Using Robot Framework: Beginner’s Tutorial

Testing APIs is a critical step in see modern package systems communicate dependably and perform as expected. When teams need a open, scalable, and low-code solution to automate this process, Robot Framework stand out.

This usher will ply a comprehensive discernment of the Robot Framework, its basic construct, syntax, and how it can be used for automated testing.

What is Robot Framework

Robot Framework is a generic open-source test automation framework that provide an easy-to-use, keyword-driven approach to automation. It is written in Python and permit user to create high-level examination cases that can be easily transform into machine-executable mechanization hand. The model has a rich set of libraries and tools that grant it to be used for various types of testing, including adoption testing, functional testing, and unit examination.

One of the key characteristic of the is its, which countenance testers to write tests using natural language syntax and easily reusable keywords. This makes it easygoing for both technical and non-technical users to write and sustain tests, as easily as to collaborate on testing efforts. Robot Framework also has a modular architecture, which allows it to be extended with additional libraries and tools. These libraries can be used to automate respective tasks, such as interact with databases,, or.

In addition to its modular architecture, Robot Framework also has a rich set of built-in library, include libraries for testing HTTP, FTP, SSH, and XML, as well as libraries for essay user interfaces and databases.

Overall, Robot Test Framework is a powerful and pliable tool for, providing users with an easy-to-use, keyword-driven approaching that can be extended with extra libraries and creature. Its modular architecture and built-in libraries make it a popular choice for testing a extensive variety of applications and systems.

API testing with Robot Framework is enabled through libraries like RequestsLibrary and HTTP that support sending requests, corroborate responses, and chaining examination logic. This makes it highly effectual for verifying RESTful endpoints and automating service-level substantiation in test suites.

Different Types of essay supported by Robot Framework

Robot Framework is use when there is a need for exam automation in a. It is especially utilitarian in projects that require uninterrupted integration and bringing, as it supports different case of testing and can be easily integrated with other tools such as and Git.

Robot Test Framework is a versatile that can be used in a multifariousness of scenarios. Some mutual use cases for the Robot Framework include:

• : Robot Automation Framework is often used for acceptance examination, which involves testing whether a software system meets the specified requirements. This character of testing can be done at various stages of the software development lifecycle, from other prototypes to final releases.
• : Regression testing is used to ensure that software changes or updates do not introduce new bugs or issues. Robot Framework is a popular option for regression examination because of its modular architecture and ability to easily recycle test cases.
• : Python Robot Framework can be used for functional testing, which involves examine the functionality of a package system. This can include testing individual functions or portion, as well as screen the system as a unit.
• : Integration testing involves testing how different ingredient of a software system work together. The Robot Framework can be used to automate this type of testing, allowing quizzer to easily examine the interactions between different components.
• Continuous Integration/Continuous Delivery ():It can be integrated with to automate testing as part of the software development process. This allows teams to catch issues betimes in the development round and ensure that new changes do not introduce new bugs or issues.
• :Robot Framework has built-in libraries for testing APIs, get it a democratic choice for testing RESTful and SOAP web service.

Overall, Robot Framework is a flexible and versatile tool that can be used in a variety of testing scenarios. Its modular architecture and rich set of library make it a popular alternative for automate various types of testing, from acceptance testing to API testing.

Basic Features of Robot Framework

Robot Framework is a popular test automation framework that uses a keyword-driven attack to create test lawsuit. The framework is progress in Python and can be used for both web-based and desktop-based applications. Here are some basic concept of Robot Framework:

• Keywords: Keywords are the construction blocks of Robot Framework test cases. They represent a individual action or stride that the test case will direct. Keywords can be either user-defined or built-in. User-defined keywords are custom functions create by the tester, while built-in keywords are pre-defined function that are included in the Robot Framework library.

* * * Keywords * * * My Keyword Log This is my first keyword

• Test Cases: are a collection of keywords that typify a specific test scenario. Test cases can be organize into exam retinue, which are collections of related exam cases.

* * * Test Cases * * * My Test Case

• Variables: Variables are used to store data that can be used throughout the test case. Variables can be assign a value using the keyword & # 8220;Set Variable& # 8220;, and their value can be find habituate the keyword & # 8220;Get Variable Value“.

