[GUIDE]: Python for automation using dtmilano's android ViewClient

[Ravi H Basawa]

Python for automation using dtmilano's android ViewClient​

Syllabus

1. What is python?
2. What is dtmilano's android ViewClient?
2a. How to install dtmilano's android ViewClient?
3. What all methods present in android viewclient?
4. How to import and use android viewclient in our project?
5. How do I automate android native/3rd party apps using android viewclient?
6. How to take screen shots using viewclient?
7. How to handle files using file library?​

Let us begin the journey, I hope this one wont be boring
​

1. What is Python?​

Python is a general-purpose interpreted, interactive, object-oriented, and high-level programming language.
It was created by Guido van Rossum during 1985- 1990. Like Perl, Python source code is also available under the GNU General Public License (GPL).

2. What is Dtmilano's android viewclient?​

- AndroidViewClient is a 100% pure python library and tools that simplifies test script creation
and android test automation, providing higher level operations and the ability of obtaining the tree of Views present at any
given moment on the device or emulator screen and perform operations on it.

As it's 100% pure python it doesn't require monkeyrunner, jython or any interpreter other than python.

2a. How to install Dtmilano's android ViewClient?​

1. Install Python from https://www.python.org/downloads/
2. Now download dtmilano's .egg file from https://pypi.python.org/pypi/androidviewclient/
3. Once it is done rename the downloaded file to .zip format and after that extract it to C:\Python27\Lib\site-packages.
4. The easiest method to install this is to use the command "easy_install". If you don't have easy_install installed, install the package python-setuptools(https://pypi.python.org/pypi/setuptools)
5. Once its done setup environment variable to C:\Python27\Scripts and after that run easy_install <path of downloaded dtmilano's .egg file> and you are good to go.

 

[Ravi H Basawa]

3. What all methods present in viewclient?​

- Some of the most used methods I have listed below -

'TRAVERSE_CIT', 'TRAVERSE_CITB', 'TRAVERSE_CITC', 'TRAVERSE_CITCD', 'TRAVERSE_CITCDS', 'TRAVERSE_CITG', 'TRAVERSE_CITPS', 'TRAVERSE_CITUI', 'TRAVERSE_S', '_ViewClient__findViewWithAttributeInTree', '_ViewClient__findViewWithAttributeInTreeOrRaise', '_ViewClient__findViewWithAttributeInTreeThatMatches', '_ViewClient__findViewsWithAttributeInTree', '_ViewClient__getFocusedWindowPosition', '_ViewClient__hammingDistance', '_ViewClient__levenshteinDistance', '_ViewClient__mapSerialNo', '_ViewClient__obtainAdbPath', '_ViewClient__obtainDeviceSerialNumber', '_ViewClient__parseTree', '_ViewClient__parseTreeFromUiAutomatorDump', '_ViewClient__pickleable', '_ViewClient__splitAttrs', '_ViewClient__traverse', '__del__', '__doc__', '__init__', '__module__', 'assertServiceResponse', 'connectToDeviceOrExit', 'distance', 'distanceTo', 'dump', 'excerpt', 'findViewById', 'findViewByIdOrRaise', 'findViewByTag', 'findViewByTagOrRaise', 'findViewWithAttribute', 'findViewWithAttributeOrRaise', 'findViewWithAttributeThatMatches', 'findViewWithContentDescription', 'findViewWithContentDescriptionOrRaise', 'findViewWithText', 'findViewWithTextOrRaise', 'findViewsContainingPoint', 'findViewsWithAttribute', 'getRoot', 'getSdkVersion', 'getViewIds', 'getViewsById', 'hammingDistance', 'imageDirectory', 'installPackage', 'isKeyboardShown', 'levenshteinDistance', 'list', 'longTouch', 'serviceResponse', 'setAlarm', 'setText', 'setViews', 'setViewsFromUiAutomatorDump', 'sleep', 'swipe', 'touch', 'traverse', 'traverseShowClassIdAndText', 'traverseShowClassIdTextAndBounds', 'traverseShowClassIdTextAndCenter', 'traverseShowClassIdTextAndContentDescription', 'traverseShowClassIdTextAndTag', 'traverseShowClassIdTextAndUniqueId', 'traverseShowClassIdTextContentDescriptionAndScreenshot', 'traverseShowClassIdTextPositionAndSize', 'traverseTakeScreenshot', 'writeImageToFile', 'writeViewImageToFileInDir'

4. How to import and use android viewclient?​

- Once you have installed android viewclient next step is to use this in our new project. Below is the code snippit for importing android view client -

'''
Created on Dec 19, 2015
@author: ravi h basawa
'''
from com.dtmilano.android.viewclient import ViewClient
device, serialno = ViewClient.connectToDeviceOrExit()
vc = ViewClient(device=device, serialno=serialno)

5. How do I automate android native/3rd party apps using android ViewClient?​

Pre-conditions in your device:
1. Enable USB debugging.
2. Enable stay awake option.

