Automation fails, continuous update on page (Java).

Here are 2 examples. When recording with IDE i get this code:

selenium.type("u9", "TestH05");
selenium.select("ca", "label=2 - Submission for export");

So obviously when it wants to "type" in a field, it searches for the ID (locator) "u9" and when it looks for the dropdown box, it searches for the ID "ca". Now this page gets updated regularly (daily if you will) and so the IDs (locators) keep changing. So after the page has been updated my code obviously doesn't work anymore since the IDs ("u9" and "ca") changed. Here is an example of what error I would get for the select example: ERROR: Specified element is not a Select (has no options). Obviously, cause the ID can't be found.

Can anyone help me or tell me how to let the code update the IDs (locators) with the changes of the page updates.

Thanks

Kind Regards,
Zizzy

Hi,

Try to use xpath or CSS instead of id to locate the object. If the position and option of your object is fixed then u can use those freely.

For xpath , use the xpather add on to create it. With help of xpath you are pointing to specific position not the id.

Ex:

selenium.type("xpath=//div[1]/div[2]/div[2]/form[@id='search-form']/div[@id='search-query']/select[1]", "TestH05");

Try above option, hope this will help you. best of luck.

Bye

Thanks for the reply. I am new to xpath, but I downloaded xpath checker. Now the field where I want to type "TestH05" in gives me the following when I say "View XPath":

id('nodeemcsdeclarationsearchnodeemcsdeclarationsearchOriginalLocalReferenceNumber')

So how would I write this in selenium code?

Also, this is to find a "Search" button: id('SearchBtn')/x:tbody/x:tr/x:td/x:span

Thanks

Nevermind, I got it working.

An offtopic question. Does anyone know how to get the XPath of a dropdown box? You cannot right click it to say "XPather" or "View Xpath".

use firebug to find the xpath easily...

Thanks for the reply yoursjcp I will have a look and report back. Currently looking at the java source to identify the dropdown xpaths.

The XPaths keeps changing as well. FML.

If u have no restrictions can i get the link for which u r chkng??

if u cant send here send me as a PM.