Appium Inspector

Separation of Appium Inspector from Appium Desktop

In Appium 2.0, one of the notable changes is the separation of Appium Inspector from the traditional Appium Desktop application. This separation is a strategic move to provide users with a more streamlined and versatile experience when inspecting and interacting with mobile applications during testing.

Previously, Appium Inspector was bundled within the Appium Desktop application, which meant users had to install and launch the entire desktop application to access the inspection tool. However, in Appium 2.0, Appium Inspector has been extracted as a separate entity, making it more accessible and efficient.

Accessing the Browser-Based Appium Inspector

With the separation of Appium Inspector from Appium Desktop, users can now access Appium Inspector through a web browser, which offers several advantages:

Ease of Access:

Appium Inspector is now readily available without downloading or installing a dedicated desktop application. Users can open their web browser and navigate to the Appium Inspector URL.

Platform Independence:

Since Appium Inspector is browser-based, it can be accessed from different operating systems (Windows, macOS, Linux) without platform-specific installations.

Reduced Resource Consumption:

Separating Appium Inspector from the desktop application reduces the overall resource consumption, which can lead to improved system performance.

Access from Anywhere:

Users can access Appium Inspector from virtually anywhere with an internet connection, making it a convenient choice for remote or distributed teams.

To access the browser-based Appium Inspector:

• Ensure that your Appium server is running. You may need to start the server with the –allow-cors flag to enable browser-based access.
• Open your web browser (Chrome, Firefox, etc.).
• Navigate to the URL where the Appium Inspector is hosted. Typically, this URL is something like http://localhost:4723/inspector.
• Once on the Appium Inspector page, you can interact with the mobile application, inspect elements, and perform actions just as you would with the desktop version.

Requirements for Testing Against Local Servers

While the browser-based Appium Inspector offers flexibility and convenience, there are certain requirements for testing against local servers. To ensure a smooth testing experience:

• Appium Server Configuration: The Appium server should be configured to allow cross-origin resource sharing (CORS) to enable communication between the browser and the server. This is achieved by starting the server with the –allow-cors flag, as mentioned earlier.
• Network Connectivity: Ensure that your testing environment has network connectivity, as the browser-based Appium Inspector relies on internet access to function correctly.
• Port and URL Configuration: Be mindful of the port and URL configuration for the Appium Inspector. The URL should be correctly set in your browser, and the port should match the one where your Appium server is running.
• Security Considerations: As with any browser-based tool, consider security implications. Ensure that only authorized users can access the Appium Inspector interface and that your Appium server is properly secured.

In summary, the separation of Appium Inspector from Appium Desktop in Appium 2.0 introduces enhanced accessibility and flexibility, enabling users to inspect and interact with mobile applications directly from their web browsers. By meeting the requirements for testing against local servers, testers and developers can harness the power of this tool effectively.