12. UIA_Browser
UIA_Browser.ahk is an add-on to UIA.ahk to more easily automate browsers: it contains methods for page navigation, page load detection, Javascript injection etc. Currently UIA_Browser supports Chrome and Edge, and to a lesser extent Firefox.
Initiate a new instance of UIA_Browser with cUIA := UIA_Browser(wTitle=""). This will "hook" onto the browser and will pre-fetch some of the commonly used elements inside a browser window (Document element, URL bar etc).
Instances for specific browsers may be initiated with UIA_Chrome, UIA_Edge, UIA_Mozilla (arguments are the same as for UIA_Browser), but this is usually not necessary because the browser type is detected automatically by UIA_Browser. UIA_Mozilla can be created with an additional javascriptExecutionMethod argument UIA_Mozilla(wTitle:="", javascriptExecutionMethod:="Console"): by default Javascript injection will be done by opening the console and pasting the code there, but this can also be set to "Bookmark" to allow execution through the URL bar. For this you need to create a new bookmark with URL "javascript:%s" and keyword "javascript".
Through the UIA_Browser object you can access to the browser element, UIA object, and UIA_Browser methods/properties. This means that searching for page elements can be done with cUIA.FindElement, and changing UIA properties can be done with either UIA.Property := value or cUIA.Property := value.
ahk_id of the browser window
"Chrome", "Edge", "Mozilla" or "Unknown"
The browser window element, which can also be accessed by just calling an element method from UIA_Browser (cUIA.FindElement would call FindElement method on the BrowserElement, is equal to cUIA.BrowserElement.FindElement)
Element for the upper part of the browser containing the URL bar, tabs, extensions etc
Element for the address bar
GetCurrentMainPaneElement()
Refreshes UIA_Browser.MainPaneElement and also returns it
GetCurrentDocumentElement()
Returns the current document/content element of the browser.
GetAllText()
Gets all text from the browser element (Name properties for all child elements)
GetAllLinks()
Gets all link elements from the browser (returns an array of HyperLink elements)
WaitTitleChange(targetTitle:="", timeOut:=-1)
Waits the browser title to change to targetTitle (by default just waits for the title to change), timeOut is in milliseconds (default is indefinite waiting)
WaitPageLoad(targetTitle:="", timeOut:=-1, sleepAfter:=500, titleMatchMode:=3, titleCaseSensitive:=True)
Waits the browser page to load to targetTitle, default timeOut is indefinite waiting, sleepAfter additionally sleeps for 500ms after the page has loaded. Optionally a specific targetTitle can be specified to improve reliability.
Back()
Presses the Back button
Forward()
Presses the Forward button
Reload()
Presses the Reload button
Home()
Presses the Home button if one exists.
GetCurrentURL(fromAddressBar:=False)
Gets the current URL. fromAddressBar=True gets it straight from the URL bar element, which is not a very good method, because the text might be changed by the user and doesn't start with "http(s)://". Default of fromAddressBar=False will cause the real URL to be fetched, but the browser must be visible for it to work (if is not visible, the window will be automatically activated).
SetURL(newUrl, navigateToNewUrl:=False)
Sets the URL bar to newUrl, optionally also navigates to it if navigateToNewUrl=True
Navigate(url, targetTitle:="", waitLoadTimeOut:=-1, sleepAfter:=500)
Navigates to URL and waits page to load
NewTab()
Presses the New tab button.
GetTab(searchPhrase:="", matchMode:=3, caseSensitive:=True)
Returns a tab element with text of searchPhrase, or if empty then the currently selected tab. If no tab is found with the specified searchPhrase, TargetError is thrown. matchMode follows SetTitleMatchMode scheme: 1=tab name must must start with tabName; 2=can contain anywhere; 3=exact match; RegEx
TabExist(searchPhrase:="", matchMode:=3, caseSensitive:=True)
Checks whether a tab element with text of searchPhrase exists: if a matching tab is found then the element is returned, otherwise 0 is returned. matchMode follows SetTitleMatchMode scheme: 1=tab name must must start with tabName; 2=can contain anywhere; 3=exact match; RegEx
GetTabs(searchPhrase:="", matchMode:=3, caseSensitive:=True)
Returns all tab elements with text of searchPhrase, or if empty then all tabs. matchMode follows SetTitleMatchMode scheme: 1=tab name must must start with tabName; 2=can contain anywhere; 3=exact match; RegEx
GetAllTabNames()
Gets all the titles of tabs (returns an array)
SelectTab(tabName, matchMode:=3, caseSensitive:=True)
Selects a tab with the text of tabName. matchMode follows SetTitleMatchMode scheme: 1=tab name must must start with tabName; 2=can contain anywhere; 3=exact match; RegEx
CloseTab(tabElementOrName:="", matchMode:=3, caseSensitive:=True)
Close tab by either providing the tab element or the name of the tab. If tabElementOrName is left empty, the current tab will be closed. If no tab is found by the specified name, TargetError is thrown.
IsBrowserVisible()
Returns True if any of the 4 corners of the browser are visible.
Send(text)
Uses ControlSend to send text to the browser.
GetAlertText()
Gets the text from an alert box
CloseAlert()
Closes an alert box
JSExecute(js)
Executes Javascript code using the address bar
NOTE: In Firefox this is done by default through the console, which is a slow and inefficient method. A better way is to create a new bookmark with URL "javascript:%s" and keyword "javascript". This allows executing javascript through the address bar with "javascript alert("hello")". To make JSExecute use this method, either create UIA_Mozilla with JavascriptExecutionMethod set to "Bookmark", or set cUIA.JavascriptExecutionMethod := "Bookmark". Default value is "Console".
JSReturnThroughClipboard(js)
Executes Javascript code using the address bar and returns the return value of the code using the clipboard (resetting it back afterwards)
JSReturnThroughTitle(js, timeOut:=500)
Executes Javascript code using the address bar and returns the return value of the code using the browsers title (resetting it back afterwards). This might be unreliable, so the clipboard method is recommended instead.
JSSetTitle(newTitle)
Uses Javascript through the address bar to change the title of the browser
JSGetElementPos(selector, useRenderWidgetPos:=False)
Uses Javascript's querySelector to get a Javascript element and then its position. useRenderWidgetPos=True uses position of the Chrome_RenderWidgetHostHWND1 control to locate the position element relative to the window, otherwise it uses UIA_Browsers CurrentDocumentElement position.
JSClickElement(selector)
Uses Javascript's querySelector to get and click a Javascript element
ControlClickJSElement(selector, WhichButton:="", ClickCount:="", Options:="", useRenderWidgetPos:=False)
Uses Javascript's querySelector to get a Javascript element and then ControlClicks that position. useRenderWidgetPos=True uses position of the Chrome_RenderWidgetHostHWND1 control to locate the position element relative to the window, otherwise it uses UIA_Browsers CurrentDocumentElement position.
ClickJSElement(selector, WhichButton:="", ClickCount:=1, DownOrUp:="", Relative:="", useRenderWidgetPos:=False)
Uses Javascript's querySelector to get a Javascript element and then Clicks that position. useRenderWidgetPos=True uses position of the Chrome_RenderWidgetHostHWND1 control to locate the position element relative to the window, otherwise it uses UIA_Browsers CurrentDocumentElement position.