Disable animations for Espresso tests - run with `gradle cATDD`

AndroidManifest.xml

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8"?>
<manifest
  xmlns:android="http://schemas.android.com/apk/res/android"
  package="com.novoda.espresso">
  
  <!-- For espresso testing purposes, this is removed in live builds, but not in dev builds -->
  <uses-permission android:name="android.permission.SET_ANIMATION_SCALE" />

  <!-- ... -->
  
</manifest>

build.gradle

apply plugin: 'android'

android {
    // ...
    productFlavors {
        dev {
            // The one for development/testing
        }
        live {
            // The flavour for releasing
        }
    }
}
// ...

task grantAnimationPermission(type: Exec, dependsOn: 'installDevDebug') { // or install{productFlavour}{buildType}
    commandLine "adb shell pm grant $android.defaultConfig.packageName android.permission.SET_ANIMATION_SCALE".split(' ')
}

tasks.whenTaskAdded { task ->
    if (task.name.startsWith('connectedAndroidTest')) {
        task.dependsOn grantAnimationPermission
    }
}

def copyAndReplaceText(source, dest, Closure replaceText) {
    dest.write(replaceText(source.text))
}

// Override Data in Manifest - This can be done using different Manifest files for each flavor, this way there's no need to modify the manifest
android.applicationVariants.all { variant ->
    if (variant.name.startsWith('dev')) { // Where dev is the one you'll use to run Espresso tests
        System.out.println("Not removing the SET_ANIMATION_SCALE permission for $variant.name")
        return
    }

    System.out.println("Removing the SET_ANIMATION_SCALE permission for $variant.name")
    variant.processManifest.doLast {
        copyAndReplaceText(manifestOutputFile, manifestOutputFile) {
            def replaced = it.replace('<uses-permission android:name="android.permission.SET_ANIMATION_SCALE"/>', '');
            if (replaced.contains('SET_ANIMATION_SCALE')) {
                // For security, imagine an extra space is added before closing tag, then the replace would fail - TODO use regex
                throw new RuntimeException("Don't ship with this permission! android.permission.SET_ANIMATION_SCALE")
            }
            replaced
        }
    }
}

MyInstrumentationTestCase

public class MyInstrumentationTestCase extends ActivityInstrumentationTestCase2<MyActivity> {

    private SystemAnimations systemAnimations;

    public MyInstrumentationTestCase() {
        super(MyActivity.class);
    }

    @Override
    protected void setUp() throws Exception {
        super.setUp();
        systemAnimations = new SystemAnimations(getInstrumentation().getContext());
        systemAnimations.disableAll();
        getActivity();
    }

    @Override
    protected void tearDown() throws Exception {
        super.tearDown();
        systemAnimations.enableAll();
    }
}

SystemAnimations.java

class SystemAnimations {

    private static final String ANIMATION_PERMISSION = "android.permission.SET_ANIMATION_SCALE";
    private static final float DISABLED = 0.0f;
    private static final float DEFAULT = 1.0f;

    private final Context context;

    SystemAnimations(Context context) {
        this.context = context;
    }

    void disableAll() {
        int permStatus = context.checkCallingOrSelfPermission(ANIMATION_PERMISSION);
        if (permStatus == PackageManager.PERMISSION_GRANTED) {
            setSystemAnimationsScale(DISABLED);
        }
    }

    void enableAll() {
        int permStatus = context.checkCallingOrSelfPermission(ANIMATION_PERMISSION);
        if (permStatus == PackageManager.PERMISSION_GRANTED) {
            setSystemAnimationsScale(DEFAULT);
        }
    }

    private void setSystemAnimationsScale(float animationScale) {
        try {
            Class<?> windowManagerStubClazz = Class.forName("android.view.IWindowManager$Stub");
            Method asInterface = windowManagerStubClazz.getDeclaredMethod("asInterface", IBinder.class);
            Class<?> serviceManagerClazz = Class.forName("android.os.ServiceManager");
            Method getService = serviceManagerClazz.getDeclaredMethod("getService", String.class);
            Class<?> windowManagerClazz = Class.forName("android.view.IWindowManager");
            Method setAnimationScales = windowManagerClazz.getDeclaredMethod("setAnimationScales", float[].class);
            Method getAnimationScales = windowManagerClazz.getDeclaredMethod("getAnimationScales");

            IBinder windowManagerBinder = (IBinder) getService.invoke(null, "window");
            Object windowManagerObj = asInterface.invoke(null, windowManagerBinder);
            float[] currentScales = (float[]) getAnimationScales.invoke(windowManagerObj);
            for (int i = 0; i < currentScales.length; i++) {
                currentScales[i] = animationScale;
            }
            setAnimationScales.invoke(windowManagerObj, new Object[]{currentScales});
        } catch (Exception e) {
            Log.e("SystemAnimations", "Could not change animation scale to " + animationScale + " :'(");
        }
    }
}

@tasomaniac Not sure what I'm doing wrong but issuing any of the adb commands you listed in your Jan 4, 2016 comment doesn't have any effect until I restart my emulator?

Tried with Nexus 5 API 21 AVD and with Genymotion running an API 21 image; neither would change animation scales using adb until I restarted the emulator.

Have you seen https://github.com/linkedin/test-butler? Does the same thing but automatically, just need to install a tiny app on emulator.

Gradle support to auto install the test helper app works from 3.0.0-alpha1 or using a little gradle script

Why not just make a manifest in the existing androidTest flavor? I.e. app/src/androidTest/AndroidManifest.xml. Then you don't need any special build flavor to include this.

I see, because the disable animations thing is happening in the app, rather than in the instrumentation. If someone knows how to run it in the instrumentation, it would eliminate the need for build flavors and other gradle tricks.