Current Date :March 28, 2024
Unlock the Power of Appium: A Comprehensive Guide

A Comprehensive Guide to Unlock the Power of Appium

Automated testing has become an important aspect of software development because it enables faster and more efficient testing of applications.

Appium is an open-source framework for mobile application automation that allows testers to write and run automated tests for Android and iOS platforms.

In this blog, we will discuss Appium and how it can be used for automated testing.

What is Appium?

Appium is an open-source test automation framework that allows testers to write and run automated tests for mobile applications.

It is built on the WebDriver protocol and uses the JSONWire protocol to communicate with Android and iOS apps. Appium allows testers to write tests in their preferred programming languages, such as Java, Python, Ruby, or JavaScript.

Appium supports JUnit, TestNG, Cucumber, and other testing frameworks, and can be used together with Selenium, SeeTest, and other automated testing tools. It also supports different types of testing such as functional, performance, and regression testing.

Is Appium similar to selenium?

  • Selenium and Appium are both open-source automated testing tools.
  • Selenium automates browser testing by automating browser actions on different combinations of browsers and operating systems whereas Appium automates application testing for native, web, and hybrid applications.
  • Appium is based on Selenium and uses JSON WireProtocol to communicate with Android and iOS apps through Selenium WebDriver.
  • Appium’s architecture consists of a Node.js HTTP server that creates and manages multiple WebDriver sessions.
  • Appium starts testing on the device and waits for commands from the Appium server.
  • Appium is similar to a Selenium server which receives HTTP requests from Selenium client libraries.
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Appium Framework Architecture 

This section of the Appium Test Guide clarifies the architecture of the Appium Framework. The Appium architecture consists of three components:

  • Client: The Appium Client contains scriptable automation code written in popular programming languages ??such as Java, Python, Ruby, Perl, etc. Automation scripts contain configuration details for devices and apps. These scripts and configuration details are used to run the test cases.
  • Appium Server: This is an HTTP server that receives command requests in JSON format from clients. The Appium server uses Node.js, which then executes commands on the mobile device. Therefore, it is recommended to install the server on your machine before running the test scripts.
  • End Device: This refers to the emulators, emulators, and physical devices connected to the Appium server performing the tests.

How does Appium work?

Appium uses a client-server architecture, and the Appium server acts as a bridge between the mobile application and the automated test code. The automated test code uses WebDriver commands to interact with the Appium server, and the Appium server translates these commands into appropriate commands specific to the mobile platform.

To automate a mobile application using Appium, the following steps must be followed:

  • Set up the Appium environment by installing Appium on the test machine and configuring the required features such as device name, the platform version, and the application path.
  • Create automated test scripts using your favorite programming language and test framework.
  • Start the Appium server and run the automated test script.
  • Appium will start and interact with the mobile app on the device or emulator based on WebDriver commands in the automated test script.
  • An automated test script will check the functionality of a mobile application and generate a report of the test results.

Why is Appium so popular?

It’s no secret that the mobile industry is growing rapidly. To ensure faster application delivery, organizations rely heavily on mobile automation testing. According to a survey, Appium dominates the mobile space, with 35% of organizations preferring it over other free or open-source test automation tools.

Besides Appium, there are many other open-source tools that can be used to automate mobile testing. However, to interact with native mobile apps, most tools require additional agents to compile most of the app code.

Unlike other tools, Appium supports communication between different applications and does not require your application to contain additional proxies.

Here are the metrics that put Appium ahead of other mobile test automation tools:

  • Like Selenium Server, Appium operates as a server and runs in the background.
  • It has a built-in UI automaton to inspect mobile apps to get detailed information logs and report structures.
  • It can automate any mobile application built in different programming languages ??and frameworks.
  • Appium gives you full access to the backend API and database from your test scripts.
  • Appium is well synchronized with the TestNG testing framework.
  • It facilitates regression testing of mobile applications.
  • Appium does not need to be installed on mobile devices to test mobile apps.
  • It works with native Android and iOS mobile apps using the Selenium WebDriver JSON protocol.
  • With Appium, you can test apps on emulators and emulators as well as real device clouds.
  • You can use Xcode, UIAutomator, and UIAutomation to perform side-by-side testing of your Appium automation scripts. 

Benefits of using Appium for automated testing

  • Cross-platform testing: Appium supports both Android and iOS platforms, allowing testers to write once and run tests on multiple platforms, saving time and effort.
  • Open Source: Appium is an open-source framework that is free to use and has a large community of developers contributing to its development and support.
  • Ease of Installation: Appium is easy to install and configure, with simple installation and configuration procedures.
  • Support for multiple programming languages: Appium supports multiple programming languages, allowing testers to write tests in their preferred language.
  • Support for multiple test frameworks: Appium supports multiple test frameworks, giving testers the flexibility to choose the test framework that best suits their needs.

Also Read: Banish The Blues Of Test Automation: Tips To Dodge Challenges And Failures!

Conclusion

Automated testing has become an important aspect of software development, and Appium is an excellent choice for automating mobile applications. Appium’s cross-platform support, open-source nature, and ease of use make it a popular choice for testers. With Appium, testers can write and run automated tests for mobile apps and ensure the quality and functionality of their software products.

When it comes to QA, nothing is better than having the correct people in charge. That’s why we make sure that everyone on our team is qualified and accredited on some of the industry’s best practices. 

At TestUnity we have an expert team of QA Engineers. This enables us to give our clients the support they require to make sure that their software hits the market in the right circumstances. Contact us for a free consultation and see why TestUnity’s QA approach is the best choice for your software.

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