Appium : Getting started : Setup part 1

Appium Getting Started

Introduction to Mobile Test Automation

Before the mobile application development boom, we have explored and tried every bit of web application testing and kind of conquered that space. Wondering what makes mobile app test automation challenging?

Couple of things, which I would want to highlight here:

Never ending screen size and form factors

Apps hosted in a sandboxed environment and very limited inter process communication

Network Challenges

Usability aspect of mobile and the complexity in terms of navigation

Lack of easy to use API

What is Appium

Appium is an open source test automation tool for mobile applications. It allows you to test all the three types of mobile applications: native, hybrid and mobile web.

It also allows you to run the automated tests on actual devices, emulators and simulators.

Today when every mobile app is made in at least two platform iOS and Android, you for sure need a tool, which allows testing cross platform. Having two different frameworks for the same app increases the cost of the product and time to maintain it as well.

The basic philosophy of Appium is that you should be able to reuse code between iOS and Android, and that’s why when you see the API they are same across iOS and android. Another important thing to highlight here is that unlike Calabash, Appium doesn’t modify your app or need you to even recompile the app.

Appium let’s you choose the language you want to write your test in. It doesn’t dictate the language or framework to be used.

Architecture

So how does Appium do all this? Let’s try to understand what happens behind the scenes.

When you download the Appium app you are basically downloading the server. The server is written in Node.js and implements the Selenium WebDriver. It allows one to use available WebDriver client to fire your tests. And then your mobile app acts precisely like a web app where the DOM is represented by View hierarchy.

So this server basically exposes REST api which performs the following actions:

1)   Receives connection from client

2)   Listen command

3)   Execute command

4)   Respond back the command execution status

In terms of architecture diagram, below is how Appium can be explained

 

System Installation

Before installing Appium, you need to get few other things in ecosystem:

• .net framework   click here to download
• Java latest JDK   click here to download
• Node.js                  click here to download
• MAVEN                   Download maven
• GIT                          Download GIT 
• Eclipse                  Download latest eclipse version
• Android SDK      Download Android SDK
• Selenium:            Download webdriver java library

• Appium :              Appium [Link] for window   and  Appium [Link]for MAC

• Appium Client : Appium java client library[Link]

Configuring installed software

                                                                                                                                         

Java JDK

  

• ·         Go to JDK  folder and copy path like

       

• ·         Set JAVA_HOME environment variable
  
  
     
  
  
  ·         Set JDK bin folder path variable (Do not delete existing path just put “;” at end and paste JDK bil folder path
  
  
   
  
  
  
  
  ·         Check java is properly installed and configured in system
   
   
  
  
  Android SDK
  
  
  • ·         Extract  download ADK zip in any  hard drive
           Structure of directory after extraction
  
  
   
   
  •  Open SDK Manager >> tools >> install Android API version
                 Click checkbox >> Install packages 
  
  
  
  
  
  • Set ANDROID_HOME  system/user variable and add path
    Copy SDK directory path
    
    
     
      
    Create system/user variable and add SDK directory path  
     
    
    
     
    
    
    
    

                                       Add adb.exe file directory path in path variable

                     

                     

                       Verify SDK setup  

                     

                    

                Create ,Configure and start  Android Emulator (AVD )

·                                                 Open SDK manager and click on tools >> Manage AVD

  Note:

To create AVD , in SDK you should have installed at least 1 API ie. API – 19

Appium works n API – 17 + 

                     

                      

                     Click on New            
                    

                     

                     

   

Configure AVD as shown in below image and click on ok

                      

                 
                    

                     

                  

§                                            Devices AVD added in list and select AVD  >> click Start >>Launch

       

 

§  AVD will launch in couple of minute  and it’ll start loading Android version

§  Loding API on AVD will take around 3 to 5 min and after loading it’ll look like below image

 

Install Node.js

§  Click on Setup file and follow instruction

Maven configuration

§  Extract maven zip file in C: driver

§  Add MAVEN_HOME in system/user variable

§  Add maven >> bin directory path in system path veriable

§  Verify maven installation

GIT Installation

§  Click on Setup file and follow instruction

§  GIT directory automatically added in system path variable

§  Verify git setup

Eclipse installation      

§  Extract eclipse bundle in any hard driver click on Eclipse.exe 

                

       

§  Create workspace

§  Install TestNG plugin

o   Go to Help >> install new software >>enter url

http://beust.com/eclipse

And follow instruction

                            

§    Install MAVEN  plugin

  Go to Help >> install new software >>enter url

http://download.eclipse.org/technology/m2e/releases

And follow instruction

§    Install ADT  plugin

  Go to Help >> install new software >>enter url

      https://dl-ssl.google.com/android/eclipse/

And follow instruction