Android Test Automation

Android is a software stack for mobile devices that includes an operating system, middleware and key applications. Android’s share of the global smartphone market, led by Samsung products, was 64% in March 2013.

Automated testing of Android based mobile applications

Jamo Solutions provides tools that automate the testing effort for mobile applications running on the Android platform. A mobile application needs to be tested and verified before going live. Today tests that include the user interface of the mobile application are most of the time executed manually. With the technology of Jamo Solutions, these test cases can be automated.

The tool “M-eux Test” is a test automation environment that ensures:

• The re-use of test cases on different hardware platforms. Today Android devices are available from different manufacturers. Even from a specific manufacturer, you can have different models. All these Android devices run the same operating system but have different hardware characteristics like screen resolution and keys. The scripts of M-eux test are hardware independent. Once implemented, a script can be re-used across different models. The hardware dependability goes beyond the smart phone and tablets. Our tool can also be used to test other devices like Smart TVs and Android based setup boxes. Our technology will also allow us to support quickly the future android devices like smart watches, Google Glasses, etc.
• The re-use of test cases across different version of the application under test. The scripts made by M-eux Test can easily be re-used to ensure that existing functionality is still working in new versions of the application under test or against new versions of the Android OS This is called regression testing.
• Easy creation and maintenance of the test scripts. The technology applied by Jamo Solutions is easy to use, the scripts are readable and easy to maintain and the expertise gained by the usage of M-eux Test can be re-applied for testing applications on other platforms.

The technology platform of M-eux Test ensures the above requirements by supporting:

• Testing through the user interface of the applications. Just like a manual tester will describe his test cases by using the user interface elements, the automated test script is verifying and driving the user interface elements of the mobile application under test. By recognizing the user interface elements, the script becomes hardware independent. If a new version of the application under test is released, then preserved functionality can be tested with the old scripts. The tool will take care of cosmetic changes like a menu item that is now in a new position. By using the user interface elements, the script becomes also readable for a non-technical tester and the script is easy to maintain. More information can be found in our solution description.
• Extension of existing scripting environments. M-eux Test did not implement its own scripting environment. In order to ensure a fast learning curve and to ensure re-use of gained expertise, M-eux is an extension of existing scripting environments. For users with a test engineering background, M-eux Test extends the leading test automation tool QuickTest Professional from Hewlett Packard. For users with a developer’s background, M-eux Test extends Visual Studio from Microsoft and Eclipse.

Android GUI objects

M-eux Test is an all-round player and recognizes most of the user interface objects of Android based applications if these objects are developed using the Android SDK.

This makes that out-of-the-box M-eux Test supports most of the Android applications.

Through the Web Add-On, M-eux Test supports also the hybrid applications and browser based applications. The HTML5 use interface elements are all supported together with the Sencha user interface elements. Testing against multiple browser is also supported, including Chrome, Android browser, Dolphin, Opera, etc.

Android System verification

Special functions are implemented to verify the Android operating system. The tester can at any time verify for example:

• The number of activities running.
• The memory consumption
• The memory card space consumption
• The battery status
• Etc.

Special functions are foreseen to launch and verify the mobile communications:

• Data communication
• Phone calls
• SMS messages
• E-mail messages
• MMS messages