The renewal maintenance has officially ended for Progress iMacros effective November 30, 2023.
This Wiki site will also no longer be moderated from the Progress side.
Thank you again for your business and support.
Sincerely, The Progress Team
DirectScreen Technology
DirectScreen Technology
(Related example macros: Demo-FileUpload, Demo-Flash, Demo-Winclick)
DirectScreen Technology is the ultimate solution if everything else fails! It simulates standard native mouse clicks within the browser window. It is activated during recording by clicking on the "Click Mode" button and selecting "Use DirectScreen Commands" from the dialog.
Typically DirectScreen Technology is used to automate web pages that contain non-HTML elements such as Java applets, Adobe Flash, Adobe Flex, Microsoft Silverlight applets or ActiveX controls. It also automates even the most complicated AJAX based website.
Recording Flash or Java Applets
When recording a flash (or Java) applet like this calculator, iMacros can no longer work on the HTML code of the relevant page. To record a macro on a flash or Java applet, you must activate DirectScreen:
- Press the "Click Mode" button
- Select "Use Direct Screen Commands ..." from the settings pop-up
- Use the applet
You will find iMacros record the mouse and keyboard actions producing lots of DS and WAIT commands (depending on the complexity of the performed actions). The following section explains, why.
Why are there so many WAIT statements?
If you choose the DirectScreen settings default, iMacros records the actions at original speed, i.e. it does not only record the clicks, but also how long you wait between two actions (like "move", "press left mouse button", "release left mouse button", etc.). These time intervals are simulated by WAIT statements in the macro, which make iMacros, well, wait before performing the next command. This way, the applet has enough time to react to the actions taken.
If you notice that the applet is much faster than the users action, you can try to shorten the WAIT times by editing the macro. But note that the applet typically needs at least some time to respond.