TestCentricity™

Gem Version License (3-Clause BSD) Gem Downloads Maintained

The TestCentricity™ core framework for native mobile iOS and Android apps and desktop/mobile web testing implements a Screen and Page Object Model DSL for use with Cucumber (version 7.x or greater), Appium, Capybara, and Selenium-Webdriver (version 4.3). It also facilitates the configuration of the appropriate Appium capabilities and driver required to establish a connection with locally hosted or cloud hosted (using BrowserStack, Sauce Labs, or TestingBot services) iOS and Android real devices or simulators. For more information on desktop/mobile web testing with this gem, refer to docs for the TestCentricity™ Web gem

The TestCentricity™ gem supports automated testing of native iOS and Android apps running on the following mobile test targets:

  • locally hosted iOS device simulators or physical iOS devices (using Appium and XCode on macOS)
  • locally hosted Android devices or Android Studio virtual device emulators (using Appium and Android Studio on macOS)
  • cloud hosted physical devices and simulators from the following service:

The TestCentricity™ gem also incorporates all of the features and capabilities of the TestCentricity™ Web framework gem, which supports running automated tests against the following web test targets:

  • locally hosted desktop browsers (Chrome, Edge, Firefox, Safari, or IE)
  • locally hosted "headless" Chrome, Firefox, or Edge browsers
  • remote desktop and emulated mobile web browsers hosted on Selenium Grid 4 and Dockerized Selenium Grid 4 environments
  • mobile Safari browsers on iOS device simulators or physical iOS devices (using Appium and XCode on macOS)
  • mobile Chrome or Android browsers on Android Studio virtual device emulators (using Appium and Android Studio on macOS)
  • cloud hosted desktop (Firefox, Chrome, Safari, IE, or Edge) or mobile (iOS Mobile Safari or Android) web browsers using the following service:
  • web portals utilizing JavaScript front end application frameworks like Ember, React, Angular, and GWT
  • web pages containing HTML5 Video and Audio objects

What's New

A complete history of bug fixes and new features can be found in the CHANGELOG file.

The RubyDocs for this gem can be found here.

Which gem should I use?

Tested platforms TestCentricity TestCentricity Web
Native mobile apps only Yes No
Hybrid apps with WebViews only Yes No
Native mobile apps and desktop/mobile web Yes No
Hybrid apps with WebViews and desktop/mobile web Yes No
Desktop/mobile web only No Yes

The TestCentricity gem is designed to support testing of native and hybrid mobile apps and/or web interfaces via desktop and mobile web browsers. The TestCentricity Web gem only supports testing of web interfaces via desktop and mobile web browsers.

Installation

TestCentricity version 3.0 and above requires Ruby 2.7.5 or later. To install the TestCentricity gem, add this line to your automation project's Gemfile:

gem 'testcentricity'

And then execute:

$ bundle

Or install it yourself as:

$ gem install testcentricity

Setup

Using Cucumber

If you are using Cucumber, you need to require the following in your env.rb file:

require 'capybara/cucumber'
require 'testcentricity'

Using RSpec

If you are using RSpec instead, you need to require the following in your spec_helper.rb file:

require 'capybara/rspec'
require 'testcentricity'

ScreenObjects

The Screen Object Model is a test automation pattern that aims to create an abstraction of your native mobile app's User Interface that can be used in tests. The Screen Object Model in native mobile test automation is equivalent to the Page Object Model in web interface test automation.

A Screen Object is an object that represents a single screen in your AUT (Application Under Test). Screen Objects encapsulate the implementation details of a mobile app screen and expose an API that supports interaction with, and validation of the UI elements on the screen.

Screen Objects makes it easier to maintain automated tests because changes to screen UI elements are updated in only one location - in the ScreenObject class definition. By adopting a Screen Object Model, Cucumber feature files and step definitions are no longer required to hold specific information about a screen's UI objects, thus minimizing maintenance requirements. If any element on, or property of a screen changes (text field attributes, button captions, element states, etc.), maintenance is performed in the ScreenObject class definition only, typically with no need to update the affected feature file, scenarios, or step definitions.

Defining a ScreenObject

Your ScreenObject class definitions should be contained within individual .rb files in the features/support/<platform>/screens folder of your test automation project, where <platform> is typically ios or android. For each screen in your app, you will typically have to define two ScreenObjects - one for iOS and the other for Android.

my_automation_project
    ├── config
    ├── features
    │   ├── step_definitions
    │   ├── support
    │   │   ├── android
    |   |   |   └── screens
    │   │   ├── ios
    |   |   |   └── screens
    │   │   ├── env.rb
    │   │   └── hooks.rb
    ├── Gemfile
    └── README.md

You define a new ScreenObject as shown below:

class LoginScreen < TestCentricity::ScreenObject
end


class ProductsScreen < TestCentricity::ScreenObject
end


class CheckoutAddressScreen < TestCentricity::ScreenObject
end

Adding Traits to your ScreenObject

Native app screens typically have names associated with them. Screens also typically have a unique object or attribute that, when present, indicates that the screen's contents have fully loaded.

The page_name trait is registered with the PageManager object, which includes a find_page method that takes a page name as a parameter and returns an instance of the associated ScreenObject. If you intend to use the PageManager, you must define a page_name trait for each ScreenObject to be registered.

The page_name trait is usually a String value that represents the name of the screen that will be matched by the PageManager.findpage method. page_name traits are case and white-space sensitive. For screens that may be referenced with multiple names, the page_name trait may also be an Array of String values representing those screen names.

The page_locator trait specifies a locator for unique object that exists once the screen's contents have been fully rendered. The page_locator trait is a locator strategy that uniquely identifies the object. The ScreenObject.verify_page_exists method waits for the page_locator trait to exist, and raises an exception if the wait time exceeds the default_max_wait_time.

A page_url trait should be defined if a screen can be directly loaded using a deep link. Specifying a page_url trait is optional, as not all screens can be directly accessed via a deep link.

