Experiences of System-Level Model-Based GUI Testing of an Android Application

This paper presents experiences in model-based graphical user interface testing of Android applications. We present how model-based testing and test automation was implemented with Android, including how applications were modeled, how tests were designed and executed, and what kind of problems were found in the tested application during the whole process. The main focus is on a case study that was performed with an Android application, the BBC News Widget. Our goal is to present actual data on the experiences and to discuss if advantages can be gained using model-based testing when compared with traditional graphical user interface testing. Another contribution of this paper is a description of a keyword-based test automation tool that was implemented for the Android emulator during the case study. All the models and the tools created or used in this case study are available as open source.