Appium Server Components

Appium Server is the core component of the Appium automation framework, used for automating mobile applications (both Android and iOS). Appium Server is a Node.js-based web server that exposes a REST API. It listens for commands (like tap, scroll, type, etc.) from a test script and executes them on a real device or emulator/simulator through native automation frameworks such as:

• UIAutomator2 (for Android)

• XCUITest (for iOS)

Appium Server Components

The main Appium server components are as follows:

• HTTP Server: Built on Node.js; handles REST API requests. The Appium server is written in Node.js. It is a cross-platform test automation framework that uses the WebDriver protocol to drive mobile apps (iOS, Android, etc.). Its core server component runs on Node.js and can be installed via npm.

• Session Manager: Manages automation sessions for each test.

• Proxy: Forwards commands to native automation frameworks.

• Drivers: Connect to platform-specific frameworks (like UIAutomator2 for Android or XCUITest for iOS).

How Appium Works

1. You write a test script in a language like Java, Python, or JavaScript using the Appium client library.

2. The client sends requests (in JSON Wire Protocol or W3C WebDriver protocol) to the Appium Server.

3. The Appium Server translates these requests into commands that the underlying automation engine understands.

4. The automation engine performs the actions (e.g., tap, swipe, input text) on the app running on the device.

5. The server returns responses (like success, element not found, etc.) back to the client.

 

Starting the Appium Server

You can start Appium server in two ways:

• Command Line:

  /> appium


• Appium Desktop App:
  A GUI version that allows you to start/stop the server and inspect app elements visually.