Web-based match rules
Web-based match rules
When interrogating a web application in Microsoft Edge in Internet Explorer compatibility mode, the best persistent data that is available to identify an element or control for web applications are HTML tags. Using HTML tags provides a standard format that allows Pega Robot Studio to match elements consistently. For these applications, Pega Robot Studio uses web-based match rules that directly correlate with the object type and standard default match rules to identify an element.
The following table displays a sample of the web-based match rules.
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Object Name |
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|---|---|---|
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Anchor
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Image
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Table
|
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Form
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Input
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Table Data Cell (TD)
|
If Pega Robot Studio cannot match the control based solely on the web-based match rules, it then uses the standard default match rules.
When controls match in Pega Robot Studio, some matches use just the web-based match rules. Other matches require a combination of both standard default match rules and web-based match rules.
- Element ID
- Attribute Value
- Control Children
- Element Index
- Element Path
- Element Inner Text
Element ID
Pega Robot Studio uses the Element ID default match rule the most because HTML designates every object on a web page with a unique identifier. However, issues can arise if a web page creates a new element ID for each object each time the page loads. For example, the Element ID rule may have an initial value during interrogation, and the object fails to match because the element ID is different at runtime. If a control uses the Element ID match rule and the ID was already modified, it is best practice to complete the following steps to fix this issue:
- Add a different match rule to the control instead of Element ID.
- Disable the UseElementID property for that control.
Attribute Value match rule
Use the Attribute Value match rule to define a unique attribute and value for interrogation. Because there may be multiple versions of a specific object type, developers decide which attributes to use, when to use them, and what values to apply. These attributes help when you want to use the "id" attribute to distinguish an element of a specific type, such as a button.
Control Children match rule
The Control Children match rule uses a subordinate object's matching criteria, such as a child control, to assign the match of a parent object. The rule works by matching the children objects first, followed by the parents. Pega Robot Studio uses the Control Children match rule between the parents and the immediate children.
Element Index match rule
The Element Index match rule generates the index of the HTML tag of the control relative to the other tags of the same type. The index numbering starts at zero. For example, if three <p> tags exist on the web page, the first tag has an index of 0, the second of 1, and the third of 2. Use this rule with caution as web pages are typically dynamic and the index can change.
Element Path match rule
The Element Path match rule matches objects based on a string array or Element Path that contains the HTML codes surrounding the target object. During interrogation, the Element Path match rule helps you further recognize controls when using the Select Element function if finding objects with the surrounding HTML tags.
Element Inner Text match rule
The Element Inner Text match rule matches objects based on the value of the InnerText property. You use the Match Rule Editor in Pega Robot Studio to further specify the attribute values in the InnerText property you want to use for identifying elements. If these values are not set and are blank, you cannot use the Element Inner Text match rule.
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This Topic is available in the following Module:
- Match rules v3
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