10 November 2024 Leave a comment Tech-Help
Developing Xamarin Android applications in Visual Studio 2017 can be an enriching experience, especially when it comes to testing your application’s logic. However, some developers encounter difficulties when attempting to set up and run unit tests within this environment. This article aims to provide a clear and actionable guide to help you effectively configure and execute unit tests in Xamarin Android projects.
Understanding the Testing Frameworks
Before delving into the specifics, it’s essential to understand the different levels of testing available:
- Classic Unit Testing: This involves testing pure .Net/Mono code using frameworks like xUnit or NUnit. These tests are independent of the Xamarin platform frameworks and are akin to traditional .Net unit tests.
- On-Platform Testing: These tests include platform-specific features such as networking and GPS but exclude GUI-related tests. Xamarin provides a NUnitLite version that runs on Android and iOS, offering a device-specific UI for executing these tests.
- UI Testing: This involves using tools like Appium or other frameworks to test UI elements and their response to user interactions.
Setting Up Unit Tests in Visual Studio 2017
To effectively set up and run unit tests for your Xamarin Android application, follow these steps:
Using NUnit with Xamarin
- Create a new project in your solution of type “Class Library (Android)”.
- Install the NUnit package using NuGet. It’s recommended to use NUnit 2.6.X for compatibility with Xamarin.UItest.
- Add your test classes, ensuring they are decorated with the
[TestFixture]and[Test]attributes as shown below:
using NUnit.Framework;
namespace MoneyBack.Tests
{
[TestFixture]
public class Class1
{
[Test]
public void SampleTest()
{
Assert.IsTrue(true);
}
}
}
Executing Tests on Device
Tests in Xamarin are often executed from the device itself. Here’s how you can run them:
- Set your Android project as the startup project in Visual Studio.
- Select the hardware or simulator where you wish to execute the unit test project.
- Run the project; the unit test project will be deployed and executed on the device.
- On the device, navigate to the project name, and tap to reveal and execute the available tests.
Enhancing Testing Efficiency with Repeato
While Xamarin provides robust tools for unit and UI testing, integrating a no-code test automation tool like Repeato can significantly enhance your testing process. Repeato is designed to create, run, and maintain automated tests for iOS and Android applications with ease. Leveraging computer vision and AI, Repeato offers a faster and more stable alternative to tools like Appium, making it an excellent choice for developers looking to streamline their testing workflows.
For more detailed documentation on setting up and running tests, visit our documentation page.
