UiSelector being deprecated

[itkhanz]

Hi,
I wanted to bring this into your attention that UiSelector is being deprecated in future releases for Android UiAutomator2.
Please see https://developer.android.com/training/testing/other-components/ui-automator

If this is true, does that mean any locators using UiSelector will not work in future?

If yes, then would be good to also mark it deprecated soon in Appium so users can adapt their code bases accordingly with alternate locator strategies. Moreover to mark this upcoming deprecation here in docs as well and provide some alternate examples:-
https://github.com/appium/appium-uiautomator2-driver/blob/master/docs/uiautomator-uiselector.md

Moving forward, what would be the recommendation from Appium team to build android locators? Does Appium support building locators via other APIs such as with BySelector?

See also #13670

[mykola-mokhnach]

Right now it is probably too early to discuss the deprecation topic, although it definitely makes sense to add the above link to the driver documentation now. Eventually we will have no choice in following Google when they decide to kill UiObject completely.

cc @KazuCocoa @jlipps

[jlipps]

Yeah, good point. Maybe we can create a BySelector parser as we did for UiObject?

[mitsukuri]

I have some tests which use UiScrollable selectors failing with Appium 2.12.1/uiautomator2 3.9.5 on Browserstack, but running fine on my local emulator and physical device. I wonder how is that possible and if that has to do with the deprecation in question..