Robot Framework + Appium POM (Android ApiDemos)

This project demonstrates a Page Object Model (POM) structure with Robot Framework and Appium for testing the openly available Android ApiDemos app.

Structure

• resources/common/ — App-level keywords and capabilities
• resources/pages/ — Page Object keywords for screens
• resources/procedures/ — High-level flows combining pages
• tests/ — Smoke and functional test suites
• apps/ — Place the ApiDemos-debug.apk here

Prerequisites (Windows)

1. Python 3.10+ and pip
2. Node.js 18+ (for Appium)
3. Java JDK 11+
4. Android SDK + Platform Tools (ADB)
5. ANDROID_HOME and JAVA_HOME environment variables configured

Install Appium (v2) and Android driver

npm install -g appium
appium driver install uiautomator2

Start Appium server:

./scripts/start-appium.ps1

Download the sample app

Download the ApiDemos APK from the Appium GitHub releases and place it in apps/:

• https://github.com/appium/android-apidemos/releases (use ApiDemos-debug.apk)

Resulting path should be apps/ApiDemos-debug.apk.

Python dependencies

python -m venv .venv
.\.venv\Scripts\Activate.ps1
pip install -r requirements.txt

Configure Android SDK environment variables (Windows)

If you installed Android Studio, the SDK is typically at %LOCALAPPDATA%\Android\Sdk. Set the required variables and ensure platform-tools is on your PATH:

./scripts/configure-android-env.ps1
adb devices

If adb devices shows any offline emulators, stabilize ADB to avoid Appium proxy errors:

./scripts/adb-stabilize.ps1

If no devices appear, start an emulator from Android Studio or connect a real device (USB debugging enabled).

Run on emulator or real device

• Emulator: create an Android Virtual Device (AVD) in Android Studio and start it.
• Real device: enable USB debugging and ensure adb devices shows your device.

Run tests

In one terminal, keep Appium running. In another, run Robot:

robot -d reports tests

Common targeted runs:

robot -d reports tests\smoke\test_navigation.robot
robot -d reports tests\functional\test_controls.robot

Target a specific real device when multiple devices are present:

# Replace R58M510SP7A with your device's UDID
robot --variable UDID:R58M510SP7A -d reports tests\smoke\test_navigation.robot

Scripted runs with optional UDID:

# Start Appium (keep this terminal open, it restarts ADB and frees port 4723)
./scripts/start-appium.ps1

# Smoke tests
# Replace R58M510SP7A with your device's UDID
robot --variable UDID:R58M510SP7A -d reports tests\smoke\test_navigation.robot

# Or via script with UDID param
./scripts/run-smoke.ps1 -Udid R58M510SP7A

# Functional tests
robot -d reports tests\functional\test_controls.robot

# Or via script with UDID param
./scripts/run-functional.ps1 -Udid R58M510SP7A

If you see "Second signal will force exit" or Appium logs "socket hang up", keep Appium in its own terminal and avoid interrupts while tests run. Use ./scripts/adb-stabilize.ps1 to kill offline emulators and restart ADB.

Notes

• For Appium v2, the default base path is /. The project uses http://127.0.0.1:4723 in resources/common/app.robot.
• If using a real device, you may need to add udid=<device_udid> to Open Application capabilities in app.robot.

Troubleshooting

• "socket hang up" or screenshot warnings: keep Appium in its own terminal and start it via ./scripts/start-appium.ps1 (it restarts ADB and frees port 4723). If adb devices shows offline or unauthorized, run ./scripts/adb-stabilize.ps1 and accept the RSA prompt on the device.
• Avoid opening multiple Appium sessions per test. Use either Suite Setup or Test Setup to open the app, not both.
• If navigation clicks intermittently fail, increase waits or use Wait Until Element Is Visible before Click Element. Default waits are set in Open App.
• When multiple devices are connected, pass --variable UDID:<device_udid> to robot or use -Udid with the helper scripts.