Commands for native mobile apps test

Overview

Using commands, you can interact with elements in the mobile application or the OS itself by specifying selectors. Please refer to this guide to understand how selectors work in the context of native mobile applications.

These commands can be used to interact with the mobile application

Click

To click on an element,simply use app.click('selector strategy','selector') or app.click(selector object) . You can find the element using Appium inspector.


// Mention the selector strategy followed by the selector itself
// Click on the element with id `org.wikipedia:id/search_container`
app.click('id','org.wikipedia:id/search_container')


// Mention a selector object and index.
// Click on the nth element with id `org.wikipedia:id/page_list_item_title`
app.click({selector: 'org.wikipedia:id/page_list_item_title',locateStrategy: 'id',index: n})


// Mention the selector strategy followed by the selector itself
// Click on the element with id `org.wikipedia:id/search_container`
app.click('id','org.wikipedia:id/search_container')


// Mention a selector object and index
// Click on the nth element with id `org.wikipedia:id/page_list_item_title`
app.click({selector: 'org.wikipedia:id/page_list_item_title',locateStrategy: 'id',index: n})

Type/Send Keys

If your app contains fields that need text input,you can interact with such elements by using app.sendKeys('selector strategy','selector','text') or app.sendKeys(selector object,text).


//Mention the selector strategy followed by the selector itself
//Type the text 'Test' the element with id `org.wikipedia:id/search_container`
app.sendKeys('id','org.wikipedia:id/search_src_text','Test')


//Mention a selector object and index
//Type 'Test' in the nth element with id `org.wikipedia:id/search_src_text`
app.sendKeys({selector: 'org.wikipedia:id/search_src_text',locateStrategy: 'id',index: n},'Test')


//Mention the selector strategy followed by the selector itself
//Type the text 'Test' the element with id `org.wikipedia:id/search_container`
app.sendKeys('id','org.wikipedia:id/search_src_text','Test')


//Mention a selector object and index
//Type 'Test' in the nth element with id `org.wikipedia:id/search_src_text`
app.sendKeys({selector: 'org.wikipedia:id/search_src_text',locateStrategy: 'id',index: n},'Test')

Clear Value

To clear the value of an element,simply use app.clearValue('selector strategy','selector') or app.clearValue(selector object). You can find the element using Appium inspector


//Mention the selector strategy followed by the selector itself
//Clear the value of the element with id `org.wikipedia:id/search_src_text`
app.clearValue('id','org.wikipedia:id/search_src_text')


//Mention a selector object and index
//Click on the nth element with id `org.wikipedia:id/search_src_text`
app.clearValue({selector: 'org.wikipedia:id/search_src_text',locateStrategy: 'id',index: n})


//Mention the selector strategy followed by the selector itself
//Clear the value of the element with id `org.wikipedia:id/search_src_text`
app.clearValue('id','org.wikipedia:id/search_src_text')


//Mention a selector object and index
//Click on the nth element with id `org.wikipedia:id/search_src_text`
app.clearValue({selector: 'org.wikipedia:id/search_src_text',locateStrategy: 'id',index: n})

Set Value

You can directly set the value of an element by using app.setValue('selector strategy','selector','value') or app.setValue(selector object,'value').


//Mention the selector strategy followed by the selector itself
//Type the text 'Value' the element with id `org.wikipedia:id/search_container`
app.setValue('id','org.wikipedia:id/search_src_text','Value')


//Mention a selector object and index
//Type 'Value' in the nth element with id `org.wikipedia:id/search_src_text`
app.setValue({selector: 'org.wikipedia:id/search_src_text',locateStrategy: 'id',index: n},'Value')


//Mention the selector strategy followed by the selector itself
//Type the text 'Value' the element with id `org.wikipedia:id/search_container`
app.setValue('id','org.wikipedia:id/search_src_text','Value')


//Mention a selector object and index
//Type 'Value' in the nth element with id `org.wikipedia:id/search_src_text`
app.setValue({selector: 'org.wikipedia:id/search_src_text',locateStrategy: 'id',index: n},'Value')

Contexts

A single application can have multiple contexts such as web view or native app. Managing contexts would be essential for some flows such as Authentication, which may load a web view in your native app.

