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Appium Helper Library

Background and overview​

Appium is an extremely powerful mobile testing solution, but contains a number of limitations that can prevent it from taking a full page screenshot of native applications. The Applitools Appium Helper Library (AHL) is a lightweight framework that overcomes these limitations.

How does it work?​

The AHL is embedded into test versions of your mobile apps. Once your app is built and run, it exposes additional properties to Appium in the form of invisible views. These views have no effect on the behavior or performance of your app, but enhance the Applitools Appium SDK's ability to take full page screenshots.

What application types require the AHL?​

The AHL is meant to overcomes Appium's limitations in taking screenshots in native mobile apps that have certain types of view hierarchies, including the following:

  • RecyclerView
  • ListView
  • GridView
  • ViewPager2
  • ScrollView
  • NestedScrollView

Because there is no impact to your application if the AHL is included but not needed, we recommend that you use AHL with all mobile apps, except for pure WebView hybrid apps.

Hybrid applications​

Hybrid apps are mobile apps that include WebView content (embedded HTML). If your application is a pure WebView app, the native content only serves as a wrapper or enabler for the WebView content, you do not need the AHL. If your application contains both native views and WebViews, the AHL may enhance the screenshot capabilities of Appium.

If you are not sure whether you need to include the AHL in your application, please contact Applitools Support.