Part 10 : TestNG Integration for Test Execution

In mobile automation testing with Appium, we often need to execute multiple test cases in an organized way. This includes running different scenarios on different devices or OS versions, setting up and tearing down the Appium server and drivers, managing test data, and executing in parallel when needed.

This is where TestNG comes in. It acts as the test execution engine for your Appium framework, helping manage all these tasks.

What is TestNG?
Step 1: Add TestNG to Your Appium Maven Project
Step 2: Structure Your Appium Test with TestNG Annotations
Step 3: Configure testng.xml for Appium Test Execution
Step 4: Execute Appium Tests with TestNG
Additional TestNG Features for Appium Projects
Typical Appium Project Structure with TestNG

What is TestNG?

TestNG (Test Next Generation) is a testing framework inspired by JUnit, but designed to provide more flexible and powerful features. It is especially useful for managing complex test flows, such as those we commonly encounter in mobile automation.

Why Use TestNG with Appium?

Organize and manage test execution using annotations
Run tests across multiple devices in parallel
Pass test data through DataProviders (e.g., user logins, device configurations)
Integrate easily with Appium and Maven
Generate test reports out of the box

Step 1: Add TestNG to Your Appium Maven Project

Your Appium test project should be using Maven for dependency management. Add the following to your pom.xml file:

				
					<dependency>
    <groupId>org.testng</groupId>
    <artifactId>testng</artifactId>
    <version>7.9.0</version> <!-- Use latest version -->
    <scope>test</scope>
</dependency>

Step 2: Structure Your Appium Test with TestNG Annotations

Here’s a basic example of how to use TestNG with Appium.

Sample Test Class

				
					import io.appium.java_client.AppiumDriver;
import io.appium.java_client.MobileElement;
import io.appium.java_client.android.AndroidDriver;
import org.testng.annotations.*;

import java.net.URL;
import org.openqa.selenium.remote.DesiredCapabilities;

public class LoginTest {

    private AppiumDriver<MobileElement> driver;

    @BeforeClass
    public void setUp() throws Exception {
        DesiredCapabilities caps = new DesiredCapabilities();
        caps.setCapability("platformName", "Android");
        caps.setCapability("deviceName", "emulator-5554");
        caps.setCapability("app", "/path/to/your/app.apk");

        driver = new AndroidDriver<>(new URL("http://127.0.0.1:4723/wd/hub"), caps);
    }

    @Test
    public void validLoginTest() {
        // Appium test code to perform login
    }

    @AfterClass
    public void tearDown() {
        if (driver != null) {
            driver.quit();
        }
    }
}

Explanation:

@BeforeClass: Launches Appium and initializes the driver before tests run.
@Test: Contains the actual test logic.
@AfterClass: Closes the Appium session after tests are done.

Step 3: Configure testng.xml for Appium Test Execution

Here is a sample TestNG XML file (testng.xml) that defines your suite:

				
					<!DOCTYPE suite SYSTEM "https://testng.org/testng-1.0.dtd" >
<suite name="MobileTestSuite">
    <test name="AndroidLoginTests">
        <classes>
            <class name="com.yourproject.tests.LoginTest"/>
        </classes>
    </test>
</suite>

This file lets you specify what test classes to run and how to run them (e.g., parallel or sequential execution).

Step 4: Execute Appium Tests with TestNG

Option 1: From IntelliJ or Eclipse

Right-click on testng.xml
Select Run As > TestNG Suite

Option 2: From Maven

Make sure the following plugin is included in your pom.xml:

				
					<plugin>
    <groupId>org.apache.maven.plugins</groupId>
    <artifactId>maven-surefire-plugin</artifactId>
    <version>3.1.2</version>
    <configuration>
        <suiteXmlFiles>
            <suiteXmlFile>testng.xml</suiteXmlFile>
        </suiteXmlFiles>
    </configuration>
</plugin>

Then run:
mvn test

This will execute your Appium tests through TestNG.

Additional TestNG Features for Appium Projects

1. Data-Driven Testing

If you want to test login functionality with multiple user credentials:

				
					@DataProvider(name = "loginData")
public Object[][] getLoginData() {
    return new Object[][] {
        {"user1", "pass1"},
        {"user2", "pass2"}
    };
}

@Test(dataProvider = "loginData")
public void loginTest(String username, String password) {
    // Use Appium to enter username and password
}

2. Parallel Testing (e.g., multiple devices)

TestNG supports parallel execution. Here’s how to configure in testng.xml:

				
					<suite name="ParallelMobileTests" parallel="tests" thread-count="2">
    <test name="Device1">
        <parameter name="udid" value="emulator-5554"/>
        <classes>
            <class name="com.yourproject.tests.LoginTest"/>
        </classes>
    </test>
    <test name="Device2">
        <parameter name="udid" value="emulator-5556"/>
        <classes>
            <class name="com.yourproject.tests.LoginTest"/>
        </classes>
    </test>
</suite>

Then in your test code, accept the device UDID:

				
					@Parameters({"udid"})
@BeforeClass
public void setUp(String udid) throws Exception {
    DesiredCapabilities caps = new DesiredCapabilities();
    caps.setCapability("udid", udid);
    // other capabilities
}

This setup allows your Appium tests to run in parallel on different devices.

Typical Appium Project Structure with TestNG

				
					project-root/
│
├── src/
│   ├── main/java/               # Utility classes or core components
│   └── test/java/
│       └── com/yourproject/tests/
│           └── LoginTest.java
│
├── testng.xml
├── pom.xml