The most popular iOS automation testing tools in 2022

The year-over-year growth in iOS device sales has set a high bar for iOS success. However, when testing these devices, purchasing devices with various hardware specifications and iOS devices is not feasible for SMEs and startups. In addition, there are better testing solutions than manual testing due to scalability and inefficiency issues.

Although iOS is still a more closed operating system than Android, you can use a variety of free and open source technologies to build effective automated tests. For developers and testers using cloud-based testing solutions, it makes iOS app testing activities simpler and more efficient.

Here are some automated testing frameworks with code samples that you can use to test your iOS applications.

Appium

As one of the most popular open source solutions, Appium helps users manage hybrid, mobile or native applications for Android, iOS and Windows. It enables developers and testers to build automated tests for mobile applications, allowing them to produce high-quality software faster with less risk.

Benefits of the App

• Appium is free to use and open source.
• It supports all WebDriver-compatible languages ​​such as Java, Objective-C, and JavaScript.
• Its developers created it using the same JSON wire protocol as Selenium, making it easy for QA testers and mobile developers to make the transition.
• Appium tests native, mobile web, and hybrid apps and is compatible with both iOS and Android operating systems.
• It is supported by a large and active community that provides ongoing help and troubleshooting to users.
• For unit testing, choose a supporting framework such as XCTest or XCUITest.
• Its cross-platform compatibility enables reuse of test scenarios across mobile and online channels.
• It is a benchmark for iOS WebDriver development.

Application Disadvantages

• Increases the learning curve by requiring users to understand the principles of the Appium architecture and native applications/choosers.
• It depends on a series of open source parts that you must install separately in a version that supports the other parts.

Appium Sample Code for WebDriver

 driver . findElement ( By . id ( "com.example.app:id/radio0" )). click ();
 driver . findElement ( By . id ( "com.example.app:id/radio1" )). click ();
 driver . findElement ( By . id ( "com.example.app:id/radio2" )). click ();
 driver . findElement ( By . id ( "
 com . example . app : id / editText1 ")).click();
 driver . findElement ( By . id ( "
 com . example . app : id / editText1 ")).sendKeys(" Simple Test ");
 driver . findElement ( By . name ( "Answer" )). click ();

Calabash

Another great cross-platform framework that is compatible with both Android and iOS apps is Calabash. The fact that Calabash tests are written in Cucumber is one of the main differences between this framework and others: it means that while the tests are basic and easy to read, the automated system can still execute the tests even for non-technical people because we write them as specifications.

Calabash Code ExamplesFeature:

 Answer the Question featureScenario : As a valid user I
 want to answer app questionI wait for text "What is the best way to test
 application on hundred devices ? "Then I press Radio button 0Then I press Radio
 button 1 Then I press Radio button 2 Then I enter text "Simple Test" into field
 with id "editText1" Then I press view with id "Button1"

Earl Gray

Earl Grey is an open source iOS UI automation framework and Google's response to XCUITest for testing iOS apps. Only iOS devices can use Earl Grey, and developers must write tests in Swift or Objective-C. The main advantage of Earl Grey is that it extends Espresso's synchronization capabilities to iOS app automation testing, ensuring that automation does not attempt to perform operations while the app is in use.

Advantages of EarlGrey Easy to add to iOS projects directly or via CacaoPods Versatile framework with efficient internal component synchronization The full framework is open source.

 Combined with XCodeEarlGrey sample code // Objective-C- (void)testInvokeCustomSelectorOnElement
 {[[ EarlGrey
 selectElementWithMatcher : grey_accessibilityID ( @ "id_of_element" )] performAction :[ GREYActionBlock
 actionWithName : @ "Invoke clearStateForTest selector" performBlock : ^ ( id element ,
 NSError * __strong * errorOrNil ) {[ element doSomething ]; return YES ; // Return YES
 for success , NO for failure .}]];}

XCUI test

XCUITest is a test automation framework for UI testing mobile apps and online apps on iOS devices such as iPad and iPhone. It is part of Apple's testing infrastructure. XCUITest provides a framework that supports programmatically identifying and interacting with UI components from other testing tools. As of 2022, the only supported iOS UI interaction library is XCUITest, which replaces the obsolete UIAutomator technology.

XCUITest Advantages You can write your app and test code in Swift or Objective-C, and both can be modified entirely in XCode and stored in the same repository. Because XCUITest and iOS work well together, your tests may run faster than using competing frameworks.

XCode's "record" feature enables testing by creating test code while observing user interactions with a linked simulator or real device. You can then modify the recorded test code to produce reliable, repeatable tests, saving time during test creation. Testers can use XCUITest to locate elements by their title, label, value, or placeholder value. For testing purposes only, XCUIElements can also have specific "accessibility identifiers" to make finding elements fast and easy.

XCUITest Disadvantages Every computer your team uses to run XCUITest, including test computers and CI/CD setups, must have XCode installed. Tests are best run with the XCUITest runner; you cannot run XCUITest code independently of the XCUITest framework. Swift and Objective-C are the only available programming languages.

XCode sample code:

 ( void ) testAdditionPerformance {[ self
 measureBlock : ^ { // set the initial state[calcViewController press:[calcView
 viewWithTag : 6 ]]; // 6// iterate for 100000 cycles of adding 2for (int i=0;
 i < 100000 ; i ++ ) {[ calcViewController press :[ calcView viewWithTag : 13 ]]; //
 + [ calcViewController press :[ calcView viewWithTag : 2 ]]; // 2[calcViewController
 press :[ calcView viewWithTag : 12 ]]; // =}}];}

Conclusion Trying to set up your testing capabilities is a challenge. Moreover, iOS device testing requires expertise. Test automation platforms can help in testing iOS devices. These platforms allow you to connect to SIM-enabled iOS devices around the world. With such platforms, you can gain actionable insights that can help you improve your iOS applications.