You define your screen's Traits as shown below:

class LoginScreen < TestCentricity::ScreenObject
  trait(:page_name)    { 'Login' }
  trait(:page_locator) { { accessibility_id: 'login screen' } }
  trait(:page_url)     { 'login' }
end


class ProductsScreen < TestCentricity::ScreenObject
  trait(:page_name)    { 'Products' }
  trait(:page_locator) { { accessibility_id: 'products screen' } }
  trait(:page_url)     { 'store-overview' }
end


class CheckoutAddressScreen < TestCentricity::ScreenObject
  trait(:page_name)    { 'Checkout - Address' }
  trait(:page_locator) { { accessibility_id: 'checkout address screen' } }
  trait(:page_url)     { 'checkout-address' }
end

Adding UI Elements to your ScreenObject

Native app screens are made up of UI elements like text fields, check boxes, switches, lists, buttons, etc. UI Elements are added to your ScreenObject class definition as shown below:

class LoginScreen < TestCentricity::ScreenObject
  trait(:page_name)    { 'Login' }
  trait(:page_locator) { { accessibility_id: 'login screen' } }
  trait(:page_url)     { 'login' }

  # Login screen UI elements
  labels     username_label: { accessibility_id: 'Username'},
             password_label: { xpath: '(//XCUIElementTypeStaticText[@name="Password"])[1]'},
             username_error: { accessibility_id: 'Username-error-message' },
             password_error: { accessibility_id: 'Password-error-message' },
             generic_error:  { accessibility_id: 'generic-error-message' }
  textfields username_field: { accessibility_id: 'Username input field' },
             password_field: { accessibility_id: 'Password input field' }
  button     :login_button,  { accessibility_id: 'Login button' }
end


class CheckoutAddressScreen < TestCentricity::ScreenObject
  trait(:page_name)    { 'Checkout - Address' }
  trait(:page_locator) { { accessibility_id: 'checkout address screen' } }
  trait(:page_url)     { 'checkout-address' }

  # Checkout Address screen UI elements
  textfields fullname_field:     { accessibility_id: 'Full Name* input field' },
             address1_field:     { accessibility_id: 'Address Line 1* input field' },
             address2_field:     { accessibility_id: 'Address Line 2 input field' },
             city_field:         { accessibility_id: 'City* input field' },
             state_region_field: { accessibility_id: 'State/Region input field' },
             zip_code_field:     { accessibility_id: 'Zip Code* input field' },
             country_field:      { accessibility_id: 'Country* input field' }
  button     :to_payment_button, { accessibility_id: 'To Payment button' }
end

Adding Methods to your ScreenObject

It is good practice for your Cucumber step definitions to call high level methods in your your ScreenObject instead of directly accessing and interacting with a screen object's UI elements. You can add high level methods to your ScreenObject class definition for interacting with the UI to hide implementation details, as shown below:

class LoginScreen < TestCentricity::ScreenObject
  trait(:page_name)    { 'Login' }
  trait(:page_locator) { { accessibility_id: 'login screen' } }
  trait(:page_url)     { 'login' }

  # Login screen UI elements
  labels     username_label: { accessibility_id: 'Username'},
             password_label: { xpath: '(//XCUIElementTypeStaticText[@name="Password"])[1]'},
             username_error: { accessibility_id: 'Username-error-message' },
             password_error: { accessibility_id: 'Password-error-message' },
             generic_error:  { accessibility_id: 'generic-error-message' }
  textfields username_field: { accessibility_id: 'Username input field' },
             password_field: { accessibility_id: 'Password input field' }
  button     :login_button,  { accessibility_id: 'Login button' }

  def verify_page_ui
    super
    ui = {
      header_label   => { visible: true, caption: 'Login' },
      username_label => { visible: true, caption: 'Username' },
      username_field => { visible: true, enabled: true },
      password_label => { visible: true, caption: 'Password' },
      password_field => { visible: true, enabled: true },
         => { visible: true, enabled: true, caption: 'Login' }
    }
    verify_ui_states(ui)
  end

  def (username, password)
    fields = {
      username_field => username,
      password_field => password
    }
    populate_data_fields(fields)
    .tap
  end

  def verify_entry_error(reason)
    ui = case reason.gsub(/\s+/, '_').downcase.to_sym
         when :invalid_password, :invalid_user
           { generic_error => { visible: true, caption: 'Provided credentials do not match any user in this service.' } }
         when :locked_account
           { generic_error => { visible: true, caption: 'Sorry, this user has been locked out.' } }
         when :no_username
           { username_error => { visible: true, caption: 'Username is required' } }
         when :no_password
           { password_error => { visible: true, caption: 'Password is required' } }
         else
           raise "#{reason} is not a valid selector"
         end
    verify_ui_states(ui)
  end
end

Once your ScreenObject has been instantiated, you can call your methods as shown below:

.('snicklefritz', 'Pa55w0rd')
.verify_entry_error('invalid user')

ScreenSections

A ScreenSection is a collection of UI Elements that may appear in multiple locations on a screen, or on multiple screens in an app. It is a collection of UI Elements that represent a conceptual area of functionality, like a navigation bar, a search capability, or a menu. UI Elements and functional behavior are confined to the scope of a ScreenSection object.

A ScreenSection may contain other ScreenSection objects.

Defining a ScreenSection

Your ScreenSection class definitions should be contained within individual .rb files in the features/support/<platform>/sections folder of your test automation project, where <platform> is typically ios or android. For each screen section in your app, you will typically have to define two ScreenSections - one for iOS and the other for Android.

my_automation_project
    ├── config
    ├── features
    │   ├── step_definitions
    │   ├── support
    │   │   ├── android
    |   |   |   ├── screens
    |   |   |   └── sections
    │   │   ├── ios
    |   |   |   ├── screens
    |   |   |   └── sections
    │   │   ├── env.rb
    │   │   └── hooks.rb
    ├── Gemfile
    └── README.md

You define a new ScreenSection as shown below:

class NavMenu < TestCentricity::ScreenSection
end

Adding Traits to a ScreenSection

A ScreenSection typically has a root node object that encapsulates a collection of UIElements. The section_locator trait specifies the CSS or Xpath expression that uniquely identifies that root node object.

