Codegen

Codegen records what you do on a connected device and writes it as a Mobilewright test. Click on a live screenshot of the device, and each action is sent to the device and added to the test as a line of code, using the same locators the Inspector recommends.

Start recording

npx mobilewright codegen

Codegen starts a local server on a random free port and opens it in your browser. The URL is also printed in the terminal, so you can open it yourself if the browser does not start:

Mobilewright Codegen running at http://127.0.0.1:53817/codegen

Use --port to pin a specific port instead:

npx mobilewright codegen --port 8080

Pick a device from the selector at the top. The device screen appears on the left and the test on the right, starting from:

import { test, expect } from '@mobilewright/test';

test('test', async ({ device, screen }) => {
});

The screenshot refreshes continuously while the page is open.

Recording actions

Hover over the screenshot to see which element a click will target, then click it. Codegen taps that element on the device and adds a line to the test:

await screen.getByRole('button', { name: 'Sign in' }).tap();

Locators follow the Inspector's priority (getByTestId > getByRole > getByLabel > getByText). When a locator matches more than one element, codegen adds .nth() so the test taps the same one. Where no element has a usable locator, the click is recorded by coordinates:

await screen.tap(201, 437);

Toggle Record to keep using the device without adding code.

Device buttons and location

The buttons above the device screen press Home, App switch and Back (App switch and Back are Android only), and Set location overrides the device's GPS location. Each one is recorded:

await screen.pressButton('HOME');
await device.setGeolocation({ latitude: -17.833, longitude: 177.947 });
await device.setGeolocation(null); // Reset location

Assertions

Click Assert text or Assert value in the toolbar, then click an element. Codegen adds an assertion with the element's current text or value instead of tapping it:

await expect(screen.getByText('Welcome back')).toHaveText('Welcome back');
await expect(screen.getByLabel('Email')).toHaveValue('user@example.com');

View tree

The View tree button opens the element hierarchy on the right. Hover over a row to highlight the element on the screenshot, and click it to see its locators and properties. To find an element without scrolling the tree, Shift-click it on the screenshot: the tree opens, expands and selects it, and nothing is sent to the device.

From the details, Tap, Double tap and Long press perform that gesture on the device and record it:

await screen.getByTestId('photo').doubleTap();
await screen.getByRole('listitem', { name: 'Inbox' }).longPress();

Stopping codegen

Click Copy in the toolbar to copy the test to the clipboard, then press Ctrl+C in the terminal. Codegen disconnects from the device and shuts the server down.