In today’s fast-paced and rapidly evolving world of mobile applications, automation testing is becoming increasingly crucial. Not only does it help maximize efficiency, but it also ensures quality and gives developers peace of mind knowing that a product has been tested thoroughly before it is launched.
One of the most popular tools for automating mobile applications testing is Appium. It allows users to write automated tests in multiple programming languages and supports automation for both iOS and Android applications. In this post, we’ll introduce you to the basics of Appium and Python, and show you how to create your first mobile application automation test using these tools.
What is Appium?
Appium is an open-source tool that allows users to automate UI testing for mobile applications across multiple platforms. It supports testing for a variety of mobile platforms, including iOS, Android, and Windows, and uses the WebDriver protocol to interact with applications just like a real user would. This means that Appium tests can simulate user actions, such as typing, swiping, and tapping.
Why use Python with Appium?
Python is a popular language in the automation testing community due to its readability, simplicity, and flexibility. It is also cross-platform and is compatible with a variety of testing frameworks. When used with Appium, Python provides a simple and straightforward way to automate mobile application testing.
Getting started with Appium and Python
To get started with automating mobile applications with Appium and Python, you’ll need to have the following prerequisites installed on your machine:
- Python 3+
- Appium Desktop
- Android or iOS Simulator or Device
Once you have the prerequisites installed, follow these steps to create your first mobile application automation test:
- Launch Appium Desktop and start a new session with the following desired capabilities:
{
"platformName": "Android",
"deviceName": "<YOUR DEVICE NAME>",
"app": "<PATH TO YOUR APK FILE>"
}
- Open your favorite text editor and create a new Python file.
- Import the following libraries:
from appium import webdriver
import time
- Set up the Appium driver:
desired_caps = {
"platformName": "Android",
"deviceName": "<YOUR DEVICE NAME>",
"app": "<PATH TO YOUR APK FILE>"
}
driver = webdriver.Remote('http://localhost:4723/wd/hub', desired_caps)
driver.implicitly_wait(30)
- Write your test script using Python and Appium commands, such as:
el1 = driver.find_element_by_id("com.android.calculator2:id/digit_1")
el1.click()
el2 = driver.find_element_by_id("com.android.calculator2:id/op_add")
el2.click()
el3 = driver.find_element_by_id("com.android.calculator2:id/digit_2")
el3.click()
el4 = driver.find_element_by_id("com.android.calculator2:id/eq")
el4.click()
result = driver.find_element_by_id("com.android.calculator2:id/result")
assert result.text == "3"
- Save the Python file and run it using your preferred Python interpreter.
That’s it! You’ve just run your first mobile application automation test using Appium and Python. As you become more familiar with these tools, you can customize your tests by adding more test cases, integrating with testing frameworks, or even integrating with your CI/CD system.
Conclusion
Appium and Python are powerful tools that enable efficient automation testing of mobile applications. They are especially useful when you need to repeat the same tests over and over again. With this quick guide, you now have the knowledge to get started with mobile application automation testing using Appium and Python. Happy testing!