Mapping of complex components like data tables

The previously described approach will work for most standard components as buttons or checkboxes. But besides those components there are also complex components in our GUI. Those components represent data, and we would like to address their content by the sub-item syntax provided by QF-Test. Those components could be tables, trees or lists. For those components we need to map the dedicated class as well as the sub-item class. You will find the details in the following sections: 'CustomWebResolver' – Combo boxes, 'CustomWebResolver' – Lists, 'CustomWebResolver' – Tables, 'CustomWebResolver' – TabPanel and Accordion, 'CustomWebResolver' – Tree.

Current recordingSimplified recording
Current recordingSimplified recording
Figure 49.15:  Simplification for complex components

Our example is the table showing the cars of the "CarConfigurator Web". Again, we need to record some clicks on the shown cars and analyze the recording. The standard recording looks like this:

WebCarConfigTable
Figure 49.16:  Recording of a table in "CarConfigurator Web"

The click was recorded on a TD component, which is the child of a TR component, which is part of a TABLE component. The recorded TD component contains an extra feature class with the value dataCell. The TR component has the value dataRow, and the TABLE has the value dataTable for that attribute.

When we select the nodes and observe the component highlighting in the SUT we notice the following:

A TD node represents a cell, a TR node represents a row of a table and a TABLE node represents an entire table. Exactly those nodes need to be investigated now in order to create a good mapping to generic classes. QF-Test requires those three classes plus the header row and a header cell to resolve a table, see 'CustomWebResolver' – Tables for details.

Let's start with the TABLE node. This node has a class attribute with the value dataTable. This seems to be a clear sign that any dataTable represents a table. So we select the 'Install CustomWebResolver' node again and extend the category genericClasses by Table: dataTable.

The next step is the row of the table. After selecting the TR node we can see that there is another class attribute with the value dataRow. This seems to be a clean-cut case. Now we need to add that value to the 'Install CustomWebResolver' node again and extend the category genericClasses with TableRow: dataRow.

Next we need to analyze the TD node. Again, we find the class attribute, this time with the value dataCell. So, let's add this to our node as before: Add TableCell: dataCell to genericClasses.

Also, we would like QF-Test to recognize the column headers, so it can use them as text index for the column when we record a table cell. This time the class attribute is headerRow for the header row and headerCell for each column header. So we complete the genericClasses category. It now reads:

genericClasses:
- TableHeader: headerRow
- TableHeaderCell: headerCell
- TableCell: dataCell
- TableRow: dataRow
- Table: dataTable
- TextField: textfield
- Button: button
Example 49.31:  Category genericClasses

We will now delete the previously recorded components, run the 'Install CustomWebResolver' node, re-load the web page and re-record a click again.

As result we get a click with the typical QF-Test item syntax on a component like VehicleTable@Model&0 (or any other row, depending what you clicked on). In the recorded components area you will just see the Table object and no child component anymore as they are now treated by QF-Test as items of a table.

WebCarConfigTableCustom
Figure 49.17:  Recording of resolved table item in "CarConfigurator Web"

After resolving this complex component we can proceed to the next section for the next steps.