In terms of consumer technology, the ongoing mobile revolution appears to have affected a paradigm-shift in the domains of personal communication, entertainment, shopping, leisure activities, and more. Mobile apps represent an important aspect of the mobile revolution; therefore, these must be tested relentlessly prior to their release in the public domain. In this context, Mobile Test Automation assumes a high level of importance given its critical impact on the health of the digital economy.
Advantage Appium
Originally developed by Dan Cuellar in 2011, the Appium product was initially named “iOSAuto” and was written in the C# programming language. The product was subsequently open-sourced in August 2012 using the Apache 2 license. In terms of Test Automation, Appium in its modern avatar promotes the concept of cross-platform mobile testing and empowers test professionals to re-use automation code across both iOS and Android operating systems. Additionally, the open-source nature of Appium allows testers and testing organizations to reduce costs associated with Mobile Test Automation projects.
Wide Range
Appium allows Test Automation professionals to undertake testing of various categories of mobile applications; these include native apps, hybrid apps, and mobile web apps. The use of standard WebDriver libraries is central to such testing projects. Moreover, Appium expands the ambit of Mobile App Automation by enabling testers to execute automated tests on devices such as connected tablets, smartphones, and other such devices. Further, late editions of Appium are engineered to test large mobile applications that undergo frequent updates in terms of new features and functionality.
Appium for Android
The Appium tool can be easily deployed for Test Automation on Android applications version 2.3 and later. The tool promotes Mobile App Automation by utilizing WebDriver interface to execute tests. Mobile Test Automation engineers can use Appium to test the performance of the Safari and Chrome browsers on mobile devices. This implies the tool can successfully test the consumer experience that results from web browsing on a connected mobile device. This means that Test Automation is critical to ensure a top-notch consumer experience in this age of mobile computing.
Automation Friendly
Mobile Test Automation is an emerging field that may lead future development in the domain of software testing. This fact is underscored by the ability of Appium to automate a variety of testing scenarios for hybrid, web, and native mobile applications. In addition, Test Automation professionals endorse Appium owing to its ability to operate independently of extra agents in fulfilling its mission. Further, Appium carries native support for built-in apps such as phonebook, calendar, and camera that are common in modern mobile devices. The project of Mobile App Automation finds further support since Appium supports a range of Web Driver compatible languages such as Java, Object-C, Ruby, PHP, JS with Node.js, and more.
Large Community
Being open source, the Appium tool is supported by a large and active community of experts and developers. This indicates the tool undergoes regular updates that enhance its profile for Mobile App Automation projects. The strong community base enables the tool to test various testing scenarios that may emerge when future mobile applications enter the market. Additionally, members of the Appium community contribute significantly to enhance the Test Automation functionalities of the Appium tool.
Modular Approach
The Appium tool spotlights the best aspects of Mobile Test Automation because testers can re-use code when initiating different software testing projects. The cross-platform functionality of the tool allows testing professionals to write different test scenarios for iOS and Android using the same API. In addition, the developers of Appium created the tool to support software Test Automation on emulators, simulators, and different physical mobile devices. This aspect make Appium the ideal tool to drive regression testing on modern mobile applications.
Re-Compilation of Code: Not Needed
A majority of Mobile App Automation tools require testers to effect changes in the code underlying a mobile application. However, Appium operates above this requirement and empowers test professionals to test native and cross-platform mobile apps. This implies faster time-to-market for the app being tested. In addition, Test Automation undertaken by the Appium tool enables testers to automate the app testing project without adding specific components.
Server Machines: Not Required
As a test automation framework, Appium is designed on the lines of a HTTP server. This implies that testing professionals can execute tests without requiring the services of a server machine. Such functionality allows Mobile App Automation specialists to work with minimal infrastructure, while reducing the costs of testing operations. Experts in the domain of Mobile Test Automation aver this feature is critical to ensure the commercial success of the tool. Further, Appium carries a robust record-and-playback tool that allows Test Automation engineers to accelerate the testing process.
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In Conclusion
We have analyzed and placed in the spotlight the merits of deploying Appium for test automation of mobile apps. Contributions from the Appium community will continue to add robust features to the tool, thereby boosting its competitive advantage vis-à-vis other testing frameworks. Contact us to work with the best software professionals in this realm and more.
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