Advanced Techniques in Selenium Mobile Testing

Appium and Selendroid are two examples of Selenium-based frameworks that let you test mobile apps in a manner remarkably similar to traditional Selenium testing, even though Selenium cannot be used to directly test mobile apps because it was not designed for mobile testing. Let’s see in this blog how these frameworks function and how they expand the Selenium mobile testing space.

Is Selenium Apt for Automating Mobile Application Testing?

Although Selenium is a powerful and popular framework for testing web applications, mobile application testing was not part of its original design. For this reason, writing automated test scripts for mobile apps is not possible using Selenium alone. On the other hand, mobile application testing is made possible by Selenium-supported frameworks like Appium and Selendroid.

Using Selendroid and Appium for Testing

Several crucial steps are included in the mobile application testing process when utilizing Appium and Selendroid:

Development of Test Scripts

Writing code in programming languages like Java, Python, or Ruby is necessary for creating automated test scripts for mobile applications. Writing test scripts for Appium or Selendroid will be very simple if you are already familiar with Selenium, as they share comparable syntax and structures. However writing these scripts by hand can take a lot of time, and because of the initial development work needed, the ROI might not materialize right away.

Test Management

Although Appium and Selendroid are robust open-source solutions, they don’t have very strong built-in test management features. Basic features like preserving locators and commands and recording element clicks are offered by Selendroid. Likewise, Appium provides a recorder for iOS apps, but the output that is captured consists solely of test locators and commands—complete test scripts are not included. Thus, incorporating a third-party test management platform can improve the testing process’ efficacy and efficiency.

Backward Compatibility

Android devices running version 4.0 and higher are supported by Appium. Appium interfaces with Selendroid to guarantee backward compatibility with previous versions of Android (API 10–17). Still, it’s possible that using the original Selendroid framework directly will function better than this integration. Selendroid continues to be a superior choice for complete backward compatibility, particularly for devices with lower API versions.

Gesture Testing

Mobile applications rely heavily on gestures, and both Appium and Selendroid handle gesture recognition effectively through dedicated APIs. Selendroid, in particular, excels in this area with its ‘Advanced User Interactions API,’ which is useful for testing complex gestures.

Detailed Overview of Selendroid

Features of Selendroid:

• Hotplugging: This feature enables Selendroid to dynamically add and remove devices while a test is running by enabling it to detect and identify new devices plugged into it.
• Built-in Inspector: Selendroid includes a built-in inspector for examining UI elements.
• Advanced Gesture Testing: Selendroid facilitates sophisticated gesture testing via the “Advanced User Interactions API.”

Advantages of Selendroid:

• Android-Focused: Optimized exclusively for Android applications.
• No App Modification Required: Automate tests without access to the source code.
• Interact with Multiple Browser Instances: Comprehensive automation through multiple browser instances.
• Faster Test Execution: Leverages Android instrumentation for quicker test cycles.
• Java Library for Test Scripts: Clean, object-oriented code.
• Supports Hybrid Apps: Automate click actions within embedded webviews.
• Crash Detection and Recovery: Detects and recovers from app crashes during tests.
• Continuous Integration Support: Integrates with CI/CD pipelines.
• Support for Emulators and Real Devices: Test on both real devices and emulators.

Selendroid accelerates automated functional testing for native, hybrid, and web Android apps, providing reliable test automation capabilities for teams building Android applications.

Components of Selendroid:

• Web Driver Client: A Java client library for writing test scripts.
• Selendroid Server: Runs on the mobile device (real or emulator) where the application under test is installed.
• Android Driver Webview App: A built-in driver for testing mobile web applications.

Detailed Overview of Appium

Appium is a well-liked option for automated mobile testing because it can be used with Windows, iOS, and Android applications. It builds on Selenium’s functionality and utilizes the JSON Wire Protocol, just like Selendroid. Selenium for mobile testing, especially when paired with Appium, is a powerful tool for any mobile site tester looking to ensure optimal performance and user experience across diverse devices and operating systems.

Appium’s features include:

• Cross-Platform Support: Write tests once and run them on multiple platforms.
• Access to Advanced Mobile Features: APIs for GPS, notifications, barcode scanning, etc.
• Active Open Source Community: Continuous updates and community support.
• Expressive Locator Strategies: Advanced element identification techniques.
• Image-Based Testing: Validate elements and screens through image comparisons.
• No App Modification Required: Appium does not require access to the application’s source code, avoiding the need for reinstallation after minor code changes.
• Large User Community: Appium has a broad and active user community, providing extensive support and resources.

Advanced Selenium Mobile Tests: Features

Advanced Selenium mobile tests offer an array of features that empower testers to handle diverse mobile-specific scenarios and simulate complex user interactions. When combined with Appium, these capabilities can significantly enhance the effectiveness and efficiency of mobile testing efforts. Below are some sophisticated tools and techniques that can be leveraged:

Accessing Device Logs

Device logs are crucial for debugging test sessions. Appium helps testers by collecting system, crash, and application logs, enabling the identification of issues.

Dealing with Notifications

Appium allows interaction with the notification shade on Android or the notification center on iOS, enabling testers to verify how the app handles push notifications.

