Appium Vocabulary

vocabulary: "1.0.0"

info:
  provider: Appium
  description: >-
    Unified vocabulary for Appium mobile test automation, covering operational API
    dimensions (WebDriver protocol endpoints, session management, element interaction)
    and capability dimensions (test automation workflows, MCP tools, QA personas).
  created: "2026-04-19"
  modified: "2026-04-19"

operational:
  apis:
    - name: Appium Server API
      namespace: appium
      version: "2.0.0"
      baseUrl: "http://localhost:4723"
      status: active

  resources:
    - name: sessions
      description: WebDriver automation session lifecycle
      api: Appium Server API
      actions:
        - create
        - delete
        - list
    - name: elements
      description: UI elements within app screens
      api: Appium Server API
      actions:
        - find
        - click
        - get-text
        - send-keys
        - get-screenshot
    - name: screenshots
      description: Device screen captures
      api: Appium Server API
      actions:
        - capture
    - name: apps
      description: Mobile application lifecycle on device
      api: Appium Server API
      actions:
        - activate
        - terminate
        - install
        - remove
        - check-installed
    - name: contexts
      description: Native/webview context switching
      api: Appium Server API
      actions:
        - get-current
        - set
        - list
    - name: device
      description: Device state and orientation
      api: Appium Server API
      actions:
        - get-orientation
        - set-orientation
        - get-time
        - push-file
    - name: settings
      description: Appium session settings
      api: Appium Server API
      actions:
        - get
        - update
    - name: actions
      description: W3C Actions API for complex input sequences
      api: Appium Server API
      actions:
        - perform
        - release
    - name: alerts
      description: Native dialog and alert handling
      api: Appium Server API
      actions:
        - accept
        - dismiss
        - get-text
    - name: server
      description: Appium server health and status
      api: Appium Server API
      actions:
        - get-status

  actions:
    - name: create
      httpMethod: POST
      pattern: write
    - name: delete
      httpMethod: DELETE
      pattern: destructive
    - name: find
      httpMethod: POST
      pattern: query
    - name: capture
      httpMethod: GET
      pattern: read
    - name: activate
      httpMethod: POST
      pattern: write
    - name: install
      httpMethod: POST
      pattern: write
    - name: get-status
      httpMethod: GET
      pattern: read
    - name: perform
      httpMethod: POST
      pattern: write
    - name: list
      httpMethod: GET
      pattern: read

  schemas:
    core:
      - name: SessionInfo
        description: Active session metadata including ID and capabilities
      - name: FindElementRequest
        description: Element locator strategy and selector value
      - name: AppIdRequest
        description: App identifier by package name or bundle ID
      - name: ActionSequence
        description: W3C Actions sequence for a single input source
      - name: Cookie
        description: Browser cookie from a WebDriver session

  parameters:
    identifiers:
      - name: sessionId
        description: Unique session identifier (path parameter)
      - name: elementId
        description: Unique element identifier within a session (path parameter)
    input:
      - name: using
        description: Element locator strategy (accessibility id, xpath, id, etc.)
      - name: value
        description: Selector value for the locator strategy
      - name: appId
        description: Android package name or iOS bundle identifier
      - name: appPath
        description: File path or URL to app binary for installation

  enums:
    locatorStrategies:
      - accessibility id
      - id
      - xpath
      - class name
      - name
      - css selector
      - link text
      - partial link text
      - -android uiautomator
      - -android datamatcher
      - -ios predicate string
      - -ios class chain
    orientations:
      - PORTRAIT
      - LANDSCAPE
    contexts:
      - NATIVE_APP
      - WEBVIEW
    actionTypes:
      - pointer
      - key
      - wheel
      - none

  authentication:
    schemes:
      - type: none
        description: Appium server runs locally without authentication by default. Remote server deployments may use custom authentication middleware.

capability:
  workflows:
    - name: Mobile Test Automation
      file: capabilities/mobile-test-automation.yaml
      description: End-to-end mobile app test automation combining session management, element interaction, device control, and visual capture
      apis:
        - Appium Server API
      toolCount: 7
      personas:
        - QA Engineer
        - Test Automation Engineer

  personas:
    - id: qa-engineer
      name: QA Engineer
      description: Quality assurance professional writing and running mobile app tests
      workflows:
        - Mobile Test Automation

    - id: test-automation-engineer
      name: Test Automation Engineer
      description: Engineer building automated test frameworks and CI/CD pipelines for mobile apps
      workflows:
        - Mobile Test Automation

  domains:
    - name: Test Automation
      description: Automated testing of mobile and web applications
      resources:
        - sessions
        - elements
        - screenshots
    - name: Device Management
      description: Device-level operations including app lifecycle and device state
      resources:
        - apps
        - device
        - contexts
    - name: Input Simulation
      description: Simulating user input including taps, swipes, and text entry
      resources:
        - actions
        - elements

  namespaces:
    - name: appium
      type: consumed
      baseUri: "http://localhost:4723"
    - name: mobile-automation-api
      type: rest-exposed
      port: 8080
    - name: mobile-automation-mcp
      type: mcp-exposed
      port: 9090

  binds:
    - name: APPIUM_HOST
      description: Hostname and port of the Appium server
      workflows:
        - Mobile Test Automation

crossReference:
  - resource: sessions
    operations:
      - createSession
      - deleteSession
      - getAppiumSessions
    workflows:
      - Mobile Test Automation
    personas:
      - QA Engineer
      - Test Automation Engineer

  - resource: elements
    operations:
      - findElement
      - findElements
      - click
      - setValue
      - getText
    workflows:
      - Mobile Test Automation
    personas:
      - QA Engineer
      - Test Automation Engineer

  - resource: screenshots
    operations:
      - getScreenshot
      - getElementScreenshot
    workflows:
      - Mobile Test Automation
    personas:
      - QA Engineer
      - Test Automation Engineer

  - resource: apps
    operations:
      - activateApp
      - terminateApp
      - installApp
      - removeApp
      - isAppInstalled
    workflows:
      - Mobile Test Automation
    personas:
      - Test Automation Engineer