How to Streamline Appium Automation Testing by Eliminating Some Commonly-made Mistakes.pdf

How to Streamline Appium Automation
Testing by Eliminating Some
Commonly-made Mistakes
In the rapidly evolving realm of software development, the continuous influx of
applications across various platforms poses a significant challenge for
comprehensive testing. Mobile apps, in particular, encompass multiple
functionalities ranging from secure banking solutions to captivating games.
Addressing this complexity, Appium emerges as an exceptional open-source
tool, serving as an automation framework that facilitates seamless
communication between the user's test script, the Appium Server, and the
underlying emulator or real device. Renowned for its versatility, Appium is a

favored choice for testing mobile, web, and hybrid applications. Its
cross-platform compatibility empowers developers to leverage a unified API,
enabling them to effortlessly execute test scripts on popular platforms such
as Android, iOS, and Windows. With support for various programming
languages, including Python, Ruby, C#, PHP, JavaScript, and Java, Appium
offers flexibility and caters to diverse developer preferences. As a mobile app
testing counterpart to Selenium, Appium provides robust features and
capabilities, making it an indispensable tool for app testing.
As we explore the world of Appium, it is crucial to delve deeper into the
common pitfalls encountered when initially adopting the framework, as well
as unravel the intrinsic characteristics that make Appium an indispensable
tool for app testing.
Major Errors that QA Engineers Commit
While Using Appium for Test Automation
Let's explore the common pitfalls that testers often encounter when
conducting test automation with Appium:
1. Using XPath Without Limitations
One common mistake in automation test scripts is the excessive use of XPath
locators, which is not recommended in Appium automation testing. XPath can
significantly impact performance, especially in terms of element identification
during execution. Different browsers, such as Internet Explorer, exhibit varying
levels of slowness when executing test scripts with XPath. This discrepancy
arises due to variations in rendering engines and rules across browsers.

To mitigate this issue, it is advised to prefer relative XPath over absolute
XPath. Relative XPath is more resilient to changes in the application's
structure, reducing the need for frequent script updates. By avoiding
over-reliance on XPath and adopting relative XPath, when necessary, testers
can enhance the maintainability and adaptability of their automation test
scripts.
2. Neglecting the Use of Accessibility IDs
Leveraging Accessibility IDs as locators is a more efficient and preferred
alternative to XPath selectors. These locators are extensively used in test
scripts for Android and iOS applications due to their ease of use and faster
execution than XPath.
However, it's important to note that semantically accessible IDs differ from
IDs in web apps. It's crucial to avoid conflating the two. Accessibility IDs serve
a purpose beyond testing and should not compromise the accessibility of your
application. In fact, setting accessibility IDs on elements to enhance testability
can also contribute to improved accessibility for your mobile app, provided
that the chosen accessibility labels are meaningful and intuitive for users.
By utilizing Accessibility IDs judiciously in your Appium test scripts, you can
streamline the testing process while ensuring that your application remains
accessible and user-friendly.
3. Not Using Wait Commands
In addition to using correct locators, another common reason for test failures
in element identification is the absence of wait commands. Failing to

incorporate wait commands can result in the script being unable to locate
elements accurately, particularly when the application hasn't fully loaded or
experiences delays during page transitions. To address such scenarios, it is
crucial to implement wait commands in your test scripts.
Here are two main types of wait commands that can be employed:
● Explicit wait: An explicit wait in Appium instructs the driver to wait for
a specific condition to occur before proceeding further in the code.
The condition can be the presence, visibility, or availability of an
element. With explicit waits, you define a maximum wait time, and the
driver will keep checking for the desired condition until it is met, or
the timeout is reached. This allows you to have precise control over
waiting for specific elements or conditions before executing the next
line of code.
● Implicit wait: On the other hand, an implicit wait sets a default
timeout for the driver to wait for an element to appear. It tells the
Appium driver to wait for a certain duration while continuously
searching for the element. The search will continue until either the
element is found or the specified time limit elapses. Implicit waits are
applicable globally, meaning they will be in effect for all subsequent
commands in the code unless explicitly overridden. They are useful
when you want to avoid writing explicit wait conditions for every
element and prefer to have a default wait time for all elements.
4. Skipping Some Key Technical Steps

Unset
In Appium testing, a common technical oversight is neglecting to map the
Xcode path for the correct version when multiple Xcode versions are installed
on the same machine.
Additionally, not setting the environment variables for ANDROID_HOME and
JAVA_HOME after installing Java and the Android SDK can cause problems.
Another mistake is skipping the installation of ideviceinstaller and iOS-deploy
on Mac machines, which can result in the following errors when executing
scripts on iOS devices.
Error: Could not initialize ideviceinstaller; make sure it
is installed and works on your system(iOS)
Name: PATH
Value: /usr/local/bin:/usr/bin:/usr/sbin:/sbi
When encountering the mentioned error, even with a properly installed
ideviceinstaller, it can be resolved by configuring the project's Run settings
accordingly.
Additionally, on a Mac machine, executing scripts containing robot class
commands can lead to a loss of focus in the currently active window due to
the background Java process. To mitigate this, specifying the attribute
"-Dapple.awt.UIElement=true" for JRE resolves the issue.
5. Overusing Element Visibility Queries

