Locate Elements
Learn how to locate Android elements with BELLATRIX mobile module.
Example
[Test]
public void ElementFound_When_CreateByIdContaining_And_ElementIsOnScreen()
{
var button = App.Components.CreateByIdContaining<Button>("button");
button.ValidateIsVisible();
Console.WriteLine(button.By.Value);
Console.WriteLine(button.WrappedComponent.TagName);
var textField = App.Components.CreateByIdContaining<TextField>("edit");
textField.ValidateIsVisible();
}
Explanations
var button = App.Components.CreateByIdContaining<Button>("button");
There are different ways to locate elements on the screen. To do it you use the element create service. You need to know that BELLATRIX has a built-in complex mechanism for waiting for elements, so you do not need to worry about this anymore. Keep in mind that when you use the Create methods, the element is not searched on the screen. All elements use lazy loading. Which means that they are searched once you perform an action or assertion on them. By default on each new action, the element is searched again and be refreshed.
Console.WriteLine(button.By.Value);
Because of the proxy element mechanism (we have a separate type of element instead of single WebDriver IWebElement interface or Appium AndroidElement) we have several benefits. Each control (element type- ComboBox, TextField and so on) contains only the actions you can do with it, and the methods are named properly. In vanilla WebDriver to type the text you call SendKeys method. Also, we have some additional properties in the proxy web control such as- By. Now you can get the locator with which you element was found.
Console.WriteLine(button.WrappedComponent.TagName);
You can access the WebDriver wrapped element through WrappedElement and the current AppiumDriver instance through- WrappedDriver.
var textField = App.Components.CreateByIdContaining<TextField>("edit");
Sometimes, the elements you need to perform operations on are not in the visible part of the screen. In order Appium to be able to locate them, you need to scroll to them first. To do so for Android, you need to use complex AndroidUIAutomator expressions. To save you lots of trouble and complex code, most of BELLATRIX locators contains the scroll logic built-in. The below element is initially not visible on the screen. BELLATRIX automatically scrolls down till the element is visible and then searches for it.
Available Create Methods
BELLATRIX extends the vanilla WebDriver selectors and give you additional ones.
CreateById
App.Components.CreateById<Button>("myId");
Searches the element by its ID.
CreateByIdContaining
App.Components.CreateByIdContaining<Button>("myIdMiddle");
Searches the element by ID containing the specified value.
CreateByDescription
App.Components.CreateByDescription<Button>("myDescription");
Searches the element by ID ending with the locator.
CreateByDescriptionContaining
App.Components.CreateByDescriptionContaining<Button>("description");
Searches the element by its description if it contains specified value.
CreateByText
App.Components.CreateByText<Button>("text");
Searches the element by its text.
CreateByTextContaining
App.Components.CreateByTextContaining<Button>("partOfText");
Searches the element by its text if it contains specified value.
CreateByClass
App.Components.CreateByClass<Button>("myClass");
Searches the element by its class.
CreateByAndroidUIAutomator
App.Components.CreateByAndroidUIAutomator<Button>("ui-automator-expression");
Searches the element by Android UIAutomator expression.
CreateByXPath
App.Components.CreateByXPath<Button>("//*[@title='Add to cart']");
Searches the element by XPath locator.
Find Multiple Elements
Sometimes we need to find more than one component. For example, in this test we want to locate all Add to Cart buttons. To do it you can use the element create service CreateAll method.
[Test]
public void ElementFound_When_CreateAllByIdContaining_And_ElementIsOnScreen()
{
var buttons = App.Components.CreateAllByIdContaining<Button>("button");
buttons[0].ValidateIsVisible();
}
Available CreateAll Methods
CreateAllById
App.Components.CreateAllById<Button>("myId");
Searches the elements by its ID.
CreateAllByIdContaining
App.Components.CreateAllByIdContaining<Button>("myIdMiddle");
Searches the elements by ID containing the specified value.
