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I have seen lots of questions and solutions on File upload using Selenium WebDriver on Stack Overflow. But none of them are working for following scenario.

Someone has given a solution as following

// assuming driver is a healthy WebDriver instance WebElement fileInput = driver.findElement(By.name("uploadfile")); fileInput.sendKeys("C:/path/to/file.jpg"); 

But still I can't find window handle. How can I work on that?

Screenshot

I am looking for a solution for the scenario above.

Please check this on any of the following websites.

http://www.uploadify.com/demos/ http://www.zamzar.com/ 
6
  • So did you try what you wrote? If you did what did you write, and what was the error?
    – Amey
    CommentedJun 29, 2012 at 5:59
  • This is assumption to handle the winwods' popupCommentedJun 29, 2012 at 6:11
  • I am just asking, did you give that approach a shot?
    – Amey
    CommentedJun 29, 2012 at 6:59
  • Did you find the element id and send the keys ("path/to/file") to that webelement?
    – Amey
    CommentedJun 29, 2012 at 7:06
  • 4
    We can send keys, as we are sending it to the webelement "uploadfile". Note there is no click action performed for the popup to be displayed. You would've have known if u would have tried. :)
    – Amey
    CommentedJun 29, 2012 at 8:13

15 Answers 15

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// assuming driver is a healthy WebDriver instance WebElement fileInput = driver.findElement(By.name("uploadfile")); fileInput.sendKeys("C:/path/to/file.jpg"); 

Hey, that's mine from somewhere :).


In case of the Zamzar web, it should work perfectly. You don't click the element. You just type the path into it. To be concrete, this should be absolutely ok:

driver.findElement(By.id("inputFile")).sendKeys("C:/path/to/file.jpg"); 

In the case of the Uploadify web, you're in a pickle, since the upload thing is no input, but a Flash object. There's no API for WebDriver that would allow you to work with browser dialogs (or Flash objects).

So after you click the Flash element, there'll be a window popping up that you'll have no control over. In the browsers and operating systems I know, you can pretty much assume that after the window has been opened, the cursor is in the File name input. Please, make sure this assumption is true in your case, too.

If not, you could try to jump to it by pressing Alt + N, at least on Windows...

If yes, you can "blindly" type the path into it using the Robot class. In your case, that would be something in the way of:

driver.findElement(By.id("SWFUpload_0")).click(); Robot r = new Robot(); r.keyPress(KeyEvent.VK_C); // C r.keyRelease(KeyEvent.VK_C); r.keyPress(KeyEvent.VK_COLON); // : (colon) r.keyRelease(KeyEvent.VK_COLON); r.keyPress(KeyEvent.VK_SLASH); // / (slash) r.keyRelease(KeyEvent.VK_SLASH); // etc. for the whole file path r.keyPress(KeyEvent.VK_ENTER); // confirm by pressing Enter in the end r.keyRelease(KeyEvent.VK_ENTER); 

It sucks, but it should work. Note that you might need these: How can I make Robot type a `:`? and Convert String to KeyEvents (plus there is the new and shiny KeyEvent#getExtendedKeyCodeForChar() which does similar work, but is available only from JDK7).


For Flash, the only alternative I know (from this discussion) is to use the dark technique:

First, you modify the source code of you the flash application, exposing internal methods using the ActionScript's ExternalInterface API. Once exposed, these methods will be callable by JavaScript in the browser.

Second, now that JavaScript can call internal methods in your flash app, you use WebDriver to make a JavaScript call in the web page, which will then call into your flash app.

This technique is explained further in the docs of the flash-selenium project. (http://code.google.com/p/flash-selenium/), but the idea behind the technique applies just as well to WebDriver.

