Hello monks...

There was an interesting discussion about automating tests by driving the browser recently here: Using Perl to Test a Web App that uses Javascript

diotalevi and PodMaster imply that it is possible to actually execute the Javascript from a program, but after reading the documentation, I fail to understand how it's done.

Being a total Javascript lizard, I did a Super Search and then stole some excellent test code from vagnerr's scratchpad.

So my question is: is it possible to write a script in Perl that will automatically hit the "test1", "test2", etc. buttons by exercising the "onclick="javascript:addItem..." thingies in the code below? 

<html>
  <head>
    <title>Test form</title>
    <script type="text/JavaScript">
    <!--
      function storeCaret (textEl){
        if (textEl.createTextRange){
          textEl.caretPos = document.selection.createRange().duplicate
+();
        }
      }

      function insertAtCaret (textEl, text){
        if (textEl.createTextRange && textEl.caretPos) {
          var caretPos = textEl.caretPos;
          caretPos.text = caretPos.text.charAt(caretPos.text.length - 
+1) == ' ' ?
                          text + ' ' : text;
        }else{
          textEl.value  += text;
        }
      }

      function addItem(label){
        //document.display.showStuff.value += "%"+label+"%";
        insertAtCaret(document.display.showStuff,label);
      }


    -->
    </script>
  </head>
  <body>
    <h1>Test Form</h1>
    <form name="display" method="post" action="">
      <input type="button" value="test1" onclick="javascript:addItem('
+TEST')">
      <input type="button" value="test2" onclick="javascript:addItem('
+ABCD')">
      <input type="button" value="test3" onclick="javascript:addItem('
+RGFD')">
      <input type="button" value="test4" onclick="javascript:addItem('
+HGFD')">
<br>
      <textarea name="showStuff" rows="5" cols="80" wrap="off" onselec
+t="storeCaret(this);" ond
blclick="storeCaret(this);" onclick="storeCaret(this);" onkeyup="store
+Caret(this)"></textarea>
    </form>
  </body>
</html>

[download]

In reply to Further question: automating Javascript with Perl in browser? by McMahon

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