CreateAllByDescription
App.Components.CreateAllByDescription<Button>("myDescription");
Searches the elements by ID ending with the locator.
CreateAllByDescriptionContaining
App.Components.CreateAllByDescriptionContaining<Button>("description");
Searches the elements by its description if it contains specified value.
CreateAllByText
App.Components.CreateAllByText<Button>("text");
Searches the elements by its text.
CreateAllByTextContaining
App.Components.CreateAllByTextContaining<Button>("partOfText");
Searches the elements by its text if it contains specified value.
CreateAllByClass
App.Components.CreateAllByClass<Button>("myClass");
Searches the elements by its class.
CreateAllByAndroidUIAutomator
App.Components.CreateAllByAndroidUIAutomator<Button>("ui-automator-expression");
Searches the elements by Android UIAutomator expression.
CreateAllByXPath
App.Components.CreateAllByXPath<Button>("//*[@title='Add to cart']");
Searches the elements by XPath locator.
Find Nested Elements
Sometimes it is easier to locate one element and then find the next one that you need, inside it. For example in this test we want to locate the button inside the main view component. To do it you can use the element’s Create methods.
public void ElementFound_When_CreateByIdContaining_And_ElementIsOnScreen_NestedElement()
{
var mainElement = App.Components.CreateByIdContaining<Element>("decor_content_parent");
var button = maincomponent.CreateByIdContaining<Button>("button");
button.ValidateIsVisible();
}
Note: it is entirely legal to create a Button instead of ToggleButton. BELLATRIX library does not care about the real type of the Android elements. The proxy types are convenience wrappers so to say. Meaning they give you a better interface of predefined properties and methods to make your tests more readable.
Available Create Methods for Finding Nested Elements
CreateById
component.CreateById<Button>("myId");
Searches the element by its ID.
CreateByIdContaining
component.CreateByIdContaining<Button>("myIdMiddle");
Searches the element by ID containing the specified value.
CreateByDescription
component.CreateByDescription<Button>("myDescription");
Searches the element by ID ending with the locator.
CreateByDescriptionContaining
component.CreateByDescriptionContaining<Button>("description");
Searches the element by its description if it contains specified value.
CreateByText
component.CreateByText<Button>("text");
Searches the element by its text.
CreateByTextContaining
component.CreateByTextContaining<Button>("partOfText");
Searches the element by its text if it contains specified value.
CreateByClass
component.CreateByClass<Button>("myClass");
Searches the element by its class.
CreateByAndroidUIAutomator
component.CreateByAndroidUIAutomator<Button>("ui-automator-expression");
Searches the element by Android UIAutomator expression.
CreateByXPath
component.CreateByXPath<Button>("//*[@title='Add to cart']");
Searches the element by XPath locator.
Available CreateAll Methods for Finding Nested Elements
CreateAllById
component.CreateAllById<Button>("myId");
Searches the elements by its ID.
CreateAllByIdContaining
component.CreateAllByIdContaining<Button>("myIdMiddle");
Searches the elements by ID containing the specified value.
CreateAllByDescription
component.CreateAllByDescription<Button>("myDescription");
Searches the elements by ID ending with the locator.
CreateAllByDescriptionContaining
component.CreateAllByDescriptionContaining<Button>("description");
Searches the elements by its description if it contains specified value.
CreateAllByText
component.CreateAllByText<Button>("text");
Searches the elements by its text.
CreateAllByTextContaining
component.CreateAllByTextContaining<Button>("partOfText");
Searches the elements by its text if it contains specified value.
CreateAllByClass
component.CreateAllByClass<Button>("myClass");
Searches the elements by its class.
CreateAllByAndroidUIAutomator
component.CreateAllByAndroidUIAutomator<Button>("ui-automator-expression");
Searches the elements by Android UIAutomator expression.
CreateAllByXPath
component.CreateAllByXPath<Button>("//*[@title='Add to cart']");
Searches the elements by XPath locator.