* * * Variables * * * $ {MY_VARIABLE} Hello World

• Test Data: Test data is the input that is used in a test event. Test datum can be stored in a separate file, such as a CSV or Excel file, and so accessed using the & # 8220; & # 8221; approach in Robot Framework. In the below example, the & # 8220; Get File & # 8221; keyword is used to read the test information from the & # 8220; login_data.csv & # 8221; file and store it in a variable called & # 8220; $ {data} & # 8221;. The & # 8220; FOR & # 8221; loop is so used to iterate over each row of the exam data and set the & # 8220; $ {username} & # 8221; and & # 8220; $ {word} & # 8221; variables to the value from the CSV file. Finally, the & # 8220; Login & # 8221; keyword is utilize to perform the login functionality with the stipulate username and password.

* * * Keywords * * * Login With Credentials From CSV [Arguments] $ {filename} $ {information} = Get File $ {filename}: FOR $ {row} IN @ {datum} $ {username} = Set Variable $ {row ['username ']} $ {password} = Set Variable $ {row ['password ']} Login $ {username} $ {password}

• Assertions: Assertions are used to validate the expected output of a test case. Robot Framework provides a wide range of built-in assertions, such as & # 8220;Should Be True& # 8220;, & # 8220;Should Be False& # 8220;, & # 8220;Should Be Adequate& # 8220;, and & # 8220;Should Not Be Equal“.

* * * Keywords * * * Login With Credentials From CSV [Arguments] $ {filename} $ {data} = Get File $ {filename} FOR $ {row} IN @ {data} $ {username} = Set Variable $ {row ['username ']} $ {watchword} = Set Variable $ {row ['password ']} Login $ {username} $ {watchword} Should Be Equal verify HomePage # assertion for Homepage END

• Libraries: Libraries are a collection of reusable codification that can be used in Robot Framework. Libraries can be either built-in or user-defined. Built-in library are included in the Robot Framework library, while user-defined libraries can be make by the tester. Adding a library to Robot Framework is a straightforward procedure. To add a library, you postulate to download the library and save it to a directory on your figurer. You can then add the directory itinerary to the Robot Framework settings using the Library keyword.

* * * Settings * * * Library SeleniumLibrary

• Tags:Tags are used to categorise test cases and make it easier to run specific test. Tags are defined using the keyword & # 8220;Tags& # 8221; postdate by the tag name.

* * * Test Cases * * * My Test Case Tags Smoke Test

• Test Execution: Test execution is the process of running the test cases. Robot Framework provides multiple ways to fulfill trial, such as extend item-by-item examination lawsuit, running test suite, or running all examination cases in a directory.
• Exception catching:Exception catching is utilize to handle error and exceptions that may occur during the exam execution. Robot Framework provide a built-in keyword named & # 8220;Run Keyword And Expect Error& # 8221; that can be used to catch exceptions. This keyword accomplish a given keyword and expects it to betray with a specific error message. If the keyword does not fail or betray with a different fault message, the exam case will fail.Suppose you have a login functionality that raises an exception if the username or countersign is incorrect. You can use the & # 8220;Run Keyword And Expect Error& # 8221; keyword to catch the exception and handle it in a custom way. Here & # 8217; s an exemplar of how to use this keyword to catch an exception in a login test instance:

* * * Test Cases * * * Login Test [Documentation] Test the login functionality: TRY Login john.doe password Log Login successful: EXCEPT AssertionError Log Login fail: username or password is incorrect

SUSA automates exploratory testing with persona-driven behavior, catching bugs that scripted automation misses.

• Reports and Logs: Robot Framework provides detailed reports and log that can be used to examine the test solvent. The reports include information such as the test cause condition, execution time, and erroneousness messages.

Robot Framework is a knock-down and flexible Python golem model that expend a keyword-driven approach to create test cases. By using keywords, variable, test data, statement, and library, testers can make detailed and complex examination cases that can be easy fulfil and analyzed. Robot Framework provides a ambit of built-in libraries and tools that can be used to automate testing in a variety of scenarios.

