6.2.1 IE Recorder (main) window

The IE Recorder (main) window is used to define an IE scenario. This window is provided in three modes: the record mode, edit mode, and replay mode. The record mode is used to define a series of Internet Explorer operations on the screen as an IE scenario. The edit mode is used to edit an IE scenario. The replay mode is used to replay an IE scenario and measure the response time.

Figure 6-3 IE Recorder (main) window

[Figure]

The following describes the displayed items.

Titlebar:
Displays the title of the IE Recorder and the filename of the IE scenario displayed on the IE Recorder (main) window.
Toolbar:
Frequently used functions on the IE Recorder (main) window are placed as buttons.
[Figure]Go Back button
Displays the previously-viewed URL in the browser history in the IE window section.
[Figure]Go Forward button
Displays the subsequently-viewed URL in the browser history in the IE window section.
[Figure]Stop button
Stops rendering the page in the IE window section.
[Figure]Refresh button
Refreshes the page in the IE window section.
[Figure]New button
Creates a new IE scenario.
[Figure]Open button
Opens an existing IE scenario file and displays the IE scenario.
[Figure]Save button
Saves the recorded or edited IE scenario.
[Figure]Record button
Records the IE scenario.
[Figure]Replay button
Replays the IE scenario.
[Figure]Replay by Step button
Replays the IE scenario by step.
[Figure]Stop Recording/Relaying button
Stops recording or replaying the IE scenario.
[Figure]Set Start Scope button
Displays the Start Scope Settings window for selecting the scope as a start point. The start-point scope is added in front of the selected operation in the Operation list.
[Figure]Set End Scope button
Displays the End Scope Settings window for selecting the scope as an end point. The end-point scope is added behind the selected operation in the Operation list.
[Figure]Measurement Test button
Replays the recorded IE scenario and conducts the measurement test.
Addressbar:
Displays the content of the navigation in the IE window section (i.e. URL). This addressbar does not hold the browser history. The drop-down list shows the URLs defined in the IE Recorder action condition definition file.
When you enter a URL and then click the [Figure] button or press the Enter key, the page whose URL you have entered is displayed in the IE window section.
To use an IP address to specify a host name, use an IPv4 dotted-decimal address (for example: http://172.16.233.12/example.html) or an IPv6 hexadecimal address enclosed in square brackets, using colons as separators (for example: http://[ACE6:45:75:91::1]/example.html).
[Figure]Go button
Displays the URL page you entered in the Address the IE window section.
IE window section:
Displays the URL page you entered in the Address. In the IE window section, you can operate in the same way you operate the Internet Explorer. Note that if you use the keyboard operation an IE scenario can be recorded improperly. It is recommended that you use the mouse operation in the IE window section. On the tabs, the page title is displayed. When a new window is displayed while you operate in the IE window section, a tab to display that window is automatically added. If you use the script to close the window, the tab is closed. However, when there is only one tab, you cannot close the tab.
The following table shows the result of the operations in relation to the number of tabs:

Table 6-1 Result of operations in relation to number of tabs

No.Number of tabs in the IE window sectionOperationResult of operation
11 #1Open window #2Add a new tab to render the content of the new window.
2Close windowImmediately after close the tab, add a new tab displaying a blank page.
3More than 1Open window #2Add a new tab to render the content of the new window.
4Close windowClose a tab. Which tab to close depends on the script.
5Close tabClose the tab.
When you click View menu and then Close Tab, close the active tab. When you close tab from the context menu, close the tab which you have clicked.
Notes:
  • These operations do not change the mode of the IE Recorder window.
  • You cannot add a new tab from the menu.
#1:
When there is only one tab, you cannot close the tab.
#2:
To open window in the IE window section means:
  • Click the link with the Shift key down.
  • Click the link whose value of the target attribute is _blank.
  • Open window by using scripts.
#3:
To close window in the IE window section means:
  • Close window by using scripts.
Note:
You should note the following when you define IE scenarios:
  • Your navigations operations in the IE window section depend on the Internet Explorer settings on the machine where PFM - Agent for Service Response is installed. This means that if an application that affects Internet Explorer operations is running when you define IE scenarios that application may affect the IE Recorder also picks up and records these effects.
  • On the page displayed in the IE window, a script that controls the window itself (for instance, to resize it) may not function normally. However, a script that opens a new window to display a page can be executed.
Operation list:
Lists in the tree format the recorded operational information, the start scopes, and the end scopes.
The display format of the operation list is as follows:

Operation List
  +--Tag info
  |    +--Tag name:tag-name
  |    +--Attributes
  |    |   +-- attribute-name=attribute-value
  |    |   ...
  |    +--Inner text:contents-of-inner-text
  |    +--Tag position
  |    |   +--Within the same tag:nth-occurrence-within-the-same-tag
  |    |   +--Within the same inner text:nth-occurrence-within-the-same-inner-text
  |    +--Same tag count:number-of-the-same-tags
  |    +--Same inner text count:number-of-the-same-inner-text
  |    +--Page transition:Occurred or Not occurred

