How to use Sendkeys() without finding element on web page when element is already focused and waiting for input

Question

I'm trying to write a simple Java based selenium code where I would load a page, give the desired values to username & password and login to web page.

Now once the web page loads it automatically waits for user to enter username i.e username is already focused. So can I send the keys to this already focused element. Once I have given the input to username I could use TAB to select the next input i.e. password and then TAB again to select the Login button.

might be you can send the keys to body tag to simulate tabbing actions — NarendraR, May 11 '18 at 06:20
Hi @DebanjanB, I'm trying to find a way to Sendkeys() without finding element on web page when particular element is already focused and waiting for user input. — Deepak Yadav, May 11 '18 at 06:21

score 7 · Accepted Answer · answered May 11 '18 at 06:42

7

Try this - WebElement currentElement = driver.switchTo().activeElement();

Refer to this for more details - https://seleniumhq.github.io/selenium/docs/api/java/org/openqa/selenium/WebDriver.TargetLocator.html#activeElement--

answered May 11 '18 at 06:42

Grasshopper

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I'm able to see that element is active and on selecting the Keys.TAB it focuses on next object, but when I try to sendKeys to this element, it doesn't work. Also could you please suggest should I just use Key.TAB to move to next element or is there a method to move to next active Element. – Deepak Yadav May 11 '18 at 07:26
It should work with TAB to go to the next active element. You need to use the activeElement() method again for the new element. – Grasshopper May 11 '18 at 07:41
Hi, after fiddling with for some moments because of missing frames. I'm able to use this solution. – Deepak Yadav May 17 '18 at 12:39

score 2 · Answer 2 · edited May 11 '18 at 11:49

Alternatively you can use the ROBOT function as a workaround. For example: to send 123456 you may use

Robot robot = new Robot();      
robot.keyPress(KeyEvent.VK_1);
robot.keyRelease(KeyEvent.VK_1);
robot.keyPress(KeyEvent.VK_2);
robot.keyRelease(KeyEvent.VK_2);
robot.keyPress(KeyEvent.VK_3);
robot.keyRelease(KeyEvent.VK_3);
robot.keyPress(KeyEvent.VK_4);
robot.keyRelease(KeyEvent.VK_4);
robot.keyPress(KeyEvent.VK_5);
robot.keyRelease(KeyEvent.VK_5);
robot.keyPress(KeyEvent.VK_6);
robot.keyRelease(KeyEvent.VK_6);
robot.keyPress(KeyEvent.VK_ENTER);
robot.keyRelease(KeyEvent.VK_ENTER);

I have also used the Sikuli sendkeys feature in the past succesfully.

score 1 · Answer 3 · answered May 11 '18 at 06:41

1

Use below code for the same :

driver.findElement(By.tagName("body")).sendKeys(Keys.TAB);

I have tried the demo and its fine

public static void main(String[] args) throws InterruptedException {
        System.setProperty("webdriver.chrome.driver", "driver/chromedriver.exe");
        WebDriver driver = new ChromeDriver();
        driver.get("https://www.google.com");
        driver.manage().timeouts().implicitlyWait(20, TimeUnit.SECONDS);
        driver.findElement(By.tagName("body")).sendKeys(Keys.TAB);
        Thread.sleep(1000);
        driver.findElement(By.tagName("body")).sendKeys(Keys.TAB);
        Thread.sleep(1000);
        driver.findElement(By.tagName("body")).sendKeys(Keys.TAB);
        Thread.sleep(1000);
        driver.findElement(By.tagName("body")).sendKeys(Keys.TAB);
        Thread.sleep(1000);
        driver.findElement(By.tagName("body")).sendKeys(Keys.TAB);
        System.out.println("OK");
    }

answered May 11 '18 at 06:41

NarendraR

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1

Don't you think these many explicit wait (worst case of explicit wait ) would be bad practice ? – cruisepandey May 11 '18 at 06:43
@cruisepandey, yes i know its just for pause to see how tab moving element to element. else hard code wait not recommended in automation script – NarendraR May 11 '18 at 06:45
Hi @NarendraR, I tried to run this code, but i'm getting exception - `*** Element info: {Using=tag name, value=body} at sun.reflect.NativeConstructorAccessorImpl.newInstance0(Native Method) at sun.reflect.NativeConstructorAccessorImpl.newInstance(Unknown Source) at sun.reflect.DelegatingConstructorAccessorImpl.newInstance(Unknown Source) at java.lang.reflect.Constructor.newInstance(Unknown Source) at org.openqa.selenium.remote.ErrorHandler.createThrowable(ErrorHandler.java:214) at org.openqa.selenium.remote.ErrorHandler.throwIfResponseFailed(ErrorHandler.java:166)` – Deepak Yadav May 11 '18 at 07:22

score 0 · Answer 4 · answered May 11 '18 at 06:32

0

if u want to use tab button to particular locator then

WebElement inputField = driver.findElement(By.Locator("LocatorValue"));
inputField.sendKeys(Keys.TAB);

answered May 11 '18 at 06:32

bhupathi turaga

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score 0 · Answer 5 · answered May 11 '18 at 06:48

To navigate to the next component, you can use Class KeyboardFocusManager:

KeyboardFocusManager.getCurrentKeyboardFocusManager().focusNextComponent();

To Learn more about this use link https://docs.oracle.com/javase/7/docs/api/java/awt/KeyboardFocusManager.html

How to use Sendkeys() without finding element on web page when element is already focused and waiting for input

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