Spy web: Capturing by ALT+Backquote fails due to dependency on Language&Keyboard settings of OS

OS

Windows 7 (Locale and Language = ja_JP) with JIS-Laout keyboard

Katalon Studio Version

5.3.1.1

Katalon Studio logs:

not relevant

Environment (for Web testing)

Firefox 59.0.2

Environment (for Mobile testing)

not relevant

Steps to reproduce -

  1. start Katalon Studio
  2. File> New Sample Project > Sample WebUI Testing project and create the project in some directory
  3. call up “Spy Web”
  4. set URL: http://demoaut.katalaon.com and Start with Firefox
  5. Browser window opens and navigates to the CURA Healthcare Service page opened.
  6. Hoover on mouse on “Make Appoint” button. The button is highlighted with RED border.
  7. I press ALT + Backquote on my JIS-Layout Keyboard. No reaction. No highlight with GREEN border.

Expected Behavior -

When I click the “Make Appoint” button, the button is highlighted with GREEN border and an object is captured by Object Spy.

Actual Behavior -

No GREEN highlight, no object captured

What I guess

People living in US would be using Windows PC of which Locale and Language settings=en_US with US-Layout Keyboard.

Local Language settings en_USUS-Layout Keyboard

On the other hand I live outside US, I am using a Windonws PC of which Locale and Language settings=ja_JP with JIS-Layout Keyboard.

My Locale and Settings is ja_JP JIS-Layout Keyboard

Your attention please! The Backstroke ( ` ) is located on different place on those two Keyboards.

The Spy Web would certainly be expecting the KeyCode emitted by Alt+Backquotes on US-Layout keyboard.

I thought that the KeyCode emitted by Alt+Backquote on JIS-Layout keyboard with Locale=ja_JP could differ from the one expected by Spy Web.

Investigating KeyCode

I wrote a simple Java Program to see what KeyCode is emitted by ALT+Backquote keystroke in 2 cases: Locale and Language=US and JP.

KeyCodeViewer.java

Using this program, I checked the KeyCode value of ALT+Backquote in 2 cases.

|Keyboard            |Keystroke              |KeyCode emitted|
|US-Layout Keyboard  |ALT+Backquote(`)       |18,192         |
|JIS-Layout Keyboard |ALT+SHIFT+Backquote(`) |18,16,512      |

As you can see, the KeyCode emitted by ALT+Backquote from 2 types of keyboard differs. If Spy Web expects “18,192”, then “18,16,512” from JIS-Layout keyboard would be ignored. This must be the root cause of my problem.

Proposal for improvement

ALT+Backquote is dependent on the Keybord type. Spy Web should add an reliable alternative keystroke which emits KeyCode common to all types of Keyboards. I would suggest ALT+Comma(,)

|Keyboard |Keystroke    |KeyCode emitted|
|US       |ALT+Comma(,) |18,44          |
|JP       |ALT+Comma(,) |18,44          |

Sum up

The KeyCode emitted by keystroke of ALT+Backquote depends on the Language and Keyboard setting of Windows OS. Spy Web’s Alt+Backstroke would work for those who use US-Layout Keyboard, but it would not work for those in Japan using JIS-Layout Keyboard.

3 Likes

When I change my OS’s Language&Keyboard setting to use US-Layout keybord, I can successfuly capture objects by pressing the ALT+半角/全角 key (=Backquote key in US-Layout). This would prove that my understanding is correct.

However I can not do this OS setting change all the time when I use Spy Web. Consequently I have to abandon Spy Web at all.

3 Likes

I call this Hotkeys setting as “ALT+BACKQUOTE”

1 Like

@Jass

I made this suggestion 3 years & 10 months ago.

My suggestion was not noticed by you. So I re-mention it.

1 Like