Dynamic Event Generation for Disappearing UI Controls
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Existing software tools for recording error reproduction steps in user interfaces often fail to capture actions related to user interface controls that disappear after an interaction, leading to incomplete reproduction steps and difficulties in resolving software errors.
Innovation Solution
A mechanism to dynamically generate events when user interface controls change or disappear, by caching properties before and after user interactions and firing events if no notification is received, ensuring all actions are recorded and included in the reproduction steps.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If monitoring software waits for control notifications to record actions, then event processing is simple, but actions on disappearing controls are not captured
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs preliminary actions by caching control properties before user interactions occur. This allows the system to have reference data ready before the control disappears, enabling subsequent comparison to detect missed events without requiring complex real-time monitoring of disappearing controls
Solution Approach 2:
The system introduces an intermediary mechanism (property caching and comparison system) that bridges the gap between standard event notifications and disappearing controls. By caching properties and comparing them after interactions, the system indirectly detects control changes that would otherwise go unnoticed
2Loss of information
If the system caches and compares control properties to detect changes, then completeness of reproduction steps is improved, but processing time and resources increase
Solution Approach 1:
The system caches control properties in advance before user interactions occur. This preliminary action ensures that reference data is readily available, eliminating the need for time-consuming property retrieval and comparison after the control has disappeared
Solution Approach 2:
The system performs property comparison only for controls that have completed an interaction, rather than continuously monitoring all controls. This partial action approach reduces overall processing time while still capturing all necessary control changes
Data Source
AI summary
A method includes detecting user interaction with a first control of a user interface, identifying a property of the first control, and storing data representing the property of the first control in a memory. The method further includes dynamically generating an event for the first control by use of the property of the first control upon detecting user interaction with a second control and upon detecting an absence of an event corresponding to the first control being generated with respect to a user interface test program. An action responsive to the dynamically generated event is stored in an event log.