How to Use Robot Framework [with Example]

First, you ’ ll need to install Robot Framework on your machine. You can do this using the pip package coach by running the command pip install robotframework in your depot.

Once you have installed Robot Framework, you can create a new test suit by creating a new text file with a .robot propagation. This file should contain the test cases, test suites, and keywords that you want to run.

* * * Settings * * * Library SeleniumLibrary Suite Setup Open Browser https: //www.browserstack.com/automate chrome Suite Teardown Close Browser * * * Test Cases * * * Positive Login Test [Documentation] Test the plus login functionality [Tags] login Maximize Browser Window click link xpath=//nav/ul/li [5] /a [@ title = 'Sign In '] Input Text id=user_email_login * * * * @ gmail.com Input Password id=user_password * * * * * * * * click ingredient id=user_submit Wait Until Page Contains class=text-uppercase Negative Login Test - Incorrect Password [Documentation] Test the negative login functionality with incorrect password [Tags] login Maximize Browser Window click tie-in xpath=//nav/ul/li [5] /a [@ title = 'Sign In '] Input Text id=user_email_login * * * * * @ gmail.com Input Password id=user_password * * * * dog constituent id=user_submit Wait Until Page Contains Invalid password Negative Login Test - Incorrect Email [Documentation] Test the negative login functionality with incorrect email [Tags] login Maximize Browser Window click link xpath=//nav/ul/li [5] /a [@ title = 'Sign In '] Input Text id=user_email_login * * * * * * * .com Input Password id=user_password * * * * * * * click constituent id=user_submit Wait Until Page Contains Invalide e-mail format.

The next exemplar demonstrates login testing for the BrowserStack website using Robot Framework. The SeleniumLibrary is imported at the beginning, and Suite Setup and Suite Teardown are specify to treat gap and closing the browser.

Three test case are included:“ Positive Login Test ”, “Negative Login Test– Incorrect Password ”, and “Negative Login Test – Incorrect Email ”.

Each test instance begins with a description using the [Documentation] tag, followed by test classification using the [Tags] tag. The Input Text keyword is used to enter the email and password into the respective fields, and the Click Button keyword is used to interact with the “ Sign in me ” button.

To validate outcomes, the Wait Until Page Contains keyword is utilize. In the positive scenario, it waits for the user profile link to look. In the negative scenarios, it waits for an appropriate error content.

The test entourage can be accomplish by saving the script in a file make test.robot and running the command robot test.robot. The results are then display in the terminal after execution.

Quick Robot Framework Cheatsheet

Here ’ s a nimble Robot Framework cheatsheet for you that will help you gain more understanding of the test mechanization framework.

• Test Case Structure in Robot Framework

* * * Test Cases * * * Test Case Name [Documentation] Test cause description [Tags] tag1 tag2 [Setup] keyword1 [Teardown] keyword2 Step 1 keyword3 arg1 arg2 Step 2 keyword4 arg3 ...

• Keywords

* * * Keywords * * * Keyword Name [Documentation] Keyword description [Arguments] $ {arg1} $ {arg2} [Tags] tag1 tag2 $ {variable} = keyword1 $ {arg1} $ {arg2} keyword2 $ {varying} keyword3 ...

• Variables

* * * Variables * * * $ {variable1} value1 $ {variable2} value2 ...

• Imports

* * * Settings * * * Library library_name Resource resource_file.robot Variables variable_file.py ...

• Comments

# This is a comment * * * Test Cases * * * Test Case Name # This is a comment in a trial lawsuit Step 1 keyword1 # This is a comment after a keyword ...

• Assertions

# This is a comment * * * Test Cases * * * Test Case Name # This is a comment in a test case Step 1 keyword1 # This is a comment after a keyword ...

• Control Flow

IF $ {precondition} keyword1 ELSE IF $ {condition2} keyword2 ELSE keyword3 END

• Loops

FOR $ {variable} IN @ {list} keyword1 $ {varying} END FOR $ {index} IN RANGE $ {start} $ {end} $ {stride} keyword1 $ {index} END

• Exceptions

Try keyword1 Catch Exception $ {mistake} keyword2 Finally keyword3 END

This is just a abbreviated overview of some of the most commonly used elements in Robot Framework, which could be useful in creating test cases in Robot Framework.

