Chromium connector methods

  • Release version: Xanadu
  • Updated August 1, 2024
  • 8 minutes to read
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    Summary of Chromium connector methods

    The Chromium connector methods enable ServiceNow customers to automate interactions with web applications running in Google Chrome and Microsoft Edge browsers. These methods operate at three levels: application, screen, and element, providing comprehensive control over navigation, element manipulation, and data extraction within web pages. This capability supports automating web-based workflows, enhancing efficiency in handling browser-based tasks.

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    Application level methods

    • Navigate: Launches a web page by URL with optional timeout and screen loading delay. It can match captured elements before screen load.
    • WaitForAnyScreen: Delays execution until specified screens appear.

    Screen level methods

    • Close: Closes the current captured screen window.
    • Focus: Sets focus on the captured screen window.
    • GetFields: Retrieves values from specified fields or elements on the screen.
    • GetInnerHtml, GetPageSource, GetScreenShot, GetTitle, GetURL: Extract inner HTML, full page source, screenshots, page title, and URL respectively from the captured screen.
    • GetValueByXPath: Extracts data from the screen using an XPath expression.
    • IsCreated: Checks if the screen has rendered successfully, optionally verifying captured elements.

    Element level methods

    • Click: Performs a click action on an element.
    • Focus: Sets focus on an element, optionally scrolling into view.
    • GetInnerHTML, GetInnerText, GetOuterHTML, GetOuterText: Retrieve HTML content or text of the element.
    • IsCreated: Checks if an element has loaded successfully.
    • SetPassword: Securely inputs passwords as secured strings, with an option to use SendKeys if direct input fails.
    • SendKeys: Sends keyboard inputs to elements, with options to clear existing values and control typing delay.
    • GetInstanceCount: Returns the number of instances of an element present.
    • SimulateMouseEvent: Simulates mouse events (click, dblclick, mouseover, etc.) on elements that support these events in their HTML definition.
    • SimulateEvent: Simulates specified HTML events (e.g., load, change, submit) on pages or elements.

    Practical Use for ServiceNow Customers

    These methods empower ServiceNow customers to automate browser-based workflows by navigating web pages, interacting with UI elements, retrieving data, and simulating user actions within Chromium-based browsers. This is particularly useful for integrating web applications into ServiceNow automation, reducing manual intervention, and improving process reliability. Understanding and configuring method parameters such as timeouts, element selection, and secure input handling enables precise control and robust automation.

    The Chromium connector methods do different tasks on the applications, screens, and the elements on the screens of the Google Chrome and the Microsoft Edge browsers.

    Chromium connector method levels

    Application level methods

    Screen level methods

    Element level methods

    Application level methods

    Navigate

    Launches the web page based on the URL specified.

    To provide inputs, see Configure port properties
    Table 1. Navigate method parameters
    Parameter Description Data Port type Data type Default value Mandatory?
    Url URL of the web page. Data In String No default value No
    Timeout Option to specify the time in seconds after which the operation times out. Data In Integer No default value No
    Return If True, the web page has launched. Else, if False, the web page hasn't launched. Data Out Boolean Not applicable Not applicable

    WaitForAnyScreen

    Sets a delay before the specified screens load.

    To specify the screen, do the following steps:
    1. Click the method settings icon (Method settings icon.).
    2. On the CHOOSE SCREENS window, select the required screen.
    3. Click OK.
    To provide inputs to the fields, see Configure port properties.
    Table 2. Navigate method parameters
    Parameter Description Data Port type Data type Default value Mandatory? Notes
    MatchAllChildren If True, before loading the screen, the method matches the captured elements from the web page. Else, if False, the method doesn't match any element. Data In Boolean No default value No The elements can be found in the MATCH CHILDREN section of the Chromium Connector window.
    Timeout Specifies the time in seconds after which the operation times out. Data In Integer No default value No

    Screen level methods

    Close

    Closes the captured screen window.