Get Context

app.appium.getContext() retrieves the current context


//Retrieve the current context
const context = await app.appium.getContext()


//Retrieve the current context
const context = await app.appium.getContext()

Get Contexts

app.appium.getContexts() retrieves all the contexts in an array format


//Retrieve all the contexts
const context = await app.appium.getContexts()


//Retrieve all the contexts
const context = await app.appium.getContexts()

Set Context

app.appium.setContext(context) can be used to switch the context


//Switch the current context to 'WEBVIEW_org.wikipedia'. You can get the context names via getContexts()
await app.appium.setContext('WEBVIEW_org.wikipedia')


//Switch the current context to 'WEBVIEW_org.wikipedia'. You can get the context names via getContexts()
await app.appium.setContext('WEBVIEW_org.wikipedia')

These commands can be used to interact with the OS to access OS/device level features

Start Activity

You can start a new Activity by using app.appium.startActivity(options). Options is a JSON object with the following parameters

  1. appPackage STRING: Name of the package
  2. appActivity STRING: Name of the activity
  3. appWaitPackage STRING: Automation will begin after this package starts
  4. appWaitActivity STRING: Automation will begin after this activity starts
  5. intentAction STRING: Intent action which will be used to start activity
  6. intentCategory STRING: Intent category which will be used to start activity
  7. intentFlags STRING: Flags that will be used to start activity
  8. optionalIntentArguments STRING: Additional intent arguments that will be used to start activity
  9. dontStopAppOnReset BOOLEAN: Should the app stop on reset

//Start an Activity with package name `com.example` & activity name 'Activity'
app.appium.startActivity({
  appPackage: 'com.example',
  appActivity: 'Activity'
})


//Start an Activity with package name `com.example` & activity name 'Activity'
app.appium.startActivity({
  appPackage: 'com.example',
  appActivity: 'Activity'
})

Get Current Activity

Retrieve the current activity name using app.appium.getCurrentActivity()


//Get current activity name
const activity =  await app.appium.getCurrentActivity();

Get Current Package

Retrieve the current package name using app.appium.getCurrentPackage()


//Get current package name
const package =  await app.appium.getCurrentPackage();

Get Orientation

Retrieve the current orientation of the device. The returned value will be POTRAIT or LANDSCAPE


//Get current orientation
const orientation =  await app.appium.getCurrentOrientation();

Set Orientation

Set the orientation of the device to LANDSCAPE or POTRAIT


//Set current orientation to LANDSCAPE
await app.appium.setOrientation('LANDSCAPE');

Get Geolocation

Retrieve the current geolocation of the device. The returned value will contain latitude,longitude and altitude.


//Get current geolocation
const geolocation =  await app.appium.getGeolocation();

Set Geolocation

Set the geolocation of device using latitude,longitude & altitude


//Set current geolocation
await app.appium.setGeolocation({latitude:23.03,longitude: 34.23,altitude: 35.03});

Press Key

Press a particular key on the keyboard using app.appium.pressKeyCode(key code). Key code values can be found here


//Press Keycode Back 
await app.appium.pressKeyCode(4);

This works only on Android

Long Press Key

Long press a particular key on the keyboard using app.appium.longPressKeyCode(key code). Key code values can be found here


//Press Keycode Back 
await app.appium.longPressKeyCode(4);

This works only on Android

Hide Keyboard

Hide the keyboard using app.appium.hideKeyboard()


 //Hide keyboard 
await app.appium.hideKeyboard();

Is Keyboard Shown

Check if the keyboard is shown or not using app.appium.isKeyboardShown(). This will return a boolean value. 


 //Is keyboard shown 
const keyboardShown = await app.appium.isKeyboardShown();

Now that you understand selectors and commands,you can proceed towards understanding how assertions work with Nightwatch

Assertions