Using User32.dll SendMessage to handle the download popup

Question

I'm navigating through a webapp using WatiN and I needed to download a document. However, I've found out that WatiN doesn't support the download with Internet Explorer 11. That's why I'm trying to do it using the method described here :

How to enable automatic downloads in IE11 (the top answer) Using User32.dll SendMessage To Send Keys With ALT Modifier

Basically I'm calling user32.dll to handle the small popup DL window (F6 to select it, tab, enter, etc.)

However nothing happens, the popup isn't responding to my commands. Is this the right way to do it ?

My code looks like this :

//Before my method
[DllImport("user32.dll")]
public static extern IntPtr SetActiveWindow(IntPtr hWnd);

[DllImport("user32.dll")]
public static extern int SendMessage(IntPtr hWnd, int Msg, uint wParam, uint lParam);

private void button1_Click(object sender, EventArgs e)
        {
            //some code....
            IE myPopup = IE.AttachTo<IE>(Find.ByUrl("http://abcd.do"));
            FileDownloadHandler fileDownloadHandler = new FileDownloadHandler("test");
            myPopup.AddDialogHandler(fileDownloadHandler);
            myPopup.Link(Find.ByUrl("httpabcdefg.do")).ClickNoWait();

            ushort action = (ushort)260; //WM_SYSKEYDOWN
            System.Threading.Thread.Sleep(2000);

            ushort key = (ushort)System.Windows.Forms.Keys.F6;
            ushort key2 = (ushort)System.Windows.Forms.Keys.Tab;
            ushort key3 = (ushort)System.Windows.Forms.Keys.Enter;
            ushort key4 = (ushort)System.Windows.Forms.Keys.Right;

            SendMessage(myPopup.hWnd, action, key, 0);
            SendMessage(myPopup.hWnd, action, key2, 0);
            SendMessage(myPopup.hWnd, action, key3, 0);
            SendMessage(myPopup.hWnd, action, key4, 0);
            SendMessage(myPopup.hWnd, action, key4, 0);
            SendMessage(myPopup.hWnd, action, key3, 0);
        }

I know the popup (myPopup) is handled correctly, I can click on it using watin.

A couple of things are unclear to me, and I put the action WM_SYSKEYDOWN as default, to follow the example cited above.

Thanks in advance for any kind of help !

--------------EDIT-----------------

I managed to do it, I know it's not optimal at all but I dropped the Dllimport and the SendMessage all together and used SendKeys.Send instead. Just like that :

private void button1_Click(object sender, EventArgs e)
            {
                //some code....
                IE myPopup = IE.AttachTo<IE>(Find.ByUrl("http://abcd.do"));
                FileDownloadHandler fileDownloadHandler = new FileDownloadHandler("test");
                myPopup.AddDialogHandler(fileDownloadHandler);
                myPopup.Link(Find.ByUrl("httpabcdefg.do")).ClickNoWait();

                SendKeys.Send("{F6}");
                SendKeys.Send("{ENTER}");
                SendKeys.Send("{RIGHT}");
                SendKeys.Send("{RIGHT}");
                SendKeys.Send("{ENTER}");
            }

Answer 1

The code that you are using is not a proper way to automate and WatiN does not completely interact with Windows controls and help in windows is very little. I had the same problem in handling the windows controls as we had multiple versions of IE. IE 9.0 and higher have different file handling when compared to <= IE 8.0 version. The below code works fine for IE 9.0 and higher. Please make sure proper references are added (refer using's).

Refer below code and modify it as per you requirement.

using System.Threading;
using System.Windows.Automation;
using WatiN.Core;
using WatiN.Core.Native.Windows;

namespace TestFramework.Util
{
 public static class WindowsHelper
 {
#region Public Methods

/// <summary>
/// Download IE file.
/// </summary>        
/// <param name="action">Action can be Save/Save As/Open/Cancel.</param>
/// <param name="path">Path where file needs to be saved (for Save As function).</param>
public static void DownloadIEFile(string action, string path = "", string regexPatternToMatch = "")
{
    Browser browser = null;
    if (Utility.Browser != null) // Utility.Browser is my WatiN browser instance.
    {
        if (string.IsNullOrEmpty(regexPatternToMatch))
        {
            browser = Utility.Browser;
        }
        else
        {
            Utility.Wait(() => (browser = Browser.AttachTo<IE>(Find.ByUrl(new System.Text.RegularExpressions.Regex(regexPatternToMatch)))) != null);
        }
    }
    else
    {                
        return;
    }

    // If doesn't work try to increase sleep interval or write your own waitUntill method
    Thread.Sleep(3000);
    // See information here (http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/windows/desktop/ms633515(v=vs.85).aspx)
    Window windowMain = null;
    Utility.Wait(() => (windowMain = new Window(NativeMethods.GetWindow(browser.hWnd, 5))).ProcessID != 0);