    Focus

    Sets the focus on the captured window.
    Table 3. Navigate method parameters
    Parameter Description Data Port type Data type Default value Mandatory?
    Return If True, the focus was set on the captured window. Else, if False, the focus wasn't set on the captured window. Data out Boolean No default value Not applicable

    GetFields

    Returns the values of the specified fields or elements. For example, it can return the text in a button.

    To specify the fields, do the following steps.
    1. Click the method settings icon (Method settings icon.).
    2. In the CHOOSE FORM ELEMENTS window, select the required fields.
    3. Click OK.
    Table 4. GetFields method parameters
    Parameter Description Data Port type Data type Default value Mandatory?
    Name of the field or element Field or element for which the method returns the value. Data out String No default value Not applicable

    GetInnerHtml

    Returns the inner HTML of the captured screen.
    Table 5. GetInnerHtml method parameters
    Parameter Description Data Port type Data type Default value Mandatory?
    Return Returns the inner HTML of the captured screen. Data out Object Not applicable Not applicable

    GetPageSource

    Returns the page source of the captured screen.
    Table 6. GetPageSource method parameters
    Parameter Description Data Port Type Data type Default value Mandatory?
    Return Returns the page source of the captured screen. Data Out String Not applicable Not applicable

    GetScreenShot

    Returns the screenshot of the configured screen.
    Table 7. GetScreenShot method parameters
    Parameter Description Data Port type Data type Default value Mandatory?
    Return Returns the screenshot of the configured screen. Data out Bitmap No default value Not applicable

    GetTitle

    Returns the title of the web page captured.
    Table 8. GetTitle method parameter
    Parameter Description Data Port type Data type Default value Mandatory?
    Return Returns the title of the web page captured. Data out String No default value Not applicable

    GetURL

    Returns the URL of the web page that was captured.
    Table 9. GetURL method parameters
    Parameter Description Data Port type Data type Default value Mandatory?
    Return Returns the URL of the web page that was captured. Data out String No default value Not applicable

    GetValueByXPath

    Returns the value within an XML node from the specified XML path.

    To provide inputs to the fields see Configure port properties.

    Table 10. GetValueByXPath method parameters
    Parameter Description Data Port type Data type Default value Mandatory?
    XPath XPath of the web page captured. Data In String No default value No
    Return Returns the value from the XML node. Data out String Not applicable Not applicable

    IsCreated

    Returns the Boolean value based on whether the screen is rendered successfully on the web application.

    To provide inputs to the fields see Configure port properties.

    Table 11. IsCreated method parameters
    Parameter Description Data Port type Data type Default type Mandatory? Notes
    MatchAllChildren If True, before the screen is rendered, the method attempts to match all captured elements. Else, if False, no match is done. Data In Boolean No default value No You can find the captured elements in the MATCH CHILDREN section of the Chromium Connector window.
    Return If True, the screen is rendered successfully. Else, if False, the screen has failed to render successfully. Data out Boolean Not applicable Not applicable

    Element level methods

    Click

    Performs a click operation on the element.

    Focus

    Sets the focus on the element.

    To provide inputs to the fields see Configure port properties.
    Table 12. Focus method parameters
    Parameter Description Data Port type Data type Default value Mandatory?
    scrollIntoView If True, the method uses the scrollbar to navigate to the captured element on the web page. Else, if False, it doesn't scroll to the captured element. Data In Boolean No default value No
    Return If True, the method sets focus on the element. Else, if False, the method has failed to set focus on the element. Data Out Boolean Not applicable Not applicable

    GetInnerHTML

    Returns the inner HTML of the captured element.
    Table 13. GetInnerHTML method parameters
    Parameter Description Data Port type Data type Default value Mandatory?
    Return Returns the inner HTML of the captured element. Data Out String No default type Not applicable

    GetInnerText

    Returns the inner text in the captured element.
    Table 14. GetInnerText method parameters
    Parameter Description Data Port type Data type Default value Mandatory?
    Return Returns the inner text in the captured element. Data Out String Not applicable Not applicable

