We all know that nowadays automation plays a very important role in software testing world, it allow our tests to be faster and more reliable by having the possibility of repeating them several times. Robot Framework is an open-source test automation framework for acceptance testing and acceptance test-driven development (ATDD). This blog post is about an open source automation framework called Robot Framework, its features and what you can take advantage of when using this in your testing process.
What is Robot Framework?
Robot Framework is a generic open test automation framework for acceptance testing and acceptance-test-driven development (ATDD). Using a keyword method for writing test cases provides more readable and maintainable— with the out of box possibility to create as straightforward or complex methods based on your need. Based on top of the Python, it is highly expandable which can let users to include extra libraries and equipment for more particular testing.
Key Features of Robot Framework
1. Keyword-Driven Testing
The keyword-driven approach of i.e. the Robot Framework that allows testers to write test cases using higher level keywords describing actions and verifications? Which makes test really easily readable and understandable which also means that it is much more easy to take part in the development of testing for testers who does not know programming well.
Reusable Keywords: Test cases are a collection of keywords and these can be reused across multiple test scenarios to prevent duplicity in the code, which makes it easier for maintenance.
2. Extensibility
One of the most important features in Robot Framework is its extensibility. Custom libraries in Python or Java to accommodate extension of its features, integration with other tools.
Library Support- It supports the various libraries like Selenium for web testing, Appium for mobile test and many more which is useful to perform different types of testing.
3. Data-Driven Testing
Introduction Robot Framework not only supports data-driven testing i.e., the same test case could be executed with different sets of input data but also provides out-of-the-box support to widely use keyword driven approach. For which in turn also makes it efficient to automate tests into a variety scenarios without much effort.
Test Templates: Define a template in which you can decide an structure of the test case, so they could be repeated with different data sets and increase your coverage over all. ~
4. Clear Reporting
The framework generates exhaustive yet human-readable test reports and logs that showcase the execution of tests helping in quick identification of problems.
HTML reports: Test logs are viewed with HTML report of execution results, screenshot output and step by step detailed logging in the test.
5. Cross-Platform Support
Robot Framework is platform-independent,so it allows to run your scripts in Windows, macOS and Linux etc. hence this makes RobotFramework fit for diverse development environment.
Advantages of Using Robot Framework
1. Ease of Use
Because of its keyword driven approach and easy-to-read syntax it can be adopted to both technical or non-technical team members which leads in contributing collaboration within the project as well ease communication into each layer of the development.
2. Flexibility
Being able to work with a bunch of different tools and libraries, it is suitable for many kinds of testing including functional, acceptance or regression tests.
3. Community and Support
Robot Framework is open source, and the community develops libraries, tools as well as supports extensive documentation. It allows for ongoing feedback, and net to keep your users on top of the resources stream.
4. Cost-Effective
This open-source development also lowers the licensing costs tied to proprietary testing tools, freeing teams up so that they can allocate resources elsewhere.
The very first step before running your test case with robot framework is to get started.
Getting Started with Robot Framework — Simple Guide
1. Installation
Robot Framework:- Python Must be installed on your System. You can install it via pip once you have Python installed:
bash-
pip install robotframework
2. Creating a Test Suite
A test suite can be as simple as a plaintext file with the `. robot` extension. Basic Test Case for Web Application (SeleniumLibrary)
robot-
*** Settings ***
Library SeleniumLibrary*** Variables ***
${URL} http://example.com*** Test Cases ***
Open Example Page
Open Browser ${URL} chrome
Title Should Be Example Domain
[Teardown] Close Browser
3. Executing Tests
Running the Test suite from Command Line using robot commad
bash-
robot path/to/your/tests
Run the test cases and generate reports in output directory.
Summary of Best Practices when using the Robot Framework
- Modularize Tests: Split tests into reusable keywords to make test cases more maintainable and readable.
- For data-driven — Use variables and test templates to run the same tests with multiple sets of data.
- Use Built-in and Third-Party Libraries: Try your best to extend functionality with existing libraries and avoid wheel-shaping the same coping features.
- Keep the framework and libraries current — Stay updated with new features, fixes (for bugs), security patches etc.
Conclusion
Robot Framework is a Python-based, extensible keyword-driven automation tool used for acceptance testing and has easy-to-use tabular test data syntax convertible into Automated Business Readable Component (he. Keyword-driven, with built-in libraries Open Source Cost-effective and Resourceful. Whether you are a newcomer to the automation world, or an experienced tester, Robot Framework provides all that’s needed for software test automation. Test its capabilities today, and tap into test automation that is efficient as well effective.
