Rapise 8.2 - Introducing Appium 2.0 Support & Shadow DOM Selectors

26-Jul-2024 by Adam Sandman Product News

We are excited to announce the upcoming v8.2 release of Rapise, our codeless AI-powered test automation platform, later this month. This new version promises to be a giant leap forward in test automation with new artificial intelligence functionality as well as other usability and functional improvements. In addition to these enhancements, the new version includes support for Appium 2.0 and Shadow DOM Selectors.

Appium 2.0 Support

Appium 2.0 is the latest and greatest release of Appium, the popular open-source test automation framework designed for native, hybrid, and mobile web applications. This version brings a host of game-changing improvements that make it a must-have for any serious test automation platform. We have added Appium 2.0 support to the latest version of Rapise so that we can take advantage of the following benefits:

  1. Modular Architecture: Appium 2.0 features a new modular architecture, allowing different components to be developed, updated, and replaced independently. This modularity ensures easier maintenance, quicker updates, and more flexibility to customize and extend Appium as needed.

  2. Plugin System: The introduction of a robust plugin system means you can add custom functionality or tweak existing behavior without altering the core framework. This extensibility paves the way for a wide array of enhancements and optimizations tailored to your specific testing needs.

  3. Improved Stability and Performance: With a focus on delivering a more stable and performant experience, Appium 2.0 reduces flakiness and errors, leading to more reliable test executions. The modular architecture and plugin system contribute to this enhanced stability and efficiency.

  4. Backward Compatibility: Despite the new features and improvements, Appium 2.0 maintains backward compatibility with existing scripts. This ensures a smooth transition, allowing teams to upgrade without the hassle of rewriting their existing test cases.

  5. Better Debugging and Reporting: Appium 2.0 offers improved debugging and reporting capabilities, making it easier to diagnose issues and interpret test results. Enhanced logs and detailed error messages help testers quickly identify and resolve problems.

  6. Appium Mac Driver: The Appium Mac Driver is specifically designed for macOS applications. It uses Apple’s XCUITest framework under the hood, enabling robust and reliable automation of macOS apps. This driver is fully integrated into Appium 2.0, making it easy to get started with macOS testing.

  7. Windows Application Driver (WinAppDriver): Appium 2.0 integrates seamlessly with the Windows Application Driver (WinAppDriver), which is essential for automating new-style Windows 11 applications. This driver, developed by Microsoft, enables Appium to interact with Universal Windows Platform (UWP) applications.

  8. Cross-Platform Testing: By supporting macOS alongside iOS and Android, Appium 2.0 enables cross-platform testing from a single test framework. This reduces the overhead of maintaining multiple testing frameworks and scripts, leading to more efficient and cost-effective testing.

Appium 2.0 is a significant leap forward in mobile test automation. Its modular architecture, extensibility, improved stability, and enhanced platform support make it an indispensable tool for modern test automation. Supporting this new standard ensures that our Rapise test automation platform stays ahead of the curve, leveraging the latest features and maintaining compatibility with emerging technologies, including support for Windows 11 built-in applications and eventually MacOS desktop applications.

Shadow DOM Selectors

As described in previous articles, the Shadow DOM is a key part of the Web Components standard, enabling developers to encapsulate their HTML, CSS, and JavaScript, making them reusable without risking conflicts with other parts of the web page.

Why is it Important for Rapise to Support Shadow DOM Selectors?

  1. Modern Web Applications: Many modern web applications and frameworks, such as Angular, React, and Vue.js, utilize Web Components and Shadow DOM to build modular and reusable components. Supporting Shadow DOM selectors is crucial for accurately interacting with these applications.

  2. Accurate Element Selection: Without support for Shadow DOM selectors, Rapise might struggle to accurately identify and interact with elements within shadow trees. This can lead to unreliable test scripts and false positives/negatives in test results.

  3. Comprehensive Testing: Supporting Shadow DOM selectors allows Rapise to fully test applications that use Shadow DOM. This ensures that all elements, including those encapsulated within shadow trees, are tested for functionality, styling, and behavior.

  4. Isolation of Test Environments: Just as Shadow DOM isolates component styling and behavior, supporting it in testing tools ensures that tests can be conducted in an isolated manner. This prevents interference from external styles or scripts, leading to more reliable and consistent test results.

  5. Improved Automation Accuracy: With support for Shadow DOM selectors, Rapise can interact with elements as users would, ensuring that automated tests reflect real user interactions. This improves the accuracy and relevance of our automated tests.

The Shadow DOM is essential for creating encapsulated, reusable web components, ensuring that styles and scripts do not interfere with the main document or other components. So we are pleased to announce that Rapise, in supporting Shadow DOM selectors will remain the number one platform for test automation of your most complex and mission critical applications.