What is Appium Automation?

Last Updated : 26 Aug, 2024

In this comprehensive companion, you ’ll dive deep into the world of mobile testing, exploring the magic of Appium and its flawless integration with Java. Whether you ’re a seasoned QA mastermind or just starting your robotization passage, this composition is a must- read for anyone looking to elevate their mobile testing game.

Table of Content

What is Appium?

Appium is veritably important analogous to the Selenium Webdriver testing tool. So, if you formerly know Selenium Webdriver, Appium becomes veritably easy to learn. Appium is an exceptional open- source design and ecosystem designed to streamline UI robotization across colorful app platforms. Whether you are developing apps for mobile operating systems like iOS, Android, or Tizen or targeting web cybersurfers similar as Chrome, Firefox, and Safari, Appium has got you covered.

Features of Appium

Appium is a popular open-source tool for automating mobile applications. It offers a range of features that make it a powerful choice for mobile app testing. Here are some key features of Appium:

Cross-Platform Testing: Appium supports both iOS and Android platforms, allowing you to write tests once and run them on multiple platforms.
Multiple Language Support: Appium allows you to write test scripts in various programming languages such as Java, Python, JavaScript, Ruby, C#, and PHP. This flexibility accommodates different team preferences and existing skill sets.
Native, Hybrid, and Mobile Web App Testing: Appium can test all types of mobile applications:
- Native Apps: Apps developed using platform-specific APIs.
- Hybrid Apps: Apps built with a mix of native and web technologies.
- Mobile Web Apps: Websites optimized for mobile devices.
No Modification Required: Appium does not require you to modify your app or its source code to run tests. This maintains the integrity of your app and reduces complexity.
Support for Multiple Automation Engines: Appium leverages native automation frameworks provided by iOS (XCUITest) and Android (UIAutomator2, Espresso) but provides a unified interface to interact with both.
Parallel Execution: Appium supports parallel test execution across multiple devices and emulators/simulators, which helps to speed up the testing process.

Need for Mobile App Automation

Enabling Designers with the Appium Driver Ecosystem: Appium is places extraordinary significance on community-driven advancement. Its driver environment enables designers and testers to make and share Appium Drivers for differing stages. This collaborative approach not as it were cultivates a sense of community but moreover guarantees wide stage compatibility and broad test coverage.
Consistent Integration with the Plugin Ecosystem: Appium is grasps flexibility and extensibility through its strong plugin environment. By creating Appium Plugins, clients can easily coordinated Appium with other instruments and frameworks, fitting testing approaches to meet particular necessities effectively.
Presenting the Free Appium Examiner with Upgraded Features: Appium is presents an autonomous Appium Examiner with energizing modern highlights. Analyzers can presently mimic complex client intelligent including numerous fingers, improving their capacity to viably recognize and troubleshoot UI components.

Appium Architecture

Appium is a mobile automation framework that allows for the automation of mobile apps on both Android and iOS platforms.
It works by having a "customer" (test script) communicate with the "Appium garçon" over HTTP, enabling the robotization of mobile apps.
Test scripts indicate gadget data and test settings to start a test session, and Appium employments platform-specific drivers (e.g., UIAutomator2 for Android, XCTest for iOS) to associated with versatile app components based on locator techniques like ID, XPath, and name.
This process allows testers to write automation scripts once and run them across different devices and operating systems, making Appium an important and widely-used mobile automation framework.

