How do you access a textfield which does not have a label or static text in XCTest? - ios

Question

so I've recently started testing an iOS app with xctest. I'm on a time model view where I would like to change the number in a cell. The number in this cell is the number of days after which the selected time model repeats itself. But I'm unable to access this textfield and change the number as it does not have a label / name / static text. When I record a tap on this field, Xcode gives me a strange element hierarchy which I've defined as the parameter 'onDay' below
func testRepetitionTypeMonthsOnDay() throws {
let app = XCUIApplication()
let tablesQuery = app.tables
let cellsQuery = tablesQuery.cells
XCTAssertTrue(app.navigationBars["Zeitmodelle"].waitForExistence(timeout: standardTimeout)) //wait for the time model view to open
app.staticTexts["Wiederholend"].firstMatch.tap() //tapping on a cell
XCTAssertTrue(app.navigationBars["Wiederholend"].waitForExistence(timeout: standardTimeout)) // wait for the cell to open
let repetitionType = app.tables.cells["Am, Am Tag, Expand"] //cell 1 from screenshot
let onDay = tablesQuery.children(matching: .cell).element(boundBy: 7).children(matching: .other).element(boundBy: 1).children(matching: .other).element.children(matching: .textField).element //cell 2
let endDate = app.tables.cells["Endet, Endet nicht, Expand"] // cell 3 from screenshot
onDay.tap()
onDay.clearAndEnterText("5")
}
However, Xcode cannot find the parameter onDay that itself has generated in the previous step, tap on it and enter a new text. I've attached a screenshot of the app with this cell here. The cells above and below the marked cell can be identified easily and the assertions for their existence work. The marked cell, however, is a different matter as it does not have a label / static text. Do you have an idea how I can get around this? Thanks a lot!

Answer 1

So I've finally found a way to access this element. Instead of going into the cell view I've accessed the textfields array from tables view.
func testRepetitionTypeMonthsOnDay() throws {
let app = XCUIApplication()
let tablesQuery = app.tables
XCTAssertTrue(app.navigationBars["Zeitmodelle"].waitForExistence(timeout: standardTimeout)) //wait for the time model view to open
app.staticTexts["Wiederholend"].firstMatch.tap() //tapping on a cell
XCTAssertTrue(app.navigationBars["Wiederholend"].waitForExistence(timeout: standardTimeout)) // wait for the cell to open
let onDay = tablesQuery.textFields.element(boundBy: 3)
onDay.tap()
onDay.clearAndEnterText("5")
}
Because the app had a mixture of picker wheels and textfields in the same view, it was a bit problematic for Xcode to find the element I wanted from a general element index. But the use of the textfields array filtered the index list down to only textfields. Xcode was then able to identify the element without any conflict and perform the test. I hope this helps anyone having the same problem.