Adobe® Flex® 4 Language Reference
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mx.automation 
IAutomationManager 
Packagemx.automation
Interfacepublic interface IAutomationManager extends IEventDispatcher

Language Version: ActionScript 3.0
Product Version: Flex 3
Runtime Versions: Flash Player 9, AIR 1.1

The IAutomationManager interface defines the interface expected from an AutomationManager object by the automation module.

See also



Public Properties
 PropertyDefined By
  automationEnvironment : Object
The automation environment for this automation manager.
IAutomationManager
  recording : Boolean
[read-only] Indicates whether recording is taking place.
IAutomationManager
  replaying : Boolean
[read-only] Indicates whether replay is taking place.
IAutomationManager
Public Methods
 MethodDefined By
 Inherited
addEventListener(type:String, listener:Function, useCapture:Boolean = false, priority:int = 0, useWeakReference:Boolean = false):void
Registers an event listener object with an EventDispatcher object so that the listener receives notification of an event.
IEventDispatcher
  
Sets the automation manager to record mode.
IAutomationManager
  
Returns an id for the given object that can be used with the resolveID() method.
IAutomationManager
  
Returns an id part for the given object that can be used in the resolveIDPart() method.
IAutomationManager
  
Decrement the cache counter.
IAutomationManager
 Inherited
Dispatches an event into the event flow.
IEventDispatcher
  
Takes the automation manager out of record mode.
IAutomationManager
  
Returns the text to display as the type of the object.
IAutomationManager
  
Returns the text to display as the description for the object.
IAutomationManager
  
getChildren(obj:IAutomationObject, ignoreShowInHierarchy:Boolean = false):Array
Returns all children of this object that are visible within the testing hierarchy.
IAutomationManager
  
getChildrenFromIDPart(obj:IAutomationObject, part:AutomationIDPart = null, ignoreShowInHierarchy:Boolean = false):Array
Returns all children of this object that are visible within the testing hierarchy and meet the criteria in the automation part.
IAutomationManager
  
Returns the automation object under the given coordinate.
IAutomationManager
  
getParent(obj:IAutomationObject, parentToStopAt:IAutomationObject = null, ignoreShowInHierarchy:Boolean = false):IAutomationObject
Returns the next parent that is visible within the automation hierarchy.
IAutomationManager
  
getProperties(obj:IAutomationObject, names:Array = null, forVerification:Boolean = true, forDescription:Boolean = true):Array
Returns the values for a set of properties.
IAutomationManager
  
The display rectangle enclosing the DisplayObject.
IAutomationManager
  
Returns the object implementing the IAutomationTabularData interface through which the tabular data can be obtained.
IAutomationManager
 Inherited
Checks whether the EventDispatcher object has any listeners registered for a specific type of event.
IEventDispatcher
  
Increments the cache counter.
IAutomationManager
  
Tests if the provided target needs to wait until a previous operation completes.
IAutomationManager
  
Returns true if an object and all of its parents are visible.
IAutomationManager
  
recordAutomatableEvent(recorder:IAutomationObject, event:Event, cacheable:Boolean = false):void
Records the event.
IAutomationManager
  
Records the custom event.
IAutomationManager
 Inherited
removeEventListener(type:String, listener:Function, useCapture:Boolean = false):void
Removes a listener from the EventDispatcher object.
IEventDispatcher
  
Replays the specified event.
IAutomationManager
  
resolveID(rid:AutomationID, currentParent:IAutomationObject = null):Array
Resolves an id to automation objects.
IAutomationManager
  
Resolves an id part to an Array of automation objects.
IAutomationManager
  
Resolves an id part to an automation object within the parent.
IAutomationManager
  
Resolves an id to an automation object.
IAutomationManager
  
Indicates whether an automation object should be visible within the hierarchy.
IAutomationManager
 Inherited
Checks whether an event listener is registered with this EventDispatcher object or any of its ancestors for the specified event type.
IEventDispatcher
Property Detail

automationEnvironment

property
automationEnvironment:Object

Language Version: ActionScript 3.0
Product Version: Flex 3
Runtime Versions: Flash Player 9, AIR 1.1

The automation environment for this automation manager. The automation environment provides information about the objects and properties of testable components needed for communicating with agent tools.

The value of this property must implement the IAutomationEnvironment interface.



