Appium Desktop

Appium Desktop is an open-source GUI for inspecting app elements, writing basic automation scripts, and running them on a local Appium server. It simplifies mobile app testing by providing a visual interface for interacting with Appium.

Detailed explanation

Appium Desktop is a valuable tool for mobile app testers, especially those new to Appium or those who prefer a visual interface for inspecting elements and creating basic automation scripts. It essentially wraps the core Appium server functionality within a user-friendly desktop application. While it's not a replacement for writing robust, maintainable automation code in an IDE, it serves as an excellent starting point for exploring Appium's capabilities and quickly verifying element locators.

Key Features and Functionality:

  • Appium Server Management: Appium Desktop includes a built-in Appium server. You can configure server settings, such as port number, IP address, and desired capabilities, directly within the application. This eliminates the need to manually start and configure the Appium server from the command line, simplifying the setup process.

  • Inspector: The Inspector is the most prominent feature of Appium Desktop. It allows you to connect to a running mobile app (either on a real device or an emulator/simulator) and inspect the UI elements. You can view the element hierarchy, attributes (e.g., text, resource-id, class, content-desc), and locators (e.g., XPath, accessibility ID, class name). This is crucial for identifying the correct locators to use in your automation scripts.

  • Session Recording: Appium Desktop can record your interactions with the app within the Inspector. As you tap buttons, enter text, and navigate through the app, the tool generates corresponding Appium commands (e.g., findElement, click, sendKeys). This provides a basic script that you can then copy and paste into your automation framework.

  • Basic Script Generation: While the generated scripts are not production-ready, they offer a starting point for building more complex automation tests. You'll typically need to refactor the generated code, add assertions, and integrate it into a proper testing framework.

Practical Implementation:

  1. Installation: Download and install Appium Desktop from the official Appium website or GitHub repository. The installation process is straightforward and platform-specific (Windows, macOS, Linux).

  2. Configuration: Launch Appium Desktop. You'll be presented with the server configuration screen. Review the default settings (port 4723 is common) and adjust them if necessary.

  3. Desired Capabilities: Configure the desired capabilities for your test session. These capabilities tell Appium which device or emulator/simulator to connect to and which app to automate. Common capabilities include:

    • platformName: The operating system of the device (e.g., Android, iOS).
    • platformVersion: The version of the operating system (e.g., 13, 16).
    • deviceName: The name of the device or emulator/simulator (e.g., Pixel 4, iPhone 13).
    • appPackage (Android): The package name of the app you want to automate (e.g., com.example.myapp).
    • appActivity (Android): The activity to launch when the app starts (e.g., com.example.myapp.MainActivity).
    • bundleId (iOS): The bundle identifier of the app (e.g., com.example.myapp).
    • app: The path to the .apk (Android) or .ipa (iOS) file if the app is not already installed on the device.

    You can enter these capabilities in JSON format within the Appium Desktop interface.

    Example (Android):

    {
  "platformName": "Android",
  "platformVersion": "13",
  "deviceName": "Pixel 4",
  "appPackage": "com.android.calculator2",
  "appActivity": "com.android.calculator2.Calculator"
}

    Example (iOS):

    {
  "platformName": "iOS",
  "platformVersion": "16.0",
  "deviceName": "iPhone 13",
  "bundleId": "com.apple.calculator"
}

  4. Start Session: Click the "Start Session" button. Appium Desktop will attempt to connect to the device or emulator/simulator based on the specified capabilities. If successful, the Inspector will launch, displaying the UI of your app.

  5. Inspect Elements: Use the Inspector to browse the element hierarchy and identify the locators you need for your automation scripts. You can tap on elements to view their attributes and locators.

  6. Record Interactions: Start recording your interactions with the app by clicking the "Start Recording" button. Perform the actions you want to automate. Appium Desktop will generate the corresponding Appium commands.

  7. Copy Script: Stop the recording and copy the generated script.

  8. Integrate into Framework: Paste the script into your automation framework (e.g., JUnit, TestNG, pytest) and refactor it as needed. Add assertions to verify the expected behavior of your app.

Best Practices:

  • Use Appium Desktop for Exploration: Primarily use Appium Desktop for exploring the app's UI, identifying element locators, and understanding the basic Appium commands.
  • Don't Rely Solely on Generated Scripts: The generated scripts are a starting point, not a finished product. Refactor them to improve readability, maintainability, and robustness.
  • Choose Appropriate Locators: Select locators that are stable and reliable. Avoid using locators that are likely to change with UI updates (e.g., dynamically generated IDs). Accessibility IDs and content descriptions are often good choices.
  • Use a Proper Automation Framework: Integrate your Appium tests into a well-structured automation framework. This will provide features such as test reporting, parallel execution, and CI/CD integration.
  • Learn Appium's Core Concepts: While Appium Desktop simplifies the initial setup, it's essential to understand the underlying concepts of Appium, such as desired capabilities, element locators, and Appium commands.

Common Tools:

  • Appium Inspector (part of Appium Desktop): For inspecting app elements and generating basic scripts.
  • Android Studio/Xcode: For launching emulators/simulators and debugging apps.
  • Java/Python/JavaScript: Programming languages commonly used with Appium.
  • JUnit/TestNG/pytest: Testing frameworks for organizing and running tests.
  • Selenium Grid/Appium Grid: For running tests in parallel on multiple devices.

Appium Desktop is a helpful tool for getting started with Appium and mobile app automation. However, it's important to understand its limitations and use it as a stepping stone to building more robust and maintainable automation solutions.

Further reading

Related Terms

A/B Testing

Acceptance Testing

Accessibility Tester