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Controlling Citrix Web Client Using WinBatch


Question:

I have been asked to write a program which automate the following manual process. My knowledge of citrix/Win Batch environment is very limited. I am thinking of using Win Batch tools to record the macro for the manual process and use it. If any one has tried this I would appreciate any help like what documents I have to read, how it can be done and any sample code etc. . The manual process is:
A user connects to a URL using browser and a logon window appears. User provides userid/password and clicks on login button
  1. A Reporting Application in Citrix Web Client environment shows report options: report classes, time period.

  2. The user selects the Save Reports tab.

  3. Then the user browses report classes and selects A report

  4. Then in time period drop down menu user selects dates for the report

  5. The user then clicks on the "RUN" button to generate the report.

  6. The status window is displayed showing the ongoing running status of the report generation activity.

  7. Finally, when the report is complete the report output is displayed in a separate POPUP window.

  8. Then user clicks on the "Export to Excel" button on the pop up window.

  9. A "Save As" dialog window is displayed and the user enters a Windows filename into which the report is saved.

Answer:

Just to clarify a few things for you....

Your web browser has the ".ICA" file type associated with the Citrix client software as its "helper" application. When you click on a link whose URL points to a .ICA file, the .ICA file [basically a small text file formatted like a .INI file] gets downloaded and the Citrix client gets started and the .ICA file is passed to it as a parameter. Then, the Citrix client pops up a window to authenticate you as a domain user on the Citrix server. After you are authenticated, the Citrix client presents an application in "seemless" mode, meaning that the application's window(s) appear on your desktop, but the application in the Citrix session doesn't appear within a frame window containing a desktop for the Citrix session.

It is going to be some what dicey automating this in a reliable way. The problem is that when Citrix presents the application on your desktop, the application window is "opaque". This means that the RoboScript utility and the Control Manager extender won't be able to "see" or directly manipulate the controls that are present in the application window that Citrix displays on your desktop. About the best you can do is to use the SendKeysTo() function along with some time delays to try to automate the application.

It would be much easier if you could get the Citrix Published Application definition modified to launch a WinBatch script on the Citrix server, with the script then launching the desired application and automating its activities.


Article ID:   W15963
File Created: 2004:03:30:15:42:04
Last Updated: 2004:03:30:15:42:04