Backporting to 3.3.61 - Problem with setting focus on form element field

[ohaya]

Hi,

I have some code that I originally developed and tested using the AutoIT downloaded from the AutoIT website (3.3.14.x), which  uses the _IE functions to find a field/element within a web page, set focus to that field, and then send some data to that field.  That was working with AutoIT and the _IE module that came with 3.3.14.

However, I have been asked to get this code working with an older version of AutoIT (and _IE functions), 3.3.6.1 (because that is the version that comes with a COTS product we are working with.

I have been able to get it mostly working, but I am having problem with setting the focus on the element.

Here's a snippet of the code that I think is having the problem:

; $PARMtargetFormElementNumber has the element number (0-based)
Local $oElement = _IEFormElementGetCollection($oForm, Number($PARMtargetFormElementNumber))

if (@error > 0) Then
    LogWrite($BANNER & "Couldn't get the element, error=[" & @error & "]")
    _IEAction($oForm, "focus")
Else
    LogWrite($BANNER & "GOT the element (name=[" & $oElement.name & "] - will set FOCUS HERE, error from _IEFormElementGetCollection()=[" & @error & "] $oElement.name=[" & $oElement.name & "] & id=[" & $oElement.id & "] & type=[" & $oElement.type & "]")
    _IEAction($oElement, "focus")
    LogWrite($BANNER & "Did _IEAction 'focus' on the form element, error from _IEAction()=[" & @error & "]")
EndIf

That code should be positioning the cursor on the username field and then I send the username data, but instead of the cursor being positioned to the username field, the cursor appears to be set to the browser's address textbox.

Did the _IE functions that I used above (e.g., the _IEAction(), etc.) function differently in the older 3.3.6.1 AutoIT and _IE functions?  If so, can anyone tell me what I need to change to get it working with the AutoIT and _IE functions for the 3.3.6.1 version?

 

Thanks,

Jim

[Danp2]

As seen here, that's a very old version of Autoit. You can look through that list to see what has changed, but I truly don't understand the logic of trying to rewrite the code to work with such an old version.

[BrewManNH]

You should look inside the code for the functions that you're using, comparing the 3.3.6.1 code with what's in the UDFs for the current version and see what's different. If there's no difference in the functions, then there's a change to AutoIt's exe that is probably causing the issue.

[ohaya]

32 minutes ago, Danp2 said:

As seen here, that's a very old version of Autoit. You can look through that list to see what has changed, but I truly don't understand the logic of trying to rewrite the code to work with such an old version.

Hi,

Yes, it is REALLY unfortunate.  Believe me, I pushed back, but I think we have to do it because, logistically, the 3.3.6.1 version is what came with another product that we are using, and so we have to go with that :(....

[ohaya]

6 minutes ago, BrewManNH said:

You should look inside the code for the functions that you're using, comparing the 3.3.6.1 code with what's in the UDFs for the current version and see what's different. If there's no difference in the functions, then there's a change to AutoIt's exe that is probably causing the issue.

Hi,

I kept the "new" instance (actually, I am doing the backporting on a new VM, and I kept the old VM for reference), so which files would I compare?  Is it only the IE.au3?

[BrewManNH]

Look at whatever functions you're using that aren't working the same, compare the code in them from both versions, and see what might have changed. Are both scripts being run against the same version of IE?

[ohaya]

BrewManNH,

Yes, both are working against the same version of IE.

I compared the code in the two IE.au3 files, for both handling 'focus' and for 'click', and that code essentially does object.Focus() and object.Click(), respectively.

[ohaya]

Hi,

I should've mentioned some additional information:  The webpage that I am processing is from a small IIS website with ASP.NET authentication that simulates one of the actual target sites, that I put together so that I could test the AutoIT code.

I have several similar IIS/ASP.net websites.

One of them has a simple form with 2 fields, for username and password.  I have AutoIt code that works with this simpler form, even with the older 3.3.6.1 AutoIt.

The website/webpage I am having problems with is slightly different than the simple form one, in that when the page is initially accessed, it shows just a link.  Then, when that link is clicked, a form appears.  This is done with <DIV>s and a small bit of javascript (to unhide the <DIV> that has the form).

So for this website/page, I have to do the following using AutoIt:

• Find the link
• Click the link
• Find the form
• Find the username element in the form
• Send the username, tab, then send the password, then click a button

I have all of the above working with the newer AutoIt, but, with the older 3.3.6.1 AutoIt, while my code can find and click the link, AND find the form and the username element, it just cannot, for some reason, put the focus/cursor into the username field :(...

The reason I am mentioning all of this is that I guess I don't understand why, with the simpler form, I can set the focus, even with the older 3.3.6.1 AutoIt, but not with the form with the click-link??  I mean I am using the same older AutoIt for both the simpler webpage and for the more complex webpage, so I am using the same AutoIt methods for finding the form and the element, and for setting the focus, so why is this failing?

Sorry for the long post !

Jim