Allow plugin to access variables

[ChrisLMerrill]

🚀 Feature Proposal

The plugin support should allow plugins to access variables.

Motivation

My plugin collects data during the test which the test author might like access to. If I could access variables, then I could implement a store data command.

Example

My plugin allows test authors to measure the duration of events. If I could store a result in a variable, then the test author could use assert to fail a test if the site is too slow.

[darichey]

Does the absence of this feature mean that it is impossible for a custom command to pass information back to the IDE to be used in other commands? Is there any work around?

[corevo]

Plugins can set a variable, but they can't ask selenium IDE for the value, we should add a getter.

[darichey]

Sorry for polluting this issue, but is there docs on setting? I'm struggling to find them.

[tourdedave]

I don't see one either. We'll need to add it.

[darichey]

Do you mean just that the documentation is missing, but the functionality is present? If so, can you point me in the right direction for getting this working? Thanks.

[darichey]

Found it.

browser.runtime.sendMessage(seleniumExtId, {
  uri: "/playback/var",
  verb: "put",
  payload: {
    name: "my_var",
    contents: "value of var"
  }
})
.then(() => sendResponse(true))
.catch(console.error);

return true;

Would be great to get documentation on this page.

[tourdedave]

Yes, that's the one. I'll get it added to the docs.

[Shreypatel07]

@tourdedave @darichey @corevo can anyone of you please post a working example. So I successfully added a chrome plugin, my plugin is visible in command list of selenium ide, When I select my command and run, it returns a proper value but I am unable to stored that returned value in variable. So can you please advice me how to achieve this. Here I attach my background.js and manifest.json for reference. Your response will be appreciated. Thanks!

manifest.txt background.txt

[corevo]

You can't put a variable unless a playback started, your code tries to do it even before the plugin registered.

[Shreypatel07]

@corevo Thanks a lot for your prompt response, So as per your suggestion, I have made changes to my script file and now I am adding variable after playback started. But now I am getting "Selenium IDE: Unable to add variable fname" error. For your reference I have attached my script file. Thanks!

background.txt

[krichtof]

Same problem for me. I'am also getting "Selenium IDE : Unable add variable xxx" error.

[pratikritwick]

From the code reference shared by @darichey , looks like the put fails if the contents is not a valid JSON. That means the variable needs to be a Object rather a String, which makes it more par to store JSON command, rather than just plain store.

Found it.

browser.runtime.sendMessage(seleniumExtId, {
  uri: "/playback/var",
  verb: "put",
  payload: {
    name: "my_var",
    contents: "value of var"
  }
})
.then(() => sendResponse(true))
.catch(console.error);

return true;

Would be great to get documentation on this page.

The below code works but is there a way to put raw String instead of JSON? Checking if any variable getters were added anytime recently?

browser.runtime.sendMessage(seideId, {
    uri: "/playback/var",
    verb: "put",
    payload: {
        name: "var1",
        contents: "{\"complex\" : \"varObject\"}"
    }
}).then(() => {
    console.log("Successfully added variable.")
}).catch(console.error);

[toddtarsi]

@pratikritwick - Because of the basically insurmountable permission changes of Manifest v3, nobody has committed anything to v3 in a while. It's pretty darn near end of life. V4 is under development as an electron binary here:

https://github.com/SeleniumHQ/selenium-ide/releases/tag/4.0.0-alpha.56

If neither of those appeal to you, I'd recommend the nightwatch js browser extension for the chrome devtools recorder.