Automating Windows Store apps using Coded UI

Automating Windows Store apps with Coded UI is not as straight forward as automating desktop app. This is because recording actions is not allowed for Windows Store apps.

Here, we will learn how to automate Windows Store apps using Coded UI and launch and close the app programmatically using IApplicationActivationManager

Add a Windows Store Coded UI Test Project

    1.       Add a new Coded UI Test Project from Store App-> Windows Apps

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

     2.       Select Edit UI Map or add assertions

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

3.       Note that recording actions is not allowed for Windows Store apps

 

      4.       Launch the app
      5.       Drag to cross hair on to a control and select Add control to UI Map

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

6.       Add all controls and click Generate Code->Generate 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

      7.       Close the Coded UI Test Builder
        8.       UIMap.uitest will be created with the selected controls

Launch and Close the App

Add the following code

public enum ActivateOptions

    {

        None = 0x00000000,  // No flags set

        DesignMode = 0x00000001,  // The application is being activated for design mode, and thus will not be able to

        // to create an immersive window. Window creation must be done by design tools which

        // load the necessary components by communicating with a designer-specified service on

        // the site chain established on the activation manager.  The splash screen normally

        // shown when an application is activated will also not appear.  Most activations

        // will not use this flag.

        NoErrorUI = 0x00000002,  // Do not show an error dialog if the app fails to activate.                               

        NoSplashScreen = 0x00000004,  // Do not show the splash screen when activating the app.

    } 

    [ComImport, Guid("2e941141-7f97-4756-ba1d-9decde894a3d"), InterfaceType(ComInterfaceType.InterfaceIsIUnknown)]

    interface IApplicationActivationManager

    {

        // Activates the specified immersive application for the "Launch" contract, passing the provided arguments

        // string into the application.  Callers can obtain the process Id of the application instance fulfilling this contract.

        IntPtr ActivateApplication([In] String appUserModelId, [In] String arguments, [In] ActivateOptions options, [Out] out UInt32 processId);

        IntPtr ActivateForFile([In] String appUserModelId, [In] IntPtr /*IShellItemArray* */ itemArray, [In] String verb, [Out] out UInt32 processId);

        IntPtr ActivateForProtocol([In] String appUserModelId, [In] IntPtr /* IShellItemArray* */itemArray, [Out] out UInt32 processId);

    }

    [ComImport, Guid("45BA127D-10A8-46EA-8AB7-56EA9078943C")]//Application Activation Manager

    class ApplicationActivationManager : IApplicationActivationManager

    {

        [MethodImpl(MethodImplOptions.InternalCall, MethodCodeType = MethodCodeType.Runtime)/*, PreserveSig*/]

        public extern IntPtr ActivateApplication([In] String appUserModelId, [In] String arguments, [In] ActivateOptions options, [Out] out UInt32 processId);

        [MethodImpl(MethodImplOptions.InternalCall, MethodCodeType = MethodCodeType.Runtime)]

        public extern IntPtr ActivateForFile([In] String appUserModelId, [In] IntPtr /*IShellItemArray* */ itemArray, [In] String verb, [Out] out UInt32 processId);

        [MethodImpl(MethodImplOptions.InternalCall, MethodCodeType = MethodCodeType.Runtime)]

        public extern IntPtr ActivateForProtocol([In] String appUserModelId, [In] IntPtr /* IShellItemArray* */itemArray, [Out] out UInt32 processId);

    }

Then create the following variables which can be accessed in TestInitialize and TestCleanup

ApplicationActivationManager appActiveManager = new ApplicationActivationManager();

uint pid;

Add the following code in TestInitialize and TestCleanup

[TestInitialize()]

        public void MyTestInitialize()

        {

            appActiveManager.ActivateApplication(appUserModelId, null, ActivateOptions.None, out pid);

        } 

[TestCleanup()]

        public void MyTestCleanup()

        {

            Process.GetProcessById((int)pid).Kill();

        }

The appUserModelId in TestInitialize can be obtained using the following steps:

1.       If you own the source code of the app, find the package name in package.appxmanifest

2.       Run regedit from command prompt

3.       On the device where the app is installed, find the package name at HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Classes\ActivatableClasses\Package

4.       Find the AppUserModelId value in key in \Server\App.App...

5.       For example, the appUserModelId for Calculator app on my device is Microsoft.WindowsCalculator_8wekyb3d8bbwe!App  as shown below

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

  

Automate the App

 Now instantiate the UIMap and automate the app in a test method like below

[TestMethod]

        public void CodedUITestMethod1()

        {

            UIMap uiMap = new UIMap();

            Keyboard.SendKeys(uiMap.UICalculatorWindow.UICalculatorResultsText, "1");

            Mouse.Click(uiMap.UICalculatorWindow.UIPlusButton, new Point(50, 50));

            Keyboard.SendKeys(uiMap.UICalculatorWindow.UICalculatorResultsText, "1");

            Mouse.Click(uiMap.UICalculatorWindow.UIEqualsButton, new Point(50, 50));

            Assert.AreEqual("Display is  2 ", uiMap.UICalculatorWindow.UICalculatorResultsText.DisplayText);

        }