Flutter and Dart Cookbook

Chapter 14. Testing the Flutter User Interface

In this chapter, you will learn how to create user interface (UI) test cases for your Flutter-based code. Creating a test for the UI can require a lot of effort, because the application responsible for interrogating the user actions needs to be aware of the elements present on-screen.

There are a number of approaches that can be taken to add UI testing to your application. First, we discuss widget testing and automated widget testing. We then explore external tools that provide the same functionality. If you are running something like a continuous integration pipeline, having the ability to run tests outside of the Flutter environment is particularly helpful, as it requires less platform scaffolding.

You will learn how to:

• Understand automated widget testing

• Integrate automated widget testing

• Use the Flutter driver

• Work with the Firebase testing suite

By the end of the chapter, you will be familiar with the options available and be able to incorporate these techniques into your own project. It is worth noting that automated testing of a UI is an evolving area, and your mileage will vary.

14.1 Automated Widget Testing in Flutter

Problem

You want a way to perform enhanced UI testing incorporating user interaction.

Solution

Use widget testing to provide additional assurance for your application. Specifically, you are able to incorporate tests for widget elements such as FloatingActionButtons, Text, and ListViews. Adding ...