You define your section's Traits as shown below:

class NavMenu < TestCentricity::ScreenSection
  trait(:section_name)    { 'Nav Menu' }
  trait(:section_locator) { { xpath: '//XCUIElementTypeScrollView' } }
end

Adding UI Elements to your ScreenSection

A ScreenSection is typically made up of UI elements like text fields, check boxes, switches, lists, buttons, etc. UI Elements are added to your ScreenSection class definition as shown below:

class NavMenu < TestCentricity::ScreenSection
  trait(:section_name)    { 'Nav Menu' }
  trait(:section_locator) { { xpath: '//XCUIElementTypeScrollView' } }

  # Nav Menu UI elements
  buttons close_button:        { accessibility_id: 'close menu' },
          webview_button:      { accessibility_id: 'menu item webview' },
          qr_code_button:      { accessibility_id: 'menu item qr code scanner' },
          geo_location_button: { accessibility_id: 'menu item geo location' },
          drawing_button:      { accessibility_id: 'menu item drawing' },
          report_a_bug_button: { accessibility_id: 'menu item report a bug' },
          about_button:        { accessibility_id: 'menu item about' },
          reset_app_button:    { accessibility_id: 'menu item reset app' },
          biometrics_button:   { accessibility_id: 'menu item biometrics' },
          log_in_button:       { accessibility_id: 'menu item log in' },
          log_out_button:      { accessibility_id: 'menu item log out' },
          api_calls_button:    { accessibility_id: 'menu item api calls' },
          sauce_video_button:  { accessibility_id: 'menu item sauce bot video' }
end

Adding Methods to your ScreenSection

You can add methods to your ScreenSection class definition, as shown below:

class NavMenu < TestCentricity::ScreenSection
  trait(:section_name)    { 'Nav Menu' }
  trait(:section_locator) { { xpath: '//XCUIElementTypeScrollView' } }

  # Nav Menu UI elements
  buttons close_button:        { accessibility_id: 'close menu' },
          webview_button:      { accessibility_id: 'menu item webview' },
          qr_code_button:      { accessibility_id: 'menu item qr code scanner' },
          geo_location_button: { accessibility_id: 'menu item geo location' },
          drawing_button:      { accessibility_id: 'menu item drawing' },
          report_a_bug_button: { accessibility_id: 'menu item report a bug' },
          about_button:        { accessibility_id: 'menu item about' },
          reset_app_button:    { accessibility_id: 'menu item reset app' },
          biometrics_button:   { accessibility_id: 'menu item biometrics' },
          log_in_button:       { accessibility_id: 'menu item log in' },
          log_out_button:      { accessibility_id: 'menu item log out' },
          api_calls_button:    { accessibility_id: 'menu item api calls' },
          sauce_video_button:  { accessibility_id: 'menu item sauce bot video' }

  def verify_ui
    ui = {
      self                => { visible: true },
      close_button        => { visible: true, enabled: true },
      webview_button      => { visible: true, enabled: true, caption: 'Webview' },
      qr_code_button      => { visible: true, enabled: true, caption: 'QR Code Scanner' },
      geo_location_button => { visible: true, enabled: true, caption: 'Geo Location' },
      drawing_button      => { visible: true, enabled: true, caption: 'Drawing' },
      report_a_bug_button => { visible: true, enabled: true, caption: 'Report A Bug' },
      about_button        => { visible: true, enabled: true, caption: 'About' },
      reset_app_button    => { visible: true, enabled: true, caption: 'Reset App State' },
      biometrics_button   => { visible: true, enabled: true, caption: 'FaceID' },
             => { visible: true, enabled: true, caption: 'Log In' },
      log_out_button      => { visible: true, enabled: true, caption: 'Log Out' },
      api_calls_button    => { visible: true, enabled: true, caption: 'Api Calls' },
      sauce_video_button  => { visible: true, enabled: true, caption: 'Sauce Bot Video' }
    }
    verify_ui_states(ui)
  end

  def close
    close_button.click
    self.wait_until_hidden(3)
  end

  def verify_closed
    verify_ui_states(close_button => { visible: false })
  end
end

Adding ScreenSections to your ScreenObject

You add a ScreenSection to its associated ScreenObject as shown below:

class BaseAppScreen < TestCentricity::ScreenObject
  # Base App screen UI elements
  label    :header_label, { accessibility_id: 'container header' }
  sections nav_bar:  NavBar,
           nav_menu: NavMenu
end

Once your ScreenObject has been instantiated, you can call its ScreenSection methods as shown below:

base_screen.nav_menu.verify_ui

AppUIElements

Native app ScreenObjects and ScreenSections are typically made up of UI Element like text fields, switches, lists, buttons, etc. UI Elements are declared and instantiated within the class definition of the ScreenObject or ScreenSection in which they are contained. With TestCentricity, all native app screen UI elements are based on the AppUIElement class.

Declaring and Instantiating AppUIElements

Single AppUIElement declarations have the following format:

elementType :elementName, { locator_strategy, locator_identifier }
  • The elementName is the unique name that you will use to refer to the UI element and is specified as a Symbol.
  • The locator_strategy specifies the selector strategy that Appium will use to find the AppUIElement. Valid selectors are accessibility_id:, id:, name:, class:, xpath:, predicate: (iOS only), class_chain: (iOS only), and css: (WebViews in hybrid apps only).
  • The locator_identifier is the value or attribute that uniquely and unambiguously identifies the AppUIElement.

Multiple AppUIElement declarations for a collection of elements of the same type can be performed by passing a hash table containing the names and locators of each individual element.

Example AppUIElement Declarations

Supported AppUIElement elementTypes and their declarations have the following format:

Single element declarations:

class SampleScreen < TestCentricity::ScreenObject
  button     :button_name, { locator_strategy, locator_identifier }
  textfield  :field_name, { locator_strategy, locator_identifier }
  checkbox   :checkbox_name, { locator_strategy, locator_identifier }
  label      :label_name, { locator_strategy, locator_identifier }
  selectlist :select_name, { locator_strategy, locator_identifier }
  list       :list_name, { locator_strategy, locator_identifier }
  image      :image_name, { locator_strategy, locator_identifier }
  switch     :switch_name, { locator_strategy, locator_identifier }
  element    :element_name, { locator_strategy, locator_identifier }
  alert      :alert_name, { locator_strategy, locator_identifier }
end

Multiple element declarations:

class SampleScreen < TestCentricity::ScreenObject
  buttons    button_1_name: { locator_strategy, locator_identifier },
             button_2_name: { locator_strategy, locator_identifier },
             button_X_name: { locator_strategy, locator_identifier }
  textfields field_1_name: { locator_strategy, locator_identifier },
             field_2_name: { locator_strategy, locator_identifier },
             field_X_name: { locator_strategy, locator_identifier }
  checkboxes check_1_name: { locator_strategy, locator_identifier },
             check_2_name: { locator_strategy, locator_identifier },
             check_X_name: { locator_strategy, locator_identifier }
  labels     label_1_name: { locator_strategy, locator_identifier },
             label_X_name: { locator_strategy, locator_identifier }
  images     image_1_name: { locator_strategy, locator_identifier },
             image_X_name: { locator_strategy, locator_identifier }
end

Refer to the Class List documentation for the ScreenObject and ScreenSection classes for details on the class methods used for declaring and instantiating AppUIElements. Examples of UI element declarations can be found in the Adding UI Elements to your ScreenObject and Adding UI Elements to your ScreenSection sections above.

