.NET tutorials: AutoIt with Step

This tutorial demonstrates how to utilize the AutoIt C# binding to automate interactions with Windows applications.

Illustration for .NET tutorials: AutoIt with Step

This tutorial demonstrates how to utilize the AutoIt C# binding to automate interactions with Windows applications.

This example can be found in our samples repository, available on github.

Visual Studio Settings

  1. Configure a new C# project as described in the .NET plugin page.
  • Choose the proper .NET version, .NET Framework 5.0
  • Install the StepApiFunction, StepApiKeyword, and StepApiReporting nuget packages
  1. Install the AutoItX.DotNET and the NUint packages.

Your dependencies should look like the image below:

Code

You will now create your first AutoIt keyword using the following code:

  public class Keywords : AbstractKeyword
{
    [Keyword(name = "Open Notepad, edit and close")]
    public void EditInNotepad()
    {
        int pid = 0;
        if ((pid = AutoItX.Run("notepad.exe", ".")) == 0)
        {
            output.setError("Error stating Notepad");
            return;
        }
        if (AutoItX.WinWaitActive("Untitled", timeout: 10) != 1)
        {
            output.setError("Error waiting for the Notepad window");
            return;
        }
        AutoItX.Send("I'm in notepad");
        if (AutoItX.WinKill("*Untitled") != 1)
        {
            output.setError("Error closing the Notepad window");
            return;
        }
        if (AutoItX.WinWaitClose("*Untitled", timeout: 10) != 1)
        {
            output.setError("Error waiting for the Notepad window to close");
            return;
        }
        if (AutoItX.ProcessWaitClose(pid.ToString(), timeout: 10) != 1)
        {
            output.setError("Error waiting for the Notepad process to close");
            return;
        }
    }
}
  
  • The function EditInNotepad contains the AutoIt specific code.
  • This example starts and interacts with a notepad.
  • The keyword class extends StepAPI.AbstractKeyword.
  • This class provides the objects interacting with your Plans (input, output, session, properties, and the onError function).

Unit Test

If you have added the ScriptDev package to your project, you can copy this example to test your keyword in local:

  public class AutoItKeywordsTests
{
    ScriptRunner runner;
    [SetUp]
    public void Init()
    {
        runner = new ScriptRunner(typeof(Keywords));
    }
    [TearDown]
    public void tearDown()
    {
        runner.close();
    }
    [TestCase()]
    public void AutoItTest()
    {
        var output = runner.run("Open Notepad, edit and close", @"{}");
        Assert.Null(output.error);
    }
}
  

Keyword Configuration

  1. You will need to prepare a ZIP file containing the dependencies below before running your example on a .NET agent.

This ZIP file contains the nunit.frameworkdll (due to the unit test added) and the .pdb of the keyword. This provides the line number of your code in case of error.

  1. Next, upload the dll and the dependencies to the controller:

Summary: This tutorial demonstrates how to utilize the AutoIt C# binding to automate interactions with Windows applications.

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