Monday, November 19, 2012

Time to kick off android Instrumentation and monkeyrunner API


Recently I have updated Android SDK Tools 21.0 and came to know that they have added New UI Automation tool for App testers. This is was really cool and kick it off existing like android JUnit test case, monkeyrunner and Robotium APIs as well. This little baby code making more easy to write the test cases with less efforts. I am surely this APIs can be more matured over the next two years.

It is similar to robotium tool but having powerful APIs which it can wakup the device, crossing the package boundaries, rotating  and lock the screen orientation, taking screenshots.

As a test automation engineer, I was really interested on this. Google developers are making their OS more testable so I had high hopes with every release to see in this area. I just read the documentation and observed below good things and bad things

UI Automater

è  Good things
1.     Works across the Android OS System (NOT like package boundaries)
2.     NO connection for you app project (Does NOT require source code)
3.     JUnit based (familiar tool and test case structure)
4.     XML hierarchy dump tool in Monitor like DDMS/Hierarchy Viewer (Identifying the specific UI elements your test will need without the distractions)
5.     Useful and end up being maintained long-term (closely tied to the platform)
6.     Generates a JAR file which you can push in to the device or emulator
7.     Simple, readable, repeatable syntax and Able to crate the OR (Object repository like Q.T.P or Selenium)
8.     Updates and Bug fixes seem likely to be released infrequently

è  Bad things
1.     Still NO eclipse integration
2.     Still NO Native JUnit XML Reports
3.     Cannot be Downgraded (Only 4.1 or higher versions)
4.   WebViews still NOT supporting

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