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  • 3
    What does "not working" mean? Why, where, with what error message?CommentedJun 29, 2012 at 8:24
  • Can't enter file path to file upload windowCommentedJun 29, 2012 at 8:26
  • I added a dark magic solution, too. Anyway, you're still not specific enough. Please, edit your question with what you tried and how or why it failed.CommentedJun 29, 2012 at 8:32
  • Yup. Both work for me. The Robot solution is obviously dependant on the keyboard layout, but I think that could be avoided somehow.CommentedJun 29, 2012 at 9:38
  • 1
    Side-note: Uploading multiple files is also possible via SendKeys - see stackoverflow.com/questions/23955430/…
    – Joseph238
    CommentedMar 17, 2021 at 22:50
13

Below code works for me :

public void test() { WebDriver driver = new FirefoxDriver(); driver.get("http://www.freepdfconvert.com/pdf-word"); driver.findElement(By.id("clientUpload")).click(); driver.switchTo() .activeElement() .sendKeys( "/home/likewise-open/GLOBAL/123/Documents/filename.txt"); driver.manage().timeouts().implicitlyWait(60, TimeUnit.SECONDS); driver.findElement(By.id("convertButton")); 
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  • 3
    This should be the answer. sendKeys() just doesn't produce any result at all, but this one works perfectly. I am using GhostDriver on Ubuntu.
    – Guillaume
    CommentedApr 13, 2015 at 14:43
5

Using C# and Selenium this code here works for me, NOTE you will want to use a parameter to swap out "localhost" in the FindWindow call for your particular server if it is not localhost and tracking which is the newest dialog open if there is more than one dialog hanging around, but this should get you started:

 using System.Threading; using System.Runtime.InteropServices; using System.Windows.Forms; using OpenQA.Selenium; [DllImport("user32.dll", SetLastError = true)] [return: MarshalAs(UnmanagedType.Bool)] private static extern bool SetForegroundWindow(IntPtr hWnd); [DllImport("user32.dll", EntryPoint = "FindWindow")] public static extern IntPtr FindWindow(string lpClassName, string lpWindowName); public static void UploadFile(this IWebDriver webDriver, string fileName) { webDriver.FindElement(By.Id("SWFUpload_0")).Click(); var dialogHWnd = FindWindow(null, "Select file(s) to upload by localhost"); var setFocus = SetForegroundWindow(dialogHWnd); if (setFocus) { Thread.Sleep(500); SendKeys.SendWait(fileName); SendKeys.SendWait("{ENTER}"); } } 
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  • Great !! ,This is best for me,Codes work perfectly .Tkanks for you @MattCommentedNov 22, 2019 at 14:53
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I made use of sendkeys in shell scripting using a vbsscript file. Below is the code in vbs file,

Set WshShell = WScript.CreateObject("WScript.Shell") WshShell.SendKeys "C:\Demo.txt" WshShell.SendKeys "{ENTER}" 

Below is the selenium code line to run this vbs file,

driver.findElement(By.id("uploadname1")).click(); Thread.sleep(1000); Runtime.getRuntime().exec( "wscript C:/script.vbs" ); 
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  • One of the easiest solution. it will be Great if we ca parameterize the file name.?CommentedApr 24, 2021 at 19:23
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Find the element (must be an input element with type="file" attribute) and send the path to the file.

WebElement fileInput = driver.findElement(By.id("uploadFile")); fileInput.sendKeys("/path/to/file.jpg"); 

NOTE: If you're using a RemoteWebDriver, you will also have to set a file detector. The default is UselessFileDetector

WebElement fileInput = driver.findElement(By.id("uploadFile")); driver.setFileDetector(new LocalFileDetector()); fileInput.sendKeys("/path/to/file.jpg"); 
2
  • Great, file attribute is the key.
    – akhan
    CommentedJun 18, 2019 at 21:18
  • hey, I am trying the above method now, but it is not working. i found the element but it seems to not work. can you still help @marissaCommentedJul 6, 2023 at 16:28
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There is a simpler way to solve this then what Slanec described. Hes solution works when you are using an English keyboard, if not you will have a hard time trying to "map" the key for special characters.

Instead of robot.keyPress and robot.keyRelease every single key you can use Toolkit to copy the String to the clipboard and then paste it.

