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emulator-tools/bin/ui-trace
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irisandClaude Opus 5 c9be26c6d1 Add a hold-by-name gesture to ui-trace
A row held to select it was the one gesture that could only be written as a
pair of coordinates: `tap`'s press is 60ms so nothing sees a long press, and
`holddrag` takes numbers and always drags afterwards. `hold 'helper 3'`
resolves the label the way `tap` does -- the resolution is now `locate`,
shared by both -- and holds the press past the platform's 500ms threshold.

Co-Authored-By: Claude Opus 5 <noreply@anthropic.com>
2026-09-06 13:10:06 -04:00

412 lines
18 KiB
Python
Executable File

#!/usr/bin/env python3
"""Record what an Android screen does, as text, and ask questions of it later.
Why this exists. `adb shell uiautomator dump` is the usual way to read a
screen's layout, and it costs about two seconds a call -- so an animation, a
scroll or a settling layout happens entirely in the gap between two samples,
and the only thing it can answer is what the screen looked like once it had
stopped. This drives a small resident recorder on the device instead (see
UiTrace.java beside this script), which connects to the accessibility service
once and then samples at whatever rate is asked for; 60Hz is comfortable.
The other half is that a screen has a few hundred nodes and a question is
almost always about two or three of them. So recording and reading are separate
steps: `record` saves everything, and `show` selects. A trace can be
re-interrogated with a different selector without touching the device again,
which matters because the interesting question is usually the one you think of
after seeing the first answer.
ui-trace record -d 3000 --do "tap 'Session settings'" -o /tmp/t.txt
ui-trace elements /tmp/t.txt # what is on screen, to pick from
ui-trace show /tmp/t.txt # what moved (the default question)
ui-trace show /tmp/t.txt -m 'Called|ask' # a timeline for those
Press things by **name**, not by coordinate. `tap 'Save'` and `hold 'Save'`
(a press held past the platform's long-press threshold, for a list row that is
held to select it) resolve the label
against the tree at the moment of the gesture, so it survives anything that
moves the control and fails loudly when the control is genuinely not there.
`tap X Y` still works and is the exception: a coordinate is a position measured
once by hand, and the first thing that moves the control makes the tap land on
whatever now sits there -- which reads exactly like a result.
Nothing here is specific to any app.
"""
import argparse
import os
import re
import subprocess
import sys
import tempfile
from pathlib import Path
SHARE = Path.home() / ".local/share/ui-trace"
DEVICE_JAR = "/data/local/tmp/uitrace.jar"
def find_adb():
"""The adb to drive the device with, without assuming anything about PATH.
The one installed beside this script comes first, and that is the point
rather than a convenience: it is the wrapper that fills in `-s` from the
checkout you are standing in, and without it a machine with two emulators
attached answers `failed to get feature set: more than one device`. PATH
order cannot be relied on for that -- the SDK's own platform-tools sits
ahead of ~/.local/bin in this machine's ambient PATH, and only a project's
android-env.sh puts it back.
"""
sibling = Path(__file__).resolve().parent / "adb"
if sibling.is_file() and os.access(sibling, os.X_OK):
return str(sibling)
for candidate in [
os.environ.get("ADB"),
"adb",
os.environ.get("ANDROID_HOME", "") + "/platform-tools/adb",
os.environ.get("ANDROID_SDK_ROOT", "") + "/platform-tools/adb",
str(Path.home() / "Android/Sdk/platform-tools/adb"),
]:
if not candidate or candidate.startswith("/platform-tools"):
continue
which = subprocess.run(["sh", "-c", f"command -v {candidate!r}"],
capture_output=True, text=True)
if which.returncode == 0:
return which.stdout.strip()
sys.exit("ui-trace: no adb found; set ANDROID_HOME or ADB")
def ensure_jar():
"""Build the device recorder if it is missing or older than its source."""
