AJAX (Asynchronous JavaScript and XML) is a technique for
creating interactive Web applications. With AJAX, Web pages exchange small
packets of data with the server, instead of reloading an entire page. This
reduces the amount of time that a user needs to wait when requesting data. It
also increases the interactive capabilities and enhances the usability.
Using AJAX, developers can create fast Web pages using
Javascript and asynchronous server requests. The requests can originate from
user actions,timer events, or other predefined triggers.AJAX components, also
known as AJAX controls, are GUI based controls that use the AJAX technique—they
send a request to the server when trigger occurs.
For example, a popular AJAX control is a Reorder List
control that lets you drag components to a desired position in a list. VuGen’s
support for AJAX implementation is based on Microsoft’s ASP.NET AJAX Control
Toolkit formerly known as Atlas.
AJAX Supported Frameworks
The supported frameworks for AJAX functions are:
Atlas 1.0.10920.0/ASP.NET AJAX—All controls
Scriptaculous
1.8—Autocomplete, Reorder List, and Slider
VuGen supports the following frameworks at the engine
level. This implies
that VuGen will create standard Web Click and Script
steps, but not AJAX
specific functions:
Prototype 1.6
Google Web Toolkit
(GWT) 1.4
AJAX Example Script
VuGen uses the control handler layer to create the effect
of an operation on a GUI control. During recording, when encountering one of
the supported AJAX controls, VuGen generates a function with an ajax_xxx
prefix. In the following example, a user selected item number 1 (index=1) in an
Accordion control. VuGen generated an ajax_accordion
function.
Note: When you record an AJAX session, VuGen generates
standard Web (Click and Script) functions for objects that are not one of the
supported AJAX controls. In the example above, the word FILE_PATH was typed
into an edit box.
web_browser("Accordion.aspx",
DESCRIPTION,
ACTION,
"Navigate=http://labm1app08/AJAX/Accordion/Accordion.aspx",
LAST);
lr_think_time(5);
ajax_accordion("Accordion",
DESCRIPTION,
"Framework=atlas",
"ID=ctl00_SampleContent_MyAccordion",
ACTION,
"UserAction=SelectIndex",
"Index=1",
LAST);
web_edit_field("free_text_2",
"Snapshot=t18.inf",
DESCRIPTION,
"Type=text",
"Name=free_text",
ACTION,
"SetValue=FILE_PATH",
LAST);
Note: When you record an AJAX session, VuGen generates
standard Web (Click and Script) functions for objects that are not one of the
supported AJAX controls. In the example above, the word FILE_PATH was typed
into an edit box.