a60a76b797
This snapshot establishes the camera-to-result recognition flow and related tests while checking in the project skill/docs assets required for the configured local tooling.
410 lines
9.8 KiB
Markdown
410 lines
9.8 KiB
Markdown
---
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name: axiom-axe-ref
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description: Use when automating iOS Simulator UI interactions beyond simctl capabilities. Reference for AXe CLI covering accessibility-based tapping, gestures, text input, screenshots, video recording, and UI tree inspection.
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license: MIT
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metadata:
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version: "1.0.0"
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---
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# AXe Reference (iOS Simulator UI Automation)
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AXe is a CLI tool for interacting with iOS Simulators using Apple's Accessibility APIs and HID functionality. Single binary, no daemon required.
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## Installation
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```bash
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brew install cameroncooke/axe/axe
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# Verify installation
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axe --version
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```
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## Critical Best Practice: describe_ui First
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**ALWAYS run `describe_ui` before UI interactions.** Never guess coordinates from screenshots.
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**Best practice:** Use describe-ui to get precise element coordinates prior to using x/y parameters (don't guess from screenshots).
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```bash
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# 1. FIRST: Get the UI tree with frame coordinates
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axe describe-ui --udid $UDID
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# 2. THEN: Tap by accessibility ID (preferred)
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axe tap --id "loginButton" --udid $UDID
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# 3. OR: Tap by label
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axe tap --label "Login" --udid $UDID
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# 4. LAST RESORT: Tap by coordinates from describe-ui output
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axe tap -x 200 -y 400 --udid $UDID
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```
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**Priority order for targeting elements:**
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1. `--id` (accessibilityIdentifier) - most stable
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2. `--label` (accessibility label) - stable but may change with localization
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3. `-x -y` coordinates from `describe-ui` - fragile, use only when no identifier
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## Core Concept: Accessibility-First
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**AXe's key advantage**: Tap elements by accessibility identifier or label, not just coordinates.
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```bash
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# Coordinate-based (fragile - breaks with layout changes)
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axe tap -x 200 -y 400 --udid $UDID
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# Accessibility-based (stable - survives UI changes)
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axe tap --id "loginButton" --udid $UDID
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axe tap --label "Login" --udid $UDID
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```
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**Always prefer `--id` or `--label` over coordinates.**
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## Getting the Simulator UDID
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AXe requires the simulator UDID for most commands:
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```bash
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# Get booted simulator UDID
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UDID=$(xcrun simctl list devices -j | jq -r '.devices | to_entries[] | .value[] | select(.state == "Booted") | .udid' | head -1)
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# List all simulators
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axe list-simulators
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```
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## Touch & Tap Commands
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### Tap by Accessibility Identifier (Recommended)
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```bash
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# Tap element with accessibilityIdentifier
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axe tap --id "loginButton" --udid $UDID
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# Tap element with accessibility label
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axe tap --label "Submit" --udid $UDID
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```
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### Tap by Coordinates
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```bash
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# Basic tap
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axe tap -x 200 -y 400 --udid $UDID
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# Tap with timing controls
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axe tap -x 200 -y 400 --pre-delay 0.5 --post-delay 0.3 --udid $UDID
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# Long press (hold duration in seconds)
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axe tap -x 200 -y 400 --duration 1.0 --udid $UDID
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```
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### Low-Level Touch Events
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```bash
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# Touch down (finger press)
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axe touch down -x 200 -y 400 --udid $UDID
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# Touch up (finger release)
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axe touch up -x 200 -y 400 --udid $UDID
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```
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## Swipe & Gesture Commands
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### Custom Swipe
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```bash
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# Swipe from point A to point B
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axe swipe --start-x 200 --start-y 600 --end-x 200 --end-y 200 --udid $UDID
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# Swipe with duration (slower = more visible)
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axe swipe --start-x 200 --start-y 600 --end-x 200 --end-y 200 --duration 0.5 --udid $UDID
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```
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### Gesture Presets
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```bash
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# Scrolling