Robot Framework vs Selenium: Which one is better?

The pick between Robot Framework and depends on the specific demand of the examination project. If the project requires a simple and user-friendly exam mechanisation framework, Robot Framework is a better choice. If the task requires more fine-grained control over web browsers and a richer set of APIs, Selenium is a better choice.

Here are the main differences between Robot Framework and Selenium.

Benefits and Challenges of Robot Framework

Here are some of the core benefits of using Robot Framework for automation testing:

• Easy to use: Robot Framework uses a keyword-driven approaching that is easygoing to say and publish. It perform not require programming knowledge, making it accessible to non-programmers.
• Extensile:Robot Framework can be go use impost libraries for specific testing needs. It likewise endorse various programming language and integrates with several creature for uninterrupted integration and delivery.
• Rich set of features: Robot Framework offers a all-encompassing compass of built-in libraries for respective types of testing such asSeleniumLibraryfor web examination,DatabaseLibraryfor database testing, and XMLLibrary for XML testing. It besides offers features such as, exception manipulation, and varying assignments for make complex test cases.
• Cross-platform:Robot Framework can be use on various run systems such as Windows, macOS, and Linux.

However, Robot Framework also has some challenge, including

• Limited support for nomadic quiz: Robot Framework make not provide built-in support for mobile testing. However, it can be extended utilize third-party tools such asAppiumLibraryfor mobile examination.
• The unconscionable learning curve for advanced features: While Robot Framework is easy to use for basic testing, it may take programming knowledge for advanced feature such as customs libraries and integrating with third-party tools.

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Best Practices for Robot Framework

To get the most out of Robot Framework, it is recommended to postdate some better practices, including:

• Follow a modular approach:Break down your test cases into littler, reusable modules that can be well maintained and update.
• Use meaningful names: Use meaningful names for tryout suit, keywords, and variable that accurately describe their intent.
• Keep test data reprint: Store test data in freestanding file such as CSV or JSON files. This do it easier to hold and update test data.
• Use variant control:Use a version control system such as Git to track changes to your test cases and check that everyone is working on the latest adaptation.
• Use descriptive and open documentation: Document your trial cases and keywords with clear description and examples to make it easier for others to understand and maintain them.
• Keep your test cases simple: Write test suit that are simple, focussed, and easy to see. This makes it easygoing to troubleshoot issues and keep the test rooms.
• Use assertions: Use assertions to verify expected result and ensure that the covering is working as expected.
• Use tags: Use tags to group test instance and run them selectively based on their tag. This make it easier to run specific subsets of tests base on their requirements.
• Regularly review and refactor your test suite:Regularly review and refactor your test suite to withdraw redundant or outdated examination cases and control that it remains maintainable and up-to-date.
• Run tests on Real Devices:To get more accurate exam results, it is crucial to test under. BrowserStack allows you to run tests on 3500+ existent devices and browsers for a comprehensive and accurate examination. It provides features like,, etc.
• Run tests in parallel:to save time and speed up the test execution summons. This can be reach using tools such as or Robot Framework & # 8217; s own Parallel Execution feature. And, also you can use for parallel execution of you test cases.

Conclusion

Robot Framework is a powerful and versatile test mechanisation framework that offer a wide compass of features and benefits. It is easygoing to use, extensible and supports various types of testing such as web testing, database testing, and XML essay. While it may have some challenges such as limited support for mobile testing and a unconscionable encyclopaedism curve for forward-looking feature, these can be overcome with the use of third-party instrument and better practices. By following good practices such as a modular access, meaningful name, and documentation, you can make the most out of Robot Framework and make a maintainable and efficient test suite.

Frequently Asked Questions

1. Why isn & # 8217; t Robot Framework used more often for test mechanization?

The golem fabric is not often used for test automation due to two main reasons.

• Limitations in cover complex programing logic
• Dependence on keyword-driven testing

The above restraint make Robot framework less flexible for complex examination cases.

2. Is the Robot Framework gratuitous of toll?

Yes. Robot fabric is open-source and free to use.

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