Pre-conditions in PC:
1. android sdk should be present.
2. connect your testing device. (double check with cmd "adb devices")
3. python env. variables are all set.
4. Create a new folder named "Automation" on your desktop.
5. Inside it create a new text file and paste the below given code and save it as Settings.py (or whatever you want to give)

Lets start-- It is very easy to automate android apps using android ViewClient. Let me teach you a simple code which will open settings application.

NOTE: This program I have written using my Nexus device running Android latest version 6.0; So the below program may give you errors. Please edit the code accordingly.

'''
Created on Dec 19, 2015
@author: ravi h basawa
'''
from com.dtmilano.android.viewclient import ViewClient
device, serialno = ViewClient.connectToDeviceOrExit()
vc = ViewClient(device=device, serialno=serialno)

print "################## Settings application test ####################"
device.startActivity('com.android.settings/.Settings')
print 'TEST : PASS'

Once you write the above code, let us save it as Settings.py And then we will try to open it using IDLE software which will come pre-bundled with python as shown below:

* To execute our newly written code we gonna press F5.

Explanation on above code --
The first line of code is to import dtmilano's ViewClient method.
the second line is used to define the devices which you have connected, In my case as I have connected only one device I will not provide serialno,
Going further I will show you as how to connect to two devices and make them communicate.

6. How to take screen shots using viewclient?​

- Now we will take our code to the next level, We gonna open settings app, and then we are going to click on About phone option. and also we'll take screen shot of the device to check as what is inside About phone.

NOTE: Create a folder named "Screenshots" at your current working directory(That is in our case folder named Automation) or else you will get Error saying no folder named "Screenshots" is present.

'''
Created on Dec 19, 2015
@author: ravi h basawa
'''
import re
import sys
import time
import os

from PIL import Image

from com.dtmilano.android.viewclient import ViewClient
device, serialno = ViewClient.connectToDeviceOrExit()
vc = ViewClient(device=device, serialno=serialno)

print "################## Settings application test ####################"
device.startActivity('com.android.settings/.Settings')
print 'SUCCESFULLY OPENED SETTINGS APP'
vc.dump() ## this is used to refresh the screen.

## below is the for loop used to swipe screen five times. the input swipe command takes 4 args that is X1,Y1,X2,Y2 which can be found using "Pointer location" option present in developer settings.

for i in range(5):
    device.shell('input swipe 651 1307 677 680')
vc.dump()
vc.findViewWithText("About phone").touch()##this line will click on About phone option.
print 'About phone option found and clicked'
vc.dump()
time.sleep(2)
device.takeSnapshot(reconnect=True).save(os.getcwd()+'\\Screenshots\\'+'OS_version.png') #this line will take screenshot of the device and store it in the folder named Screenshots.
print 'Screenshot taken'
print 'TEST : PASS'

Now when you execute the above code you will see the result as below -

Now let us write a code to check the current android version displayed under settings app is proper or not.

'''
Created on Dec 19, 2015
@author: ravi h basawa
'''

import re
import sys
import time
import os

from PIL import Image

from com.dtmilano.android.viewclient import ViewClient
device, serialno = ViewClient.connectToDeviceOrExit()
vc = ViewClient(device=device, serialno=serialno)

print "################## Android OS VERSION TEST ####################"
device.startActivity('com.android.settings/.Settings')
print 'Settings app opened'
vc.dump()
for i in range(5):
    device.shell('input swipe 651 1307 677 680')
vc.dump()
vc.findViewWithText("About phone").touch()
vc.dump()
print 'About phone option clicked'
device.shell('input swipe 651 1307 677 680')
vc.dump()
version = vc.findViewWithText('Android version')
if version:
    vnum = vc.findViewWithText('6.0')
    if vnum:
        print 'Android OS version is 6.0'
        vc.dump()
        time.sleep(2)
        device.takeSnapshot(reconnect=True).save(os.getcwd()+'\\Screenshots\\'+'OS_version.png') #this line will take screenshot of the device and store it in the folder named Screenshots.
        print 'Screenshot taken'
        print 'TEST : PASS'
        device.press('KEYCODE_HOME')
    else:
        print 'Incorrect OS version'
        print 'TEST : FAIL'
else:
    print 'Android version string not found'
    print 'TEST : FAIL'
    device.press('KEYCODE_HOME')

In the above code you might be wondring as what does vc.dump() stands for, It is actually refreshes the screen and it makes easier to find required data on the screen. Without vc.dump() method there is 100% guarenty that our script gonna fail.

OK, Now we will wrtie a script which has Python functions in it.

Before this let us learn as what is 'def' in Pyhton is all about:

As we all know that we define functions to provide the required functionality. Below are some rules to define a function in Python.

[*] Function blocks begin with the keyword def followed by the function name and parentheses ( ( ) ).

[*] Any input parameters or arguments should be placed within these parentheses. You can also define parameters inside these parentheses.

[*] function names can be started with a _ or a small letter.

[*] The code block within every function starts with a colon ) and is indented.

Now I will write a simple code to show you as how def works.

