KIF (short for “keep it functional”) is an iOS integration test framework that is closely related to and that uses XCTest test targets. KIF tests can be executed directly in XCTestCase or any subclass. KIF allows for easy automation of iOS applications by leveraging the accessibility attributes that the OS makes available to those with visual disabilities.
One of those things that why KIF has got some popularity among iOS developers is that it performs those tests using standard Xcode test targets and all tests can be written using Objective-C or Swift as normal XCTest subclasses.
Features and Benefits of KIF
Easy to Learn – No Real Learning Curve
As Swift and Objective-C are the options for iOS app developers to use, KIF is very easy to use in Swift and Objective-C based projects and it supports apps written either with Swift or Objective-C. This basically limits the complexity that typically comes from the test setups where several languages are used.
KIF integrates directly to Xcode project and there is no need to install any packages, set up additional servers, or integrate with any other instances.
Support for Various iOS Versions
Since XCTest was introduced in Xcode, iOS has seen several major (and minor) releases after that. However, XCTest has remained consistent test option for iOS app developers and OS version fragmentation hasn’t had too much impact on how it can be used for test automation. Basically KIF supports even older iOS versions and from the user point of view changes required to get things running are minimalistic (all related to Xcode).
User-like Test Automation
KIF among the other frameworks provides user-like inputs and all events and interactions for automation are similar to how an actual user would use the app under test. In addition, XCTest/XCUITest foundation provides great API to a variety of different user interactions, clicks and even gestures. The basic selection of gesture and interaction API includes:
