How to test that staticTexts contains a string using XCTest

Question

In Xcode UI testing, how do I test that staticTexts contains a string?

In the debugger, I can run something like this to print out all the content of staticTexts: po app.staticTexts . But how do I test if a string exists anywhere within all of that content?

I can check for the existence of each staticText doing something like app.staticTexts["the content of the staticText"].exists? but I have to use the exact content of that staticText. How can I use only a string which may be only a part of that content?

score 41 · Answer 1 · answered Nov 12 '17 at 19:37

You can use NSPredicate to filter elements.

  let searchText = "the content of the staticText"
  let predicate = NSPredicate(format: "label CONTAINS[c] %@", searchText)
  let elementQuery = app.staticTexts.containing(predicate)
  if elementQuery.count > 0 {
    // the element exists
  }

With CONTAINS[c] you specify that the search is case insensitive.

Have a look at Apples Predicate Programming Guide

Oletha · Accepted Answer · 2017-11-09T08:31:06.020

17

First, you need to set an accessibility identifier for the static text object you want to access. This will allow you to find it without searching for the string it is displaying.

// Your app code
label.accessibilityIdentifier = "myLabel"

Then you can assert whether the string displayed is the string you want by writing a test by calling .label on the XCUIElement to get the contents of the displayed string:

// Find the label
let myLabel = app.staticTexts["myLabel"]
// Check the string displayed on the label is correct
XCTAssertEqual("Expected string", myLabel.label)

To check it contains a certain string, use range(of:), which will return nil if the string you give is not found.

XCTAssertNotNil(myLabel.label.range(of:"expected part"))

edited Nov 09 '17 at 08:31

answered Jun 27 '16 at 13:40

Oletha

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XCTAssertNotNil(myLabel.range(of:"expected part")) --- this produces an error "XCUIElement has no member range" – binsnoel Nov 09 '17 at 03:37
1

@binsnoel Sorry, missed the .label in my answer. Try now with the updated snippet. – Oletha Nov 09 '17 at 08:31
What if you have two labels that you want to test? – Taku Apr 04 '18 at 13:57
Set a different identifier for each label – Oletha Apr 04 '18 at 14:17

J. Lopes · Answer 3 · 2018-05-29T00:17:44.360

8

I had this problem while I was building my XCTest, I had a dynamic string inside of my block of text I should verify. I had built this two functions to solve my problem:

func waitElement(element: Any, timeout: TimeInterval = 100.0) {
    let exists = NSPredicate(format: "exists == 1")

    expectation(for: exists, evaluatedWith: element, handler: nil)
    waitForExpectations(timeout: timeout, handler: nil)
}

func waitMessage(message: String) {
    let predicate = NSPredicate(format: "label CONTAINS[c] %@", message)
    let result = app.staticTexts.containing(predicate)
    let element = XCUIApplication().staticTexts[result.element.label]
    waitElement(element: element)
}

I know this post is old, but I hope this can help someone.

edited May 29 '18 at 00:17

answered Apr 06 '18 at 14:12

J. Lopes

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Is there a specific reason why you first use `app` then you create a new instance with `XCUIApplication()`? – GrizzlyBear Jul 09 '19 at 07:51
XCUIApplication().staticTexts[result.element.label] could fail to resolve if the label with given text is not created at this point, how do you wait for it ? – Tomislav Kordic Apr 06 '23 at 15:23

score 4 · Answer 4 · answered Jul 29 '20 at 05:43

You can create an extensions to simply use it over XCUIElement.

extension XCUIElement {
    
    func assertContains(text: String) {
        let predicate = NSPredicate(format: "label CONTAINS[c] %@", text)
        let elementQuery = staticTexts.containing(predicate)
        XCTAssertTrue(elementQuery.count > 0)
    }
}

Usage:

// Find the label
let yourLabel = app.staticTexts["AccessibilityIdentifierOfYourLabel"].firstMatch

// assert that contains value
yourLabel.assertContains(text: "a part of content of the staticText")

score 0 · Answer 5 · answered May 06 '22 at 11:17

0

    // Encapsulate your code
    func yourElement() -> XCUIElement {
        let string = "The European languages are members of the same family."
        let predicate = NSPredicate(format: "label CONTAINS[c] '\(string)'")
        return app.staticTexts.matching(predicate).firstMatch
    }

    // To use it
    XCTAssert(yourPage.yourElement().waitForExistence(timeout: 20))

answered May 06 '22 at 11:17

Zhou Haibo

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What if the app.staticTexts.matching(predicate).firstMatch is a nil, how do you handle that ? – Tomislav Kordic Apr 06 '23 at 15:22

How to test that staticTexts contains a string using XCTest

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