AppUIElement Inherited Methods

With TestCentricity, all native app UI elements are based on the AppUIElement class, and inherit the following methods:

Action methods:

element.click
element.tap
element.double_tap
element.hover_at(x, y)
element.scroll(direction)
element.swipe(direction)

Object state methods:

element.exists?
element.visible?
element.hidden?
element.enabled?
element.disabled?
element.selected?
element.tag_name
element.width
element.height
element.x_loc
element.y_loc
element.get_attribute(attrib)

Waiting methods:

element.wait_until_exists(seconds)
element.wait_until_gone(seconds)
element.wait_until_visible(seconds)
element.wait_until_hidden(seconds)
element.wait_until_enabled(seconds)
element.wait_until_value_is(value, seconds)
element.wait_until_value_changes(seconds)

Populating your ScreenObject or ScreenSection with data

A typical automated test may be required to perform the entry of test data by interacting with various AppUIElements on your ScreenObject or ScreenSection. This data entry can be performed using the various object action methods (listed above) for each AppUIElement that needs to be interacted with.

The ScreenObject.populate_data_fields and ScreenSection.populate_data_fields methods support the entry of test data into a collection of AppUIElements. The populate_data_fields method accepts a hash containing key/hash pairs of AppUIElements and their associated data to be entered. Data values must be in the form of a String for textfield controls. For checkbox controls, data must either be a Boolean or a String that evaluates to a Boolean value (Yes, No, 1, 0, true, false).

The populate_data_fields method verifies that data attributes associated with each AppUIElement is not nil or empty before attempting to enter data into the AppUIElement.

The optional wait_time parameter is used to specify the time (in seconds) to wait for each AppUIElement to become viable for data entry (the AppUIElement must be visible and enabled) before entering the associated data value. This option is useful in situations where entering data, or setting the state of a AppUIElement might cause other AppUIElements to become visible or active. Specifying a wait_time value ensures that the subsequent AppUIElements will be ready to be interacted with as states are changed. If the wait time is nil, then the wait time will be 5 seconds.

def enter_data(user_data)
  fields = {
    first_name_field   => user_data.first_name,
    last_name_field    => user_data.last_name,
    email_field        => user_data.email,
    phone_number_field => user_data.phone_number
  }
  populate_data_fields(fields, wait_time = 2)
end

Verifying AppUIElements on your ScreenObject or ScreenSection

A typical automated test executes one or more interactions with the user interface, and then performs a validation to verify whether the expected state of the UI has been achieved. This verification can be performed using the various object state methods (listed above) for each AppUIElement that requires verification. Depending on the complexity and number of AppUIElements to be verified, the code required to verify the presence of AppUIElements and their correct states can become cumbersome.

The ScreenObject.verify_ui_states and ScreenSection.verify_ui_states methods support the verification of multiple properties of multiple UI elements on a ScreenObject or ScreenSection. The verify_ui_states method accepts a hash containing key/hash pairs of UI elements and their properties or attributes to be verified.

 ui = {
   object1 => { property: state },
   object2 => { property: state, property: state },
   object3 => { property: state }
 }
 verify_ui_states(ui)

The verify_ui_states method queues up any exceptions that occur while verifying each object's properties until all AppUIElements and their properties have been checked, and then posts any exceptions encountered upon completion. Posted exceptions include a screenshot of the screen where expected results did not match actual results.

The verify_ui_states method supports the following property/state pairs:

All Objects:

:exists            Boolean
:enabled           Boolean
:disabled          Boolean
:visible           Boolean
:hidden            Boolean
:width             Integer
:height            Integer
:x                 Integer
:y                 Integer
:class             String
:value or :caption String
:attribute         Hash

Text Fields:

:placeholder String
:readonly    Boolean  (WebViews only)
:maxlength   Integer  (WebViews only)

Checkboxes:

:checked Boolean

Comparison States

The verify_ui_states method supports comparison states using property/comparison state pairs:

object => { property: { comparison_state: value } }

Comparison States:

:lt or :less_than                  Integer or String
:lt_eq or :less_than_or_equal      Integer or String
:gt or :greater_than               Integer or String
:gt_eq or :greater_than_or_equal   Integer or String
:starts_with                       String
:ends_with                         String
:contains                          String
:not_contains or :does_not_contain Integer or String
:not_equal                         Integer, String, or Boolean

I18n Translation Validation

The verify_ui_states method also supports I18n string translations using property/I18n key name pairs:

object => { property: { translate_key: 'name of key in I18n compatible .yml file' } }

I18n Translation Keys:

:translate            String
:translate_upcase     String
:translate_downcase   String
:translate_capitalize String
:translate_titlecase  String

The example below depicts the usage of the verify_ui_states method to verify that the captions for menu items are correctly translated.

def verify_menu
  ui = {
     => { visible: true, caption: { translate: 'Header.settings.account' } },
    help_item             => { visible: true, caption: { translate: 'Header.settings.help' } },
    feedback_item         => { visible: true, caption: { translate: 'Header.settings.feedback' } },
    legal_item            => { visible: true, caption: { translate: 'Header.settings.legal' } },
    institution_item      => { visible: true, caption: { translate: 'Header.settings.institution' } },
    configurations_item   => { visible: true, caption: { translate: 'Header.settings.configurations' } },
    contact_us_item       => { visible: true, caption: { translate: 'Header.settings.contact' } },
    downloads_item        => { visible: true, caption: { translate: 'Header.settings.downloads' } }
  }
  verify_ui_states(ui)
end

Each supported language/locale combination has a corresponding .yml file. I18n .yml file naming convention uses ISO-639 language codes and ISO-3166 country codes. For example:

Language (Country) File name
English en.yml
English (Canada) en-CA.yml
French (Canada) fr-CA.yml
French fr.yml
Spanish es.yml
German de.yml
Portuguese (Brazil) pt-BR.yml
Portuguese (Portugal) pt-PT.yml

I18n .yml files contain key/value pairs representing the name of a translated string (key) and the string value.

