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Home » Support » User Guide » Lesson 5: Ranorex Recorder » Additional Editing Options

Additional Editing Options

As you have learned during the lessons before, the Recorder is typically used to record user actions. After recording a session it might be necessary to edit the recorded data for example to merge split key sequences or to delete single actions recorded by mistake. You can also add new actions like a new validation step which was not considered during a recording. In the following section you learn about:

  • Adding New Actions
  • Recorder Variables
  • Splitting Recordings

Adding New Actions

To add a new action item open the 'Add New Action' drop down box as shown below:
Add a new action item to the actions table
Add a new action item to the actions table
By selecting one of the items a new action is added after the current selection within the actions table.
New mouse move action added to current recording
New mouse move action added
Depending on the type of action item you can configure each action individually. Use the drop down buttons within each cell, for example to change the action from 'Click' to 'Move' as it is shown in the picture above. In order to specifiy on which UI element the action should be performed click the small button framed in red in the graphic above.
Select a repository item to be used by the action
Select a repository item to be used by the action
Use drag&drop feature to create a new action for a particular repository item

The items listed within the 'Select Repository Item' dialog are the same as shown within the recording's repository. You can use the 'Search' text box to filter for elements. Read more about how to use repository search and how to add new UI elements here. Alternatively, you can also drag and drop repository items into the actions table of a recording as shown in the graphic on the right.

Types of Action Items

MouseAdds a new mouse action item at the current position
Mouse WheelAdds a new mouse wheel action item

Key Shortcut

Adds a new key shortcut action item (e.g. {F1}, {ENTER})
Key SequenceAdds a new key sequence action item (e.g. "Hello")
ValidationAdds a new validation action item
Invoke ActionAdds a new invoke action item (e.g. call method 'Select' for a UI element of type list item)
Set ValueAdds a new set value action to set an attribute value (e.g. 'Text' for a UI element of type text)
Open BrowserOpens a browser and navigates to the given URL
Run ApplicationRuns an application at the given directory and file path
Close ApplicationCloses an application or web site containing the given repository item, respectively

Wait For Not Exists

Waits for disappearance of the given repository item
Note: This action can be used for any type of UI element.
ReportAdds a new report action item
Note: Additionally to the standard report levels, you can define custom report levels by changing the level from "Info" to "Custom".
DelayAdds a new delay action item
User CodeAdds a new user code action item which is used to implement a user specific validation in code for example

Validating Attributes

Use the action item 'Validate' to check the attributes, images or different states of a repository item. Open the property grid to configure the behavior of a failed or successful validation individually.

ActionSpecifies the type of validation (e.g. Exists, NotExists, AttributeEqual, etc.)
Continue on FailSpecifies whether to stop replaying in case of a failed validation or not
Create ScreenshotSpecifies when to create a screenshot of the validated element (Never, OnFail, OnSucess or Always)

Match Name

Specifies the name of the item's attribute to check
Match ValueSpecifies the expected value used for validation

Report Level On Failure

Specifies the report level in case of a failed validation

Note: This setting has no effect on test case error behavior

Report Level On SuccessSpecifies the report level in case of a succeded validation

Continue On Fail and Disable

Each action item listed in the table can be disabled or set to 'Continue On Fail'. Set an action item to 'Continue On Fail' if, in case of an error, the replay should not stop at that position. You can set both options via the context menu or the property grid.
Disabled action in gray font color - Continue-On-Fail action using italic font style
Disabled action in gray font color - Continue-On-Fail action using italic font style
Note: In case of an error the particular action logs a warning to the report.

Splitting of Recordings

The more recorded actions you have after finishing a new recording, the less clear each single action becomes. As already mentioned within Lesson 2 Ranorex Modules - A Test in Parts, it is recommended to identify reusable steps within a newly created recording. Use the context menu item 'New Recording From Selection' to create a new recording module.
Creates a new Recording from the selected items
Creates a new Recording from the selected items
Use the test suite editor as described during Lesson 2 or Lesson 4 to combine multiple recording modules within a test case.

Change Repository of Recording Module

By default each newly created recording refers to the main repository file. To create a new repository or to refer to another repository simply open the drop down menu from the repositories toolbar as shown below.

Change referring repository
Select 'Open From Disk' if you want to open and refer to a repository which is currently not part of your Ranorex Studio projects. If you want to use a repository exclusively for a single recording, simply embed it into the recording file. In this case all the repository items are saved to the recording file. Creating a new repository for your recording automatically adds a new repository file to the current project.