Appium Webdriverio Setup - node.js

Question

I need help understanding how to set up a testing framework to using Appium, Webdriverio, Node.js, Jasmine. I have the wdio.conf.js file set up:
host: '127.0.0.1',
port: 4723,
path: '/wd/hub',
....
specs: [
'./spec/wdtest/test.js'
],
....
capabilities: [
{
automationName: "appium",
browserName: 'iOS',
commandTimeout: '7200',
sessionOverride: true,
debugLogSpacing: true,
platformVersion: '10.1',
platformName: 'iOS',
showIosLog: true,
deviceName: 'iPhone 6s',
nativeInstrumentsLib: true,
isolateSimDevice: true,
autoLaunch: true,
app: '/Users/fodgerl/Library/Developer/Xcode/...../Debug-iphonesimulator/myapp.app'
}
],
....
services: ['appium'],
appium: {
args: {
address: '127.0.0.1',
commandTimeout: '7200',
sessionOverride: true,
debugLogSpacing: true,
platformVersion: '10.1',
platformName: 'iOS',
deviceName: 'iPhone 6s',
showIosLog: true,
nativeInstrumentsLib: true,
isolateSimDevice: true,
app: '/Users/fodgerl/Library/...../Products/Debug-iphonesimulator/myapp.app'
}
},
framework: 'jasmine',
My package.json file has:
"scripts": {
"test": "wdio wdio.conf.js"
},
And I have a test js file that has this:
describe('test', function() {
it('test', function () {
//how do I interact with the app?
console.log("HEREEEEE");
});
});
When I run npm test, the simulator launches and the app launches within it. What I don't know is where to go to next? How do I open app/interact with elements/etc.
I have seen examples like:
var client = webdriverio.remote({
port: 4723,
logLevel: 'verbose',
desiredCapabilities: {
platformName: 'iOS',
platformVersion: '8.4',
deviceName: 'iPhone 6',
app: webviewApp
}
});
But do I need to do that if I already have the simulator up and running from the stuff in the conf file? I was trying to find some documentation on what .remote(), init(), etc does. Also, I looked in the Launcher for webdriverio but I couldn't determine where/how it was being used in the example here: https://github.com/webdriverio/webdriverio/blob/master/examples/wdio/runner-specs/jasmine.spec.js
Any help would be appreciated to get me started!! Thanks!

Answer 1

On running $ npm test, it executes $ ./node_modules/.bin/wdio wdio.conf.js. So you have the wdio test runner up and running.
Now, as mentioned in The Browser Object subsection:
If you use the wdio test runner you can access the webdriver instance through the global browser object. The session is initialized by the test runner so you don’t need to call init command. The same goes for ending the session. This is also done by the test runner process.
That's it! You can access the driver instance via the global variable browser as illustrated in the aforementioned example.
Hope that helps!

Answer 2

webdriver.io is just for running the tests. Not interacting with the app. Use appium to app/interact with elements/etc. Appium will record the step and elements path/s. From here you can create your test cases which can be run using wedriver.io