    GetOuterHTML

    Returns the HTML element and its attributes, start, and end tags of the captured element.
    Table 15. GetOuterHTML method parameters
    Parameter Description Data Port type Data type Default value Mandatory?
    Return Returns the outer HTML of the captured element. Data out String No default value Not applicable

    GetOuterText

    Returns the text content of the captured element.
    Table 16. GetOuterText method parameters
    Parameter Description Data Port Type Data type Default value Mandatory?
    Return Returns the text content of the captured element. Data out String No default value Not applicable

    IsCreated

    Returns the Boolean status of whether the captured element has loaded.
    Table 17. IsCreated method parameter
    Parameter Description Data Port type Data type Default value Mandatory?
    Return If True, the captured element has loaded. Else, if False, the captured element has failed to load. Data out Boolean No default value Not applicable

    SetPassword

    Automate entering password securely in the password field of a web-based application, for example securely enter password in the password field of a login form.

    To provide inputs to the fields see Configure port properties.
    Table 18. SetPassword method parameters
    Parameter Description Data Port type Data type Default value Mandatory? Notes
    Password Accepts the password as a secured string. Data In Secured string None Yes Since it accepts the password as a secured string, it only shows the length of the string when you right-click on the parameter and then click Preview Data.
    UseSendKeys SendKeys is a method used to send keyboard inputs such as characters, numbers, and symbols to text boxes inside an application. Data In Boolean False Yes
    Tip:
    If the SetPassword method fails to input the password in the password field, set the value to True and execute the method again.

    SendKeys

    Passes shortcut keys to the captured element.

    To provide inputs to the fields see Configure port properties.
    Table 19. SendKeys method parameters
    Parameter Description Data Port type Data type Default value Mandatory?
    Keys Takes the shortcut keys. Data In String No default value No
    ClearExistingValue If True, the method clears any existing value in the field. Else, if False, it doesn't clear the existing value. Data In Boolean No default value No
    TypeDelay Sets the typing delay between each key. Data In Double No default value No

    GetInstanceCount

    Returns a count of the number of instances where the element is available.

    GetOuterHTML

    Gets the outer HTML of the captured element.

    SendKeys

    Simulates keystrokes on web pages and windows.
    Inputs
    ClearExistingValue
    TypeDelay

    SimulateMouseEvent

    Simulates the mouse event you specify on an element on a web-based application. For example, simulate a right mouse-click on an element.
    Important:
    To simulate a mouse event on an element, it must already have that specific event defined in the web page HTML. For example, to simulate the contextmenu event on an element, the element must already have the contextmenu event defined in the HTML.
    To provide inputs to the fields see Configure port properties
    Table 20. SimulateMouseEvent method parameters
    Parameter Description Data Port type Data type Default value Mandatory? Notes
    MouseEvent Mouse event that occurs on the captured web page element. At the time of the mouse event occurring on a web page element, that element must already have the mouse event defined in the HTML. Data In MouseEventType click Yes The method supports these mouse events.
    • click
    • dblclick
    • mousedown
    • mouseup
    • mouseover
    • mousemove
    • mouseout
    • contextmenu
    MouseButton Simulates the mouse button click on the captured web page element. Data In MouseButtonType Left Yes The method supports these mouse button actions.
    • left
    • middle
    • right

    SimulateEvent

    Simulates the HTML event that you specify on a Google Chrome page or an element on the page.

    To provide inputs to the fields see Configure port properties
    Table 21. SimulateEvent method parameters
    Parameter Description Data Port type Data type Default value Mandatory?
    EventName Name of the HTML event. The method supports the events provided and you must enter the name of the event exactly as specified.

    HTML events

    • load
    • unload
    • abort
    • error
    • select
    • change
    • submit
    • reset
    • focus
    • blur
    • resize
    • scroll
    		 Data In String None Yes