Android Espresso UI test ---- Test running failed: Instrumentation run failed due to 'Process crashed.'

Issue

I'm new to Espresso, trying to do UI unit test with it. I encountered a problem which I've done for so many research I still can NOT find out how to resolve it event it's just a simple text enter and a button click, wish someone help me out.

The problem:

The text "HELLO" has been entered, and then the app crashed with error log as below:

at dalvik.system.VMStack.getThreadStackTrace(Native Method)
at java.lang.Thread.getStackTrace(Thread.java:595)
at android.support.test.espresso.base.DefaultFailureHandler.getUserFriendlyError(DefaultFailureHandler.java:92)
at android.support.test.espresso.base.DefaultFailureHandler.handle(DefaultFailureHandler.java:56)
at android.support.test.espresso.ViewInteraction.runSynchronouslyOnUiThread(ViewInteraction.java:184)
at android.support.test.espresso.ViewInteraction.doPerform(ViewInteraction.java:115)
at android.support.test.espresso.ViewInteraction.perform(ViewInteraction.java:87)
at com.hongfans.rearview.MainActivityEspressoTest.testEnsureTextChangesWork(MainActivityEspressoTest.java:36)
at java.lang.reflect.Method.invoke(Native Method)
at org.junit.runners.model.FrameworkMethod$1.runReflectiveCall(FrameworkMethod.java:50)
at org.junit.internal.runners.model.ReflectiveCallable.run(ReflectiveCallable.java:12)
at org.junit.runners.model.FrameworkMethod.invokeExplosively(FrameworkMethod.java:47)
at org.junit.internal.runners.statements.InvokeMethod.evaluate(InvokeMethod.java:17)
at android.support.test.internal.statement.UiThreadStatement.evaluate(UiThreadStatement.java:55)
at android.support.test.rule.ActivityTestRule$ActivityStatement.evaluate(ActivityTestRule.java:270)
at org.junit.rules.RunRules.evaluate(RunRules.java:20)
at org.junit.runners.ParentRunner.runLeaf(ParentRunner.java:325)
at org.junit.runners.BlockJUnit4ClassRunner.runChild(BlockJUnit4ClassRunner.java:78)
at org.junit.runners.BlockJUnit4ClassRunner.runChild(BlockJUnit4ClassRunner.java:57)
at org.junit.runners.ParentRunner$3.run(ParentRunner.java:290)
at org.junit.runners.ParentRunner$1.schedule(ParentRunner.java:71)
at org.junit.runners.ParentRunner.runChildren(ParentRunner.java:288)
at org.junit.runners.ParentRunner.access$000(ParentRunner.java:58)
at org.junit.runners.ParentRunner$2.evaluate(ParentRunner.java:268)
at org.junit.runners.ParentRunner.run(ParentRunner.java:363)
at org.junit.runners.Suite.runChild(Suite.java:128)
at org.junit.runners.Suite.runChild(Suite.java:27)
at org.junit.runners.ParentRunner$3.run(ParentRunner.java:290)
at org.junit.runners.ParentRunner$1.schedule(ParentRunner.java:71)
at org.junit.runners.ParentRunner.runChildren(ParentRunner.java:288)
at org.junit.runners.ParentRunner.access$000(ParentRunner.java:58)
at org.junit.runners.ParentRunner$2.evaluate(ParentRunner.java:268)
at org.junit.runners.ParentRunner.run(ParentRunner.java:363)
at org.junit.runner.JUnitCore.run(JUnitCore.java:137)
at org.junit.runner.JUnitCore.run(JUnitCore.java:115)
at android.support.test.internal.runner.TestExecutor.execute(TestExecutor.java:59)
at android.support.test.runner.AndroidJUnitRunner.onStart(AndroidJUnitRunner.java:262)
at android.app.Instrumentation$InstrumentationThread.run(Instrumentation.java:1904)

Test running failed: Instrumentation run failed due to 'Process crashed.'

My Test Code:

package **.**.**;//you know, this is hiding

import android.provider.Settings;
import android.support.test.filters.LargeTest;
import android.support.test.rule.ActivityTestRule;
import android.support.test.runner.AndroidJUnit4;
import org.junit.Rule;
import org.junit.Test;
import org.junit.runner.RunWith;
import org.junit.After;
import static android.support.test.espresso.Espresso.onView;
import static android.support.test.espresso.action.ViewActions.click;
import static android.support.test.espresso.action.ViewActions.closeSoftKeyboard;
import static android.support.test.espresso.action.ViewActions.typeText;
import static android.support.test.espresso.matcher.ViewMatchers.withId;


@LargeTest
@RunWith(AndroidJUnit4.class)
public  class MainActivityEspressoTest {

// Rule this means which activity to run
@Rule
public ActivityTestRule<MainActivity> mActivityRule =
        new ActivityTestRule<>(MainActivity.class);
// Test means below is a test case
@Test
public void testEnsureTextChangesWork() {
    //        // Type text and then press the button.
    onView(withId(R.id.et_search)).perform(typeText("HELLO"), closeSoftKeyboard());
    onView(withId(R.id.bt_search)).perform(click());
    }
}

My Gradle config:

defaultConfig {
        *** others ***
        testInstrumentationRunner 'android.support.test.runner.AndroidJUnitRunner'
        }
androidTestCompile 'com.android.support:support-annotations:24.1.0'
    androidTestCompile 'com.android.support.test:runner:0.5'
    androidTestCompile 'com.android.support.test:rules:0.5'
    androidTestCompile ('com.android.support.test.espresso:espresso-core:2.2.2',{
        exclude group: 'com.android.support', module: 'support-annotations'
    })
    androidTestCompile 'com.android.support.test.espresso:espresso-idling-resource'
    androidTestCompile 'com.android.support.test.espresso:espresso-web:2.2.2'
    androidTestCompile 'com.android.support.test.espresso:espresso-intents:2.2.2'
    androidTestCompile ('com.android.support.test.espresso:espresso-contrib:2.2'){
        exclude group: 'com.android.support', module: 'appcompat-v7'
        exclude group: 'com.android.support', module: 'support-v4'
        exclude module: 'recyclerview-v7'
    }

Other info:

Android Studio Verion: 2.3.3 and My AS directory is:

Solution

After doing research on the log, I found that there's an exception: java.lang.RuntimeException: android.support.test.espresso.AmbiguousViewMatcherException

that is to say, my config is right, the only problem is there are 2 elements with a same id were found, so...just follow instruction there: https://developer.android.com/training/testing/espresso/basics.html#components and there: https://developer.android.com/reference/android/support/test/espresso/matcher/ViewMatchers.html problem resolved.

Answered By - Real Lau