Events & filters — CasperJS 1.1.0-DEV documentation

# Events & filters

CasperJS provides an event handler very similar to the nodejs‘ one; actually it borrows most of its codebase. CasperJS also adds filters, which are basically ways to alter values asynchronously.

## Events

Using events is pretty much straightforward if you’re a node developer, or if you worked with any evented system before:

    var casper = require('casper').create();

    casper.on('resource.received', function(resource) {
        casper.echo(resource.url);
    });

### Emitting you own events

Of course you can emit your own events, using the `Casper.emit()` method:

    var casper = require('casper').create();

    // listening to a custom event
    casper.on('google.loaded', function() {
        this.echo('Google page title is ' + this.getTitle());
    });

    casper.start('http://google.com/', function() {
        // emitting a custom event
        this.emit('google.loaded');
    });

    casper.run();

### Removing events

You can also remove events. This is particularly useful when running a lot of tests where you might need to add and remove different events for different tests:

    var casper = require('casper').create();

    // listener function for requested resources
    var listener = function(resource, request) {
        this.echo(resource.url);
    };

    // listening to all resources requests
    casper.on("resource.requested", listener);

    // load the google homepage
    casper.start('http://google.com/', function() {
        this.echo(this.getTitle());
    });

    casper.run().then(function() {
        // remove the event listener
        this.removeListener("resource.requested", listener);
    });

Here is an example of how to use this in a casperjs test within the tearDown function.:

    var currentRequest;

    //Resource listener
    function onResourceRequested(requestData, request) {
        if (/\/jquery\.min\.js/.test(requestData.url)) {
            currentRequest = requestData;
        }
    }

    casper.test.begin('JQuery Test', 1, {
        setUp: function() {
            // Attach the resource listener
            casper.on('resource.requested', onResourceRequested);
        },

        tearDown: function() {
            // Remove the resource listener
            casper.removeListener('resource.requested', onResourceRequested);
            currentRequest = undefined;
        },

        test: function(test) {
            casper.start('http://casperjs.org/', function() {
                test.assert(currentRequest !== undefined, "JQuery Exists");
            });

            casper.run(function() {
                test.done();
            });
        }
    });

### Events reference

#### `back`

Arguments: `None`

Emitted when the embedded browser is asked to go back a step in its history.

#### `capture.saved`

Arguments: `targetFile`

Emitted when a screenshot image has been captured.

#### `click`

Arguments: `selector`

Emitted when the `Casper.click()` method has been called.

#### `complete.error`

Arguments: `error`

New in version 1.1.

Emitted when a complete callback has errored.

By default, CasperJS doesn’t listen to this event, you have to declare your own listeners by hand:

    casper.on('complete.error', function(err) {
        this.die("Complete callback has failed: " + err);
    });

#### `die`

Arguments: `message, status`

Emitted when the `Casper.die()` method has been called.

#### `downloaded.file`

Arguments: `targetPath`

Emitted when a file has been downloaded by Casper.download(); `target` will contain the path to the downloaded file.

#### `error`

Arguments: `msg, backtrace`

New in version 0.6.9.

Emitted when an error hasn’t been explicitly caught within the CasperJS/PhantomJS environment. Do basically what PhantomJS’ `onError()` native handler does.

#### `exit`

Arguments: `status`

Emitted when the `Casper.exit()` method has been called.

#### `fill`

Arguments: `selector, vals, submit`

Emitted when a form is filled using the `Casper.fill()` method.

#### `forward`

Arguments: `None`

Emitted when the embedded browser is asked to go forward a step in its history.

#### `http.auth`

Arguments: `username, password`

Emitted when http authentication parameters are set.

#### `http.status.[code]`

Arguments: `resource`

Emitted when any given HTTP reponse is received with the status code specified by `[code]`, eg.:

    casper.on('http.status.404', function(resource) {
        casper.echo(resource.url + ' is 404');
    })

#### `load.started`

Arguments: `None`

Emitted when PhantomJS’ `WebPage.onLoadStarted` event callback is called.

#### `load.failed`

Arguments: `Object`

Emitted when PhantomJS’ `WebPage.onLoadFinished` event callback has been called and failed.

#### `load.finished`

Arguments: `status`

Emitted when PhantomJS’ `WebPage.onLoadFinished` event callback is called.

#### `log`

Arguments: `entry`

Emitted when the `Casper.log()` method has been called. The `entry` parameter is an Object like this:

    {
        level:   "debug",
        space:   "phantom",
        message: "A message",
        date:    "a javascript Date instance"
    }

#### `mouse.click`

Arguments: `args`

Emitted when the mouse left-click something or somewhere.

#### `mouse.down`

Arguments: `args`

Emitted when the mouse presses on something or somewhere with the left button.

#### `mouse.move`

Arguments: `args`

Emitted when the mouse moves onto something or somewhere.

#### `mouse.up`

Arguments: `args`

Emitted when the mouse releases the left button over something or somewhere.

#### `navigation.requested`

Arguments: `url, navigationType, navigationLocked, isMainFrame`

New in version 1.0.

Emitted each time a navigation operation has been requested. Available navigation types are: `LinkClicked`, `FormSubmitted`, `BackOrForward`, `Reload`, `FormResubmitted` and `Other`.

