IMacros
{{short description|Browser-based application for macro recording, editing and playback}}
{{lowercase title|title=iMacros}}
{{Stack|
{{Infobox software
| name = iMacros
| logo = File:Imacros.png
| screenshot =
| caption =
| collapsible =
| author = Ipswitch, Inc.
| latest release version = 12.5
| latest release date = {{start date and age|2018|11|07}}{{cite web
| url = http://wiki.imacros.net/Version_History
| title = Version History
| work = iMacros Online Documentation
| publisher = Ipswitch, Inc.
| date = 2012-03-19
| access-date = 2019-08-30
}}
| latest preview version =
| latest preview date =
| programming language =
| operating system = Windows 7 or later{{cite web
| url = http://imacros.net
| title = System requirements
| work = iMacros {{!}} Web Browser Scripting, Data Extraction and Web Testing
| publisher = Ipswitch, Inc.
| access-date = 9 January 2010
}}
| language = English + 10 other languages
| genre = Form filler
Scripting
Server monitoring
Software testing
Web scraping
| license = Proprietary commercial software
| website = [http://imacros.net/ imacros.net]
}}
{{Infobox software
| name = iMacros for Chrome
| latest release version = 10.0.5
| latest release date = {{start date and age|2018|09|17}}{{cite web
| url = http://wiki.imacros.net/iMacros_for_Chrome#Version_History
| title = iMacros for Chrome § Version History
| work = iMacros for Chrome Online Documentation
| publisher = Ipswitch, Inc.
| date = 2012-04-24
| access-date = 2019-08-30
}}
| latest preview version =
| latest preview date =
| platform = Google Chrome
| license = Freeware
}}
{{Infobox software
| name = iMacros for Firefox
| latest release version = 10.0.2.1450
| latest release date = {{Start date and age|2018|07|09}}{{cite web
| url = https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/addon/imacros-for-firefox/versions/
| title = Versions
| work = addons.mozilla.org
| publisher = Mozilla Foundation
| access-date = 2019-08-30
| archive-date = 2019-10-04
| archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20191004010346/https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/addon/imacros-for-firefox/versions/
| url-status = dead
}}
| latest preview version =
| latest preview date =
| platform = Mozilla Firefox
| license = Freeware
}}
{{Infobox software
| name = iMacros for Internet Explorer
| latest release version = 12.5
| latest release date = {{start date and age|2018|11|07}}
| latest preview version =
| latest preview date =
| platform = Internet Explorer
| license = Freeware{{cite web
| url = http://imacros.net/store/compare-versions
| title = iMacros Feature Comparison - Free and Business Editions
| work = iMacros website
| publisher = Ipswitch, Inc.
| access-date = 9 January 2011
}}
}}
}}
iMacros was a browser-based application for macro recording, editing and playback for web automation and testing. It was provided as a standalone application and extension for Mozilla Firefox, Google Chrome, and Internet Explorer web browsers. Developed by iOpus/Ipswitch, it added record and replay functionality similar to that found in web testing and form filler software.Firefox 3 Hacks, O'Reilly, 2008, {{ISBN|978-4-87311-375-3}} The macros can be combined and controlled via JavaScript. Demo macros and JavaScript code examples were included with the software. Running strictly JavaScript-based macros was removed in later versions of iMacros browser extensions. However, users could use an alternative browser like Pale Moon, based on older versions of Mozilla Firefox to use JavaScript files for web-based automated testing{{Cite web|url=https://www.jucktion.com/tech/light-browser-js-imacros-automation/|title=Lightest browser to run iMacros JavaScript automated testing|last=Manandhar|first=Niroj|date=2017-04-20|website=Tech Junction|language=en-US|access-date=2019-07-08}} with Moon Tester Tool.
The software has since been discontinued. It is no longer updated and no longer works properly in current web browser versions. After being discontinued, the website began redirecting to [https://progress.com progress.com], and it is now no longer accessible at all.
