Complete Calabash Tutorial for Android

Complete Calabash Tutorial for Android: Calabash is an open-source automation framework used for Acceptance Testing of Android and iOS mobile applications. It allows testers to write and execute UI test scenarios using the Ruby programming language with Cucumber, a popular BDD (Behavior-Driven Development) tool.

This tutorial provides a comprehensive guide on how to install, configure, and use Calabash for Android automation testing.

---

Table of Contents

1. What is Calabash?
   
2. Why Choose Calabash for Automation?
   
3. Advantages and Disadvantages
   
4. Calabash and BDD Explained
   
5. How to Install Calabash for Android
   
6. Working with Calabash Framework
   
7. How to Resign and Build APK
   
8. Locating Elements in Calabash
   
9. Creating and Running Scripts
   
10. Summary
    

---

1. What is Calabash?

Complete Calabash Tutorial for Android: Calabash is an open-source UI automation framework used for testing Android and iOS applications. It allows interaction with mobile UI elements like buttons, text inputs, and more. It provides real-time feedback and validations across multiple devices.

Tests in Calabash are written in Ruby using Cucumber syntax, which supports human-readable scenarios and aligns closely with business logic.

---

2. Why Choose Calabash for Automation?

Complete Calabash Tutorial for Android: Calabash helps automate user interactions in mobile applications and is widely used for acceptance testing. It enables:

• Simulating user actions like tapping, swiping, and entering text
  
• Cross-platform testing (iOS & Android)
  
• Seamless integration with BDD practices
  
• Improved collaboration between developers, testers, and business teams
  

---

3. Advantages and Disadvantages of Calabash

Advantages:

• Increases productivity and test coverage
  
• Improves application robustness and stability
  
• Reduces manual testing efforts
  
• Enables business-friendly test writing with Cucumber
  

Disadvantages:

• Requires Ruby and Cucumber proficiency
  
• Debugging can be complex
  
• Test maintenance is difficult for large applications
  
• Managing test data across multiple screens is challenging
  

---

4. Calabash and BDD (Behavior-Driven Development)

Complete Calabash Tutorial for Android: Setup, Installation, and Automation Guide: Calabash supports BDD, which encourages collaboration between developers, testers, and business analysts. Unlike Test-Driven Development (TDD), which focuses on APIs, BDD focuses on user behavior and expectations.

Benefits of BDD with Calabash:

• Creates a shared understanding of functionality
  
• Improves communication among stakeholders
  
• Encourages design thinking from the business perspective
  

---

5. How to Install Calabash for Android

🔸 Step 1: Install Java JDK

Complete Calabash Tutorial for Android: Setup, Installation, and Automation Guide: Follow Java installation from Oracle’s website or use a trusted tutorial.

🔸 Step 2: Install Ruby

Download Ruby from:
Install it and verify by running ruby -v in the Ruby command prompt.

🔸 Step 3: Install Android Studio

Download from: https://developer.android.com/studio
Install and complete the setup process.

🔸 Step 4: Install Calabash-Android

Run the following in the Ruby console:

bash

gem install calabash-android

calabash-android version

---

6. Working with Calabash Framework

Folder Structure:

• *.feature: Contains test scenarios
  
• step_definitions/*.rb: Contains Ruby methods linked to steps
  
• support/: Contains environment setup, app hooks, and reusable code
  

You’ll find the installed Calabash files in a path similar to:

vbnet

C:\Ruby23\lib\ruby\gems\2.3.0\gems\calabash-android-0.9.0

---

7. Resign and Build APK

Complete Calabash Tutorial for Android: Setup, Installation, and Automation Guide: Before testing, you must resign and build the application:

bash

calabash-android resign your_app.apk

calabash-android build your_app.apk

Attach Your Device or Use Emulator

Check if a device is attached:

bash

adb devices

You should see your device/emulator listed.

---

8. Locating Elements in Calabash

To identify element locators:

bash

calabash-android console

Then run:

ruby

query(“*”)

This displays all UI elements and their properties on the current screen.

---

9. Creating and Running Test Scripts

🔸 Define Test Scenario in .feature File:

gherkin

Feature: Login functionality

  Scenario: Valid user login

    Given I enter “username”

    And I enter “password”

    When I press “Login”

    Then I should see “Welcome”

🔸 Define Step Definitions in .rb File:

ruby

Given(/^I enter “(.*?)”$/) do |text|

  enter_text(“* id:’username_field'”, text)

end

🔸 Execute the Test:

bash

calabash-android run your_app.apk

---

10. Summary

• Calabash is an open-source framework for Android and iOS app automation.
  
• It follows the Behavior-Driven Development approach with Ruby and Cucumber.
  
• It supports UI automation like tapping, swiping, typing, and validation.
  
• Useful for cross-functional teams and real-device testing.
  
• Allows testing in business-friendly language and structure.

Complete Guide to Mobile App

rubyinstaller.org/downloads