'''
Created on Dec 19, 2015
@author: ravi h basawa
'''
def test():
    print 'Hi I am inside a function'
test()

As you can see from the above code, there is a single tab given after the fucntion test():, these are called as indents. Once you start using IDLE for python script writing you will get to know more on these indents.

Just for testing purpose try to write your own functions using IDLE; Once you type as " def test(): " and hit ENTER without the qouats you will see a single tab occured. This is how Pyhton works. There are no curly brases in it. But only Indents. If you can handle these indents you are good to go.
And one more thing I forgot to explain you guys, That is you can Indent a region by using the shortcut ctrl+] and Dedent using the shortcut ctrl+[

For now let us write the same code; But this time we will use 'def' in it.

'''
Created on Dec 19, 2015
@author: ravi h basawa
'''

import re
import sys
import time
import os

from PIL import Image

from com.dtmilano.android.viewclient import ViewClient
device, serialno = ViewClient.connectToDeviceOrExit()
vc = ViewClient(device=device, serialno=serialno)

def os_test():
    print "################## Android OS VERSION TEST ####################"
    device.startActivity('com.android.settings/.Settings')
    print 'Settings app opened'
    vc.dump()
    for i in range(5):
        device.shell('input swipe 651 1307 677 680')
    vc.dump()
    vc.findViewWithText("About phone").touch()
    vc.dump()
    print 'About phone option clicked'
    device.shell('input swipe 651 1307 677 680')
    vc.dump()
    version = vc.findViewWithText('Android version')
    if version:
        vnum = vc.findViewWithText('6.0')
        if vnum:
            print 'Android OS version is 6.0'
            vc.dump()
            time.sleep(2)
            device.takeSnapshot(reconnect=True).save(os.getcwd()+'\\Screenshots\\'+'OS_version.png') #this line will take screenshot of the device and store it in the folder named Screenshots.
            print 'Screenshot taken'
            print 'TEST : PASS'
            device.press('KEYCODE_HOME')
        else:
            print 'Incorrect OS version'
            print 'TEST : FAIL'
    else:
        print 'Android version string not found'
        print 'TEST : FAIL'
        device.press('KEYCODE_HOME')
os_test()

Output of the above code will be as below:

============= RESTART: C:\Users\ravi\Desktop\testing\Settings.py =============
################## Android OS VERSION TEST ####################
Settings app opened
About phone option clicked
Android OS version is 6.0
Screenshot taken
TEST : PASS
>>>

 

[Ravi H Basawa]

About file handling

Before we move to the next, Let me teach you as what is 'class' in Python and how do we use it.. Below is the small code consists of a class and one function.

'''
Created on Dec 27, 2015
@author: ravi h basawa
'''

class ctest():
    def test(self, value):
        print 'Hi I am inside a function and passed value as >>' + ' ' + value
c = ctest()
c.test('testing')

* From the above code we have created a class named 'ctest' and a function named 'test'.
* Once we create a class to create a function we have to give one tab inside the 'ctest' class.
* The code 'c = ctest()' is creating a object for our class.
* The next line 'c.test('testing')' will pass value to our newly created function.

I hope now u have understood as how 'class' works in Python from the above code.

Ok, Now let us try to send a message and this time let us use "Class" in the below code -

'''
Created on Jan 10, 2016
@author: ravi h basawa
'''

import os

from com.dtmilano.android.viewclient import ViewClient
device, serialno = ViewClient.connectToDeviceOrExit()
vc = ViewClient(device=device, serialno=serialno)

fd = open('MsgTest.xls',"a+")
fd.write("\nMessanger")

class msg():
    def newmsg(self):
        print 'Opening Message app'
        device.shell('am start com.google.android.apps.messaging')
        vc.dump()
        vc.findViewById('com.google.android.apps.messaging:id/start_new_conversation_button').touch()
        vc.dump()
        f = vc.findViewWithText('Frequents')
        if f:
            print 'TEST PASS'
            print 'add button clicked'
            fd.write("\tPASS")
            fd.close()
        else:
            print 'TEST FAIL'
            fd.write("\tFAIL")
c = msg()
c.newmsg()

The above code does these jobs -
* Creates a class named 'msg()'. And inside we have created a new function named 'newmsg()'.
* This code will open google Messenger app and clicks on the 'add recipients' button.
* If the 'add recipients' button is clicked, our test case will be passed else it will fail.
* 'open' function does the job of creating a new xls file in append mode.
* 'write' function does the job of writing the data to the new line inside the appended xls file.
* 'close' function is used to close the xls file.

 

[govinda.narayana]

is there a way to handle the device keyboard, say, i would like to press a key and then close the keyboard?
Also where can i find detailed documentation?

 

[Ravi H Basawa]

may be you need to use pointer location(x,y coordinates).

 

[sainiankit]

Implicit wait and explicit wait in vc

Hi,

Iam trying to use android view client to automate a task. However, I have a requirement wait for a perticular element to load up.
Is there are function in VC to use implicit or explicit wait.
Thanks