Implementation
    public function get automationEnvironment():Object
    public function set automationEnvironment(value:Object):void

See also

recording

property 
recording:Boolean  [read-only]

Language Version: ActionScript 3.0
Product Version: Flex 3
Runtime Versions: Flash Player 9, AIR 1.1

Indicates whether recording is taking place.



Implementation
    public function get recording():Boolean

replaying

property 
replaying:Boolean  [read-only]

Language Version: ActionScript 3.0
Product Version: Flex 3
Runtime Versions: Flash Player 9, AIR 1.1

Indicates whether replay is taking place.



Implementation
    public function get replaying():Boolean
Method Detail

beginRecording

()method
public function beginRecording():void

Language Version: ActionScript 3.0
Product Version: Flex 3
Runtime Versions: Flash Player 9, AIR 1.1

Sets the automation manager to record mode.

createID

()method 
public function createID(obj:IAutomationObject, relativeToParent:IAutomationObject = null):AutomationID

Language Version: ActionScript 3.0
Product Version: Flex 3
Runtime Versions: Flash Player 9, AIR 1.1

Returns an id for the given object that can be used with the resolveID() method.

Parameters

obj:IAutomationObject — Automation object.
 
relativeToParent:IAutomationObject (default = null) — Parent of the automation object.

Returns
AutomationID — AutomationID object which represents the Automation object.

createIDPart

()method 
public function createIDPart(obj:IAutomationObject, parent:IAutomationObject = null):AutomationIDPart

Language Version: ActionScript 3.0
Product Version: Flex 3
Runtime Versions: Flash Player 9, AIR 1.1

Returns an id part for the given object that can be used in the resolveIDPart() method.

Parameters

obj:IAutomationObject — The automation object.
 
parent:IAutomationObject (default = null) — Parent of the automation object.

Returns
AutomationIDPart — AutomationIDPart object which represents the Automation object.

decrementCacheCounter

()method 
public function decrementCacheCounter(clearNow:Boolean = false):int

Language Version: ActionScript 3.0
Product Version: Flex 3
Runtime Versions: Flash Player 9, AIR 1.1

Decrement the cache counter. The cache is cleared when the count reaches zero.

Parameters

clearNow:Boolean (default = false) — If true, clear the cache regardless of the cache counter.

Returns
int — Current cache counter.

endRecording

()method 
public function endRecording():void

Language Version: ActionScript 3.0
Product Version: Flex 3
Runtime Versions: Flash Player 9, AIR 1.1

Takes the automation manager out of record mode.

getAutomationClassName

()method 
public function getAutomationClassName(obj:IAutomationObject):String

Language Version: ActionScript 3.0
Product Version: Flex 3
Runtime Versions: Flash Player 9, AIR 1.1

Returns the text to display as the type of the object.

Parameters

obj:IAutomationObject — Automation object.

Returns
String — Type of the object.

getAutomationName

()method 
public function getAutomationName(obj:IAutomationObject):String

Language Version: ActionScript 3.0
Product Version: Flex 3
Runtime Versions: Flash Player 9, AIR 1.1

Returns the text to display as the description for the object.

Parameters

obj:IAutomationObject — Automation object.

Returns
String — Text description of the Automation object.

getChildren

()method 
public function getChildren(obj:IAutomationObject, ignoreShowInHierarchy:Boolean = false):Array

Language Version: ActionScript 3.0
Product Version: Flex 3
Runtime Versions: Flash Player 9, AIR 1.1

Returns all children of this object that are visible within the testing hierarchy. If a child is not visible within the hierarchy, returns the children of the invisible child.

Parameters

obj:IAutomationObject — Object for which to get the children.
 
ignoreShowInHierarchy:Boolean (default = false)

Returns
Array — Array of children.

getChildrenFromIDPart

()method 
public function getChildrenFromIDPart(obj:IAutomationObject, part:AutomationIDPart = null, ignoreShowInHierarchy:Boolean = false):Array

Language Version: ActionScript 3.0
Product Version: Flex 3
Runtime Versions: Flash Player 9, AIR 1.1

Returns all children of this object that are visible within the testing hierarchy and meet the criteria in the automation part. If a child is not visible within the hierarchy, this method returns the children of the invisible child.

Parameters

obj:IAutomationObject — Object for which to get the children.
 
part:AutomationIDPart (default = null) — Criteria of which children to return.
 
ignoreShowInHierarchy:Boolean (default = false) — Boolean that determines whether object is ignored within the automation hierarchy. The default value is false.

