How App Activity Works in Appium?

As we now know why we should include App Activity in our Appium Tests, let us now explore the process in which App Activity works in Appium:

1. The Configuration

Before the Appium Test can be executed, it is configured using UIAutomator2. This is done by use of Options where different attributes are used to define various preferences in preparation for the UI Test. This can be done using any language but Kotlin is the best for Android.

2. The Attributes

As mentioned earlier, every kind of preference is defined using the Attributes. They are simply methods that are called from the UIAutomator2Options class. The attributes are usually sent to the server during the test’s execution where the test is handled based on the specifications provided.

3. The App Activity Attribute

To specify the Android app’s Activity for testing, the .setAppActivity() attribute is used. By including it, Appium will be aware of where to start when executing the test. It utilizes the fully qualified name of the Android app’s Main Activity for it to work effectively, for example: com.example.sampleapp.MainActivity

4. The Launch

Now is the time to run the test. When the test is executed the Appium Server receives the Attributes and uses them to run the target Android app on a specified device or emulator under specific preferences. The app usually runs as it would in a real-world scenario.

5. Navigating to The Specified Activity

During the launch, Appium navigates to the screen (Activity) that was specified in the appActivity capability. This is because as previously mentioned, that screen will be the first screen Appium navigates to. This promotes linearity during the Navigation process and makes the test run smoothly among other benefits listed above.

6. The Automation Steps

When the test has been run and Appium is on the desired screen, it executes the automated tasks set during configuration. They may include automated interactions with the UI elements that were included in the test scripts. The appActivity attribute allows Appium to focus on only these tasks on the right screen.

7. Context Switching

As mentioned in the previous section, Native Android apps typically interact with different contexts. By setting the App Activity, Appium is now capable of switching contexts as needed. This coupled with the automated tasks mimics the real-world use case of the Android app thus providing accurate test results.

Appium is integral to UI Automation within different domains in Tech: Mobile, Web, and even Desktop. The platform aims to streamline Software Testing through the following goals as outlined by its creators:

1. Make platform-specific automation capabilities available under a cross-platform, standard API.
2. Allow easy access to this API from any programming language.
3. Provide tools to enable convenient community development of Appium extensions.

Appium is a suitable choice for Mobile Developers who want to benefit from the automation of UI Testing due to its ease of use and versatility. This article seeks to define what App Activity is in the context of Appium and Android.