Use Appium driver created through Open Application

Support
1

What I’m trying to do, I feel like should be simple. I feel like I’m missing a step in my proces.

I am using Robot Framework with AppiumLibrary. I set up an Appium 2.0 server through the console.

I open my app through Open Application:

Open App Android
    [Arguments]     ${appActivity}      ${appPackage}
    a.Open Application
    ...    http://localhost:${APPIUM-PORT-ANDROID}
    ...    appActivity=${appActivity}
    ...    appPackage=${appPackage}
    ...    automationName=Uiautomator2
    ...    noReset=${NO-RESET}
    ...    platformName=${PLATFORM-NAME-ANDROID}
    ...    udid=${UDID-ANDROID}
    ...    alias=testappx

Now what I really want to do is to put a string on the clipboard. This is possible I read on the internet through:
self.driver.set_clipboard(‘happy testing’)
or
self.driver.set_clipboard_text(‘happy testing’)

What I don’t know is how I actually get access to the driver created through (I assume) the Open Application keyword.

2

The way you phrase your question is confusing. Do you need help with clipboard? I think this should have everything you need:

https://appiumpro.com/editions/16-automating-the-clipboard-on-ios-and-android

Or is it something else? What do you want to do with the driver? Here is a tutorial of Robot Framework that uses Open Application. Maybe it can help you:

https://docs.robotframework.org/docs/different_libraries/appium

3

Apologies. I am never very good a phrasing my question.

I have a whole Robot test suite built. Many testcases for iOS, Android and some for dekstop browsers. All built with AppiumLibrary. Now I’d like to make a custom library in python, that exposes methods like driver.set_clipboard().

Example:
*** Keywords ***

Open App Android> > [Arguments] ${appActivity} ${appPackage}
Open Application
… http://localhost:${APPIUM-PORT-ANDROID}
… appActivity=${appActivity}
… appPackage=${appPackage}
… automationName=Uiautomator2
… noReset=${NO-RESET}
… platformName=${PLATFORM-NAME-ANDROID}
… udid=${UDID-ANDROID}
… alias=testappx

Use python script to set clipboard
…[Arguments] ${my_text_variable_to_set_to_clipboard}
… Load some python script ${my_text_variable_to_set_to_clipboard}

*** Test Cases ***

Open application and copy to keyboard

Open App Android
Use python script to set clipboard Yay I'm on the clipboard!

I don’t use code much, all i do is use AppiumLibrary keywords. For this I would love to implement your Appium Pro: Automating the Clipboard on iOS and Android, but I don’t know how.

4

You are talking about a Facade Design Pattern:

Analogous to a facade in architecture, a facade is an object that serves as a front-facing interface masking more complex underlying or structural code.

Here is a tutorial on writing a Facade Design Pattern in Python:

I realize you have said you aren’t experienced as a coder, but I do think that reading up on this and exploring it will help give you that experience. Remember everyone started out a beginner.

Edited to add: Sorry, I did not know what AppiumLibrary is. I looked it up:

This actually is a Facade! Searching for ‘clipboard’ in that repo gives this:

So this AppiumLibrary does use driver.set_clipboard_text(text). My best advice to you is to read through, but if you can’t code this yourself the next best thing is to make a feature request on AppiumLibrary.

Here are some ‘best practices’ on asking for a feature:

And of course, if you feel like you have trouble asking questions, this is a must read:

5

Thanks a lot for those interesting reads :).

I had indeed tried to create a class that subclasses AppiumLibrary so that I could use that as a facade to use Appium’s driver.set_clipboard_text(text).

I couldn’t get it to work.
When I call AppiumLibrary’s Open Application keyword, it calls Appium’s open_application() method. This I think creates the ‘driver’ to communicate with the Appium Server I have running locally. I think it is on this driver that the driver.set_clipboard_text(text) method is called.
To be able to do that. I think I need to get that driver instance to my custom Facade. But that’s where I run into a wall. I don’t know how to do that.
I’ll keep trying though :). I’ll create a new Facade class and mess around some more hehe.

6

The nice thing about a tool like AppiumLibrary is that you can get up and running pretty quickly and write a lot of tests.

The problem, as always, is that eventually you will need something that hasn’t been added yet. I’m a big proponent for learning, and believe you can’t go wrong getting more knowledge. But there is also room for a feature request for AppiumLibrary. Hopefully if you do that this discussion gives you the vocabulary and knowledge to communicate with AppiumLibrary developers in a way that they understand exactly what you need.