API for managing SpringBoard alerts manually

[jmoody]

Motivation

Completes:

• Allow users to interact with SpringBoard alerts TCFW 907
• Possibility to ignore system level alert views Possibility to ignore system level alert views #66

Progress on:

• Allow Users to Accept "Open In" Alerts TCFW 1081

API

# Control whether or not SpringBoard alerts are dismissed automatically or manually.
set_dismiss_springboard_alerts_automatically(true_or_false)

# Detecting and inspecting SpringBoard alerts
springboard_alert_visible?
springboard_alert
wait_for_springboard_alert
wait_for_no_springboard_alert

# Dismiss topmost SpringBoard alert by touching button with title.
dismiss_springboard_alert(button_title)

Test

Tested against changes in DeviceAgent:

• Allow users to interact with SpringBoard alerts and control automatic dismissal #205

$ be cucumber -t @springboard_alerts

@meta
Feature: Meta Routes

  @springboard @springboard_alerts
  Scenario: SpringBoard alerts                                           
    Given the app has launched                                          
    Then I can tell DeviceAgent not to automatically dismiss SpringBoard alerts
    Then I can tell DeviceAgent to automatically dismiss SpringBoard alerts     

@simulator @springboard_alerts
Feature: Interacting with SpringBoard Alerts

  Background: Navigate to Alerts and Sheets page   
    Given the app has launched                     
    And I am looking at the Misc tab              
    And I am looking at the Alerts and Sheets page 

  @reset_device
  Scenario: Auto-dismiss contacts                       
    When DeviceAgent is dismissing alerts automatically 
    When I touch the Contacts row                       
    Then the Contacts Privacy alert appears        
    And the next query dismisses the alert           
    When I touch the Calendar row                       
    Then the Calendar Privacy alert appears        
    And the next gesture dismisses the alert       

  @reset_device
  Scenario: Dismiss Alerts Manually         
    When DeviceAgent is not dismissing alerts automatically
    When I touch the Reminders row                       
    Then the Reminders Privacy alert appears        
    And the next query does not dismiss the alert  
    And the next gesture does not dismiss the alert 
    But I can dismiss the SpringBoard alert by touching OK 

[sapieneptus]

I don't have a long history with ruby idioms, but with most languages in this case I'd expect an API to accept a parameter instead of have the parameter implicitly dictated by the method name:

dismiss_springboard_alerts_automatically(true);

dismissSpringboardAlertsAutomatically(true);

[self dismissSpringboardAlertsAutomatically:YES];

If you wanted to force more semantic clarity on the caller, maybe something like

set_springboard_alert_dismissal(SpringboardDismissal::MANUAL)

In my mind, if I were programming and I realized I wanted to change the state of springboard automatic dismissal, I'd assume I'm going to be _set_ting a state and thus would instinctively look for a method whose name was similar to set_<something> or otherwise more clearly implied a change of state.

If I'm not mistaken, ruby semantics would suggest at the very least that the method names, since they are changing state/have side effects, be dismiss_springboard_alerts_automatically! and dismiss_springboard_alerts_manually!, no?

A more clear approach in my opinion might be

enable_automatic_springboard_alert_dismissal!
disable_automatic_springboard_alert_dismissal!

Also, I think these two methods could be refactored - seems they only have a single variable differentiating their implementations.

[jmoody]

set_

You are right, this is better - particularly at this API level.

!

Also correct.

When I implement the public API (in Calabash iOS), I want to use:

dismiss_springboard_alerts_automatically! 
dismiss_springboard_alerts_manually!

for clarity - there is absolutely no ambiguity.

On the other hand, maybe it would be best to use the set_ idiom for discoverability.

I am trying to avoid using the word dismissal in the API and in the documentation because I have a feeling (based on Gitter chats) that it confuses non-native English speakers.

Thanks.

[DragonClub]

jmoody Thanks always.

Thanks for the latest korean alert patch.

def dismiss_springboard_alert (button_title)
-> How can I use it?

Should DeviceAgent be modified?

I know that only client.rb has been updated.

Thanks for the quick reply.

[jmoody]

@DragonClub

You will have to wait for run-loop 2.4.0 which needs to wait for Xcode 8.3.