Test iOS Apps with UI Automation: Bug Hunting Made Easy

If you’re an iOS developer or QA professional tapping through an app to reproduce bugs or performance issues you thought were solved two releases ago, then this is your book. Learn how to script the user interface, assert correct behavior, stub external dependencies, reproduce performance problems, organize test code for the long haul, and automate the whole process so the machine does the work. You’ll walk through a comprehensive strategy with techniques using Apple’s tools that you can apply to your own apps.

Automated user interface testing is an important part of a comprehensive testing strategy for iOS applications. By scrutinizing your app through the eyes and actions of the user, you raise confidence that features are wired up right and behave as you expect.

Through this book you’ll learn how to do full-stack testing of your iOS apps in both the simulator and on the device with Apple’s built-in tools. You’ll write behavioral tests in UI Automation that help protect against regressions. You’ll write scripts to repeat steps in Instruments to reproduce performance bugs. With a little ingenuity, you’ll build a workflow that gives the feedback you need.

Grow a test suite by working with a real application that uses Core Data and network requests. Learn how to describe expected behavior in test scripts, launch the app in a specific state, and stub external dependencies for completely isolated and repeatable tests. Along the way, you’ll practice how to organize your test code and run it hands-free from the command line. By the end, you’ll have the tools and habits you need to tackle the unique testing problems you’ll face while building best-of-breed native iOS apps for your users.

What You Need

You’ll need a Mac running at least Mac OS X Lion (10.7) and Xcode 4.6.

Table of Contents

Chapter 1. UI Automation Overview
Chapter 2. Testing Behavior with UI Automation
Chapter 3. Building a Test Suite
Chapter 4. Organizing Test Code
Chapter 5. Maps, Gestures, and Alerts
Chapter 6. Strategies for Testing Universal Apps
Chapter 7. Automating Performance Tests
Chapter 8. Setting Up Application Data
Chapter 9. Stubbing External Services
Chapter 10. Command-Line Workflow
Chapter 11. Third-Party Tools and Beyond