Prerequisites to use Appium

Install Java( JDK)
Install Android Studio
Install fresh Android SDK tools
Install Appium jar train
JS( Not needed- It by dereliction comes with "Node.js" and" NPM", whenever the Appium garçon is installed. thus, it isn't needed to installnode.js and NPM independently. It's formerly included in current interpretation of Appium.)
Install Appium Desktop Client
Install Eclipse IDE for Java

Working of Appium on Android Device

Appium utilizes the UI Automator system (or Selendroid), outlined for mechanizing client interface testing of applications on Android gadget testing, to computerize their testing. Bootstrapper.jar acts as a TCP server that sends test command on sake of UIAutomator/Selendroid system for execution on the target device.
Android employments bootstrap.jar, which works as a TCP server. It is utilized to send the test commands to perform the activities on Android gadget utilizing UIAutomator.
In the below figure, see the Appium engineering in regard to Android computerization:

Working of Appium on iOS Device

Comparative to its utilization for Android gadgets, Appium employments JSON wire convention on iOS gadgets as well. Here as well it utilizes Apple’s UIAutomation API system in arrange to connected with client interface components for computerized iOS gadget testing. Bootstrap.js acts as a TCP server which sends out test command through Apple UIAutomation API system and works as TCP server that sends test command on an iOS gadget with Apple’s UIAutomation API system.
The comes about of the tests are at that point sent to the Appium server, which sends an HTTP reaction (containing status codes) to the Appium client. command through Apple UIAutomation API system and works as TCP server that sends test command on an iOS gadget with Apple’s UIAutomation API framework.
In the underneath figure, see the Appium engineering in regard to iOS robotization:

Advantages

Automated Testing: It allows the automated testing of mongrel, native, and web operations.
Compatibility: Unlike other testing tools, you don't need to include any fresh agents in your app to make Appium compatible with robotization.
Supporting Desktop Operation Testing: It supports desktop operation testing for windows as well along with mobile operation testing.
Cross-Platform: Appium is a cross-platform, freely available mobile testing tool, which allows us the cross-platform mobile testing. This means you can test on multiple platforms( single API for both Android and IOS platforms).

Challenges

Slow Speed: Since the tests depend on the remote web motorist, so it's a bit slow.
Usage of UIAutomator: An outflow that Appium uses UIAutomator for Android that only supports Android SDK, API 16, or advanced. still, Appium supports aged APIs, but not directly.
One-Case at a time: In iOS, only one case( iOS Script) can run on one Mac OS device, which means one test can be executed at a time per Mac. However, you need to arrange the same number of Mac machines, If you want to run your tests on multiple iOS bias at the same time.

Real-world Use Cases

Appium computerization finds broad utilize in different real-world scenarios over businesses for testing versatile applications. Here are a few real-world utilize cases for Appium automation:

E-commerce Portable Apps: A prevalent e-commerce stage needs to guarantee that its versatile app capacities consistently over diverse gadgets and working frameworks. Appium robotization is utilized to conduct end-to-end testing, counting client enrollment, item look, including things to the cart, and completing the checkout process.
Back and Keeping money Apps: A managing an account institution creates a portable app to permit clients to perform budgetary exchanges, check account equalizations, and oversee their accounts. Appium computerization is utilized to approve basic functionalities such as finance exchanges, charge installments, and account explanation recovery over different gadgets and OS adaptations.

Future Trends in Appium Automation

Telephone robotization, counting Appium integration with cloud testing stages, is persistently advancing to meet the requests of the ever-changing portable scene. Specified underneath are a few future patterns to be mindful of:

Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning: Fake insights (AI) and machine learning (ML) innovations will play a noteworthy part in upgrading versatile computerization. They can be utilized for shrewdly test script era, peculiarity discovery, and self-healing test robotization which decreases the exertion required for test maintenance.
Test Optimization for Rising Advances: As unused advances such as 5G, increased reality (AR), and virtual reality (VR) pick up footing, portable automation frameworks will got to adjust to guarantee the consistent testing of applications built on these platforms.
IoT and Wearable Gadget Testing: With the rise of IoT and wearable gadgets, portable robotization will expand its capabilities to cover testing scenarios that include interconnected gadgets and sensors to guarantee the quality and interoperability of these developing technologies.
Nonstop Testing and DevOps Integration: The integration of portable mechanization with ceaseless integration/continuous conveyance (CI/CD) pipelines will ended up more streamlined, which is able speedier criticism circles and speedier discharges whereas keeping up high-quality standards.

