Testing Safari on iOS Simulator

TestArchitect allows you to create and run automated tests of web applications in Safari on a simulated iOS device.

Ensure that the Interface Viewer is closed prior to running automated tests.

Apple’s Simulator allows you to rapidly prototype and test builds of your app during the development process. Installed as part of the Xcode tools, Simulator runs on your Mac and behaves like a standard Mac app while simulating an iPhone, iPad, Apple Watch, or Apple TV environment. (Learn more.)

At present, TestArchitect only supports automation on Simulator for iOS, not watchOS or tvOS.

Supported iOS versions

TestArchitect supports the testing of web applications running within the Safari browser on the following versions of a simulated iOS device:

• iOS 8.4
• iOS 8.3

Technological approach

• Remote debugging is a remote web inspector for debugging web applications on the iOS Simulator. The following configuration must be set up to allow remote debugging to be performed:

  • Enable Web Inspector of Safari on iOS Simulator (Learn more.)

• Event-fired action model: TestArchitect attempts to effectuate built-in actions in a manner that is as close as possible to real user actions. In most cases, for each given UI action, TestArchitect calls a sequence of events as follows. (Refer to supported built-in actions.)

  Built-in actions	Applicable controls	Sequence of events triggered
  click, tap	all controls	touchstart > touchend > mouseover > mousedown > focus > mouseup > click
  click table cell	table	touchstart > touchend > mouseover > mousedown > focus > mouseup > click
  set list check	ul, ol	touchstart > touchend > mouseover > mousedown > focus > mouseup > click
  select, click list item	select-one, select-multiple	click > change
  set	input-checkbox, input-radio	touchstart > touchend > mouseover > mousedown > focus > mouseup > click
  enter, set	input-text, input-password, input-search, input-tel, input-url, input-email, input-number	keydown > keypress > input > keyup > change

Configuring an iOS Simulator for testing Safari
This section describes essential configurations needed to ensure that automated tests on Safari on the iOS Simulator run successfully and stably.

Invoking Safari on iOS Simulator during automation
There are two methods by which Safari may be invoked in the iOS Simulator:

Automation testing on Safari in iOS Simulator
After having completed the prerequisites, you can now start to automate your tests on Safari in the target iOS Simulator.