ios-simulator

name	ios-simulator
description	Automate iOS Simulator using AXe CLI. Use after implementing features to verify they work correctly via UI automation.

iOS Simulator Automation

Automate iOS Simulator interactions using AXe CLI for testing implemented features.

Philosophy

Implementation without verification is incomplete. After building a feature, use AXe to interact with the simulator and confirm the feature works as expected. This closes the loop between coding and testing.

Installation

brew install cameroncooke/axe/axe

Workflow: Verify Implementation

1. Get simulator UDID: axe list-simulators
2. Inspect UI: axe describe-ui --udid $UDID
3. Interact with the feature you just built
4. Capture result: axe screenshot --udid $UDID

Quick Reference

# List simulators
axe list-simulators

# Store UDID
UDID="YOUR-SIMULATOR-UDID"

# Inspect UI tree
axe describe-ui --udid $UDID
axe describe-ui --point 100,200 --udid $UDID

# Tap interactions
axe tap -x 100 -y 200 --udid $UDID
axe tap --label "Button Text" --udid $UDID
axe tap --id "elementId" --udid $UDID

# Text input
axe type 'Hello World!' --udid $UDID

# Swipe
axe swipe --start-x 100 --start-y 300 --end-x 300 --end-y 100 --udid $UDID

# Gesture presets
axe gesture scroll-up --udid $UDID
axe gesture scroll-down --udid $UDID
axe gesture swipe-from-left-edge --udid $UDID

# Hardware buttons
axe button home --udid $UDID
axe button lock --udid $UDID

# Screenshots
axe screenshot --udid $UDID
axe screenshot --output ~/Desktop/screen.png --udid $UDID

# Timing controls
axe tap -x 100 -y 200 --pre-delay 1.0 --post-delay 0.5 --udid $UDID

Best Practices

• Prefer labels over coordinates for maintainable automation
• Use timing controls (--pre-delay, --post-delay) for async operations
• Check accessibility tree when elements aren't found
• Use gesture presets instead of manual swipe coordinates
• Take screenshots to verify visual state after interactions

Resources

• See references/axe.md for full AXe command reference