CEF Application automation

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ppandian
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CEF Application automation

Post by ppandian » Wed Jan 14, 2015 3:09 am

Hello,
Does Ranorex Studio(5.2) support automation of Windows hybrid application with Chromium browser engine.
Thanks
Pushpa

krstcs
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Re: CEF Application automation

Post by krstcs » Wed Jan 14, 2015 2:45 pm

I doubt you would be able to automate the browser pane as Ranorex has to use a plugin that only loads on the 4 supported browsers (FF, Chrome (not Chromium), Safari, IE). Ranorex would likely just see it as single drawing pane.

The wrapper application should be able to be automated, however.
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ppandian
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Re: CEF Application automation

Post by ppandian » Wed Jan 14, 2015 4:14 pm

Hi,
I am checking with you for hybrid windows application.
I have a hybrid windows version of the application where IE browser engine(WPF) is used, I am able to automate it using ranorex.

However when I use ranorex on the hybrid windows version of the application where chromium browser engine (CEF) is used, I am able to record but when I play it does not input elements with key board values. Is this a bug or do you have a different procedure for CEF applications.

Thanks
Pushpa

krstcs
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Re: CEF Application automation

Post by krstcs » Wed Jan 14, 2015 4:41 pm

I mistyped earlier. IE is different than other browsers because it is built into the OS. Therefore, Ranorex will be able to identify and automate elements in embedded IE windows since the core IE is what is instrumented.

With Chrome, only the Chrome browser itself is supported, not embedded windows, because Chrome does not load addons such as Ranorex's Chrome extension when it is embedded. This means that Ranorex will not be able to see the page that is generated in your hybrid application because the Ranorex Chrome extension is not being loaded. That is why Ranorex cannot identify web elements.

Also, Chromium is not Chrome, and is not supported by Ranorex. Chromium is the base platform on which Chrome is built, but it is an open-source, developer-grade browser.
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ppandian
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Re: CEF Application automation

Post by ppandian » Wed Jan 14, 2015 5:20 pm

Hi,
So does that mean CEF applications are supported in future or it is not supported at all.

Thanks
Pushpa

krstcs
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Re: CEF Application automation

Post by krstcs » Wed Jan 14, 2015 7:07 pm

I'll have to let the Ranorex team answer questions about what they will or won't support in the future, I don't work for them. All I can answer is whether it is currently supported given the information provided.


Again, CEF is a version of Chromium, not Chrome. Chromium is not supported by Ranorex currently.

My GUESS would be that it may not be possible to support it due to the architecture and the fact that CEF does not load the Chrome Ranorex plugin which is required for Ranorex to be able to identify objects.
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Re: CEF Application automation

Post by Support Team » Thu Jan 15, 2015 9:47 am

Hi ppandian and krstcs,

@krstcs:
thank you for answering this question. We really appreciate that.

@PPandian:
As krstcs already mentioned, CEF applications are currently not fully supported. May I ask you to use the workaround that is mentioned in this posting?

Regards,
Markus (S)

ppandian
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Re: CEF Application automation

Post by ppandian » Thu Jan 15, 2015 10:11 pm

Thanks for the workaround.

Now I can access the elements. but I see an error:

"Button 'Unable to see inside chrome://memory-redirect : Automation Tools | Ranorex Forum - Mozilla Firefox' "

Is there any workaround for this issue.

Thanks
Pushpa

ppandian
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Re: CEF Application automation

Post by ppandian » Fri Jan 16, 2015 2:24 pm

Hi,
One of the workaround you provided is to enable accessibility at:

chrome://accessibility

Toggle "Global Accessibility Mode" to ON

In my case I am using Embedded browser engine.
Is it possible to enable accessibility in the browser engine.

thanks
Pushpa

ppandian
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Re: CEF Application automation

Post by ppandian » Tue Jan 20, 2015 4:43 pm

Hi,
After building our CEF application using the flag "force-renderer-accessibility" I could access the elements, record and play back. However the repository information is not idetified as it is showing "No Item" for those elements. Ref:Attachment:"CEF - items.png"

When I tried to see the elements on "View Spy" I see the error message as in Attachement:error-memory.jpg.

thanks
Pushpa
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krstcs
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Re: CEF Application automation

Post by krstcs » Tue Jan 20, 2015 5:13 pm

The "No Item" text next to an action means that the item that the action originally referred to has been deleted from the repository, or was never assigned. Replace the element.


If you haven't, please read the Ranorex User Guide. It explains most of the answers to the questions you are asking.
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Re: CEF Application automation

Post by Support Team » Wed Dec 21, 2016 9:38 am

Hello everybody,

We have good news!
In our latest version Ranorex 6.2, you can now test web content in desktop applications that are based on the following chromium-based frameworks:
  • Chromium Embedded Framework (CEF)
  • CefSharp
  • Electron
  • NW.Js
  • Qt WebEngine
In order to get more information please visit our web page Testing Of CEF Applications.

Sincerely,
Ranorex Support Team

krstcs
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Re: CEF Application automation

Post by krstcs » Thu Feb 16, 2017 9:01 pm

I have been trying to get Ranorex working with jxBrowser which is a CEF-based framework. Is this supported yet? If so, is there some trick to it?
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Re: CEF Application automation

Post by Support Team » Mon Feb 20, 2017 4:22 pm

Hi Kelly,

JxBrowser is not officially supported at the moment. The officially supported chromium-based frameworks can be found on our web page.

Since this framework allows to enable the debugging port, which is basically used to access the application, it might work. Information about enabling the debugging port can be found on the JxBrowser web page.

I hope this information will help you.

Sincerely,
Johannes

krstcs
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Re: CEF Application automation

Post by krstcs » Mon Feb 20, 2017 5:09 pm

We already have the debugging port enabled (it is always enabled by default in our test environment). But Ranorex still does not see the web components inside the jxBrowser pane.

Is there a way I can tell Ranorex which port to look at?
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