android-ui-journey-testing

Android UI Journey Testing

Overview

This skill outlines the standard workflow for running XML-specified User Journey tests on Android applications. A "journey" is a sequenced set of user actions and state assertions designed to verify end-to-end functionality. The journey XML acts as the source of truth for the app's behavior. The executor proceeds sequentially, performing UI interactions, checking state assertions, and writing a standardized JSON outcome report.

When to Use

• Use when evaluating an Android application's UI behavior against an XML test specification.
• Use when automating multi-step user flows (e.g., login, checkout, navigation) and verifying expectations.
• Use when running verification tests and generating standardized JSON test reports.
• Use when debugging application flows on physical devices or emulators using ADB commands.

How It Works

graph TD
    A[Parse Journey XML] --> B[Execute Action / Interaction]
    B --> C{Success?}
    C -- Yes --> D[Verify State Expectation / Assertion]
    C -- No/Crash --> G[Mark FAILED & Exit]
    D -- Passed --> E{More Steps?}
    D -- Failed --> G
    E -- Yes --> B
    E -- No --> F[Output JSON Summary]

Step 1: Parse the Journey Specification

Read and parse the XML test suite structure. The root node <journey> defines the test case name, and the <actions> block contains the sequence of test steps.

<journey name="Search and Cart Flow">
   <description>Verify that searching for an item and adding it to the cart succeeds.</description>
   <actions>
      <action>Search for soda</action>
      <action>Tap the first search result</action>
      <action>Verify that the product detail screen is shown</action>
   </actions>
</journey>

Step 2: Sequential Step Evaluation

Process each <action> element in the exact order specified. Test steps are classified into two groups:

A. Interactive Actions (Taps, Swipes, Text Input)

Perform the physical UI interaction using ADB.

• Tapping: Tap the center of the target element's bounds:

  adb shell input tap <x> <y>
  

• Swiping/Scrolling: Swipe from coordinate to coordinate with a duration:

  adb shell input swipe <x1> <y1> <x2> <y2> <duration_ms>
  

• Text Typing: Type text into the active input field:

  adb shell input text "<string>"
  

If the element is missing or the action cannot be performed, the action and the journey fail.