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Mobile Testing Tutorial

Learn how to automate native mobile applications using TAFLEX and Appium.

1. Environment Setup​

Mobile testing requires the mobile strategy. Ensure you have the Appium server installed and reachable.

Configuration​

Update your automation.properties with device and app details:

execution.mode=mobile
mobile.platform=android
mobile.device.name=Pixel_6
mobile.app.path=/path/to/my-app.apk
mobile.appium.url=http://localhost:4723

2. Writing a Mobile Test​

Create a test class extending BaseTest. The framework handles the Appium driver lifecycle automatically.

package io.github.vinipx.taflex.tests.mobile;

import io.github.vinipx.taflex.base.BaseTest;
import org.testng.Assert;
import org.testng.annotations.Test;

public class LoginMobileTests extends BaseTest {

    @Test(groups = {"smoke", "mobile"})
    public void shouldLoginOnMobile() {
        // 1. Use externalized mobile locators
        driver.type("mobile.login.user", "mobile_user");
        driver.type("mobile.login.pass", "secret_pass");
        driver.click("mobile.login.button");

        // 2. Assert visibility using unified API
        Assert.assertTrue(driver.isVisible("mobile.dashboard.welcome"));
    }
}

3. Best Practices​

  • Selectors: Use Accessibility IDs whenever possible for better reliability and performance.
  • Wait Strategies: Mobile interactions can be slower than web. Use driver.waitForVisible() for key transitions.
  • Platform Agnostic: While the locators differ, keep your test logic as platform-agnostic as possible by leveraging the AutomationDriver interface.

4. Running Mobile Tests​

Use the dedicated Gradle task:

./gradlew mobileTest

To run on real devices in the cloud (BrowserStack/SauceLabs), simply update your automation.properties as described in the Cloud Execution Tutorial.