is it possible to Launch an iOS app using command line?

Mobile Testing, Android App Testing.
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HugovdB
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Joined: Fri Sep 18, 2020 2:31 pm

is it possible to Launch an iOS app using command line?

Post by HugovdB » Thu Jun 10, 2021 8:06 am

As mentioned in the user guide, after instrumenting and deploying the iOS app for the first time, you have to start the app manually once! Otherwise it will not be visible within the Ranorex Service App. This is fine when testing something during the day and with the device connected to your computer.
However, what I'm trying to do is fetch an IPA file from a build pipeline in Azure, instrument and deploy it to the iOS device using the command line and execute a test from another Azure DevOps Pipeline containing my ranorex solution. The tests in the pipeline then need to communicate with my app using/through the Ranorex Service App (which needs to be opened). But before the Ranorex Service App recognizes the instrumented apps they need to be opened manually (according to the info in your user guide: https://www.ranorex.com/help/latest/int ... izard/ios/).
And that is our problem, opening an application without Ranorex on an iOS device is a challenge we have not yet figured out. For Android we've managed to do install the instrumented app using the command line and then opening the app using adb commands but I can’t find any tool that would do the same for iOS. I cannot believe we are the first users who want do such a thing and would like to know if there is any way you could help us out or point us in a direction that works for other Ranorex users.

I've asked the question above to support and they are unable to answer. They suggested submitting this as a feature request (which I'll do) but that won't help me at this point in time.
Hugo van den Berg
Test Lead at4PS

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odklizec
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Re: is it possible to Launch an iOS app using command line?

Post by odklizec » Thu Jun 10, 2021 8:52 am

Hi,

Well, if Ranorex support told you, that there is currently no way to start freshly instrumented and deployed iOS app, without manual intervention, there is most probably no solution of this problem.

As far as I know, there is nothing like ADB (android debug command line tool) app for iOS apps. iOS is generally more restrictive regarding security, so you should not put much hope into quick solution (if any).
Pavel Kudrys
Ranorex explorer at Descartes Systems

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HugovdB
Posts: 12
Joined: Fri Sep 18, 2020 2:31 pm

Re: is it possible to Launch an iOS app using command line?

Post by HugovdB » Thu Jun 10, 2021 3:06 pm

I was just hoping some other Ranorex user has faced the same problem (I can't imagine we're the only company trying to set up continuous integration with Ranorex and iOS) and has a workaround.
Hugo van den Berg
Test Lead at4PS