Baseline translation strings are stored in .yml files in the config/locales/ folder.

my_automation_project
    ├── config
       ├── locales
          ├── en.yml
          ├── es.yml
          ├── fr.yml
          ├── fr-CA.yml
          └── en-AU.yml
       ├── test_data
       └── cucumber.yml
    ├── features
    ├── Gemfile
    └── README.md

Instantiating ScreenObjects and Utilizing the PageManager

Before you can call the methods in your ScreenObjects and ScreenSections, you must instantiate the ScreenObjects of your native mobile application, as well as create instance variables which can be used when calling ScreenObject methods from your step definitions or specs.

The PageManager class provides methods for supporting the instantiation and management of ScreenObjects and PageObjects. In the code example below, the page_objects method contains a hash table of your ScreenObject instances and their associated ScreenObject classes to be instantiated by PageManager:

module WorldPages
  def page_objects
    {
      login_screen:            LoginScreen,
      registration_screen:     RegistrationScreen,
      search_results_screen:   SearchResultsScreen,
      products_grid_screen:    ProductsCollectionScreen,
      product_detail_screen:   ProductDetailScreen,
      shopping_basket_screen:  ShoppingBasketScreen,
      payment_method_screen:   PaymentMethodScreen,
      confirm_purchase_screen: PurchaseConfirmationScreen,
      my_account_screen:       MyAccountScreen,
      my_order_history_screen: MyOrderHistoryScreen
    }
  end
end

World(WorldPages)

The WorldPages module above should be defined in the world_pages.rb file in the features/support folder.

Include the code below in your env.rb file to ensure that your ScreenObjects are instantiated before your Cucumber scenarios are executed:

include WorldPages
WorldPages.instantiate_page_objects

NOTE: If you intend to use the PageManager, you must define a page_name trait for each of the ScreenObjects to be registered.

Instantiating ScreenObjects and PageObjects for a combined native iOS/Android app and web app

If your native mobile apps share feature parity with a responsive desktop/mobile web UI, you can define iOS and Android specific ScreenObjects and the corresponding web specific PageObjects. If you use the PLATFORM Environment Variable to specify the target test platform (ios, android, or web) at test run time, the following implementation of the page_objects method will ensure instantiation of the correct ScreenObjects or PageObjects at run time:

module WorldPages
  def page_objects
    case ENV['PLATFORM'].downcase.to_sym
    when :ios, :android
      native_app_screen_objects
    when :web
      web_page_objects
    end
  end
end

def native_app_screen_objects
    {
      login_screen:            LoginScreen,
      registration_screen:     RegistrationScreen,
      search_results_screen:   SearchResultsScreen,
      products_grid_screen:    ProductsCollectionScreen,
      product_detail_screen:   ProductDetailScreen,
      shopping_basket_screen:  ShoppingBasketScreen,
      payment_method_screen:   PaymentMethodScreen,
      confirm_purchase_screen: PurchaseConfirmationScreen,
      my_account_screen:       MyAccountScreen,
      my_order_history_screen: MyOrderHistoryScreen
    }
end

def web_page_objects
    {
      login_screen:            LoginPage,
      registration_screen:     RegistrationPage,
      search_results_screen:   SearchResultsPage,
      products_grid_screen:    ProductsCollectionPage,
      product_detail_screen:   ProductDetailPage,
      shopping_basket_screen:  ShoppingBasketPage,
      payment_method_screen:   PaymentMethodPage,
      confirm_purchase_screen: PurchaseConfirmationPage,
      my_account_screen:       MyAccountPage,
      my_order_history_screen: MyOrderHistoryPage
    }
end

World(WorldPages)

Leveraging the PageManager in your Cucumber tests

Many Cucumber based automated tests suites include scenarios that verify that web pages are correctly loaded, displayed, or can be navigated to by clicking associated links. One such Cucumber navigation scenario is displayed below:

Scenario Outline:  Verify screen navigation features
  Given I am on the Products screen
  When I tap the <screen_name> navigation menu item
  Then I expect the <screen_name> screen to be correctly displayed

  Examples:
    |screen_name      |
    |Registration     |
    |Shopping Basket  |
    |My Account       |
    |My Order History |

In the above example, the step definitions associated with the 3 steps can be implemented using the PageManager.find_page method to match the specified screen_name argument with the corresponding ScreenObject as shown below:

include TestCentricity

When(/^I (?:load|am on) the (.*) (?:page|screen)$/) do |screen_name|
  # find and load the specified target page/screen
  target_page = PageManager.find_page(screen_name)
  target_page.load_page
end


When(/^I (?:click|tap) the ([^\"]*) navigation menu item$/) do |screen_name|
  # find and navigate to the specified target page/screen
  target_page = PageManager.find_page(screen_name)
  target_page.navigate_to
end


Then(/^I expect the (.*) (?:page|screen) to be correctly displayed$/) do |screen_name|
  # find and verify that the specified target page/screen is loaded
  target_page = PageManager.find_page(screen_name)
  target_page.verify_page_exists
  # verify that target page/screen is correctly displayed
  target_page.verify_page_ui
end

Connecting to a Mobile Simulator or Device

The AppiumConnect.initialize_appium method configures the appropriate Appium capabilities required to establish a connection with a locally or cloud hosted target iOS or Android simulator or real device.

Starting and stopping Appium Server

The Appium server must be running prior to invoking Cucumber to run your features/scenarios on locally hosted mobile simulators or physical device. To programmatically control the starting and stopping of Appium server with the execution of your automated tests, place the code shown below into your hooks.rb file.

