LinkedIn\u2019s Bluepill allows developers to run iOS UI tests using multiple simulators on a single machine, writes LinkedIn software engineer Keqiu Hu, and aims to provide tool stability and test scalability.
Bluepill is an integral part of LinkedIn 3×3 philosophy \u2013setting a goal of three releases a day \u201cwith no more than three hours between when code is committed and when that code is available to members\u201d\u2013 to which it brings the two highly desirable properties :
Bluepill addresses both platform stability and scalability by relying on Apple\u2019s private framework CoreSimulator , which allows to create device simulators of different types, choose runtime versions, handle notifications from the simulator, etc. Using CoreSimulator insulates Bluepill from Xcode simulators, which are a black box that keep evolving with every Xcode update, Hu says, and makes it possible to run tests in parallel using multiple simulators.
In its simplest use case, Bluepill can be run like in the following example:
The above command will start four simulators, but many options are available to customize the testing environment, including how many simulators are used, the runtime, how many retries are allowed for a failing test, a waiting time for tests that might get stuck, etc.
Bluepill is available on GitHub under a BSD\u20132 license. Binaries are also published for developers not wanting to build the tools themselves.<\/p>\n