This document discusses different types of popups that can occur in web applications, including JavaScript popups, browser popups, and native OS popups. It provides details on handling JavaScript popups using the Selenium Alert API. For browser and native popups, which Selenium does not support, it recommends setting up browser profiles, using the Java AWT Robot class to simulate user interactions, or employing an external automation tool like AutoIT. The document also covers configuring browser defaults, setting a download location, and using the Robot class limitations.

1. PopUp handling in Selenium 2.x
By
Aparna Naik
www.DestinationQA.com
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2. Agenda
Different types of PopUps
Handling JavaScript PopUps
Webdriver Alerts API
Java AWT Robot class to handle windows popups
Other ways to handle Popups
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3. PopUps
Usually, a web application can generate following types of popup windows:
JavaScript PopUps Browser PopUps Native OS PopUps
JavaScript popup windows are generated by the web application code.
Hence they can be controlled by the browser.
Native Popups like the File Upload / Download windows call the operating
system’s native interface. Hence once they are opened, the browser has
little control over them.
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4. Handling JavaScript PopUps
Selenium provides an API to handle
JavaScript PopUps.
Alert alert = driver.switchTo().alert();
The Alert API allows various operations
on the Alert object:
accept(), dismiss(), getText(),sendKeys()
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5. Handling Browser and Native OS
PopUps
As Selenium does not provide support to
these kind of Popups, we need to
explore other options. There are several
ways to handle such popups like:
• Setup Browser Profiles
• Use Java.awt.Robot toolkit
• Use external program like AutoIT
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6. Setup Browser Defaults
A useful way to handle popups is to set the
Browser Defaults to disable popups wherever
possible. This can usually be done for popups
which ask whether a File should be
downloaded.
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7. Handling File Download windows
When a file is to be downloaded, browser will
ask you where the file is to be saved.
Usually, this option can also be set to a default
location to avoid this popup.
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8. Setup a Browser Profile
• Selenium opens up its own profile with
default settings each time a driver is
initialized. Hence the option settings will
not persist.
• To avoid this, we can set up a profile for
Selenium to use, where these
preferences are set as required.
Selenium Code to Initialize Profile:
ProfilesIni allProfiles = new ProfilesIni();
FirefoxProfile profile =
allProfiles.getProfile("Selenium");
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9. The Java AWT Robot Class
This class can generate native input events to the underlying
OS using the Keyboard and Mouse Interfaces
Methods in this class can be effectively used to do the minimal
interaction with native popups occurring in Web Applications.
Some of the useful API provided are:
• keyPress();
• mousePress();
• Mousemove();
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10. The Java AWT Robot Class Contd..
Although the Robot Class can be used to interact
with PopUps, there are some limitations like:
• All interactions happen using either
Keyboard events or screen
coordinates.
• Keyboard events handle 1 character at
a time (no Strings)
• Cannot capture object properties using
this class.
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11. Using External Programs (AutoIT)
AutoIT is a tool that can automate the
Windows GUI.
AutoIT generates an executable file that
can be called from the Selenium script.
AutoIT Code Example:
WinWaitActive("Choose File to Upload")
Send("D:test.jpeg")
Send("{ENTER}")
Download AutoIT at:
http://www.autoitscript.com/site/autoit/downloads/
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12. Thank You…
Aparna Naik
Email: naik.aparna@destinationqa.com
Tel: +91 99233 50980
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