BeforeAll do
  # start Appium Server if command line option was specified and target browser is mobile simulator or device
  if ENV['APPIUM_SERVER'] == 'run' && Environ.driver == :appium
    $server = TestCentricity::AppiumServer.new
    $server.start
  end
end

AfterAll do
  # terminate Appium Server if command line option was specified and target browser is mobile simulator or device
  if ENV['APPIUM_SERVER'] == 'run' && Environ.driver == :appium && $server.running?
    $server.stop
  end
end

The APPIUM_SERVER environment variable must be set to run in order to programmatically start and stop Appium server. This can be set by adding the following to your cucumber.yml file and including -p run_appium in your command line when starting your Cucumber test suite(s):

run_appium: APPIUM_SERVER=run

Connecting to Locally Hosted iOS Simulators or Physical Devices

You can run your automated tests on locally hosted iOS simulators or physically connected devices using Appium and XCode on macOS. You must install Appium, XCode, and the iOS version-specific device simulators for XCode. Information about Appium setup and configuration requirements for testing on physically connected iOS devices can be found on this page. The Appium server must be running prior to invoking Cucumber to run your features/scenarios.

Once your test environment is properly configured, the following Environment Variables must be set as described in the table below.

Environment Variable Description
DRIVER Must be set to appium
APP_PLATFORM_NAME Must be set to iOS
AUTOMATION_ENGINE Must be set to XCUITest
APP_VERSION Must be set to 15.4, 14.5, or which ever iOS version you wish to run within the XCode Simulator
APP_DEVICE Set to iOS device name supported by the iOS Simulator (iPhone 13 Pro Max, iPad Pro (12.9-inch) (5th generation), etc.) or name of physically connected iOS device
DEVICE_TYPE Must be set to phone or tablet
APP_UDID UDID of physically connected iOS device (not used for simulators)
TEAM_ID unique 10-character Apple developer team identifier string (not used for simulators)
TEAM_NAME String representing a signing certificate (not used for simulators)
APP_NO_RESET [Optional] Don't reset app state after each test. Set to true or false
APP_FULL_RESET [Optional] Perform a complete reset. Set to true or false
WDA_LOCAL_PORT [Optional] Used to forward traffic from Mac host to real iOS devices over USB. Default value is same as port number used by WDA on device.
LOCALE [Optional] Locale to set for the simulator. e.g. fr_CA
LANGUAGE [Optional] Language to set for the simulator. e.g. fr
ORIENTATION [Optional] Set to portrait or landscape (only for iOS simulators)
NEW_COMMAND_TIMEOUT [Optional] Time (in Seconds) that Appium will wait for a new command from the client

Refer to section 9.5 (Using Configuration Specific Profiles in cucumber.yml) below.

Connecting to Locally Hosted Android Simulators or Physical Devices

You can run your automated tests on emulated Android devices using Appium and Android Studio on macOS. You must install Android Studio, the desired Android version-specific virtual device emulators, and Appium. Refer to this page for information on configuring Appium to work with the Android SDK. The Appium server must be running prior to invoking Cucumber to run your features/scenarios.

Once your test environment is properly configured, the following Environment Variables must be set as described in the table below.

Environment Variable Description
DRIVER Must be set to appium
APP_PLATFORM_NAME Must be set to Android
AUTOMATION_ENGINE Must be set to UiAutomator2
APP_VERSION Must be set to 12.0, or which ever Android OS version you wish to run with the Android Virtual Device
APP_DEVICE Set to Android Virtual Device ID (Pixel_2_XL_API_26, Nexus_6_API_23, etc.) found in Advanced Settings of AVD Configuration
DEVICE_TYPE Must be set to phone or tablet
APP_UDID UDID of physically connected Android device (not used for simulators)
ORIENTATION [Optional] Set to portrait or landscape
APP_NO_RESET [Optional] Don't reset app state after each test. Set to true or false
APP_FULL_RESET [Optional] Perform a complete reset. Set to true or false
LOCALE [Optional] Locale to set for the simulator. e.g. fr_CA
LANGUAGE [Optional] Language to set for the simulator. e.g. fr
NEW_COMMAND_TIMEOUT [Optional] Time (in Seconds) that Appium will wait for a new command from the client

Refer to section 9.5 (Using Configuration Specific Profiles in cucumber.yml) below.

Connecting to Remote Cloud Hosted iOS and Android Simulators or Physical Devices

You can run your automated tests against remote cloud hosted iOS and Android simulators and real devices using the BrowserStack, SauceLabs, or TestingBot services. Refer to section 9.5 (Using Configuration Specific Profiles in cucumber.yml) below.

Remote iOS and Android Physical Devices on the BrowserStack service

For remotely hosted iOS and Android simulators and real devices on the BrowserStack service, the following Environment Variables must be set as described in the table below. Refer to the Browserstack-specific capabilities chart page for information regarding the specific capabilities.

Environment Variable Description
DRIVER Must be set to browserstack
BS_USERNAME Must be set to your BrowserStack account user name
BS_AUTHKEY Must be set to your BrowserStack account access key
BS_OS Must be set to ios or android
BS_DEVICE Refer to deviceName capability in chart
BS_OS_VERSION Set to the OS version specified in the platformVersion capability in the chart
DEVICE_TYPE Must be set to phone or tablet
ORIENTATION [Optional] Set to portrait or landscape
RECORD_VIDEO [Optional] Enable screen video recording during test execution (true or false)
TIME_ZONE [Optional] Specify custom time zone. Refer to browserstack.timezone capability in chart
IP_GEOLOCATION [Optional] Specify IP Geolocation. Refer to IP Geolocation to select a country code.
SCREENSHOTS [Optional] Generate screenshots for debugging (true or false)
NETWORK_LOGS [Optional] Capture network logs (true or false)
APPIUM_LOGS [Optional] Generate Appium logs (true or false)

Remote iOS and Android Physical Devices and Simulators on the Sauce Labs service

For remotely hosted iOS and Android simulators and real devices on the Sauce Labs service, the following Environment Variables must be set as described in the table below. Refer to the Platform Configurator page to obtain information regarding the specific capabilities.

Environment Variable Description
DRIVER Must be set to saucelabs
SL_USERNAME Must be set to your Sauce Labs account user name or email address
SL_AUTHKEY Must be set to your Sauce Labs account access key
DATA_CENTER Must be set to your Sauce Labs account Data Center assignment (us-west-1, eu-central-1, apac-southeast-1)
SL_OS Must be set to ios or android
SL_DEVICE Refer to deviceName capability in chart
SL_OS_VERSION Refer to platformVersion capability in the Config Script section of the Platform Configurator page
DEVICE_TYPE Must be set to phone or tablet
ORIENTATION [Optional] Set to portrait or landscape
RECORD_VIDEO [Optional] Enable screen video recording during test execution (true or false)
SCREENSHOTS [Optional] Generate screenshots for debugging (true or false)

Remote iOS and Android Physical Devices and Simulators on the TestingBot service

For remotely hosted iOS and Android simulators and real devices on the TestingBot service, the following Environment Variables must be set as described in the table below. Refer to the TestingBot List of Devices page for information regarding the specific capabilities.