Network Conditioning

Integrate Appium with tools for network simulation to simulate various network circumstances. This makes it possible for testers to simulate different network speeds and offline scenarios, which is essential for assessing how resilient the app is to changing network circumstances.

Using Deep Links

Deep linking uses a URI to link to a specific page within the app, offering an alternative to simply launching a mobile application.

Automated Performance Testing

Monitor memory and CPU usage during test sessions using Appium in conjunction with performance testing tools. This ensures the application performs well under various conditions.

Online Assessment Tools

Establish a connection with cloud-based systems such as AWS Device Farm and LambdaTest. For cross-platform testing, these platforms provide a large selection of hardware and operating systems.

Advanced features of Selenium mobile testing ensure a comprehensive testing regimen, guaranteeing that applications are functional, robust, and user-friendly across devices and operating systems.

Selenium Mobile Tests: Problems and Coping Strategies

Given the diversity and complexity of mobile devices and operating systems, Selenium mobile tests, particularly when used with Appium for mobile platforms, can encounter numerous challenges. Here are some common issues and effective troubleshooting strategies:

Diverse Device and OS Versions

Challenge: Mobile ecosystems are fragmented with numerous device models, screen sizes, and OS versions, leading to inconsistent test results and app behavior.

Strategy:

• Use Device Farms: Utilize cloud-based device farms like LambdaTest to access a variety of devices and OS versions.
• Device Prioritization: Focus testing efforts on the most widely used devices and operating systems based on market analytics and user data.

Flakiness in Test Execution

Challenge: Tests can be flaky, failing intermittently due to timing issues, network variability, or environmental conditions.

Strategy:

• Boost Test Robustness: To handle asynchronous operations and items that take longer to load, use explicit waits or polling techniques rather to hard waits.
• Isolate Tests: Ensure each test is independent to avoid side effects from previous tests.
• Review Appium Logs: Use Appium logs to identify the exact step where the test fails.

Handling Dynamic Content

Problem: Apps load material dynamically, causing elements to appear after the page loads and leading to “elements not found” errors.

Strategy:

• Dynamic Wait: Use WebDriverWait and ExpectedConditions from Selenium to pause until content becomes clickable or visible.
• Scrolling: Implement scrolling actions to make elements visible on the screen before interacting with them.

Mobile Gestures and Interactions

Challenge: Simulating complex gestures like swipe, pinch, or multi-finger taps can be tricky and may not always work as expected.

Strategy:

• Utilize the TouchActions API: To create intricate movements, utilize Appium’s TouchAction class.
• Adjust Gesture Parameters: Tweak parameters like duration, pressure, and coordinates based on the device’s resolution and responsiveness.

Localization and Internationalization Testing

Challenge: Testing apps in multiple languages and formats can be cumbersome and error-prone.

Strategy:

• Automate Locale Switching: Create programs that cause devices to automatically switch between locales and languages.
• Use Localized Test Data: Ensure test data reflects the locale settings to accurately simulate user interaction.

By addressing these issues with practical troubleshooting, you can improve the reliability and effectiveness of Selenium mobile tests, resulting in better applications and user experiences.

Leveraging LambdaTest for Enhanced Mobile Testing

LambdaTest offers a cloud-based Selenium Grid for reliable manual, visual, and automated testing. It supports multiple browsers and operating systems, allowing for simultaneous Selenium tests to speed up test execution. Here are some key benefits of using LambdaTest:

• Geolocation and Accessibility Testing: Conduct tests that include geolocation and accessibility considerations.
• Integration with Developer Tools: Integrate native developer tools for seamless testing workflows.
• CI/CD Integration: Speed up DevOps and CI/CD pipeline resolutions with integrations for JIRA, GitHub, Slack, and more.
• Low-Code Automation: LambdaTest allows testers to create automated tests using plain English, eliminating the need for extensive coding knowledge.
• AI-Powered: The platform uses AI algorithms to enhance testing efforts and provide intelligent insights.
• Cloud-Based: LambdaTest offers cloud support, enabling testers to execute mobile test cases without any setup hassles and providing access to thousands of environments.
• Parallel and Compatibility Testing: LambdaTest supports parallel testing and compatibility testing, making it ideal for comprehensive testing needs.

Conclusion

By setting up Selenium with Appium to simulate real-world scenarios across mobile devices and operating systems and leveraging advanced features like gestures and device orientations, you can make your mobile apps more robust.

Additionally, we’ve discussed optimizing tests for specific platforms and conditions to ensure a consistent user experience across devices. Integrating these tests into continuous integration pipelines underscores the importance of automation for faster and more reliable results.

Every improvement to your testing framework enhances your application’s performance and deepens your understanding of the mobile landscape. By starting small and building up, you can create more robust and effective mobile tests. Use these methods to improve testing efficiency and application quality.

Appium and Selendroid offer significant benefits for mobile application testing, each suited to specific project needs. Appium is ideal for functional, regression, compatibility, and integration testing of both Android and iOS applications, while Selendroid provides excellent backward compatibility for older Android versions.