In order to generate responsive layouts that users can interact with, modern iOS applications must handle concurrency while doing tasks like consuming REST APIs or persisting data. But it raises the issue of how a developer can avoid unintended app source code changes from disrupting user flows in their app. Making and maintaining automated user interface (UI) tests is one way to programmatically verify that your software responds to user inputs as intended. Fortunately, Apple’s XCUITest automation framework allows you to construct UI tests and in this post, we will go through the basics.
Apple has standardized the automation testing process for iOS apps to a great extent. Before being approved to be listed on the App Store, apps must pass stringent inspections. They are required to follow Apple’s tight norms and regulations.
To test applications that adhere to Apple’s rules, iOS developers must create and maintain automated test cases. They make sure that subsequent app deployments are successful and adhere to the rules. Developers must utilize XCUITest, a component of the XCTest Testing framework, to do this.
What Is XCUITest Framework?
XCUITest, an automated UI test framework for iOS automation testing, was created by Apple in 2015. It makes use of Apple’s XCTest, an integrated test framework for Xcode. Swift or Objective-C programming languages may be used to create automated UI testing for native iOS and macOS apps.
One of the top mobile app testing frameworks, XCUITest is known for being simple to maintain, avoiding test flakiness, and enhancing your entire continuous integration (CI) process.
What Makes XCUITest Popular?
Development teams have been using XCUITest to get quick and accurate feedback. The success of XCUITest may be attributed to the below-mentioned five factors:
- Perceptive: Developers will find using XCUITest to be relatively simple since it operates within the XCode IDE.
- Fast: Due to the framework design, Fast Test execution against iOS devices is quicker than any other UI test automation tool.
- Dependable: Because of the framework’s design, running tests with XCUITest produces more accurate results and removes flakiness.
- Older: Over the last year, both the APIs and the framework have greatly advanced.
- Check and Maintain: The framework operates directly at the object level since the app has been instrumented, which decreases the maintenance requirements that often arise from changes in the apps.
Why Should You Consider XCUI Test Automation?
Since UI Automation Testing is still a relatively new concept, testers may create thorough automation test suites for an application’s user interface using frameworks like XCUITest.
- Time and financial savings
Automation seems to require a significant initial time and resource commitment, but it eventually pays off. It is also simple to use this statistic to UI testing. The primary interface must function as intended since it is the point of interaction.
- Code Automation Is Insufficient
There is a strong likelihood that a developer is testing code utilizing external frameworks like Appium. Considering that they have been testing their code, one would also query whether UI testing is really necessary.
UI testing is a fundamental need for developers. Code test cases evaluate how the app behaves and, to a certain degree, how it interacts with other modules. The influence of new builds or development sprint cycles on UI functioning is not, however, measured for developers. It can take longer than planned for the UI to load or certain modifications might have made some UI elements inoperable. Appium and other test automation frameworks do not assist developers in automatically testing these situations.
- XCUITest and XCTest for iOS
There is a considerable probability that XCUITest won’t be found immediately away if someone searches for it. This is because XCUITest is a component of Apple’s XCTest framework.
Benefits Of XCUI Test Automation
- Very quick and simple to keep up
- Easily incorporated with CI
- Reliability — Tests are no longer unreliable
- Support for Apple’s native languages was provided through Apple TvOS.
- Provides assurance for regular mobile app releases
- Shortens the time to market
Cons consist of:
- Limited cross-platform programming language compatibility is provided.
Basics of XCUITest
App UI testing, or mobile app testing in general, entails observing how the user interface responds to input from the user and comparing the results to what was anticipated. In order to verify the status of the UI, testers attempt to mimic precisely how a user would interact with the program. They may create test cases for these uses using XCUITest utilizing two core ideas.
- XCTest
The fundamental testing framework is XCTest, as it was previously mentioned. It gives testers the option to create test cases in both Swift and Objective-C. To verify the behavior, testers may construct UI test classes, methods, and test targets and execute an assert. And lastly, Xcode is fully integrated with it.
- Accessibility
QAs may test and adjust an app’s behavior using accessibility technologies to see how it will behave when people with disabilities use it. In this instance, UI test cases will run and verify tests using the tools offered by the accessibility core.