Environment Variable Description
DRIVER Must be set to testingbot
TB_USERNAME Must be set to your TestingBot account user name
TB_AUTHKEY Must be set to your TestingBot account access key
TB_OS Must be set to ios or android
TB_DEVICE Refer to deviceName capability in chart
TB_OS_VERSION Refer to version capability in chart
DEVICE_TYPE Must be set to phone or tablet
REAL_DEVICE Must be set to true for real devices

Using Configuration Specific Profiles in cucumber.yml

While you can set Environment Variables in the command line when invoking Cucumber, a preferred method of specifying and managing target platforms is to create platform specific Profiles that set the appropriate Environment Variables for each target platform in your cucumber.yml file.

Below is a list of Cucumber Profiles for supported locally and remotely hosted iOS and Android simulators and real devices (put these in in your cucumber.yml file). Before you can use the BrowserStack, SauceLabs, TestingBot or LambdaTest services, you will need to replace the INSERT USER NAME HERE and INSERT PASSWORD HERE placeholder text with your user account and authorization code for the cloud service(s) that you intend to connect with.

#==============
# conditionally load Page and Screen Object implementations based on which target platform we're running on
#==============

ios:     PLATFORM=ios --tags @ios -r features/support/ios -e features/support/android
android: PLATFORM=android --tags @android -r features/support/android -e features/support/ios
web:     PLATFORM=web --tags @web -r features/support/web -e features/support/ios -e features/support/android


#==============
# profiles for mobile device screen orientation
#==============

landscape: ORIENTATION=landscape
portrait:  ORIENTATION=portrait


#==============
# profile to start Appium Server prior to running mobile browser tests on iOS or Android simulators or physical devices
#==============
run_appium: APPIUM_SERVER=run


#==============
# profiles for native iOS apps hosted within XCode iOS simulators
# NOTE: Requires installation of XCode, iOS version specific target simulators, and Appium
#==============

appium_ios: DRIVER=appium --profile ios AUTOMATION_ENGINE=XCUITest APP_PLATFORM_NAME="iOS" NEW_COMMAND_TIMEOUT="30" <%= mobile %>
app_ios_14: --profile appium_ios APP_VERSION="14.5"
app_ios_15: --profile appium_ios APP_VERSION="15.4"

iphone_12PM_14_sim: --profile app_ios_14 DEVICE_TYPE=phone APP_DEVICE="iPhone 12 Pro Max"
iphone_13PM_15_sim: --profile app_ios_15 DEVICE_TYPE=phone APP_DEVICE="iPhone 13 Pro Max"
iphone_11_14_sim:   --profile app_ios_14 DEVICE_TYPE=phone APP_DEVICE="iPhone 11"
ipad_pro_12_15_sim: --profile app_ios_15 DEVICE_TYPE=tablet APP_DEVICE="iPad Pro (12.9-inch) (5th generation)"


#==============
# profiles for native Android apps hosted within Android Studio Android Virtual Device emulators
# NOTE: Requires installation of Android Studio, Android version specific virtual device simulators, and Appium
#==============

appium_android:    DRIVER=appium --profile android AUTOMATION_ENGINE=UiAutomator2 APP_PLATFORM_NAME="Android" <%= mobile %>
app_android_12:    --profile appium_android APP_VERSION="12.0"
pixel_5_api31_sim: --profile app_android_12 DEVICE_TYPE=phone APP_DEVICE="Pixel_5_API_31"


#==============
# profiles for remotely hosted devices on the BrowserStack service
# WARNING: Credentials should not be stored as text in your cucumber.yml file where it can be exposed by anyone with access
#          to your version control system
#==============

browserstack: DRIVER=browserstack BS_USERNAME="<INSERT USER NAME HERE>" BS_AUTHKEY="<INSERT PASSWORD HERE>" TEST_CONTEXT="TestCentricity"

# BrowserStack iOS real device native app profiles
bs_ios:           --profile browserstack --profile ios BS_OS=ios <%= mobile %>
bs_iphone:        --profile bs_ios DEVICE_TYPE=phone
bs_iphone13PM_15: --profile bs_iphone BS_OS_VERSION="15" BS_DEVICE="iPhone 13 Pro Max"
bs_iphone11_14:   --profile bs_iphone BS_OS_VERSION="14" BS_DEVICE="iPhone 11"

# BrowserStack Android real device native app profiles
bs_android: --profile browserstack --profile android BS_OS=android <%= mobile %>
bs_pixel5:  --profile bs_android BS_DEVICE="Google Pixel 5" BS_OS_VERSION="12.0" DEVICE_TYPE=phone


#==============
# profiles for remotely hosted devices on the SauceLabs service
# WARNING: Credentials should not be stored as text in your cucumber.yml file where it can be exposed by anyone with access
#          to your version control system
#==============

saucelabs: DRIVER=saucelabs SL_USERNAME="<INSERT USER NAME HERE>" SL_AUTHKEY="<INSERT PASSWORD HERE>" DATA_CENTER="us-west-1" AUTOMATE_PROJECT="TestCentricity - SauceLabs"

# SauceLabs iOS real device native app profiles
sl_ios:           --profile saucelabs --profile ios SL_OS=ios <%= mobile %>
sl_iphone:        --profile sl_ios DEVICE_TYPE=phone
sl_iphone13PM_15: --profile sl_iphone SL_DEVICE="iPhone 13 Pro Max Simulator" SL_OS_VERSION="15.4"

# SauceLabs Android real device native app profiles
sl_android: --profile saucelabs --profile android SL_OS=android <%= mobile %>
sl_pixel5:  --profile sl_android SL_DEVICE="Google Pixel 5 GoogleAPI Emulator" SL_OS_VERSION="12.0" DEVICE_TYPE=phone


#==============
# profiles for remotely hosted devices on the TestingBot service
# WARNING: Credentials should not be stored as text in your cucumber.yml file where it can be exposed by anyone with access
#          to your version control system
#==============

testingbot: DRIVER=testingbot TB_USERNAME="<INSERT USER NAME HERE>" TB_AUTHKEY="<INSERT PASSWORD HERE>" AUTOMATE_PROJECT="TestCentricity - TestingBot"

