Mobile automation frameworks are software tools developed to automate the testing of mobile applications. The framework furnishes a platform for creating, executing, and handling automated tests for mobile applications. This assures that the applications are performing accurately across various platforms and devices.
Mobile application testing is a tricky and time-intensive method because of the wide range of devices, screen sizes, operating systems, and resolutions. The expansive variety of mobile devices and operating systems available in the market makes it difficult for Quality Assurance (QA) teams to guarantee that their applications perform seamlessly across all devices.
Mobile automation frameworks have revolutionized the convention software applications are tested and developed. The need for efficient and effective testing frameworks has become essential with the ever-increasing demand for mobile apps. Mobile automation frameworks have facilitated the testing process and diminished the time and effort required to test mobile applications. There are various mobile automation frameworks available in the market, each with its distinctive attributes and advantages.
According to the reports of Statista, it is projected that the worldwide mobile phone user population will rise to 7.33 billion by 2023. It is very important to address the quality of the mobile application and ensure that it functions similarly on all different platforms. For this, you can use a mobile application framework to test the working of the mobile applications.
This blog will discuss the top 3 mobile automation frameworks that developers and testers can use to automate their testing efforts. But before that, let us have a brief understanding of the mobile automation framework.
What are Mobile Automation Frameworks?
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Mobile automation frameworks are a valuable solution to perform automation tests of mobile applications and ensure their quality and functionality. Such frameworks are widely used by developers and testers as they are capable of automating the test and identifying any underlying bugs or errors in the mobile application that can hamper the user experience.
Such frameworks allow the creation of test cases, execute test scripts and run tests in different test scenarios and test environments. In simple terms, you can understand mobile automation frameworks as the set of libraries and tools that allows the execution of automation of mobile application testing.
Criteria for Selecting Mobile Automation Framework
Selecting the suited mobile automation framework can be a tedious and daunting task, as there are myriad options available in the market. As you begin assessing mobile testing frameworks to choose what is suited for your organization, there are several critical inquiries you should make to reveal your requirements and comprehend the implications of a new tool on your organizational processes, technology stack, and teams:
Ease of Use: The framework should possess an intuitive interface and provide convenient features to facilitate its usage. If the testing team is proficient in a particular programming language, selecting a tool that supports said language is advisable. Alternatively, if the team lacks programming knowledge, opting for a no-code or low-code tool would be beneficial.
Platform Compatibility: The mobile automation framework must be developed to streamline support for the platforms on which the mobile application is built, specifically Android or iOS. It is of utmost importance to take into account the version of the platform for which the application is being developed to ensure compatibility.
Support: The mobile automation framework must possess active support, which can be in the form of an engaged community of users, developers, or experts capable of offering valuable guidance and support.
Top 3 Mobile Automation Frameworks to Use
Over the past decade, the number of individuals utilizing smartphones has enormously increased. Mobile applications dominate a considerable part of people’s everyday experiences. Therefore developing a prominent mobile application experience is paramount. The application needs to be thoroughly tested to ensure that it is working seamlessly on Android and iOS before releasing them in the market.
This blog will discuss three mobile automation testing frameworks, their features, and their limitations.
Appium for Cross-Platform Testing
Appium is one of the most popular mobile automation frameworks used for cross-platform testing. It is an open-source automation framework that authorizes Quality Assurance (QA) teams to perform automated application testing on myriad platforms such as iOS, Android, and Windows. This implies that the team can utilize the same code for Android as for iOS, saving lots of time and endeavor. The framework makes mobile application testing a lot more effective by delivering flexibility and scalability.
The utilization of Appium for mobile testing has garnered considerable attention in the mobile application industry due to its comprehensive functionalities, despite being a relatively new technology. Appium automation testing for:
- Hybrid mobile applications incorporate a native wrapper around the web view, delivering a seamless end-user experience and allowing access to native device features.
- Mobile applications are developed natively with iOS, Android, or Windows software development kits (SDKs).
- Mobile web applications are accessible through mobile browsers, such as Safari, Chrome, or built-in native browser applications designed for Android devices.