UI Automation Test Case Writing APIs
The framework includes three unique classes that testers must utilize while creating test cases in order to test the UI.
- XCUIApplication
Each time an automated test has to be conducted, testers must indicate which app needs to be started first. They must invoke the launch method on an instance of the XCUIApplication they have created. This technique is used to start the app before testing begins and to stop it when testing is over.
- XCUIElement
A collection of separate UI components make up the UI. The test case may take control of any UI Element thanks to the XCUIElement class of the XCUITest framework. This Class offers the action-taking methods for the UI component. These motions resemble how a user might engage with the app: tapping, swiping, holding down a button for a long time, or even turning a part. Additionally, it enables testers to move about the views’ hierarchy of UI elements.
- XCUIElementQuery
Testers will use the XCUIElementQuery methods to locate a UI element (the XCUIElement) in the Interface. All of the UI information will be carried by the context after the program has been started and initialized. With the help of this class, testers will be able to look for a certain piece on that user interface and take action on it.
XCUI Test Automation and LambdaTest
For test automation, the XCUITest framework is a great option. Therefore, it is crucial to execute XCUITest automation effectively. Apple device lab expansion is time-consuming and costly. To avoid the bother of setting up an internal device lab, it is crucial to utilize a genuine device cloud platform like LambdaTest. Using the online device farm provided by LambdaTest, developers and testers perform functional testing on actual iOS devices whenever and wherever they choose.
Looking for a fun fact? Simply sign up for a free account and LambdaTest will give you the first 100 free XCUITest automation minutes. Additionally, you may benefit from cross-browser testing, manual app testing, testing of the visual user interface, testing of responsiveness, and more.
XCUITest’s Best Practices
Your test’s design, execution, and analysis will have no bearing on how well your XCUITest automation script works. The XCUITest guide’s discussion of key best practices can help you create more reliable and effective XCUITest automation suites.
- Information regarding UI interactions, including application internals, is recorded by the UI test recorder. You may record a test interaction with your app’s UI using XCUITest’s built-in UI recording tools and save that interaction as source code.
- Make sure that what you are testing is to prevent constantly fixing test code when you convert any test case to a test script.
- User interactions like tap(), doubleTap(), and twoFingerTap may be specified in XCUITest (). You may provide a duration or both a duration and a dragging destination when using the press() method. There are four directional swipes (up, down, left, and right), a rotate() with velocity, and a pinch() with scale.
- It could take a while for the view to completely load. As a result, you should never make an assertion without the view being present.In addition to UI testing, you can do online accessibility tests for persons with disabilities by utilizing the UIAccessibility protocol. By doing this, you may increase the number of prospective customers.
- To assist your team in adding additional tests, it is a good idea to develop a structure and guidelines.
- In addition to UI testing, you can do online accessibility tests for persons with disabilities by utilizing the UIAccessibility protocol. By doing this, you may increase the number of prospective customers.
Appium And XCUITest Comparison:
Users prefer Appium for Mobile Automation because of its many capabilities, thus it’s crucial to compare the two frameworks.
In terms of language support, Appium supports Java, Objective C, J, PHP, Python, Ruby, C#, and Perl, while XCUITest only supports Objective C/Swift.Playback and recording choices: XCUITest is considerably quicker than Appium since it records using XCUIElement Query and Accessibility IDs.
While in Appium we can only utilize objects that are available and those object IDs cannot be adjusted using the framework, in the framework it is simple to add an accessibility ID when the developers don’t provide it. Continuous Integration is supported by both frameworks.
Unlike Appium, which needs modification, the XCUITest framework already includes “Test Report.” XCUITest is 12 times quicker than Appium in executing tests.
Conclusion
As an iOS testing framework, XCUITests serves as the iOS equivalent of Android app automation testing. Simple interfaces make it possible to create test cases that execute any UI operation and then record the results.
More information on the classes and methods that testers may use to automate UI testing for an iOS app can be found in Apple’s documentation on User Interface Testing. The first financial commitment may seem a little excessive. But, the ROI will eventually become clear, however, and automation will become a crucial component of every phase of software development. Therefore, it is strongly advised to automate app testing for iOS applications utilizing the XCUITest framework.
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