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Selectors are used in two places:
  • element-based taps
  • visibility assertions

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Selector resolution

If a target string has no prefix, visor treats it as an accessibility identifier. Example: 
Increment
This resolves the same way as: 
accessibility=Increment

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Supported selector prefixes

PrefixMeaningNotes
accessibility=Accessibility identifierDefault when no prefix is present
id=Element idUses the driver id selector
text=Contains-style text matchImplemented as XPath across multiple common text-like attributes
xpath=Raw XPathMost flexible and most fragile
uiautomator=Android UiSelector expressionAndroid only
predicate=iOS predicate stringiOS only
classchain=iOS class chain queryiOS only

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How text= works

text= does not perform an exact single-attribute match. Instead, visor builds an XPath selector that checks whether the provided value is contained in any of these attributes:
  • text
  • content-desc
  • label
  • name
  • value
This makes text= convenient for cross-platform targeting, but it can also match more elements than expected.

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Choosing the right selector type

Use selectors in this order when possible:
  1. accessibility identifiers
  2. stable ids
  3. platform-specific selectors
  4. XPath
  5. coordinates
This order matters because stable semantic selectors are easier to maintain and reason about.

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Coordinate taps

Coordinates are appropriate when:
  • there is no reliable selector
  • the target is a canvas-like region or custom-drawn control
  • you need a specific screen location rather than an element
Coordinate inputs can be absolute or normalized.
ModeExampleMeaning
Absolutex=120, y=640Raw screen coordinates
Normalizedx=0.91, y=0.94, normalized=trueFraction of current screen width and height

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Assertion targets use the same syntax

The visible assertion uses the same target parser as tap. That means these assertion targets are valid:
  • Increment
  • accessibility=Increment
  • text=Checkout
  • id=primary-cta
  • xpath=//*[@text='Checkout']
  • uiautomator=new UiSelector().text("OK")
  • predicate=label == 'Done'
  • classchain=**/XCUIElementTypeButton[`label == "Done"`]

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Known tradeoffs

Important tradeoffs in the current selector system:
  • plain text defaults to accessibility ids, not visible text
  • text= is intentionally broad and may over-match
  • XPath is flexible but tends to be the least stable option
  • coordinate taps are sensitive to layout shifts and device differences