History
First created in 2001 by Mathias Roth,{{Cite web|url=https://techcrunch.com/2009/10/20/live-from-munich-techcrunch-europe-seminar-and-meetup/|title=Live from Munich – TechCrunch Europe seminar and meetup {{!}} TechCrunch|last=Butcher|first=Mike|date=20 October 2009 |access-date=2017-08-27}}{{Cite web |title=About a9t9 software |url=https://ui.vision/about |access-date=2022-11-14 |website=ui.vision}} iMacros was the first macro recorder tool specifically designed and optimized for web browsersGoebel, Max et al. Digging the Wild Web. An Interactive Tool. Web information systems engineering - WISE 2007: 8th International Conference and form filling.Huben, Jan, Domain Independent Automatic Form Filling. Web Engineering: 10th International Conference, ICWE 2010, Vienna, Austria In April 2012 iMacros was acquired{{Cite news|url=https://www.reuters.com/article/idUS163741+24-Apr-2012+BW20120424|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170827173933/https://www.reuters.com/article/idUS163741+24-Apr-2012+BW20120424|url-status=dead|archive-date=August 27, 2017|title=Ipswitch's Network Management Division Acquires iOpus Software|date=April 24, 2012|work=Reuters|access-date=2017-08-27}} by Ipswitch. In 2019 Ipswitch itself (and thus iMacros along with it) was acquired by Progress.{{Cite web |date=2019-03-28 |title=Progress to Acquire Ipswitch, Inc. |url=https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20190328005934/en/Progress-to-Acquire-Ipswitch-Inc. |access-date=2022-11-14 |website=www.businesswire.com |language=en}} In November 2022 Progress discontinued iMacros.{{Cite web |title=Important Progress iMacros Product Update - iMacros.net Forum |url=https://forum.imacros.net/viewtopic.php?f=20&t=32084 |access-date=2022-11-14 |website=forum.imacros.net}} In 2020 Mathias Roth started the Ui.Vision RPA project,{{Cite web |title=About Ui.Vision RPA |url=
https://ui.vision/about |access-date=2023-11-20 |website=ui.vision}} an open-source iMacros alternative with a focus on visual automation.
Features
iMacros for Firefox and Chrome offered a feature known as social scripting,{{cite journal|url=http://digitalcommons.macalester.edu/libtech_conf/2009/presentations/14/|title=Firefox Extensions and Tools: Using iMacros and Zotero|journal=Library Technology Conference |publisher=Library Technology Conference 2009|date=March 19, 2009|access-date=2011-01-18|last1=Quinn |first1=Todd |last2=Borkenhagen |first2=Jennifer }} which allowed users to share macros and scripts in a manner similar to social bookmarking. Technically, these functions are distributed on web sites by embedding the imacro and the controlling JavaScript inside a plain text link.{{cite web|url=http://run.imacros.net/?code=VkVSU0lPTiBCVUlMRD02MDAwODE0IFJFQ09SREVSPUZYDQpUQUIgVD0xDQpVUkwgR09UTz1odHRwOi8vd3d3Lmdvb2dsZS5jb20vd2ViaHA/aGw9ZW4NClRBRyBQT1M9MSBUWVBFPUlOUFVUOlRFWFQgRk9STT1OQU1FOmYgQVRUUj1OQU1FOnEgQ09OVEVOVD13aWtpcGVkaWE8U1A+aXM8U1A+Z3JlYXQNClRBRyBQT1M9MSBUWVBFPUlOUFVUOlNVQk1JVCBGT1JNPU5BTUU6ZiBBVFRSPU5BTUU6YnRuRyYmVkFMVUU6R29vZ2xlPFNQPlNlYXJjaA%3D%3D|title=Automatic Google Search|publisher=Embedded sample imacro|access-date=2020-01-20|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120208083747/http://run.imacros.net/?code=VkVSU0lPTiBCVUlMRD02MDAwODE0IFJFQ09SREVSPUZYDQpUQUIgVD0xDQpVUkwgR09UTz1odHRwOi8vd3d3Lmdvb2dsZS5jb20vd2ViaHA%2FaGw9ZW4NClRBRyBQT1M9MSBUWVBFPUlOUFVUOlRFWFQgRk9STT1OQU1FOmYgQVRUUj1OQU1FOnEgQ09OVEVOVD13aWtpcGVkaWE8U1A+aXM8U1A+Z3JlYXQNClRBRyBQT1M9MSBUWVBFPUlOUFVUOlNVQk1JVCBGT1JNPU5BTUU6ZiBBVFRSPU5BTUU6YnRuRyYmVkFMVUU6R29vZ2xlPFNQPlNlYXJjaA%3D%3D|archive-date=2012-02-08|url-status=dead}}
Along with the freeware version, iMacros was available as a proprietary commercial application, with additional features and support for web scripting, web scraping, internet server monitoring, and web testing. In addition to working with HTML pages, the commercial editions could automate Adobe Flash, Adobe Flex, Silverlight, and Java applets by using Directscreen and image recognition technology. The freeware version of iMacros contained no control flow statements and, with a few minor exceptions,{{cite web
| url = http://wiki.imacros.net/Macro_or_Script
| title = iMacros Macro or Script
| work = iMacros wiki website
| publisher = iOpus
| access-date = 17 March 2014
}} complex or conditional code required scripting available only in the commercial version.
Advanced versions also contained a command-line interface and an application programming interface (API) to automate more complicated tasks and integrate with other programs or scripts. The iMacros API was called the Scripting Interface. The Scripting Interface of the iMacros Scripting Edition was designed as a Component Object Model (COM) object and allowed the user to remotely control (script) the iMacros Browser, Internet Explorer, Firefox and Chrome from any Windows programming or scripting language.
See also
References
{{Reflist|colwidth=30em}}
External links
- {{official website|http://www.iMacros.net/}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Imacros}}
Category:Internet Explorer add-ons
Category:Nonfree Firefox WebExtensions