QA engineers use mobile automation testing methods or tools to enable interactions between test codes and the application in question. The problem is how to run automation experiments on mobile devices. There are three possibilities.
- From mobile devices located live: For real USB-connected devices QAs can check the operability of an app from the viewpoint of the end-user. They can speed it up by running parallel tests on a number of Android devices.
- Use a cloud on a real computer: QAs perform experiments in a remote mobile testing area-system farm or tools or software cloud to extend app coverage. Pre-installed in OS and browsers, the system farms have access to multi-versioned physical devices for testers.
- Via simulator with Android emulator/iOS: QAs also test smartphone devices on their computers using tools or software that imitates a mobile computer. The Android emulator, in particular, mimics both the target device’s software and hardware settings, while the iOS simulator – just the smartphone version.
Android Tool for Mobile Automation Testing
Espresso and UI Professional Automator Pros:
- Check speed thanks to code synchronization
- Reliability: Google itself upheld. If something falls, it is almost immediately fixed
- Integrated Test Recorder
- An active community where developers contribute and respond constantly to questions
Automator Espresso and UI Cons:
- Restricted support for language: Java, and Kotlin.
- Good programming skills and a deep understanding of how Android works require custom checks.
Selendroid Pros:
- The hot-plugging feature or tool enables the unplugging of mobile devices without interrupting the test. In the end, it increases the number of products that can be evaluated simultaneously.
- It is fully compliant with the JSON Wire Protocol and Selenium 3 Ready systems.
- Compatibility in reverse.
- No changes to the software are needed to automate it.
- There’s a WebView feature built-in for Android user.
Selendroid Cons:
- There’s no opportunity to automate behaviour checking outside the app like camera, maps, etc.
- Slow: On certain devices with less than 4 GB RAM it is difficult to use.
Pros Robotium:
- It allows for the composition of test situations for feature, system and user acceptance.
- It has a wide community: In subsequent updates, there are many open-source developers who contribute to adding further features.
Cons Robotium:
- No lock / unlock capability on a smartphone or tablet.
- Does not record and play apps
- No screenshots are given.
iOS web Tools to Mobile Test automation
XCUITest pros:
- Parallel test running distributed
- In-built test recorder for basic checks, UI components and their properties
XCUITTH CONS:
- Apple is slower than Google when it comes to bug response
- Weak documentation: it does not describe all the methods and how to use them.
- Small community: You’ll find it difficult to get a reply to your email.
- Compared to Android benchmarks, test running speeds are high.
- Updates to the framework are rare.
- Testing out of the box on simulators just requires additional utilities to operate with real devices.
Advantages Earl Grey has over XCUITest:
- Brings the synchronisation capabilities of Espresso to iOS research
- Real devices are helping
Earl Grey Cons:
- Google returns to anonymous statistics
- Just one single Device Check
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