Appium furnishes a great deal of flexibility and robustness to the testing process. It supports a variety of programming languages, such as Java, Python, Ruby, and JavaScript. Also, as Appium is built on the same JSON wire protocol, the development experts who are acquainted with Selenium will find the shift to Appium relatively effortless.
Limitations of Appium
For individuals who are new to Appium, it is recommended that they acquaint themselves with the platform’s scripting language and familiarize themselves with the most effective ways of interrogating their applications to reap the benefits of automated testing. To effectively utilize Appium for native app testing, users must acquire knowledge of native apps/selectors and have a reasonable understanding of the Appium architecture, which can be an additional learning hurdle.
XCUITest Framework for iOS UI Testing
XCUITest, a User Interface (UI) testing framework, was launched by Apple in 2015 as a significant update to improve testing capabilities. It is integrated within Apple’s Xcode IDE and built on top of XCTest, a test framework. Utilizing Swift or Objective C programming language, developers or QA can leverage XCUITest to test the user interface of native iOS apps.
The XCUITest framework was specially created to facilitate UI testing for iOS applications. Because the framework is dedicated to only UI testing of iOS applications, it assures that the tests are executed exceptionally well. Therefore tests are stable, highly steadfast, and performed faster.
The setup for the XCUITest framework is more precise as compared to Appium. As the framework is ingrained within the XCode IDE, creating UI tests for iOS applications becomes more straightforward. This feature enables teams to collaborate on the application’s source code and test code in a unified platform. For instance, a developer can immediately verify if the User Interface tests pass after recent modifications made in the source code.
Limitations of XCUITest
XCUITest does not support the testing of Android apps. This implies that teams need to depend on other automation testing frameworks if they want to release an application for both iOS and Android platforms. Due to this, the developers and QA have to maintain separate codebases for iOS and Android. This thing can introduce them to new challenges.
XCUITest cases are restricted to being written solely in Swift or Objective-C programming languages. This limitation stands as a notable disadvantage when contrasted with Appium, which offers support for a significantly broader spectrum of programming languages.
Espresso Framework for Android UI Testing
Espresso is a mobile automation testing framework that enables developers and testers to document automation test cases for user interface testing. Developed by Google, Espresso strives to deliver a simple yet effective framework. It is among the most popular Android application testing frameworks that are widely utilized by QA. Espresso authorizes black-box testing, a form of testing that is conducted with no understanding of a system’s internals. Additionally, the framework authorizes QAs to test fragments and separate components during development cycles.
The framework is highly robust. It authorizes developers and QAs to test both Android native views along with hybrid web views. Developers can write test cases using this framework in Java or Kotlin. This ensures no new skill development is needed to use Espresso. Utilizing this framework, testers and developers will be capable of leveraging a plethora of features and attributes. A few prominent features of Espresso are intent validations, synchronized test executions, and capabilities to run recipes.
Limitations of Espresso
Espresso lacks flexibility. The framework is only compatible with Kotlin and Java. This implies that the tests can be written in these two languages only. Also, Espresso can solely be utilized to test Android applications. So, if you are developing an application that will be listed on both Android and iOS, then you will need to find some other framework also to ensure compatibility across different operating systems.
You can leverage the true capability of Appium, XCUITest, and Espresso with cloud-based digital experience testing platforms like LambdaTest. LambdaTest is a highly sought-after cloud-based cross-browser testing platform that enables you to carry out automated testing on over 3000 browsers, devices, and operating systems, making it a top choice among other cloud testing platforms. It integrates with all the above mobile automation frameworks and allows you to run tests across multiple real iOS and Android devices. It increases test coverage and allows for parallel tests, allowing you to execute tests concurrently on multiple devices and browsers.
Conclusion
In this fast-paced smartphone world, ensuring a seamless mobile application experience is crucial. To accomplish this, developers and testers must embrace the right testing framework. This blog has listed the top 3 mobile automation frameworks. However, there are several mobile automation frameworks available to choose from.
Before choosing a mobile automation framework for your organization, it is important to analyze the pros and cons of each framework. It is paramount to select the framework that best meets your needs and budget. By choosing the right mobile automation framework, you can improve the quality of your mobile application, diminish time-to-market, and enhance your end-user experience.