Returns
Array — Array of children matching the criteria.

getElementFromPoint

()method 
public function getElementFromPoint(x:int, y:int):IAutomationObject

Language Version: ActionScript 3.0
Product Version: Flex 3
Runtime Versions: Flash Player 9, AIR 1.1

Returns the automation object under the given coordinate.

Parameters

x:int — The x coordinate.
 
y:int — The y coordinate.

Returns
IAutomationObject — Automation object at that point.

getParent

()method 
public function getParent(obj:IAutomationObject, parentToStopAt:IAutomationObject = null, ignoreShowInHierarchy:Boolean = false):IAutomationObject

Language Version: ActionScript 3.0
Product Version: Flex 3
Runtime Versions: Flash Player 9, AIR 1.1

Returns the next parent that is visible within the automation hierarchy.

Parameters

obj:IAutomationObject — Automation object.
 
parentToStopAt:IAutomationObject (default = null) — Parent of the given automation object.
 
ignoreShowInHierarchy:Boolean (default = false) — Boolean that determines whether object is ignored within the automation hierarchy. The default value is false.

Returns
IAutomationObject — Nearest parent of the object visible within the automation hierarchy.

getProperties

()method 
public function getProperties(obj:IAutomationObject, names:Array = null, forVerification:Boolean = true, forDescription:Boolean = true):Array

Language Version: ActionScript 3.0
Product Version: Flex 3
Runtime Versions: Flash Player 9, AIR 1.1

Returns the values for a set of properties.

Parameters

obj:IAutomationObject — Object for which to get the properties.
 
names:Array (default = null) — Names of the properties to evaluate on the object.
 
forVerification:Boolean (default = true) — If true, only include verification properties.
 
forDescription:Boolean (default = true) — If true, only include description properties.

Returns
Array — Array of objects that contain each property value and descriptor.

getRectangle

()method 
public function getRectangle(obj:DisplayObject):Array

Language Version: ActionScript 3.0
Product Version: Flex 3
Runtime Versions: Flash Player 9, AIR 1.1

The display rectangle enclosing the DisplayObject.

Parameters

obj:DisplayObject — DisplayObject whose rectangle is desired.

Returns
Array — An array of four integers: top, left, width and height.

getTabularData

()method 
public function getTabularData(obj:IAutomationObject):mx.automation:IAutomationTabularData

Language Version: ActionScript 3.0
Product Version: Flex 3
Runtime Versions: Flash Player 9, AIR 1.1

Returns the object implementing the IAutomationTabularData interface through which the tabular data can be obtained.

Parameters

obj:IAutomationObject — An IAutomationObject.

Returns
mx.automation:IAutomationTabularData — An object implementing the IAutomationTabularData interface.

incrementCacheCounter

()method 
public function incrementCacheCounter():int

Language Version: ActionScript 3.0
Product Version: Flex 3
Runtime Versions: Flash Player 9, AIR 1.1

Increments the cache counter. The automation mechanism caches both an object's properties and its children. The cache exists for both performance reasons, and so that an objects state prior to a recording can be captured. Each call to the incrementCacheCounter() method increments a counter and each call to the decrementCacheCounter() method decrements the cache counter. When the counter reaches zero the cache is cleared.

It's important that testing tools only use the cache when they are certain that the state of the Flex application is frozen and the user cannot interact with it. For example, when an automation event is recorded, a testing tool might need to make several calls to the getChildren() method or the getProperties() method to create a testing script line. To do this, it would wrap all the calls up in start/stop cache calls.

Internally, the AutomationManager forcibly clears the cache before an end-user interaction that might trigger an automation event. It then increments the cache counter and decrements the counter after the automation event is dispatched. Testing tools can prevent the count from reaching zero by calling the incrementCacheCounter() method in their record handler.

Returns
int — the current cache counter.

isSynchronized

()method 
public function isSynchronized(target:IAutomationObject):Boolean

Language Version: ActionScript 3.0
Product Version: Flex 3
Runtime Versions: Flash Player 9, AIR 1.1

Tests if the provided target needs to wait until a previous operation completes.

Parameters

target:IAutomationObject — Target to check for synchronization or null to synchronize on any running operations.

Returns
Booleantrue if synchronization is complete, false otherwise.

isVisible

()method 
public function isVisible(obj:DisplayObject):Boolean

Language Version: ActionScript 3.0
Product Version: Flex 3
Runtime Versions: Flash Player 9, AIR 1.1

Returns true if an object and all of its parents are visible.

Parameters

obj:DisplayObject — DisplayObject.