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axe gesture scroll-up --udid $UDID # Scroll content up (swipe down)
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axe gesture scroll-down --udid $UDID # Scroll content down (swipe up)
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axe gesture scroll-left --udid $UDID
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axe gesture scroll-right --udid $UDID
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# Edge swipes (navigation)
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axe gesture swipe-from-left-edge --udid $UDID # Back navigation
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axe gesture swipe-from-right-edge --udid $UDID
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axe gesture swipe-from-top-edge --udid $UDID # Notification Center
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axe gesture swipe-from-bottom-edge --udid $UDID # Home indicator/Control Center
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```
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## Text Input
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### Type Text
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```bash
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# Type text (element must be focused)
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axe type "user@example.com" --udid $UDID
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# Type with delay between characters
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axe type "password123" --char-delay 0.1 --udid $UDID
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# Type from stdin
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echo "Hello World" | axe type --stdin --udid $UDID
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# Type from file
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axe type --file /tmp/input.txt --udid $UDID
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```
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### Keyboard Keys
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```bash
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# Press specific key by HID keycode
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axe key 40 --udid $UDID # Return/Enter
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# Common keycodes:
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# 40 = Return/Enter
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# 41 = Escape
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# 42 = Backspace/Delete
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# 43 = Tab
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# 44 = Space
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# 79 = Right Arrow
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# 80 = Left Arrow
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# 81 = Down Arrow
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# 82 = Up Arrow
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# Key sequence with timing
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axe key-sequence 40 43 40 --delay 0.2 --udid $UDID
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```
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## Hardware Buttons
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```bash
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# Home button
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axe button home --udid $UDID
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# Lock/Power button
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axe button lock --udid $UDID
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# Long press power (shutdown dialog)
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axe button lock --duration 3.0 --udid $UDID
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# Side button (iPhone X+)
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axe button side-button --udid $UDID
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# Siri
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axe button siri --udid $UDID
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# Apple Pay
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axe button apple-pay --udid $UDID
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```
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## Screenshots
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```bash
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# Screenshot to auto-named file
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axe screenshot --udid $UDID
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# Output: screenshot_2026-01-11_143052.png
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# Screenshot to specific file
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axe screenshot --output /tmp/my-screenshot.png --udid $UDID
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# Screenshot to stdout (for piping)
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axe screenshot --stdout --udid $UDID > screenshot.png
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```
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## Video Recording & Streaming
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### Record Video
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```bash
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# Start recording (Ctrl+C to stop)
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axe record-video --output /tmp/recording.mp4 --udid $UDID
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# Record with quality settings
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axe record-video --output /tmp/recording.mp4 --quality high --udid $UDID
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# Record with scale (reduce file size)
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axe record-video --output /tmp/recording.mp4 --scale 0.5 --udid $UDID
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```
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### Stream Video
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```bash
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# Stream at 10 FPS (default)
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axe stream-video --udid $UDID
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# Stream at specific framerate (1-30 FPS)
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axe stream-video --fps 30 --udid $UDID
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# Stream formats
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axe stream-video --format mjpeg --udid $UDID # MJPEG (default)
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axe stream-video --format jpeg --udid $UDID # Individual JPEGs
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axe stream-video --format ffmpeg --udid $UDID # FFmpeg compatible
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axe stream-video --format bgra --udid $UDID # Raw BGRA
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```
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## UI Inspection (describe-ui)
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**Critical for finding accessibility identifiers and labels.**
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### Full Screen UI Tree
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```bash
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# Get complete accessibility tree
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axe describe-ui --udid $UDID
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# Output includes:
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# - Element type (Button, TextField, StaticText, etc.)