# TestingBot iOS real device native app profiles
tb_ios:               --profile testingbot --profile ios TB_OS=iOS <%= mobile %>
tb_iphone:            --profile tb_ios DEVICE_TYPE=phone
tb_iphone11_14_dev:   --profile tb_iphone TB_OS_VERSION="14.0" TB_DEVICE="iPhone 11" REAL_DEVICE=true
tb_iphone11_14_sim:   --profile tb_iphone TB_OS_VERSION="14.2" TB_DEVICE="iPhone 11"
tb_iphone13PM_15_sim: --profile tb_iphone TB_OS_VERSION="15.4" TB_DEVICE="iPhone 13 Pro Max"

# TestingBot Android real device native app profiles
tb_android:    --profile testingbot --profile android TB_OS=Android <%= mobile %>
tb_pixel_dev:  --profile tb_android TB_DEVICE="Pixel" TB_OS_VERSION="9.0" DEVICE_TYPE=phone REAL_DEVICE=true
tb_pixel6_sim: --profile tb_android TB_DEVICE="Pixel 6" TB_OS_VERSION="12.0" DEVICE_TYPE=phone

To specify a mobile simulator or real device target using a profile at runtime, you use the flag --profile or -p followed by the profile name when invoking Cucumber in the command line. For instance, the following command specifies that Cucumber will run tests against an iPad Pro (12.9-inch) (5th generation) with iOS version 15.4 in an XCode Simulator in portrait orientation:

cucumber -p ipad_pro_12_15_sim -p portrait

NOTE:  Appium must be running prior to executing this command

You can ensure that Appium Server is running by including -p run_appium in your command line:

cucumber -p ipad_pro_12_15_sim -p portrait -p run_appium

The following command specifies that Cucumber will run tests against a cloud hosted iPhone 13 Pro Max running iOS 15.4 on the BrowserStack service:

cucumber -p bs_iphone13PM_15

Below is an example of the project structure of a typical Cucumber based native mobile app test automation framework with a Screen Object Model architecture. ScreenObject class definitions should be stored in the /features/support/<platform>/screens folders, organized in functional area sub-folders as needed. Likewise, ScreenSection class definitions should be stored in the /features/support/<platform>/sections folder, where <platform> is typically ios or android.

Common embedded WebViews for native and hybrid apps that are shared with both iOS and Android platforms should be stored in the /features/support/shared_webviews folder.

my_automation_project
    ├── config
    │   ├── locales
    │   ├── test_data
    │   └── cucumber.yml
    ├── features
    │   ├── step_definitions
    │   ├── support
    │   │   ├── android
    |   |   |   ├── screens
    |   |   |   └── sections
    │   │   ├── ios
    |   |   |   ├── screens
    |   |   |   └── sections
    │   │   ├── shared_webviews
    │   │   ├── env.rb
    │   │   ├── hooks.rb
    │   │   └── world_pages.rb
    ├── Gemfile
    └── README.md

TestCentricity Native Mobile App Framework Overview

Combined native iOS/Android app and web app project

If your native mobile apps share feature parity and a common user experience with a responsive web UI that is accessed via desktop/mobile web browsers, you can effectively create one set of Cucumber feature files and scenarios that can be used to test across all three platforms - iOS, Android, and web.

Below is an example of the project structure of a typical Cucumber based native mobile app and web UI test automation framework with a Screen and Page Object Model architecture. ScreenObject class definitions should be stored in the /features/support/<platform>/screens folders, organized in functional area sub-folders as needed. Likewise, ScreenSection class definitions should be stored in the /features/support/<platform>/sections folder. PageObject class definitions should be stored in the /features/support/web/pages folders, organized in functional area sub-folders as needed, while PageSection class definitions should be stored in the the /features/support/web/sections folder.

my_automation_project
    ├── config
    │   ├── locales
    │   ├── test_data
    │   └── cucumber.yml
    ├── features
    │   ├── step_definitions
    │   ├── support
    │   │   ├── android
    |   |   |   ├── screens
    |   |   |   └── sections
    │   │   ├── ios
    |   |   |   ├── screens
    |   |   |   └── sections
    │   │   ├── web
    |   |   |   ├── pages
    |   |   |   └── sections
    │   │   ├── env.rb
    │   │   ├── hooks.rb
    │   │   └── world_pages.rb
    ├── Gemfile
    └── README.md

TestCentricity Native Mobile App and Web Framework Overview

TestCentricity™ Framework is Copyright (c) 2014-2022, Tony Mrozinski. All rights reserved.

Redistribution and use in source and binary forms, with or without modification, are permitted provided that the following conditions are met:

  1. Redistributions of source code must retain the above copyright notice, this list of conditions and the following disclaimer.

  2. Redistributions in binary form must reproduce the above copyright notice, this list of conditions and the following disclaimer in the documentation and/or other materials provided with the distribution.

  3. Neither the name of the copyright holder nor the names of its contributors may be used to endorse or promote products derived from this software without specific prior written permission.

THIS SOFTWARE IS PROVIDED BY THE COPYRIGHT HOLDERS AND CONTRIBUTORS "AS IS" AND ANY EXPRESS OR IMPLIED WARRANTIES, INCLUDING, BUT NOT LIMITED TO, THE IMPLIED WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY AND FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE ARE DISCLAIMED. IN NO EVENT SHALL THE COPYRIGHT HOLDER OR CONTRIBUTORS BE LIABLE FOR ANY DIRECT, INDIRECT, INCIDENTAL, SPECIAL, EXEMPLARY, OR CONSEQUENTIAL DAMAGES (INCLUDING, BUT NOT LIMITED TO, PROCUREMENT OF SUBSTITUTE GOODS OR SERVICES; LOSS OF USE, DATA, OR PROFITS; OR BUSINESS INTERRUPTION) HOWEVER CAUSED AND ON ANY THEORY OF LIABILITY, WHETHER IN CONTRACT, STRICT LIABILITY, OR TORT (INCLUDING NEGLIGENCE OR OTHERWISE) ARISING IN ANY WAY OUT OF THE USE OF THIS SOFTWARE, EVEN IF ADVISED OF THE POSSIBILITY OF SUCH DAMAGE.