Automating Windows GUI Testing - FindWindowEx and Control Classes

Question

I've inherited a C# window's application that I'm not real crazy about. I've got a looming deadline and I'm scared to death that some of my changes might be having adverse effects on existing functionality.

I've got a hobbyist background to RoR and I'm fairly comfortable with testing in that framework (using both RSpec and Cucumber).

I love having test scripts that can be ran on a regular basis and I'm willing to spend my personal time developing those for this particular project. I purchased a book from PragProg.com on scripted GUI testing with Ruby (http://pragprog.com/titles/idgtr/scripted-gui-testing-with-ruby). So far, I'm digging what I'm seeing and I think that this should work well.

Unfortunately, I've got a fundamental lack of understanding concerning Windows app development. I'm making calles to FindWindowEx (via Win32API) to "attempt" to retrieve sub-controls in my application.

A big part of my confusion is how I should retrieve the Class Name of the control that I'm trying to capture. The example provided in the text is as follows:

    edit = find_window_ex.call @main_window, 0, 'ATL:00434310', nil

Where @main_window is my application's main window handle, and 'ATL:...' is the class of a text box area. There is no explanation given as to how the author arrived at 'ATL:...'.

I've read some very old posts concerning MS's SPY++, but those seem to be obsolete (or for some reason it wasn't installed when I installed vs2010).

So, what's the best way for me to find control classes to be used with the findWindowEx call? I do have the source code - should I be pulling from there? What if I don't have the source code and I want to automate an application? Is there a utility that allows you to somehow "browse" controls on a running application?

Sorry for the length - thanks in advance for the help! Bob

Answer 1

The best is for you to install the components so that you get Spy++, this is the best way I know of to get to the actual class names esp. if you do not have the source to the original controls, which might be from a library or possibly some standard ActiveX controls that Microsoft ships.

The ATL class name is probably for controls developed using Microsoft Active Template Library (ATL), this is a C++ template library which significantly simplifies the development of ActiveX controls, and COM objects etc. in C++.