Competitors of Appium

Appium is a well-regarded tool for mobile application testing, but several other tools and frameworks offer similar functionalities or cater to specific needs. Here are some notable competitors of Appium:

1. Selendroid

Description: An open-source tool for Android automation. It supports both native and hybrid applications.
Strengths: Ideal for older Android versions and applications that use WebView.
Limitations: Limited support for iOS and newer Android versions; development has slowed in recent years.

2. XCUITest

Description: A testing framework provided by Apple for iOS applications. It’s built into Xcode and is used for testing native iOS apps.
Strengths: Deep integration with Xcode and iOS; offers high performance and detailed reporting.
Limitations: Limited to iOS; requires writing tests in Swift or Objective-C.

3. Espresso

Description: A testing framework provided by Google for Android applications. It’s part of the Android Testing Support Library.
Strengths: Provides robust and fast testing for native Android apps; integrates well with Android Studio.
Limitations: Limited to Android; requires tests to be written in Java or Kotlin.

Appium vs Robotium

Here’s a comparison table for Appium and Robotium that highlights their key differences:

Feature	Appium	Robotium
Platforms Supported	iOS, Android	Android only
Programming Languages	Java, JavaScript, Python, Ruby, C#	Java
App Types Supported	Native, Hybrid, Mobile Web	Native, and Android UI components
Cross-Platform Testing	Yes	No (Android-specific)
Test Writing Style	WebDriver-based (similar to Selenium)	JUnit-based
Requires App Modification	No	No (but specific Android test setup)
Real Devices Support	Yes	Yes
Emulators/Simulators Support	Yes	Yes
Automatic Synchronization	Handled by WebDriver	Yes (automatic synchronization of actions)
Integration	TestNG, JUnit, Cucumber, and more	Primarily JUnit
Handling UI Elements	Through WebDriver (element locators)	Through APIs for UI components
Community and Support	Large, active community, extensive documentation	Smaller community, good for Android-specific support

Appium Vs Selendroid

Appium and Selendroid are both tools for automating mobile applications, but they have different features, strengths, and limitations. Here’s a detailed comparison of Appium and Selendroid to help you understand their differences and determine which one might be better suited for your needs:

Feature	Appium	Selendroid
Platforms Supported	iOS, Android	Android only
Programming Languages	Java, JavaScript, Python, Ruby, C#	Java
App Types Supported	Native, Hybrid, Mobile Web	Native and Hybrid (limited support)
Cross-Platform Testing	Yes	No (Android-specific)
Test Writing Style	WebDriver-based (similar to Selenium)	Selenium WebDriver-based
Requires App Modification	No	Yes (requires specific Selendroid server)
Real Devices Support	Yes	Yes
Emulators/Simulators Support	Yes	Yes
Automatic Synchronization	Handled by WebDriver	Manual synchronization handling
Integration	TestNG, JUnit, Cucumber, and more	Primarily JUnit
Handling UI Elements	Through WebDriver (element locators)	Through WebDriver (element locators)
Community and Support	Large, active community, extensive documentation	Smaller community, less active
Development Status	Actively maintained and regularly updated	Less actively maintained, outdated

Conclusion

Developed for iOS, Android, and Windows platforms, Appium Automation is a robust and open-source framework for automating mobile apps. It's improvement, especially its cross-platform compatibility, holds promising prospects for versatile robotization and testing within the coming years.

What is Appium?

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Article Tags :

What is Appium Automation?

What is Appium?

Features of Appium

Need for Mobile App Automation

Appium Architecture

Prerequisites to use Appium

Working of Appium on Android Device

Working of Appium on iOS Device

Advantages

Challenges

Real-world Use Cases

Future Trends in Appium Automation

Competitors of Appium

1. Selendroid

2. XCUITest

3. Espresso

Appium vs Robotium

Appium Vs Selendroid

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Conclusion

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