Requesting the visibility of each retrieved element can significantly impact the
runtime of your scripts. Adding unnecessary overhead results in additional
calls and waiting time for Appium to respond to each element request.
Optimize script performance and mitigate unnecessary delays by selectively
utilizing lazily requested element attributes, focusing on their relevance within
the test code.
6. Overlooking View States of Apps
Developers often overlook the importance of setting up their applications to
quickly access specific views and user states, resulting in wasted time and
test duplications. It's crucial to have a way to start a script in an appropriate
state to optimize testing with Appium, particularly since mobile emulators and
simulators can be slow to reach the desired test point.
‍
7. Always Relying on Native Testing Tools
While some testers prefer using native app testing tools like Espresso for
Android or XCUITest for iOS, it is not recommended due to potential issues
caused by Apple's point releases and frequent updates from Google. For
greater stability in mobile test code, choosing Appium as an open-source
automation tool is a better option.
8. Not Employing the Right Design Pattern
As applications undergo updates and changes, test scripts can become
cumbersome to maintain due to outdated locators.

To overcome this challenge, employing the Page Object Model (POM) design
pattern is a recommended solution. By separating the test code from the page
object class, modifications to the UI can be localized to the page object,
eliminating the need to modify all test scripts. With POM, updates to the UI
can be managed efficiently, reducing extensive rewriting across multiple test
scripts.
By using Page Object Model design patterns, updating the UI of a page only
requires modifying the code within the page object. This approach allows all
UI modifications to be found in one location, simplifying the maintenance of
test scripts.
‍
9. Blaming Appium for Being Slow
While there may be instances where Appium is perceived as slower or less
efficient, it is crucial to understand the underlying factors at play. Appium
relies on technologies like XCUITest and UIAutomator2, and its efficiency
depends on how effectively it is utilized. Relying on inefficient practices, such
as excessive use of XPath, can impact performance. However, many
perceived slowness issues can be resolved by optimizing tool usage. Appium
serves as a shield against the inherent flakiness of underlying frameworks,
offering more stability at the cost of a slight performance impact. It is crucial
to balance speed and stability when leveraging Appium for test builds.
10. Not Utilizing Appium Logs
Appium Logs can appear intimidating with a complex stream of information
during test script execution. However, they provide valuable insights as below:

● Stacktraces for error identification: When errors occur during test
execution, the stacktraces in the logs serve as a starting point for
debugging and troubleshooting issues in both the application and
test script.
● Desired and default capabilities: The logs display the desired and
default capabilities specified in the test, which can be leveraged to
understand and modify the behavior of the Appium server.
● Timestamps for enhanced analysis: By default, Appium logs do not
include timestamps to keep the lines concise. However, starting the
Appium server with the "--log-timestamp" flag appends a timestamp
to each line. This feature proves valuable when diagnosing slowness
or investigating potential bugs, as lines with longer execution times
can be easily identified and analyzed.
How HeadSpin Simplifies Appium-based
Test Automation to Ensure Error-free App
Development
Integrating Appium with the HeadSpin Platform enhances developers'
capabilities by offering additional functionality for efficient app testing and
monitoring. This integration streamlines the CI/CD process, simplifies Appium
script creation, and reduces overall complexity. Here are the key advantages
of combining Appium with HeadSpin:
1. Real-time Performance Optimization

HeadSpin's real-time performance monitoring of mobile applications is
essential for QA teams. It enables rapid identification of problems or
bottlenecks that degrade the user experience. By optimizing app functionality
based on real-time insights, developers can ensure a seamless user
experience.
2. Real-device Cloud Testing
HeadSpin provides developers with the primary advantage of offering
real-time, global, and multi-network testing of mobile applications. Testing
across various locations and networks, including 3G, 4G, 5G, and Wi-Fi,
ensures the proper functioning of the app in diverse settings. This feature is
significant for apps with a global audience, where users may access the app
using different networks and locations.
3. Data Science-driven Insights
HeadSpin’s AI-powered Platform provides comprehensive data and insights
on app performance, enabling developers to gain a deeper understanding of
user interactions and identify areas for improvement. The Platform captures
and analyzes over 130 performance KPIs, including Average Wait Time,
Throughput, Request Count, and more. Additionally, HeadSpin offers
performance testing features such as Visual Page Load Analysis, Video
Quality Analysis, and more, allowing developers to assess and optimize the
loading speed, visual rendering, and overall performance of their apps.
4. Ease of Integration

HeadSpin integrates with popular testing frameworks such as Appium and
XCTest (UI). By combining HeadSpin with these frameworks, developers can
test and monitor their applications more effectively, leveraging the unique
benefits of each. For instance, they can automate Appium tests and then use
HeadSpin to monitor real-time app performance.
HeadSpin enhances the advantages of Appium by offering real-time, global,
and multi-network testing, real-time performance monitoring, in-depth
analytics and insights, and integrations with popular testing frameworks.
Summing It Up
Appium is a robust automation framework that enables early bug detection
and reduces manual testing efforts. To maximize the benefits of this testing
framework, it is important to sidestep the common mistakes and implement
the best practices outlined above. By following these practices, testers can
enhance the effectiveness and reliability of mobile automation testing,
ensuring the delivery of high-quality applications.
Maximize test automation benefits by running Appium tests on thousands of
real devices with HeadSpin's global device infrastructure.
This article was originally published on:
https://www.headspin.io/blog/top-automated-mobile-testing-tools

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