Getting started with mobile application testing on Android devices

Use this topic to help you get started with your testing of applications that run on Android devices.

About this task

The following diagram shows is a high-level overview of mobile testing for Android:

Note: Testing native and hybrid applications requires IBM® Rational® Test Workbench Mobile Test Edition.

Procedure

Set up your mobile test environment.
1. Install IBM Rational Test Workbench Web UI Tester and ensure that Extension for Mobile is selected.
2. Download Android Studio on the same computer that the test workbench is installed on.
  You do not need to install the full Android Studio bundle, but be sure to install Android SDK Tools, Android SDK Platform-tools, and Android SDK Build-tools, if these are not already installed. The current download page of the Android SDK is at Android Studio but the location could change in the future.
  
  Note: Running the Android SDK Manager and using the Android emulators requires the Oracle Java Developer Kit (JDK). Be sure to also add the path to the Oracle JDK to your system's PATH environment variable.
3. Run the SDK manager at least once before running the test workbench to get the API-level components.
4. Set the preferences in the mobile application builder path so that they point to the directory where the Android SDK is installed. See Mobile application builders.
5. Install the mobile test client on one or more Android devices or on an emulator. Ensure that the mobile devices can connect to the test workbench over WiFi or a cellular plan. See Installing the Android mobile test client.
6. Add your mobile devices to the test workbench.
Prepare your mobile application for testing. From the Mobile and Web UI Applications window in the test workbench, add the web application to the list.
From the test workbench, create a test project by clicking File > New > Test Workbench Project.
Verify that the application is visible in the Mobile and Web UI Applications window in the test workbench.
Create a test by recording gestures and user interactions on the mobile device.
You can initiate the recording on the device or from the test workbench. Actions are represented in natural language, which allows you to document and reproduce the test manually.
Examine and enhance the test script recording as needed. Here are some of the things you can do:
- Add verification points to verify that an expected value or behavior is returned during a test run.
- Add variables to the test script.
- Add a loop so that the test runs multiple times.
- Add a datapool to provide variable data rather than the data that you recorded.
- Add application stubs to simulate the behavior of actual objects that interact with the application under test.
Run the test.
You can initiate a test run from the mobile device or from the test workbench.
Evaluate the test results.

What to do next

For additional guidance, see the Testing mobile applications with Rational Test Workbench playlist on YouTube.

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