Robot Framework

Warnings

• breaking Robot Framework 4.0 introduced significant breaking changes, notably the 'FOR' loop syntax changed from `:FOR` to `FOR`, and Python 2 support was completely dropped. All Robot Framework 4.x and newer versions require Python 3.
  Fix: Update `FOR` loops in `.robot` files by removing the leading colon. Ensure your environment uses Python 3.8 or newer. Consult release notes for other changes.
• deprecated The built-in `Testdoc` tool has been deprecated in Robot Framework 7.4.2 in favor of the external `robotframework-testdoc` tool.
  Fix: Migrate to the external `robotframework-testdoc` tool. Install it via `pip install robotframework-testdoc` and use it instead of the built-in version.
• gotcha Robot Framework is primarily driven by its domain-specific language (DSL) in `.robot` files and executed via a command-line interface. It's not a 'pure Python' testing framework like `pytest` or `unittest`. While it has a Python API for extension (custom libraries, listeners), most test logic resides in `.robot` files.
  Fix: Embrace the keyword-driven syntax for test cases. Use Python primarily for creating custom keywords (libraries) or for programmatic execution/reporting, rather than writing entire test cases in Python scripts.
• gotcha When creating custom Python libraries for Robot Framework, their modules must be discoverable. This often means ensuring they are in the `PYTHONPATH` or placed directly under the test suite directory.
  Fix: Use `set PYTHONPATH=<path/to/my/libraries>` before running tests, or specify the library path directly in the `.robot` file using `Library ./my_libraries/MyLibrary.py`.
• gotcha Robot Framework's variable scoping (scalar, list, dictionary, global, suite, test) can be complex and lead to unexpected behavior if not understood.
  Fix: Familiarize yourself with the 'Variables' section of the Robot Framework User Guide. Use `Log Variables` keyword for debugging variable states and explicitly define variable scopes when necessary.

Install

• pip install robotframework Install core framework

Imports

• robot.run

  from robot import run

  The `robot.run` function is the standard programmatic entry point for executing Robot Framework tests from Python. `robot.main()` is an older, less flexible approach.
• keyword

  from robot.api.deco import keyword

  The `keyword` decorator for creating custom Python keywords resides specifically in `robot.api.deco`.
• BuiltIn

  from robot.libraries.BuiltIn import BuiltIn

  To access Robot Framework's built-in keywords (e.g., Log, Should Be Equal) from a custom Python library, import `BuiltIn` from `robot.libraries.BuiltIn`.

Quickstart

This quickstart demonstrates how to programmatically run a Robot Framework test from a Python script. It creates a simple `.robot` file on the fly and then uses `robot.run` to execute it. This is useful for integrating Robot Framework into CI/CD pipelines or other automation scripts. Standard usage often involves running tests directly from the command line using `robot path/to/tests.robot`.

import os
import tempfile
from pathlib import Path
from robot import run

# Create a temporary .robot test file
robot_content = '''
*** Settings ***
Library    OperatingSystem

*** Test Cases ***
My First Robot Test
    Log To Console    Hello from Robot Framework!
    Create File    ${TEMPDIR}${/}robot_test.txt    This is a test file.
    File Should Exist    ${TEMPDIR}${/}robot_test.txt
    Remove File    ${TEMPDIR}${/}robot_test.txt
'''

with tempfile.TemporaryDirectory() as tmpdir:
    test_file_path = Path(tmpdir) / 'my_test.robot'
    test_file_path.write_text(robot_content)

    print(f"Running Robot Framework test from: {test_file_path}")
    # Execute the test programmatically
    # Setting loglevel to DEBUG for verbose output, can be omitted
    result = run(test_file_path.as_posix(), loglevel='INFO', outputdir=tmpdir)

    if result == 0:
        print("Robot Framework test ran successfully!")
    else:
        print(f"Robot Framework test failed with exit code: {result}")

    print(f"Output and logs can be found in: {tmpdir}")