How to click on Action Bar items when testing with Android Espresso?

Issue

I am using Android Espresso to test my activity. I have multiple action bar items, most of which are hidden in the overflow. I am trying to run this test but the error says there is no view in the hierarchy (different from not visible):

@MediumTest
public void testClickInsertItem() {
  Espresso.onView(ViewMatchers.withId(R.id.action_insert)).perform(ViewActions.click());
}

And the error:

android.support.test.espresso.NoMatchingViewException: No views in hierarchy found matching: with id: blogr.vpm.fr.blogr:id/action_insert
If the target view is not part of the view hierarchy, you may need to use Espresso.onData to load it from one of the following AdapterViews:android.widget.ListView{5283cfb0 VFED.VC. ........ 2,2-762,973 #7f07000b app:id/allitems}

View Hierarchy:
+>DecorView{id=-1, visibility=VISIBLE, width=768, height=1184, has-focus=true, has-focusable=true, has-window-focus=true, is-clickable=false, is-enabled=true, is-focused=false, is-focusable=false, is-layout-requested=false, is-selected=false, root-is-layout-requested=false, has-input-connection=false, x=0.0, y=0.0, child-count=1}
|
+->ActionBarOverlayLayout{id=16909075, res-name=action_bar_overlay_layout, visibility=VISIBLE, width=768, height=1184, has-focus=true, has-focusable=true, has-window-focus=true, is-clickable=false, is-enabled=true, is-focused=false, is-focusable=false, is-layout-requested=false, is-selected=false, root-is-layout-requested=false, has-input-connection=false, x=0.0, y=0.0, child-count=3}
|
+-->FrameLayout{id=16908290, res-name=content, visibility=VISIBLE, width=768, height=1038, has-focus=true, has-focusable=true, has-window-focus=true, is-clickable=false, is-enabled=true, is-focused=false, is-focusable=false, is-layout-requested=false, is-selected=false, root-is-layout-requested=false, has-input-connection=false, x=0.0, y=146.0, child-count=1}
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+--->RelativeLayout{id=-1, visibility=VISIBLE, width=768, height=1038, has-focus=true, has-focusable=true, has-window-focus=true, is-clickable=false, is-enabled=true, is-focused=false, is-focusable=false, is-layout-requested=false, is-selected=false, root-is-layout-requested=false, has-input-connection=false, x=0.0, y=0.0, child-count=1}
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+---->ViewPager{id=2131165186, res-name=pager, visibility=VISIBLE, width=764, height=1034, has-focus=true, has-focusable=true, has-window-focus=true, is-clickable=false, is-enabled=true, is-focused=false, is-focusable=true, is-layout-requested=false, is-selected=false, root-is-layout-requested=false, has-input-connection=false, x=2.0, y=2.0, child-count=3}
|
+----->PagerTitleStrip{id=2131165187, res-name=pager_title_strip, visibility=VISIBLE, width=764, height=59, has-focus=false, has-focusable=false, has-window-focus=true, is-clickable=false, is-enabled=true, is-focused=false, is-focusable=false, is-layout-requested=false, is-selected=false, root-is-layout-requested=false, has-input-connection=false, x=763.0, y=0.0, child-count=3}
|
+------>TextView{id=-1, visibility=VISIBLE, width=125, height=43, has-focus=false, has-focusable=false, has-window-focus=true, is-clickable=false, is-enabled=true, is-focused=false, is-focusable=false, is-layout-requested=false, is-selected=false, root-is-layout-requested=false, has-input-connection=false, x=0.0, y=8.0, text=Free text, input-type=0, ime-target=false, has-links=false}
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(...)
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+-->ActionBarContainer{id=16909076, res-name=action_bar_container, visibility=VISIBLE, width=768, height=96, has-focus=false, has-focusable=true, has-window-focus=true, is-clickable=false, is-enabled=true, is-focused=false, is-focusable=false, is-layout-requested=false, is-selected=false, root-is-layout-requested=false, has-input-connection=false, x=0.0, y=50.0, child-count=2}
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+--->ActionBarView{id=16909077, res-name=action_bar, visibility=VISIBLE, width=768, height=96, has-focus=false, has-focusable=true, has-window-focus=true, is-clickable=false, is-enabled=true, is-focused=false, is-focusable=false, is-layout-requested=false, is-selected=false, root-is-layout-requested=false, has-input-connection=false, x=0.0, y=0.0, child-count=2}
|
+---->LinearLayout{id=-1, desc=Hello, Navigate up, visibility=VISIBLE, width=124, height=96, has-focus=false, has-focusable=true, has-window-focus=true, is-clickable=true, is-enabled=true, is-focused=false, is-focusable=true, is-layout-requested=false, is-selected=false, root-is-layout-requested=false, has-input-connection=false, x=0.0, y=0.0, child-count=2}
|
+----->HomeView{id=-1, visibility=VISIBLE, width=97, height=96, has-focus=false, has-focusable=false, has-window-focus=true, is-clickable=false, is-enabled=true, is-focused=false, is-focusable=false, is-layout-requested=false, is-selected=false, root-is-layout-requested=false, has-input-connection=false, x=0.0, y=0.0, child-count=2}
|
+------>ImageView{id=16908890, res-name=up, visibility=VISIBLE, width=32, height=32, has-focus=false, has-focusable=false, has-window-focus=true, is-clickable=false, is-enabled=true, is-focused=false, is-focusable=false, is-layout-requested=false, is-selected=false, root-is-layout-requested=false, has-input-connection=false, x=0.0, y=32.0}