jar, source = SHARE / "uitrace.jar", SHARE / "UiTrace.java"
if not source.exists():
sys.exit(f"ui-trace: recorder source missing at {source}")
if not jar.exists() or jar.stat().st_mtime < source.stat().st_mtime:
print("ui-trace: building the device recorder...", file=sys.stderr)
subprocess.run([str(SHARE / "build.sh")], check=True,
stdout=subprocess.DEVNULL)
return jar
# --- recording -------------------------------------------------------------
def record(args):
jar = ensure_jar()
adb = find_adb()
target = ["-s", args.serial] if args.serial else []
pushed = subprocess.run([adb, *target, "push", str(jar), DEVICE_JAR],
capture_output=True, text=True)
if pushed.returncode != 0:
# Two emulators running is the usual cause, and adb says so plainly; there is
# nothing to add to its own message except which flag fixes it.
sys.exit(f"ui-trace: {pushed.stderr.strip() or 'adb push failed'}"
f"{'' if target else ' (use -s SERIAL to pick a device)'}")
remote = f"CLASSPATH={DEVICE_JAR} app_process /system/bin UiTrace"
remote += f" --duration {args.duration} --interval {args.interval}"
for step in args.do:
remote += f" --do {step!r}"
out = Path(args.out) if args.out else Path(
tempfile.mkstemp(prefix="ui-trace-", suffix=".txt")[1])
with out.open("w") as handle:
result = subprocess.run([adb, *target, "shell", remote], stdout=handle,
stderr=subprocess.STDOUT)
text = out.read_text()
if result.returncode != 0 or "# error" in text:
# The error lines rather than the head of the file. An action that failed -- a
# `tap` whose label is not on screen -- reports itself part way through a trace
# that may be thousands of frames long, so printing the beginning showed a
# perfectly ordinary first frame and said nothing about what went wrong.
problems = [line for line in text.splitlines() if line.startswith(("# error", "# at"))]
print("\n".join(problems[:40]) if problems else text[:2000], file=sys.stderr)
sys.exit("ui-trace: the device recorder failed")
frames, _ = parse(out)
print(f"ui-trace: {len(frames)} frames over {frames[-1][0] if frames else 0}ms "
f"-> {out}", file=sys.stderr)
return out
# --- reading ---------------------------------------------------------------
class Node:
__slots__ = ("depth", "box", "flags", "cls", "rid", "text", "desc", "label")
def __init__(self, parts):
self.depth = int(parts[1])
self.box = tuple(int(v) for v in parts[2:6])
self.flags, self.cls, self.rid, self.text, self.desc = parts[6:11]
self.label = (self.text or self.desc or self.rid.split("/")[-1]
or self.cls or "?")
def haystack(self):
return "\t".join((self.label, self.rid, self.cls, self.text, self.desc))
def parse(path):
"""A trace file into (frames, actions). A frame is (t_ms, [Node]).
A missing or unreadable trace exits with one line rather than a stack trace: the
caller is usually reading this in a terminal or a context window, and a traceback
says nothing a sentence cannot.
"""
frames, actions, current = [], [], None
try:
text = Path(path).read_text()
except OSError as problem:
sys.exit(f"ui-trace: cannot read {path}: {problem.strerror}")
for line in text.splitlines():
if line.startswith("F "):
_, _, at = line.split(" ", 2)
current = (int(at), [])
frames.append(current)
elif line.startswith("N\t"):
parts = line.split("\t")
# A label may itself be empty, so pad rather than trusting the count.
parts += [""] * (11 - len(parts))
if current:
current[1].append(Node(parts))
elif line.startswith("A "):
at, what = line[2:].split("\t", 1)
actions.append((int(at), what))
return frames, actions
def keyed(nodes, pattern):
"""Selected nodes by a stable key: the label, plus an index when repeated."""
seen, out = {}, {}
for node in nodes:
if pattern and not pattern.search(node.haystack()):
continue
count = seen.get(node.label, 0)
seen[node.label] = count + 1
out[node.label if count == 0 else f"{node.label} #{count + 1}"] = node
return out
def sizes(frames, pattern):
"""{key: set of (width, height)} -- see [summarise] for why this is tracked."""
seen = {}
for _, nodes in frames:
for key, node in keyed(nodes, pattern).items():
box = node.box
seen.setdefault(key, set()).add((box[2] - box[0], box[3] - box[1]))
return seen
def series(frames, pattern, field):
"""{key: [(t, value or None)]} over every frame, for the chosen field."""
