iOS TextField `clear` not working on iOS 12.x with Xcode 11

The problem

I have updated my environment with Xcode 11 and Appium 1.15.0. The clear function on iOS TextField still works fine on iOS 13.0, but not anymore on 12.x

Environment

• Appium version (or git revision) that exhibits the issue: 1.15.0
• Last Appium version that did not exhibit the issue (if applicable): 1.14.2
• Desktop OS/version used to run Appium: macOS 10.14.6 with Xcode 11
• Node.js version (unless using Appium.app|exe): 11.9.0
• Npm or Yarn package manager: 6.9.0
• Mobile platform/version under test: iOS 12.2, 13.0
• Real device or emulator/simulator: Simulator and actual devices
• Appium CLI or Appium.app|exe: CLI

[mAiNiNfEcTiOn]

😃 I think it’s related with XCode 11’s update. As an example, getText() only works properly for iOS 13, but not lower versions. (E.g. I have a TextField which returns the placeholder all the time, although the value attribute is properly set in the PageSource 😉 😃)

XCode 11 seems to be breaking a lot of stuff 😕

[mAiNiNfEcTiOn]

I’ve installed their latest XCode 11.1 GM Seed, still doesn’t fix it …

One of the things I’ve noticed is that my PageSource now contains a lot of XCUIElementTypeOther… Something like this:

<TextInput
  accessible={true}
  accessibilityLabel="BeveilingingscodeTextBox"
  autoCorrect={false}
  placeholder="Vul hier de 8 cijferige code in"
  returnKeyType="done"
  spellCheck={false}
  style={styles.formElementInput}
  keyboardType="number-pad"
  maxLength={this.state.maxLength}
  onChangeText={this.handleResponseCode}
  value={this.state.responseCode}
/>

Is generating:

<XCUIElementTypeOther type="XCUIElementTypeOther" name="BeveilingingscodeTextBox" label="BeveilingingscodeTextBox" enabled="true" visible="true" x="40" y="267" width="295" height="29">
  <XCUIElementTypeTextField type="XCUIElementTypeTextField" value="12345671" name="BeveilingingscodeTextBox" label="BeveilingingscodeTextBox" enabled="true" visible="true" x="40" y="267" width="295" height="28"/>
</XCUIElementTypeOther>

So, I was forced to do something like this to select the proper element:

  const fields = await $$(`~${fieldLabel}`);
  const tags = await Promise.all(fields.map((f) => f.getTagName()));
  const field = fields.filter((f, index) => tags[index] !== 'XCUIElementTypeOther').pop();

On iOS >= 13.0

• Tests pass.

On iOS < 13.0

• Downgrading Appium’s version does not help.
• field.clearValue() does not work
• field.setValue() works
• field.getText() / field.getValue() return the placeholder’s value…
• If I remove the placeholder attribute it returns the label’s value…
• If I change the placeholder value to {this.state.responseCode} then all tests pass, because it retrieves the right value (… doesn’t look like something I’d like to ship though 😄 )