If Autify cannot reliably select the right element via image recognition, using XPath or Accessibility ID may help. In this section, we will show you how to select an element using XPath and Accessibility ID.
XPath
If you chose XPath as the locator, Autify will automatically generate an XPath.
The auto-generated XPath only includes the element type and its display order. You can improve reliability by supplying additional information or removing unnecessary information from the XPath.
Example:
| Type | Example of XPath | |
|---|---|---|
| /XCUIElementTypeApplication/XCUIElementTypeWindow[1]/XCUIElementTypeOther/XCUIElementTypeOther/<>XCUIElementTypeOther/XCUIElementTypeOther/XCUIElementTypeOther/XCUIElementTypeOther/XCUIElementTypeOther/XCUIElementTypeOther/XCUIElementTypeOther/XCUIElementTypeOther/XCUIElementTypeOther/XCUIElementTypeOther/XCUIElementTypeOther/XCUIElementTypeOther/XCUIElementTypeTable/XCUIElementTypeCell[2]/XCUIElementTypeOther[1]/XCUIElementTypeOther/XCUIElementTypeSecureTextField | ||
| After manual adjustment | //XCUIElementTypeCell[contains(@value, “Password”)]//XCUIElementTypeSecureTextField | Only includes information that is important for locating the element, which improves stability. Learning requires some trial and error. |
Below are examples of commonly used XPaths:
Using attributes
On the Quick Element Update page, if the target element or its parent-child elements have distinctive attributes, including them in the XPath can improve reliability. Here are examples that use the value attribute.
| XPath | Element to be selected |
|---|---|
| //XCUIElementTypeButton[@value="OK"] | Button whose value is "OK" |
| //*[contains(@name, ‘limited’)] | Element whose name includes "limited" |
| //*[starts-with(@name, "2024")] | Element whose name starts with "2024" |
| //*[ends-with(@name, "login")] | Element whose name ends with "login" |
| //*[@name="Return"] | Element whose name is "Return" |
| (//*[@name="Done" or "完了"]) | Element whose name is "Done" or "完了" |
Specifying the order
When multiple elements match the XPath, you can select an element by its order.
| XPath | Element to be selected |
|---|---|
| //XCUIElementTypeButton[3] | The third button |
| //XCUIElementTypeTextField[last()] | The last text field |
Composite locator
If the element you want to select lacks distinctive characteristics, you can select it based on its relative relationship with other elements.
| XPath | Element to be selected |
|---|---|
| //*[@value=”register”]//XCUIElementTypeButton | Button within an element whose value is "register" |
| //*[value=”Check out”] ~ XCUIElementTypeButton | Button adjacent to an element whose value is "Check out" |
| //[@name=”List”]/[5] | Fifth element directly under an element whose name is "List" |
Accessibility ID
If Autify cannot select an element using other methods, we recommend setting up Accessibility ID.
If the target element has the "name" attribute for iOS or the "content-desc" attribute for Android, the target element can be selected by setting the attribute value as the Accessibility ID on the Quick Element Update page.
If the target element does not have an Accessibility ID, you need to modify the application code.
Setting up Accessibility ID
iOS Native
Add the accessibilityIdentifier property to the target element.
Android Native
Add contentDescription to the target element.
Flutter
(iOS) Set the Semantics identifier property for the target element.
(Android) Currently unavailable. If you set the Semantics identifier property for an element, it will appear as a property called “resource-id” in the page source, so you can use it in an XPath.
ReactNative
(iOS) Set the testID property for the target element.
(Android) Currently unavailable. If you set the testID property for an element, it will appear as an attribute called “resource-id” in the page source, so you can use it in an XPath.