pick = {"top": lambda b: b[1], "bottom": lambda b: b[3],
"left": lambda b: b[0], "right": lambda b: b[2],
"box": lambda b: b}[field]
tracks, order = {}, []
for index, (at, nodes) in enumerate(frames):
present = keyed(nodes, pattern)
for key, node in present.items():
if key not in tracks:
# Backfilled as absent, so every track is one value per frame and
# a row can be read across by index. An element that appears
# part-way through is the common case, not the exotic one.
tracks[key] = [(frames[i][0], None) for i in range(index)]
order.append(key)
tracks[key].append((at, pick(node.box)))
for key in tracks:
if key not in present:
tracks[key].append((at, None))
return order, tracks
def render(value):
if value is None:
return "-"
if isinstance(value, tuple):
return "{},{}..{},{}".format(*value)
return str(value)
def cap(rows, limit):
"""The first [limit] rows, saying how many were left out.
Every listing here shortens the same way, because the caller is usually an
agent with a context window and a screen has hundreds of nodes.
"""
if limit <= 0 or len(rows) <= limit:
return rows
print(f" (showing {limit} of {len(rows)}; --limit 0 for all)")
return rows[:limit]
def cmd_elements(args):
frames, _ = parse(args.trace)
counts = {}
for _, nodes in frames:
for node in nodes:
# A node whose only name is its class name names nothing -- a screen has
# hundreds of those and listing them is the noise this tool exists to cut.
if not args.all and not (node.text or node.desc or node.rid):
continue
entry = counts.setdefault(node.label, [0, node.cls, node.rid, node.flags])
entry[0] += 1
ranked = sorted(counts.items(), key=lambda kv: -kv[1][0])
print(f"{len(counts)} named labels over {len(frames)} frames"
+ ("" if args.all else " (--all also lists unnamed structure)"))
for label, (count, cls, rid, flags) in cap(ranked, args.limit):
mark = f" [{flags}]" if flags != "-" else ""
print(f" {count:5d}x {label[:44]:<44} {cls}{mark}"
+ (f" {rid.split('/')[-1]}" if rid else ""))
def cmd_show(args):
frames, actions = parse(args.trace)
if not frames:
sys.exit("ui-trace: no frames in that trace")
pattern = re.compile(args.match) if args.match else None
order, tracks = series(frames, pattern, args.field)
if not pattern:
summarise(order, tracks, sizes(frames, pattern), actions, args)
return
timeline(frames, order, tracks, actions, args)
def summarise(order, tracks, shapes, actions, args):
"""What moved -- the question a trace is usually recorded to answer.
Everything that held still is dropped, because a screen is mostly things
that held still and reading them is the cost this tool exists to avoid.
"""
for at, what in actions:
print(f" action t={at}ms {what}")
moved = []
for key in order:
points = [(t, v) for t, v in tracks[key] if v is not None]
if not points:
continue
values = [v for _, v in points]
if len(set(values)) > 1:
moved.append((key, points))
total = len(order)
print(f"{len(moved)} of {total} elements changed {args.field} during the trace")
for key, points in cap(moved, args.limit):
values = [v for _, v in points]
changes = [(t, v) for i, (t, v) in enumerate(points)
if i == 0 or v != points[i - 1][1]]
span = f"t={changes[1][0]}..{changes[-1][0]}ms" if len(changes) > 1 else ""
net = values[-1] - values[0] if not isinstance(values[0], tuple) else None
arrow = f"{render(values[0])} -> {render(values[-1])}"
delta = f" ({net:+d})" if net is not None else ""
# A label is only a name, and two different nodes can share one -- a text
# and the padded control wrapping it both read as their text. When the
# size changes too, the two readings are probably not the same node, and
# the move is partly the difference between them rather than travel.
shape = shapes.get(key, set())
note = f" [size changed {len(shape)}x -- may be different nodes]" if len(shape) > 1 else ""
print(f" {key[:40]:<40} {arrow}{delta} {len(changes) - 1} steps {span}{note}")
if not moved:
print(" (nothing moved)")
def timeline(frames, order, tracks, actions, args):
"""A row per change, not a row per frame.