    TreeWalker trw = new TreeWalker(Condition.TrueCondition);
    AutomationElement mainWindow = trw.GetParent(AutomationElement.FromHandle(browser.hWnd));

    Window windowDialog = null;
    Utility.Wait(() => (windowDialog = new Window(NativeMethods.GetWindow(windowMain.Hwnd, 5))).ProcessID != 0);

    windowDialog.SetActivate();
    AutomationElementCollection amc = null;
    Utility.Wait(() => (amc = AutomationElement.FromHandle(windowDialog.Hwnd).FindAll(TreeScope.Children, Condition.TrueCondition)).Count > 1);

    foreach (AutomationElement element in amc)
    {
        // You can use "Save ", "Open", ''Cancel', or "Close" to find necessary button Or write your own enum
        if (element.Current.Name.Equals(action))
        {
            // If doesn't work try to increase sleep interval or write your own waitUntil method
            // WaitUntilButtonExsist(element,100);
            Thread.Sleep(1000);
            AutomationPattern[] pats = element.GetSupportedPatterns();

            // Replace this for each if you need 'Save as' with code bellow
            foreach (AutomationPattern pat in pats)
            {
                // '10000' button click event id 
                if (pat.Id == 10000)
                {
                    InvokePattern click = (InvokePattern)element.GetCurrentPattern(pat);
                    click.Invoke();
                }
            }
        }
        else if (element.Current.Name.Equals("Save") && action == "Save As")
        {
            AutomationElementCollection bmc = element.FindAll(TreeScope.Children, Automation.ControlViewCondition);
            InvokePattern click1 = (InvokePattern)bmc[0].GetCurrentPattern(AutomationPattern.LookupById(10000));
            click1.Invoke();
            Thread.Sleep(1000);

            AutomationElementCollection main = mainWindow.FindAll(TreeScope.Children, Condition.TrueCondition);
            foreach (AutomationElement el in main)
            {
                if (el.Current.LocalizedControlType == "menu")
                {
                    // First array element 'Save', second array element 'Save as', third second array element   'Save and open'
                    InvokePattern clickMenu = (InvokePattern)
                                el.FindAll(TreeScope.Children, Condition.TrueCondition)[1].GetCurrentPattern(AutomationPattern.LookupById(10000));
                    clickMenu.Invoke();
                    Thread.Sleep(1000);

                    ControlSaveDialog(mainWindow, path);

                    break;
                }
            }
        }
    }
}


/// <summary>
/// Control for save dialog.
/// </summary>
/// <param name="mainWindow">Main window.</param>
/// <param name="path">Path.</param>
private static void ControlSaveDialog(AutomationElement mainWindow, string path)
{
    // Obtain the save as dialog
    var saveAsDialog = mainWindow
                        .FindFirst(TreeScope.Descendants,
                                   new PropertyCondition(AutomationElement.NameProperty, "Save As"));
    // Get the file name box
    var saveAsText = saveAsDialog
            .FindFirst(TreeScope.Descendants,
                       new AndCondition(
                           new PropertyCondition(AutomationElement.NameProperty, "File name:"),
                           new PropertyCondition(AutomationElement.ControlTypeProperty, ControlType.Edit)))
            .GetCurrentPattern(ValuePattern.Pattern) as ValuePattern;

    // Fill the filename box 
    saveAsText.SetValue(path);
    Thread.Sleep(500);
    Utility.PressKey("LEFT");
    Utility.PressKey("LEFT");
    Thread.Sleep(1000);

    // Find the save button
    var saveButton =
            saveAsDialog.FindFirst(TreeScope.Descendants,
            new AndCondition(
                new PropertyCondition(AutomationElement.NameProperty, "Save"),
                new PropertyCondition(AutomationElement.ControlTypeProperty, ControlType.Button)));

    // Invoke the button
    var pattern = saveButton.GetCurrentPattern(InvokePattern.Pattern) as InvokePattern;
    pattern.Invoke();
}

#endregion
 }
}


public static class Utility
{       
    public static IE Browser { get; set; }

   // Wait specified number of seconds
   public static void Wait(int seconds)
   {
    System.Threading.Thread.Sleep(seconds * 1000);
   }

  // Wait for condition to evaluate true, timeout after 30 seconds
  public static void Wait(Func<bool> condition)
  {
    int count = 0;

    while (!condition() && count < 30)
    {
        System.Threading.Thread.Sleep(1000);
        count++;
    }
  }

  //Send tab key press to browser
  public static void PressTab()
  {
      System.Windows.Forms.SendKeys.SendWait("{TAB}");
      System.Threading.Thread.Sleep(300);
  }

  //Send specified key press to browser
  public static void PressKey(string keyname)
  {
      System.Windows.Forms.SendKeys.SendWait("{" + keyname.ToUpper() + "}");
      System.Threading.Thread.Sleep(300);
  }
}