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MXML Language Reference

Reference  MXML — MaxTAF's XML test language for IBM Maximo.

MXML (MaxTAF XML) is a compact, tag-based language purpose-built for testing IBM Maximo. It transpiles to Java and runs on Selenium, but hides the boilerplate and handles Maximo's quirks — iframes, dirty-record prompts, required/readonly field validation — behind clean tags like <ui:click> and <ui:assertValue>. Most MXML cases are produced by the recorder or an AI test case; this page is for reading, editing and hand-writing them.

How MXML transpiles

Every MXML tag has an associated Java template defined in MaxTAF's schema (XSD). At run time the engine walks the MXML tree and, for each tag, substitutes its attributes ($attr) and content ($content) into that template, assembling a standard JUnit-style Java test class. Tags that act on an element take one locator child (e.g. <ui:id>) which declares the Selenium By used by the surrounding action.

You don't need to see the Java — but MaxTAF shows it: a case's Script tab has MXML | JAVA sub-tabs so you can author in MXML and inspect the transpiled Java side by side.

The case skeleton

An MXML case is a <testCase> root declaring the namespaces it uses, with three lifecycle blocks. The ui namespace (xmlns:ui="http://www.maxtaf.com/ui") holds the UI/Maximo actions.

<testCase name="MyCaseName"
    xmlns="http://www.maxtaf.com"
    xmlns:xsi="http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema-instance"
    xmlns:ui="http://www.maxtaf.com/ui">

  <beforeTestCase>
    <initializeApi />
    <ui:createDriver>
      <ui:timeout>20</ui:timeout>
    </ui:createDriver>
    <ui:javaScriptExecutor />
    <addReporter type="xml" name="Test Title" description="Test Description"
                 class="Test Class" author="Author" />
  </beforeTestCase>

  <test name="testMyCaseName">
    <addTestReport name="testMyCaseName" />
    <ui:maximizeWindow />

    <native>driver.get(mxService.getParam("mx.maximo.address"))</native>
    <ui:click>
        <ui:id>toolactions_INSERT-tbb_anchor</ui:id>
    </ui:click>
    <ui:clear><ui:id>md3801d08-tb</ui:id></ui:clear>
    <ui:sendKeys text="Pump repair"><ui:id>md3801d08-tb</ui:id></ui:sendKeys>
    <ui:assertValue value="WAPPR"><ui:id>STATUS@483</ui:id></ui:assertValue>

    <testReportStatus>PASSED</testReportStatus>
  </test>

  <afterTestCase>
    <ui:close />
    <closeReporter />
  </afterTestCase>
</testCase>

• beforeTestCase — set-up: create the API service, the driver and the JS executor, and register the reporter.
• test — the actual steps (this becomes the JUnit test method). End a passing test with <testReportStatus>PASSED</testReportStatus>.
• afterTestCase — teardown: close the browser and flush the report.

Structural & reporting tags

Selector (locator) model

An action tag contains exactly one locator child, which becomes a Selenium By. Supported locators, in the recorder's preference order:

<ui:click>
    <ui:xpath>//*[@staticId='headerA_5-multiparttextbox_textbox_2']</ui:xpath>
</ui:click>

Interaction actions

Assertions & verifies

Assert tags fail the test immediately on mismatch. Verify tags are non-blocking — they collect verification errors and let the test continue.

The Maximo-aware asserts (Required, Readonly, Error) are what make MXML valuable for Maximo: they check the field states Maximo exposes rather than raw DOM attributes.

Storing values in variables

Store tags read something into a variable you can reuse later in the case (e.g. capture a generated work-order number, then assert it downstream).

The recorder declares the variable first, e.g. <var name="WO_NUM" type="String">""</var>, then the <ui:getValue var="WO_NUM"> tag fills it.

Waits

Maximo, frames & windows

These tags encapsulate Maximo-specific flows. Many are available for hand-authoring even though the recorder captures the underlying clicks instead.

Special values & the native escape hatch

• $ENTER — as the text of <ui:sendKeys>, sends the Enter key rather than literal text (other Selenium Keys.* tokens work too). The recorder omits the preceding <ui:clear> in this case.
• Variable interpolation — in String-typed attributes/content, ${expr} and $var splice a Java expression/variable into the string. In Expression-typed content the leading $ is simply stripped (raw Java). Escape a literal dollar as \$.
• Navigation — MXML has no dedicated navigate tag; the recorder emits <native>driver.get("https://…")</native>, or <native>driver.get(mxService.getParam("mx.maximo.address"))</native> to navigate to whatever the Maximo-address parameter holds.
• <native> — drops into raw Java verbatim. Inside it you have driver (the Maximo web driver), bot (UI helper), js (JS executor) and mxService (the API). Use it when no tag fits.

<ui:sendKeys text="$ENTER"><ui:id>searchField</ui:id></ui:sendKeys>

<native>
    System.out.println("Custom step: " + mxService.getParam("mx.maximo.address"));
</native>

Parameters in MXML

• Read a parameter at run time with mxService.getParam("name") (inside <native> or a tag that uses it).
• Driver/connection behaviour comes from parameters: mx.selenium.server, mx.selenium.mode, mx.selenium.browser, mx.selenium.slow_down_level, mx.selenium.enable_video_recording, and mx.maximo.address / mx.maximo.username / mx.maximo.password.
• <ui:sendParam name> types a named test parameter's value straight into a field.
• Project-level and case-level parameters both apply; case-level values override project-level ones. See the Parameter reference.

Gotchas & tips

• Prefer stable locators. Maximo generates volatile element ids; where possible use an id that carries a meaningful suffix (e.g. STATUS@483) or a robust cssSelector/xpath. Avoid <ui:className> (unsupported).
• Frame awareness. After navigating into Maximo content you're inside an iframe. The recorder inserts <ui:switchToFrame> automatically; when hand-writing, switch frames before acting and back with <ui:switchToDefaultFrame/>.
• The recorder emits a subset. It doesn't generate every tag (e.g. login, openApp, screenshot, getAttribute) — but the engine supports them all, so you can add them by hand.
• Other namespaces exist. Alongside ui, MaxTAF defines time, net, db, system and perf namespaces for timing, HTTP, database, system and performance operations — declare and use them the same way.