#### `open`

`location, settings`

Emitted when an HTTP request is sent. First callback arg is the location, second one is a request settings Object of the form:

    {
        method: "post",
        data:   "foo=42&chuck=norris"
    }

#### `page.created`

Arguments: `page`

Emitted when PhantomJS’ `WebPage` object used by CasperJS has been created.

#### `page.error`

Arguments: `message, trace`

Emitted when retrieved page leaves a Javascript error uncaught:

    casper.on("page.error", function(msg, trace) {
        this.echo("Error: " + msg, "ERROR");
    });

#### `page.initialized`

Arguments: `WebPage`

Emitted when PhantomJS’ `WebPage` object used by CasperJS has been initialized.

#### `page.resource.received`

Arguments: `response`

Emitted when the HTTP response corresponding to current required url has been received.

#### `page.resource.requested`

Arguments: `request`

Emitted when a new HTTP request is performed to open the required url.

New in version 1.1.

Arguments: `requestData, request`

You can also abort requests:

    casper.on('page.resource.requested', function(requestData, request) {
        if (requestData.url.indexOf('http://adserver.com') === 0) {
            request.abort();
        }
    });

#### `popup.created`

Arguments: `WebPage`

Emitted when a new window has been opened.

#### `popup.loaded`

Arguments: `WebPage`

Emitted when a new window has been loaded.

#### `popup.closed`

Arguments: `WebPage`

Emitted when a new opened window has been closed.

#### `remote.alert`

Arguments: `message`

Emitted when a remote `alert()` call has been performed.

#### `remote.callback`

Arguments: `data`

Emitted when a remote window.callPhantom(data) call has been performed.

#### `remote.message`

Arguments: `msg`

Emitted when any remote console logging call has been performed.

#### `resource.error`

Arguments: `resourceError`

Emitted when any requested resource fails to load properly. The received `resourceError` object has the following properties:

- `errorCode`: error code
- `errorString`: error description
- `url`: resource url
- `id`: resource id

#### `resource.received`

Arguments: `resource`

Emitted when any resource has been received.

#### `resource.requested`

Arguments: `request`

Emitted when any resource has been requested.

#### `run.complete`

Arguments: `None`

Emitted when the whole series of steps in the stack have been executed.

#### `run.start`

Arguments: `None`

Emitted when `Casper.run()` is called.

#### `starting`

Arguments: `None`

Emitted when `Casper.start()` is called.

#### `started`

Arguments: `None`

Emitted when Casper has been started using `Casper.start()`.

#### `step.added`

Arguments: `step`

Emitted when a new navigation step has been added to the stack.

#### `step.complete`

Arguments: `stepResult`

Emitted when a navigation step has been executed.

#### `step.created`

Arguments: `fn`

Emitted when a new navigation step has been created.

#### `step.error`

Arguments: `error`

New in version 1.1.

Emitted when a step function has errored.

By default, CasperJS doesn’t listen to this event, you have to declare your own listeners by hand:

    casper.on('step.error', function(err) {
        this.die("Step has failed: " + err);
    });

#### `step.start`

Arguments: `step`

Emitted when a navigation step has been started.

#### `step.timeout`

Arguments: `[step, timeout]`

Emitted when a navigation step has timed out.

#### `timeout`

Arguments: `None`

Emitted when the execution time of the script has reached the `Casper.options.timeout` value.

#### `url.changed`

Arguments: `url`

New in version 1.0.

Emitted each time the current page url changes.

#### `viewport.changed`

Arguments: `[width, height]`

Emitted when the viewport has been changed.

#### `wait.done`

Arguments: `None`

Emitted when a `Casper.wait()`operation ends.

#### `wait.start`

Arguments: `None`

Emitted when a `Casper.wait()` operation starts.

#### `waitFor.timeout`

Arguments: `[timeout, details]`

Emitted when the execution time of a `Casper.wait*()` operation has exceeded the value of `timeout`.

`details` is a property bag describing what was being waited on. For example, if `waitForSelector` timed out, `details` will have a `selector` string property that was the selector that did not show up in time.

## Filters

Filters allow you to alter some values asynchronously. Sounds obscure? Let’s take a simple example and imagine you would like to alter every single url opened by CasperJS to append a `foo=42` query string parameter:

    var casper = require('casper').create();

    casper.setFilter('open.location', function(location) {
        return /\?+/.test(location) ? location += "&foo=42" : location += "?foo=42";
    });

There you have it, every single requested url will have this appended. Let me bet you’ll find far more interesting use cases than my silly one ;)

Here’a the list of all available filters with their expected return value:

### Filters reference

#### `capture.target_filename`

Arguments: `args`

Return type: `String`

Allows to alter the value of the filename where a screen capture should be stored.

#### `echo.message`

Arguments: `message`

Return type: `String`

Allows to alter every message written onto stdout.

#### `log.message`

Arguments: `message`

Return type: `String`

Allows to alter every log message.

#### `open.location`

Arguments: `args`

Return type: `String`

Allows to alter every url before it being opened.

#### `page.confirm`

Arguments: `message`

Return type: `Boolean`

New in version 1.0.

Allows to react on a javascript `confirm()` call:

    casper.setFilter("page.confirm", function(msg) {
        return msg === "Do you like vbscript?" ? false : true;
    });

#### `page.prompt`

Arguments: `message, value`

Return type: `String`

New in version 1.0.

Allows to react on a javascript `prompt()` call:

    casper.setFilter("page.prompt", function(msg, value) {
        if (msg === "What's your name?") {
            return "Chuck";
        }
    });