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# - Accessibility identifier
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# - Accessibility label
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# - Frame (position and size)
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# - Enabled/disabled state
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```
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### Point-Specific UI Info
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```bash
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# Get element at specific coordinates
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axe describe-ui --point 200,400 --udid $UDID
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```
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### Example Output
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```json
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{
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"type": "Button",
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"identifier": "loginButton",
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"label": "Login",
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"frame": {"x": 150, "y": 380, "width": 100, "height": 44},
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"enabled": true,
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"focused": false
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}
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```
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## Common Workflows
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### Login Flow
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```bash
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UDID=$(xcrun simctl list devices -j | jq -r '.devices | to_entries[] | .value[] | select(.state == "Booted") | .udid' | head -1)
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# Tap email field and type
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axe tap --id "emailTextField" --udid $UDID
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axe type "user@example.com" --udid $UDID
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# Tap password field and type
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axe tap --id "passwordTextField" --udid $UDID
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axe type "password123" --udid $UDID
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# Tap login button
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axe tap --id "loginButton" --udid $UDID
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# Wait and screenshot
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sleep 2
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axe screenshot --output /tmp/login-result.png --udid $UDID
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```
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### Discover Elements Before Automating
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```bash
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# 1. Get the UI tree
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axe describe-ui --udid $UDID > /tmp/ui-tree.json
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# 2. Find elements (search for identifiers)
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cat /tmp/ui-tree.json | jq '.[] | select(.identifier != null) | {identifier, label, type}'
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# 3. Use discovered identifiers in automation
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axe tap --id "discoveredIdentifier" --udid $UDID
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```
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### Scroll to Find Element
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```bash
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# Scroll down until element appears (pseudo-code pattern)
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for i in {1..5}; do
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if axe describe-ui --udid $UDID | grep -q "targetElement"; then
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axe tap --id "targetElement" --udid $UDID
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break
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fi
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axe gesture scroll-down --udid $UDID
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sleep 0.5
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done
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```
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### Screenshot on Error
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```bash
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# Automation with error capture
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if ! axe tap --id "submitButton" --udid $UDID; then
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axe screenshot --output /tmp/error-state.png --udid $UDID
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axe describe-ui --udid $UDID > /tmp/error-ui-tree.json
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echo "Failed to tap submitButton - see error-state.png"
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fi
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```
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## Timing Controls
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Most commands support timing options:
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| Option | Description |
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|--------|-------------|
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| `--pre-delay` | Wait before action (seconds) |
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| `--post-delay` | Wait after action (seconds) |
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| `--duration` | Action duration (for taps, button presses) |
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| `--char-delay` | Delay between characters (for type) |
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```bash
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# Example with full timing control
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axe tap --id "button" --pre-delay 0.5 --post-delay 0.3 --udid $UDID
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```
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## AXe vs simctl
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| Capability | simctl | AXe |
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|------------|--------|-----|
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| Device lifecycle | ✅ | ❌ |
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| Permissions | ✅ | ❌ |
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| Push notifications | ✅ | ❌ |
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| Status bar | ✅ | ❌ |
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| Deep links | ✅ | ❌ |
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| Screenshots | ✅ | ✅ (PNG) |
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| Video recording | ✅ | ✅ (H.264) |
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| Video streaming | ❌ | ✅ |
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| UI tap/swipe | ❌ | ✅ |
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| Type text | ❌ | ✅ |
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| Hardware buttons | ❌ | ✅ |
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| Accessibility tree | ❌ | ✅ |
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**Use both together**: simctl for device control, AXe for UI automation.
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## Troubleshooting
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### Element Not Found
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1. Run `axe describe-ui` to see available elements
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2. Check element has `accessibilityIdentifier` set in code
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3. Ensure element is visible (not off-screen)
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### Tap Doesn't Work
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1. Check element is enabled (`"enabled": true` in describe-ui)
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2. Try adding `--pre-delay 0.5` for slow-loading UI
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3. Verify correct UDID with `axe list-simulators`
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### Type Not Working
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1. Ensure text field is focused first: `axe tap --id "textField"`
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2. Check keyboard is visible
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3. Try `--char-delay 0.05` for reliability
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### Permission Denied
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AXe uses private APIs - ensure you're running on a Mac with Xcode installed and proper entitlements.
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## Resources
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**GitHub**: https://github.com/cameroncooke/AXe
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**Related**: xcsentinel (build orchestration)
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**Skills**: axiom-xctest-automation, axiom-ui-testing
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**Agents**: simulator-tester, test-runner
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