to > > > automate Flex apps? > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > Is there any documentation on building an adapter to use the > > > automation packages? I browsed through the source of the classes in > > > the automation package and it appears to support the record and > > > playback model of testing, which in my opinion what you want to avoid. > > > Can the automation package be leveraged for programmatically > > > controlling the Flex components like you would do in a tool like > > > Watir, Watij, or Jemmy? Is FDS absolutely required to build on top of > > > this system? > > > > > > --- In flexcoders@yahoogroups.com > <mailto:flexcoders%40yahoogroups.com> > > > , "Matt Chotin" <mchotin@> wrote: > > > > > > > > I am not looking to derail any interest in you guys building > > > > alternatives, but would like to point out that the Flex team did a > > > large > > > > amount of work to enable the kind of functionality you're > looking for > > > > (minus the tool). Check out the mx.automation packages and > you'll see > > > > the infrastructure that is in place to solve problems like using > > > > semantic events instead of x/y coordinates, etc. Admittedly, this is > > > > the portion that we consider the more interesting IP rather than the > > > > plugin that enables QTP to leverage this functionality (and what you > > > > need to pay to use). If you have FDS or are willing to invest > money in > > > > the APIs even if not in QTP itself, I'd encourage you to build > on top > > > of > > > > this system. Interest from other vendors is increasing as well and I > > > > hope that we'll see offerings in addition to QTP in the future (they > > > > will be built using this framework). > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > As I stated previously we will continue to examine licensing options > > > for > > > > things like the automation package, but do not expect any changes in > > > the > > > > short term. > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > Matt > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > ________________________________ > > > > > > > > From: flexcoders@yahoogroups.com > <mailto:flexcoders%40yahoogroups.com> > > > [mailto:flexcoders@yahoogroups.com > <mailto:flexcoders%40yahoogroups.com> > > > ] On > > > > Behalf Of brian.knorr > > > > Sent: Wednesday, February 07, 2007 4:02 PM > > > > To: flexcoders@yahoogroups.com > <mailto:flexcoders%40yahoogroups.com> > > > > Subject: [flexcoders] Re: any interest in an alternative to QTP to > > > > automate Flex apps? > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > I took a look at imacros...my only concern is that it uses > WINCLICK to > > > > automate flash apps. This means everything is x/y coordinate > based. We > > > > want to interact with the actual ui components, finding them by > their > > > > properties or type. For example here is a short snippet of a simple > > > > test we are using...I added the comments in order to explain what is > > > > going on: > > > > > > > > //find the first ComboBox in the app > > > > var comboBoxOperator:ComboBoxOperator = > flexOperator.find(ComboBox) as > > > > ComboBoxOperator; > > > > > > > > //select the option with the specified label > > > > //upon user selection the app fires an event that sets a label > > > component > > > > with the text 'You selected: X' > > > > comboBoxOperator.select("MasterCard"); > > > > > > > > //find the label with the specified properties and assert the > correct > > > > selection was made > > > > assertEquals("You selected: > > > > MasterCard",LabelOperator(flexOperator.find({id:"myLabel"})).text); > > > > > > > > Thoughts? > > > > > > > > --- In flexcoders@yahoogroups.com > > > <mailto:flexcoders%40yahoogroups.com> > > > <mailto:flexcoders%40yahoogroups.com> > > > > , "Allen Riddle" <ariddle@> wrote: > > > > > > > > > > I've posted on here before about this topic. I think this is > > > something > > > > > that lacks in the Flex community. Just curious if you or your > > > company > > > > > have looked at a product called imacros. I downloaded the demo and > > > it > > > > > was pretty decent. It's a lot cheaper than QTP. It also lets you > > > > script > > > > > out tests. I've also wondered if it was possible to get Ruby's > Watir > > > > > tool to work with Flex, that would be my first choice if so. Cool > > > > > suggestion, we'd use it. > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > ________________________________ > > > > > > > > > > From: flexcoders@yahoogroups.com > > > <mailto:flexcoders%40yahoogroups.com> > > > <mailto:flexcoders%40yahoogroups.com> > > > > [mailto:flexcoders@yahoogroups.com > > > <mailto:flexcoders%40yahoogroups.com> > > > <mailto:flexcoders%40yahoogroups.com> > > > > ] > > > > On > > > > > Behalf Of Simeon Bateman > > > > > Sent: Wednesday, February 07, 2007 3:56 PM > > > > > To: flexcoders@yahoogroups.com > <mailto:flexcoders%40yahoogroups.com> > > > <mailto:flexcoders%40yahoogroups.com> > > > > > Subject: Re: [flexcoders] any interest in an alternative to QTP to > > > > > automate Flex apps? > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > I am interested in this. I had been playing with the thought of > > > using > > > > > the FA Bridge to allow you to use Selenium to test your > > > applications. > > > > > Then you could use the Firefox plugin to record our actions > and test > > > > the > > > > > movie. > > > > > > > > > > Not sure how feasible it is but even that would start with > having a > > > > > testing framework in flex to tie into. > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > simeon > > > > > > > > > > On 2/7/07, brian.knorr wundahwheel@ > > > > > <mailto:wundahwheel@ > wrote: > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > Automating functional tests is critical to the way we develop > > > software > > > > > at my company. And there are two big things that stop us from > using > > > > QTP. > > > > > > > > > > 1) It's record and playback - we want to write test scripts > > > > > 2) It costs a lot of money - we want a tool that is free and > > > community > > > > > driven > > > > > > > > > > At my company we are writing several applications in Flex2 and are > > > > > building out an as3 library that allows us to write test > scripts in > > > > > as3 to drive the Flex ui as if the user was interacting with > it. If > > > > > you are familiar with the Java Swing testing tool called > Jemmy, it's > > > > > very similar in design. > > > > > > > > > > Is there any interest out there for a tool like this? I am > about to > > > > > create a sourceforge project, but first wanted to get a feel > for the > > > > > need. > > > > > > > > > > Thanks, > > > > > > > > > > Brian > > > > > > > > > > > > > > >
