Appium is an open-source framework that allows QAs to conduct automated app testing on different platforms like Android, iOS, and Windows.
It automates testing for:
- Native Mobile Applications that are written using iOS, Android, or Windows SDKs
- Mobile Web Applications that can be accessed using mobile browsers such as Safari, Chrome, or in-built native browser applications for android devices
- Hybrid Mobile Applications that have a native wrapper around the web view
Appium is a cross-platform testing framework that is flexible, enabling testers to write test scripts against multiple platforms such as iOS, Windows, and Android using the same API. That means QAs can use the same code for iOS as for Android, time and effort.
Architecture of the Appium Framework
Appium is an HTTP server that is written on the Node.js platform whose set up comprises a REST (Representational State Transfer) API and implements Selenium WebDriver. It works on a client/server architecture. Appium allows the uses of the available WebDriver client for firing the tests.
The REST API performs the following actions:
- Receives the connection from the client-side
- Listens to the command
- Executes the command on a mobile device
- Returns the command execution status as an HTTP response to the client
Appium allows automation in the context of a session. The client initiates this session as per the client library (Java, JavaScript, PHP, Ruby, Python, and C#), which ends up sending a POST /session request to the server with the help of a JSON object that is termed as “desired capabilities” object.
It is then that the server starts the automation session and responds with a session ID that is further used for sending other commands relevant to the given session.
How does Appium work?
Appium interacts with an application automatically, by leveraging the behavior of the various components such as buttons, text boxes and links in the UI. It can be reused to write and run tests repeatedly against the given application at various sessions.
Appium on Android device
Appium uses the UIAutomator framework (or Selendroid), which is meant for testing the Android user interface to automate applications on Android device testing. The bootstrap.jar file works as a TCP server that sends the test command for acting on the Android device with the help of the UIAutomator or Selendroid framework.
Appium on iOS device
Similar to the case of Android devices, Appium uses the JSON wire protocol for iOS devices as well. Here, it uses Apple’s UIAutomation API to interact with the user interface elements for automated iOS device testing. The bootstrap.js file works as a TCP server that sends the test command for acting on the iOS device with the help of Apple’s UIAutomation API framework.
What makes Appium so popular?
When it comes to mobile app testing, regardless of whether the application is native, hybrid, or mobile web, running on Android, iOS, or Windows, Appium remains the first choice for app automation testing. Its popularity is due to a number of features:
- It is a server and runs in the background
- It can be synchronized with the TestNG testing framework offering a wider range of features
- With an in-built UIAutomator, Appium is capable of producing detailed information logs and has a detailed reporting structure for better analysis of test results better and improved debugging
- It offers the flexibility to write test code in different languages (Java, JavaScript, PHP, Ruby, Python, and C#)
- It offers the reusability of the same code for different device platforms such as iOS, Android, and Windows. This saves a lot of time and effort
- It offers QAs full control of the back-end APIs and databases using the test code. This helps evaluate defects that comes from the back-end APIs or databases
- Testers do not have to modify or recompile the app under test in any way, as Appium uses the standard automation APIs on all platforms. They don’t need to access the source code of the application under test
- It allows testing of mobile applications on emulators or simulators or real devices, offering flexibility to choose their testing device and environment. However, bear in mind that emulators and simulators are highly inadequate for final-stage testing. They cannot replicate many devices features such as low battery or unstable network – which is necessary to optimize the app for unsuitable situations. Only real device testing can offer conclusive, accurate results and make an app suitable for working in real user conditions.
- It offers cross-platform compatibility, enabling the same tests to run on multiple platforms widening the coverage
- It offers real-life monitoring of tests making their execution more robust
- Appium allows parallel execution of test automation scripts on different Android or iOS sessions using UIAutomator, UIAutomation, or Xcode9. This speeds up the testing process and ensures scalability
With so many amazing features, Appium is an automation testing framework that stands out as the best choice for mobile application testing.