Scope information is displayed on the operation list. The display format of the scope information is as follows:
+operations-information-1
+start-scope-information
+operations-information-2
+end-scope-information
+operations-information-3
Operational Information
Information of each operation is displayed in the below format:

operation-icon operation-number operation-name value

Operation number is the number assigned among the operations within the operation list. Operation number starts from 1 and are assigned to each operation from the top operation. If you delete an operation, operation numbers are re-assigned automatically from the top operation. Note that operation numbers are not assigned to scopes.
Among the operational information displayed in the Operation list, the following table lists shows the operation icons, operation names, and its values:

Table 6-2 Operation information in the Operation list

Operation iconOperation nameValueDescription
[Figure]Click linkThe value of the inner textClicking links on the page in the IE window.
[Figure]Enter textThe value of the entered text in the text box (the password is not displayed)Entering texts in the text box on the page in the IE window.
[Figure]Select check boxThe value of the inner textSelecting check boxes or radio buttons on the page in the IE window.
[Figure]Select valueThe value of the inner textSelecting drop-down list on the page in the IE window.
[Figure]Click buttonThe value of the inner textClicking buttons on the page in the IE window.
[Figure]Enter addressThe entered URLEntering URL on the addressbar in the IE window, and then clicking [Figure] button or pressing the Enter key.
[Figure]Go forward--From the menu in the IE window selecting Go forward, or clicking [Figure] button.
[Figure]Go back--From the menu in the IE window selecting Go back, or clicking [Figure] button.
[Figure]Refresh--From the menu in the IE window selecting Refresh, or clicking [Figure] button.
[Figure]NavigationThe URL of the accessed pageOperations representing the URL access. Note that the Navigation operations are not Click link operations. Rather, the Navigation operations are the URL access operations without entering the URLs in the addressbar or so.
[Figure]Close tabThe page title on the tabClosing the tab in the IE window.
[Figure]Popup dialog box--Operations in the pop-up dialog box when you operate in the IE window.
[Figure]Tag-name tag--Operations of the tags which the IE Recorder can record by default but are not listed above (except, for instance, Click link or Enter text).
[Figure]user-defined-operation-name--Operations which users defined. You can define the user-defined operation names by registering in the IE Recorder action condition definition file (jpcvierec.conf).
Legend:
--: None

Tag info:
Tag info displays the information when recording is done. The following table shows the contents of the Tag info in the Operation list:

Table 6-3 Tag info displayed in Operation list

Displayed informationDescription
Tag nameTag name when recording is done.
AttributesAttributes of the tag. If the tag has multiple attributes, displays all the attributes.
Attributes with the default values are displayed although not defined in the HTML file.
Inner textDisplays the inner text (the string between the start tag and the end tag).
Tag positionWithin the same tagDisplays the nth occurrence among the same tag in the HTML file.
Within the same inner textDisplays the nth occurrence among the tags with the same inner text.
Same tag countDisplays the number of the same tags in displayed in the Tag name of the HTML file. This count includes the operation-target tag itself.
Same inner text countDisplays the number of the tags with the same inner text. This count includes the operation-target tag itself.
Page transitionDisplays whether the page transition occurred. If occurred, Occurred is displayed. If not, Not occurred is displayed.#1
#1
Always display Not occurred.

Statusbar:
Displays the operation status, the page processing status, and the mode of the IE Recorder.
Operation status:
Displays the same information when you operate Internet Explorer. For example, displays Done when the page rendering is completed, and displays the linked URL when the mouse is over the link.
Page processing status:
Display the page processing status of the page in the IE window in a progressbar.
Mode of the IE Recorder:
The displayed information depends on the mode:
  • Edit Mode
    Displays none.
  • Record Mode
    Displays Recording Mode.
  • Replay Mode
    Displays Replay Mode.