|
+------>ImageView{id=16908332, res-name=home, visibility=VISIBLE, width=64, height=64, has-focus=false, has-focusable=false, has-window-focus=true, is-clickable=false, is-enabled=true, is-focused=false, is-focusable=false, is-layout-requested=false, is-selected=false, root-is-layout-requested=false, has-input-connection=false, x=25.0, y=16.0}
|
+----->LinearLayout{id=-1, visibility=VISIBLE, width=27, height=49, has-focus=false, has-focusable=false, has-window-focus=true, is-clickable=false, is-enabled=true, is-focused=false, is-focusable=false, is-layout-requested=false, is-selected=false, root-is-layout-requested=false, has-input-connection=false, x=97.0, y=23.0, child-count=2}
|
+------>TextView{id=16908901, res-name=action_bar_title, visibility=VISIBLE, width=11, height=49, has-focus=false, has-focusable=false, has-window-focus=true, is-clickable=false, is-enabled=true, is-focused=false, is-focusable=false, is-layout-requested=false, is-selected=false, root-is-layout-requested=false, has-input-connection=false, x=0.0, y=0.0, text=Hello, input-type=0, ime-target=false, has-links=false}
|
+------>TextView{id=16908902, res-name=action_bar_subtitle, visibility=GONE, width=0, height=0, has-focus=false, has-focusable=false, has-window-focus=true, is-clickable=false, is-enabled=true, is-focused=false, is-focusable=false, is-layout-requested=true, is-selected=false, root-is-layout-requested=false, has-input-connection=false, x=0.0, y=0.0, text=, input-type=0, ime-target=false, has-links=false}
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+---->ActionMenuView{id=-1, visibility=VISIBLE, width=644, height=96, has-focus=false, has-focusable=true, has-window-focus=true, is-clickable=false, is-enabled=true, is-focused=false, is-focusable=false, is-layout-requested=false, is-selected=false, root-is-layout-requested=false, has-input-connection=false, x=124.0, y=0.0, child-count=3}
|
+----->EditText{id=2131165210, res-name=postTitle, visibility=VISIBLE, width=420, height=96, has-focus=false, has-focusable=true, has-window-focus=true, is-clickable=true, is-enabled=true, is-focused=false, is-focusable=true, is-layout-requested=false, is-selected=false, root-is-layout-requested=false, has-input-connection=true, editor-info=[inputType=0x1 imeOptions=0x8000005 privateImeOptions=null actionLabel=null actionId=0 initialSelStart=0 initialSelEnd=0 initialCapsMode=0x0 hintText=New Post label=null packageName=null fieldId=0 fieldName=null extras=null ], x=0.0, y=0.0, text=Hello, hint=New Post, input-type=1, ime-target=false, has-links=false}
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+----->ActionMenuItemView{id=2131165222, res-name=action_publish, desc=Publish, visibility=VISIBLE, width=112, height=96, has-focus=false, has-focusable=true, has-window-focus=true, is-clickable=true, is-enabled=true, is-focused=false, is-focusable=true, is-layout-requested=false, is-selected=false, root-is-layout-requested=false, has-input-connection=false, x=420.0, y=0.0, text=, input-type=0, ime-target=false, has-links=false}
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+----->OverflowMenuButton{id=-1, desc=More options, visibility=VISIBLE, width=112, height=96, has-focus=false, has-focusable=true, has-window-focus=true, is-clickable=true, is-enabled=true, is-focused=false, is-focusable=true, is-layout-requested=false, is-selected=false, root-is-layout-requested=false, has-input-connection=false, x=532.0, y=0.0}
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+--->ActionBarContextView{id=16909078, res-name=action_context_bar, visibility=GONE, width=0, height=0, has-focus=false, has-focusable=false, has-window-focus=true, is-clickable=false, is-enabled=true, is-focused=false, is-focusable=false, is-layout-requested=true, is-selected=false, root-is-layout-requested=false, has-input-connection=false, x=0.0, y=0.0, child-count=0}
|
+-->ActionBarContainer{id=16909079, res-name=split_action_bar, visibility=GONE, width=0, height=0, has-focus=false, has-focusable=false, has-window-focus=true, is-clickable=false, is-enabled=true, is-focused=false, is-focusable=false, is-layout-requested=true, is-selected=false, root-is-layout-requested=false, has-input-connection=false, x=0.0, y=0.0, child-count=0}
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at dalvik.system.VMStack.getThreadStackTrace(Native Method)

So, how am I supposed to access the button item with ID R.id.action_insert?

I noticed the OverflowMenuButton. I could click it, but I then get another view hierarchy that does not look like a list of action items. Am I supposed to dig in the view hierarchies until I find my action item or is there a better, designated way to click on action items in the overflow? I could not find any documentation on action bars in the Android documentation.

Solution

Espresso has openActionBarOverflowOrOptionsMenu(Context context) method to open the action bar menu. You have to put it before your test action on the menu items.

import static android.support.test.espresso.Espresso.openActionBarOverflowOrOptionsMenu;

@Test
public void testClickInsertItem() {
    openActionBarOverflowOrOptionsMenu(InstrumentationRegistry.getInstrumentation().getTargetContext());
    onView(withId(R.id.action_insert)).perform(click());
}

Answered By - denys