Description
Motivation
In recent discussions, we have identified inconsistencies in how position parameters are utilized across various APIs (thanks to @d4vidi). Some use element-space coordinates while others use normalized points (values in the [0,1] range).
List of methods and inconsistencies
| Method | Current Parameter Approach | Documentation Link |
|---|---|---|
tap |
Absolute points for all parameters | Link |
longPress |
Absolute points for all parameters | GitHub issue (WIP) |
longPressAndDrag |
Normalized points for all parameters | Link |
swipe |
Normalized points for all parameters (including offset) | Link |
scroll |
Normalized points starting points; absolute points for offset | Link |
scrollTo |
Normalized points for all parameters | Link |
getAttributes |
Android: pixels for all attributes | Link |
This inconsistency is confusing and necessitates a reevaluation. Establishing a standard is not straightforward, as there are scenarios where an element might expand its size on different screens (using normalized coordinates), whereas other elements, such as child elements, maintain their absolute size and position (e.g., 15 points from the left).
Suggested Approach
To address this issue, we have decided to unify and standardize the position parameters across all our APIs. The main approach is to support both absolute (e.g., tap({x: number, y: number}) in points) and relative (e.g., tap({normalizedX: number, normalizedY: number}) or percentages in string format, such as tap({x: '53%', y: '50%'})). This flexibility will enable users to choose the most suitable method for their specific use case.
I generally prefer to allow both number and string with percentages on the {x: string | number, y: string | number} params (as suggested by @noomorph), since it can enable more flexibility and allow mixed types (e.g. {x: 150, y: '50%'}.