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Exploring native control capabilities

Updated on November 10, 2021

Use the Native Control Explorer option to inspect the properties, methods, and events of a native control.

This option also lets you test native control members that use only simple types, such as string, numeric, and boolean.

Debug menu
Debug menu showing Native Control Explorer option.

  1. In Pega Robot Studio, click the Debug menu.
  2. Click Native Control Explorer.Result: The Native Control Explorer displays, with the Properties panel at the top and Methods and Events at the bottom.
    Native Control Explorer
    Figure showing the Native Control Explorer dialog.

Properties

Use the Properties panel to drill down and explore the properties of the control at any level.

The right column shows the property value. Complex property values display as <Ref>, which indicates that the object is not a simple type that can be marshaled by value back to the adapter. You can often drill down into complex properties to see their property values.

When you select a property, the system displays that property’s native type in the bottom of the Properties pane. Knowing the property’s native type can be important when you are building UI Connectors or extensions.

Properties of a control
Figure showing the Native Control Explorer with a control's properties
                        highlighted.

You can modify simple properties on the Properties panel. For instance, .NET controls have a Visibleproperty. If you set that property to False, the control disappears from the application, which provides you with a way to test the control’s behavior when properties change.

Note: Read-only properties are not editable.

Methods

In the Native Control Explorer, you can test methods for a control to see if there is a match between your automation and the application.

When you select the root control in the Properties panel, the system shows the methods for that control on Methods tab. If you select a property at any level below the root control, the methods for that property’s native types display on the tab.

To test methods that only have simple parameters, perform the following steps:

  1. Select a property.
  2. On the Methods tab, select a method.
  3. Click Test to execute the method against the live control.Result: A message tells you if the test succeeds or fails.

Events

In the Native Control Explorer, use the Events section to test events in your automation against the application.

When you select the root control in the Properties panel, the system shows the events for that control on Events tab. If you select a property at any level below the root control, the events for that property display on the tab.

To test an event, follow these steps:

  1. Select a property.
  2. On the Events tab, select an event.
  3. Interact with the control to trigger the firing of the event.Result: When the event fires, it is added to the list on the right. Additionally, you can drill down to see the arguments for an event.

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