Consecutive frames that say the same thing are one row with a time range:
at 60Hz a settled second is sixty identical rows, and the reader wants the
moment it stopped being settled.
"""
# "Nothing matched" and "matched but never moved" are different answers, and
# an empty table says neither of them.
if not order:
print(f" nothing matched /{args.match}/ in any of {len(frames)} frames."
f" Try `ui-trace elements` to see what is there.")
return
if len(order) > args.max_columns:
print(f" {len(order)} elements match, which is too many to read across."
f" Narrowing to the first {args.max_columns}; use a tighter -m,"
f" or --max-columns to widen.")
order = order[:args.max_columns]
width = max(12, max((len(k) for k in order), default=12))
width = min(width, 24)
columns = [k[:width] for k in order]
print(" " + "t (ms)".rjust(13) + " | " + " | ".join(c.ljust(width) for c in columns))
print(" " + "-" * 13 + "-+-" + "-+-".join("-" * width for _ in columns))
pending = list(actions)
previous, start, last = None, None, None
rows = [[t for t, _ in tracks[order[0]]]] if order else [[]]
def flush():
if previous is None:
return
label = f"{start}" if start == last else f"{start}-{last}"
print(" " + label.rjust(13) + " | "
+ " | ".join(render(v).ljust(width) for v in previous))
rows_out = 0
for index, (at, _) in enumerate(frames):
values = tuple(tracks[k][index][1] for k in order)
while pending and pending[0][0] <= at:
flush()
previous = None
print(f" >>> {pending[0][1]} @ t={pending[0][0]}ms")
pending.pop(0)
if values != previous:
flush()
rows_out += 1
if args.limit > 0 and rows_out > args.limit:
print(f" ... more changes after t={at}ms (--limit 0 for all)")
return
previous, start = values, at
last = at
flush()
for at, what in pending:
print(f" >>> {what} @ t={at}ms")
def main():
parser = argparse.ArgumentParser(
prog="ui-trace", description=__doc__,
formatter_class=argparse.RawDescriptionHelpFormatter)
subs = parser.add_subparsers(dest="command", required=True)
rec = subs.add_parser("record", help="record a trace from a device")
rec.add_argument("-s", "--serial", help="adb device serial")
rec.add_argument("-d", "--duration", type=int, default=3000, help="ms to record")
rec.add_argument("-i", "--interval", type=int, default=16,
help="ms between samples (0 = as fast as possible)")
rec.add_argument("--do", action="append", default=[], metavar="ACTION",
help="'wait MS' | 'tap X Y' | \"tap 'Label'\" | "
"\"hold 'Label'\" | 'swipe X1 Y1 X2 Y2 [MS]' | "
"'holddrag X1 Y1 X2 Y2 HOLD_MS MOVE_MS', repeatable")
rec.add_argument("-o", "--out", help="where to save the trace")
rec.add_argument("-m", "--match", help="show a timeline for these afterwards")
rec.add_argument("--field", default="top",
choices=["top", "bottom", "left", "right", "box"])
rec.add_argument("--max-columns", type=int, default=6)
rec.add_argument("--limit", type=int, default=10, help="max rows printed; 0 for all")
for name, help_text in [("show", "what moved, or a timeline with -m"),
("elements", "every label in a trace, to pick from")]:
sub = subs.add_parser(name, help=help_text)
sub.add_argument("trace")
if name == "show":
sub.add_argument("-m", "--match", help="regex over label, id, class, text")
sub.add_argument("--field", default="top",
choices=["top", "bottom", "left", "right", "box"])
sub.add_argument("--max-columns", type=int, default=6)
sub.add_argument("--limit", type=int, default=10,
help="max rows printed; 0 for all")
else:
sub.add_argument("--limit", type=int, default=20,
help="max rows printed; 0 for all")
sub.add_argument("--all", action="store_true",
help="include nodes with no name of their own")
args = parser.parse_args()
if args.command == "record":
out = record(args)
args.trace = out
cmd_show(args)
elif args.command == "show":
cmd_show(args)
else:
cmd_elements(args)
if __name__ == "__main__":
main()