Tutorial: Windows App Automation using WinAppDriver and Java

Photo by Caspar Camille Rubin on Unsplash

When we talk about Test Automation, the first thing that comes to mind is usually Mobile and Web Automation. However, as testers we should be aware of the latest technologies in Desktop Automation as well.

I was always curious about automating Desktop applications, but there seems to be less data online about Desktop Automation.

Let’s fill this knowledge gap by trying an interesting tool for Windows Automation — WinAppDriver. You could also follow along with a video tutorial here.

Also, if you are interested in Web Testing, consider watching my video tutorial about TestCafe and WebDriver + POM.

WinAppDriver: The Basics

WinAppDriver while executing the Automation Test script

Essentially, this is a Selenium-like UI Automation tool. It’s an Appium — compatible WebDriver server for Windows applications. It supports testing Universal Windows Platform (UWP) and Classic Windows (Win 32) applications.

What’s great about it is that it’s a standalone tool and there is no need to install Appium on your machine to run automation scripts. You just need to install WinAppDriver through the installer…