 StringSelection s = new StringSelection("Path to the file"); Toolkit.getDefaultToolkit().getSystemClipboard().setContents(s, null); Robot robot = new Robot(); robot.keyPress(java.awt.event.KeyEvent.VK_ENTER); robot.keyRelease(java.awt.event.KeyEvent.VK_ENTER); robot.keyPress(java.awt.event.KeyEvent.VK_CONTROL); robot.keyPress(java.awt.event.KeyEvent.VK_V); robot.keyRelease(java.awt.event.KeyEvent.VK_CONTROL); Thread.sleep(3000); robot.keyPress(java.awt.event.KeyEvent.VK_ENTER); 
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  • I realise this is an old post, but like the note about the robot key press/releases, this uses a string path set at the top of the snippet Path to the file which is then copied to the clipboard and pasted into the field
    – Sandra
    CommentedOct 21, 2022 at 11:09
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First add the file to your project resource directory

then

public YourPage uploadFileBtnSendKeys() { final ClassLoader classLoader = getClass().getClassLoader(); final File file = new File(classLoader.getResource("yourFile.whatever").getPath()); uploadFileBtn.sendKeys(file.getPath()); return this; } 

Walla, you will see your choosen selected file, and have skipped the file explorer window

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  • In my case i only have the option to click on button which will open the file explorer. Which element i should pass above, uploadFileBtnCommentedJul 6, 2023 at 16:35
0

Import System.Windows.Forms binary to the test solution and call the following two LOC on clicking the Upload button on the UI.

 // Send the file path and enter file path and wait. System.Windows.Forms.SendKeys.SendWait("complete path of the file"); System.Windows.Forms.SendKeys.SendWait("{ENTER}"); 
    0

    An alternative solution would be to write a script to automate the Open File dialog. See AutoIt.

    Also, if you can't "click" the element, my workaround is generally to do this:

    element.SendKeys(Keys.Enter); 

    Hope this helps (Even though it's an old post)

      0

      Below code works for me:

      // wait for the window to appear WebDriverWait wait = new WebDriverWait(driver, 10); wait.until(ExpectedConditions.alertIsPresent()); // switch to the file upload window Alert alert = driver.switchTo().alert(); // enter the filename alert.sendKeys(fileName); // hit enter Robot r = new Robot(); r.keyPress(KeyEvent.VK_ENTER); r.keyRelease(KeyEvent.VK_ENTER); // switch back driver.switchTo().activeElement(); 
      2
      • What is that 'Robot'?
        – Jcyrss
        CommentedFeb 6, 2018 at 3:24
      • @Jcyrss it is java.awt.RobotCommentedSep 20, 2019 at 19:19
      0

      You have put double slash \\ for the entire absolute path to achieve this Example:- D:\\images\\Lighthouse.jpg

      Steps - use sendkeys for the button having browse option(The button which will open your window box to select files) - Now click on the button which is going to upload you file

      driver.findElement(By.xpath("//input[@id='files']")).sendKeys("D:\\images\\Lighthouse.jpg"); Thread.sleep(5000); driver.findElement(By.xpath("//button[@id='Upload']")).click(); 
        0

        Use AutoIt Script To Handle File Upload In Selenium Webdriver. It's working fine for the above scenario.

        Runtime.getRuntime().exec("E:\\AutoIT\\FileUpload.exe"); 

        Please use below link for further assistance: http://www.guru99.com/use-autoit-selenium.html

          0
           webDriver.FindElement(By.CssSelector("--cssSelector--")).Click(); webDriver.SwitchTo().ActiveElement().SendKeys(fileName); 

          worked well for me. Taking another approach provided in answer above by Matt in C# .net could also work with Class name #32770 for upload box.

            -1

            The below one had worked for me

            webDriver.findElement(By.xpath("//input[@type='file' and @name='importFile']")).sendKeys("C:/path/to/file.jpg"); 
              -1

              Double the backslashes in the path, like this:

              driver.findElement(browsebutton).sendKeys("C:\\Users\\Desktop\\Training\\Training.jpg"); 

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