Returns
Booleantrue if an object and all of its parents are visible.

recordAutomatableEvent

()method 
public function recordAutomatableEvent(recorder:IAutomationObject, event:Event, cacheable:Boolean = false):void

Language Version: ActionScript 3.0
Product Version: Flex 3
Runtime Versions: Flash Player 9, AIR 1.1

Records the event.

Parameters

recorder:IAutomationObject — The automation object on which the event is to be recorded.
 
event:Event — The actual event which needs to be recorded.
 
cacheable:Boolean (default = false) — Controls the caching of the event that is recorded. During a mouse-down, mouse-up sequence, the automation mechanism tries to record the most important or suitable event rather than all the events. For example, if you have a List control which has a button in its item renderer. When the user clicks on the button, the automation mechanism only records the click event for the button, but ignores the select event generated from the List control.

recordCustomAutomationEvent

()method 
public function recordCustomAutomationEvent(customEvent:AutomationRecordEvent):Boolean

Language Version: ActionScript 3.0
Product Version: Flex 3
Runtime Versions: Flash Player 9, AIR 1.1

Records the custom event.

Parameters

customEvent:AutomationRecordEvent — - The AutomationRecordEvent that specifies that it is a custom evnet; the type is customRecord. For example, if you want to record a custom event without writing a delegate and providing the details in an environment file, you can use this interface to record the custom event. You should listen to the AutomationPlaybackEvent, handle the replay, and prevent the default on the AutomationPlaybackEvent.

Returns
Boolean

replayAutomatableEvent

()method 
public function replayAutomatableEvent(event:AutomationReplayEvent):Boolean

Language Version: ActionScript 3.0
Product Version: Flex 3
Runtime Versions: Flash Player 9, AIR 1.1

Replays the specified event. A component author should call the super.replayAutomatableEvent() method in case default replay behavior has been defined in a superclass.

Parameters

event:AutomationReplayEvent — Event to replay.

Returns
Booleantrue if the replay was successful.

resolveID

()method 
public function resolveID(rid:AutomationID, currentParent:IAutomationObject = null):Array

Language Version: ActionScript 3.0
Product Version: Flex 3
Runtime Versions: Flash Player 9, AIR 1.1

Resolves an id to automation objects.

Parameters

rid:AutomationID — Automation id of the automation object.
 
currentParent:IAutomationObject (default = null) — Current parent of the automation object.

Returns
Array — An Array containing all the objects matching the rid.

resolveIDPart

()method 
public function resolveIDPart(parent:IAutomationObject, part:AutomationIDPart):Array

Language Version: ActionScript 3.0
Product Version: Flex 3
Runtime Versions: Flash Player 9, AIR 1.1

Resolves an id part to an Array of automation objects.

Parameters

parent:IAutomationObject — Parent of the automation object.
 
part:AutomationIDPart — id part of the automation object.

Returns
Array — Array of automation objects which match part.

resolveIDPartToSingleObject

()method 
public function resolveIDPartToSingleObject(parent:IAutomationObject, part:AutomationIDPart):IAutomationObject

Language Version: ActionScript 3.0
Product Version: Flex 3
Runtime Versions: Flash Player 9, AIR 1.1

Resolves an id part to an automation object within the parent.

Parameters

parent:IAutomationObject — Parent of the automation object.
 
part:AutomationIDPart — id part of the automation object.

Returns
IAutomationObject — IAutomationObject which matches with the part. If no object is found or multiple objects are found, throw an exception.

resolveIDToSingleObject

()method 
public function resolveIDToSingleObject(rid:AutomationID, currentParent:IAutomationObject = null):IAutomationObject

Language Version: ActionScript 3.0
Product Version: Flex 3
Runtime Versions: Flash Player 9, AIR 1.1

Resolves an id to an automation object.

Parameters

rid:AutomationID — Automation id of the automation object.
 
currentParent:IAutomationObject (default = null) — Current parent of the automation object.

Returns
IAutomationObject — IAutomationObject which matches with the rid. If no object is found or multiple objects are found, this method throws an exception.

showInHierarchy

()method 
public function showInHierarchy(obj:IAutomationObject):Boolean

Language Version: ActionScript 3.0
Product Version: Flex 3
Runtime Versions: Flash Player 9, AIR 1.1

Indicates whether an automation object should be visible within the hierarchy.

Parameters

obj:IAutomationObject — The automation object.

Returns
Booleantrue if the object should be shown within the automation hierarchy.