Is 'ClassnameNN' a robust way to access windows controls?

[hzw 0]

First time poster here.

I am evaluating AutoIt to see if it can be used to test the UI of an application that is developed here (It is quite extended).
I have found how to access window controls by using the application "AutoIt Windows Info" to give me a unique identifier.
But I am not sure how 'constant' the ClassnameNN will be across different versions (we are using Visual Studio 2013 now, and 
will probably evaluate 2015 in the future). For example: a checkbox in one of the dialogs is identified with WindowsForms10.BUTTON.app.0.141b42a_r14_ad15
as used in:

Local $makeDirState = ControlCommand($newSequencehWnd, "", "WindowsForms10.BUTTON.app.0.141b42a_r14_ad15", "IsChecked", "")

First: is this a good way to access these controls? Or should I 'navigate' the windows structure?
How likely is it that -across builds and IDEs- the name will change (not counting modifications to the control itself)?
Because in that case I would have to find another way to find a control.

[Danyfirex 488]

Hello. When I work with Net controls I usually do something like.

#include <WinAPI.au3>


Local $hWindow = WinGetHandle("Form1")
Local $makeDirState = ControlCommand($hWindow, "", _MakeNetClassNN($hWindow, "BUTTON", "5"), "IsChecked", "")


Func _MakeNetClassNN($hwnd, $sControlType, $sIndexNN)
    Local $sStringClass = _WinAPI_GetClassName($hwnd)
    Local $sStringWin = StringMid($sStringClass, 1, StringInStr($sStringClass, "."))
    Return $sStringWin & $sControlType & StringMid($sStringClass, StringInStr($sStringClass, ".app")) & $sIndexNN
EndFunc   ;==>_MakeNetClassNN

Saludos

[junkew 268]

https://www.autoitscript.com/wiki/FAQ see faq 31 for some references

As you build inhouse with visual studio its worth to look at the IUIAutomation stuff and check with SimpleSpy assuming developers are willing to use nice recognition id's.

Other solution can be to use IUIAutomation from VBA / Excel 2010 or use the visual studio stuff that wraps UIAutomationCore.Dll

[hzw 0]

Thank you for these replies!

It looks like complicated names like that don't belong written out in a series of scripts that will need maintenance.
I will try to use the nicer names for the controls (if available) and will use Danyfirex's suggestion for the others.