The following table lists the shows the menu items in the IE Recorder (main) window:

Table 6-4 Menu items in the IE Recorder (main) window

Menu barMenu commandFunction
FileNewCreates a new IE scenario.
OpenOpens the existing IE scenario file and display the IE scenario.
SaveSaves the recorded or edited IE scenario.
Save AsSaves the recorded or edited IE scenario under a different storage file name.
ExitExits the IE Recorder (main) window.
EditDeleteDelete one operation selected in the Operation list.
Delete All Operations after the Selected OperationDeletes all operations after the selected operation in the Operation list.
Operation SettingsDisplays the Operation Settings window where you can see and edit the settings. Edit the settings when the target HTML file is modified after recording or when the IE scenario cannot be replayed properly.
Change PasswordDisplays the Change Password window where you can change the password when the IE scenario is recorded. For details about the kind of passwords you can change, see 6.2.3 Change Password window.
IE Recorder SettingsDisplays the IE Recorder Settings window where you can change the settings about recording and replaying the IE scenario.
ViewGo ToBackDisplays the previously-viewed URL in the browser history in the IE window section.
ForwardDisplays the subsequently-viewed URL in the browser history in the IE window section.
Home PageDisplays the home page in the IE window section.
StopStops rendering the page in the IE window section.
RefreshRefresh the page in the IE window section.
SourceDisplays the HTML source code of the currently viewed page. If the currently viewed page does not contain HTML source code, displays none.
You can display the source code even if the page forbids displaying the source code.
Close TabCloses the tab in the IE window section.
ActionRecordRecords the IE scenario.
If you already recorded one or more operations, adds operations to the existing record.
ReplayReplays the IE scenario. Use this when you check whether the IE scenario is properly replayed.
Replay by StepReplays the IE scenario by step. As you watch the IE scenario step by step, you can check the replayed page and the next operation-target link.
StopStops recording or replaying the IE scenario.
Set BreakpointSets breakpoint in the selected operation. You can set multiple breakpoints. Use breakpoints when you stop the IE scenario on the way to check the IE scenario.
Delete BreakpointDeletes breakpoint. Note that you cannot resume replaying when you delete breakpoint of the operation which you paused while you replayed IE scenario.
Measurement TestReplays the recorded IE scenario and starts measurement. Use this test when you check the guideline threshold value, the timeout value, the factors of replay failure.
ScopeSet Start ScopeDisplays the Start Scope Settings window to set the start scope. Add the selected start scope in front of the selected operation in the Operation list.
Set End ScopeDisplays the End Scope Settings window to set the end scope. Add the selected end scope behind the selected operation in the Operation list.
Delete ScopeDeletes the selected scope in the IE scenario.
Rename ScopeRenames the name of the selected scope.
Scope ListDisplays the list of scopes.
ToolsSimplified RegistrationRegisters the measurement conditions to the measurement condition registration file, based on the information of the currently displaying IE scenario. Before you register the measurement conditions, make sure that you stop PFM - Agent for Service Response in advance.
If the IE scenario file exists, the following measurement condition is added to the measurement condition registration file:
TASKID: the lowest and unused task ID is given.
TASKLABEL: IE Scenario-Task-ID (Task-ID is replaced by the value of TASKID)
INTERVAL: 180
TIMEOUT: 30
IESCENA_FILE: IE-scenario-file-name
Edit esptask.xmlOpens and edits the measurement condition registration file by the text editor. When you edit the measurement condition registration file, make sure that you stop PFM - Agent for Service Response.
Internet OptionsDisplays the Internet Properties dialog box in the IE windows.
HelpAboutDisplays the version information for the PFM - Agent for Service Response.
Note:
If you edit the measurement condition registration file on the PFM - Web Console, you do not need to stop PFM - Agent for Service Response in advance. Therefore, it is recommended that you edit the measurement condition registration file on the PFM - Web Console.

Behavior when replaying IE scenarios
The replaying operation is highlighted when you replay IE scenarios.
  • Replay
    The next operation is highlighted when each recorded operation is replayed.
  • Replay by step
    The next operation is highlighted and stops replaying each time you replay by step.
  • Replay until breakpoint
    The operation after the breakpoint is highlighted when replaying stops.
  • While replaying, you change the filtering condition or tag position on the Operation Target page on the Operation Settings window.
    Change the highlighted operation. If the target operation does not exist after the change, turn highlight off.
Accelerator keys for IE Recorder cannot be used when the Internet Explorer window is active
In some cases, you cannot use some accelerator keys for IE Recorder menubar while the Internet Explorer window is active. This is because the setting of turning shortcuts off takes precedence when an Internet Explorer window is active.
The following table lists the accelerator keys turned off when the Internet Explorer setting takes precedence. For details about the shortcut keys in Internet Explorer, see Internet Explorer help.

Table 6-5 Accelerator keys turned off due to the Internet Explorer setting

Accelerator keys turned offIE Recorder operation in Internet Explorer 7 to 10
FileY
EditY
ViewN
ActionY
ScopeN
ToolsN
HelpY
Legend:
Y: Available
N: Unavailable
<ALT key + [Key]>: Shortcut [Key] for IE

Note:
The availability of the accelerator keys might vary due to:
  • The Service Pack for Internet Explorer, Service Release for Internet Explorer, Windows Update, or so.
  • The HTML documents or the scripts.
  • The Add-ons (ActiveX components, BHO (Browser Helper Object), or so) or so.