Robot Framework (Python)Setup Guide: Mac

In this article, I’ll guide you through the step-by-step process of installing Robot Framework on a Mac machine. Robot Framework is a versatile test automation framework that simplifies test case creation and execution. Whether you’re a beginner or an experienced user, this installation guide will help you get Robot Framework up and running on your Mac system, enabling you to start automating tests efficiently.

Background on Robot Framework 🤖

Robot Framework is an open-source automation framework used for test and robotic process automation (RPA). Supported by the Robot Framework Foundation, it’s favored by major companies in software development. It’s highly adaptable, integrating with various tools for robust automation without licensing costs. With an intuitive syntax using human-readable keywords, its functionality expands through libraries in Python, Java, and more. Its thriving ecosystem includes a range of separate projects comprising libraries and tools.

Getting Started

Before you download Python, it is recommended you check your system if Python is already present

To check run this command in Terminal

python3  --version

How to Install Python on Mac?

We are using Python as the programming language for Robot Framework.

Link to download Python for Mac:Python Releases for macOS check for the latest version of Python.

After clicking on the latest Python 3 release version, download the mac download file macOS 64-bit universal2 installer

Verify it after installing Python

saileshramesh@Saileshs-MacBook-Pro ~ % python3 --version
Python 3.11.4

Usually, pip is automatically installed. PIP is a package manager for Python packages, or modules if you like. Modules are Python code libraries you can include in your project. Verify the same on Terminal.

saileshramesh@Saileshs-MacBook-Pro ~ % pip3 --version
pip 23.3.1 from /Library/Frameworks/Python.framework/Versions/3.11/lib/python3.11/site-packages/pip (python 3.11)

Install Robot Framework (Execute these commands on the terminal)

pip3 install robotframework

Install Selenium Library

pip3 install robotframework-seleniumlibrary

Install JsonLibrary

pip3 install robotframework-jsonlibrary

Install Requests for API Request Validation

pip3 install robotframework-requests

Download Browser drivers for website automation

Download the Chrome driver from the link:

Chrome for Testing availability, please download the version that is compatible with the browser version, and check the browser version in the About section of the browser.

Download the gecko driver from the link: Release 0.33.0 · mozilla/geckodriver, this driver works for all Mozilla Firefox browsers irrespective of the version.

Paste the drivers in the bin folder of the python, and find out the python by using

We are now halfway through the steps for the setup, congratulations.🎉

Installing Pycharm

Download Pycharm Community Edition from Download PyCharm: Python IDE for Professional Developers by JetBrains

Clone the repository, Open the project on Pycharm, and next, add the Python interpreter in the preferences of Pycharm, all the pip packages are imported.

Congratulations🎉, you are now done with the setup.

Resources for more understanding:

Youtube: link

Udemy: link

Keyword Documentation: link. link

Official Site: link

Community: link

Thank you for reading so far!

Feel free to contact me on LinkedIn

Best Regards, Sailesh Ramesh