Welcome to Robotframework

Hüseyin Solmaz
Beyn Technology
Published in
5 min readApr 26, 2023

Robot Framework is an open source test automation framework that allows testers to create and run automated tests for various types of applications. It is written in Python and provides a modular and extensible structure that allows testers to easily create, maintain and execute automated test cases.

Robot Framework uses a keyword-driven approach to creating test cases, where each test case consists of a series of steps defined by keywords. These keywords can be either built-in keywords provided by Robot Framework or custom keywords created by the tester. The framework also supports a variety of external libraries and plugins that can be used to extend the functionality.

What is Robotframework Advantages

One of the main advantages of Robot Framework is its platform and application independence. It can be used to automate tests for desktop applications, web applications, APIs, databases and more. It also supports various types of tests such as acceptance tests, regression tests and unit tests.

List of Advantages

  1. Easy to learn:
    Robot Framework has a simple and intuitive syntax that makes it easy to learn and use even for testers who have no experience with test automation. The keyword-driven approach makes it easy to create and maintain test cases, even for complex applications.
  2. Modular and extensible:
    Robot Framework’s modular and extensible architecture allows testers to easily adapt the software to their specific needs. Testers can create their own keywords and libraries and also integrate it with other tools and frameworks.
  3. Cross-platform and application-independent:
    Robot Framework supports a wide range of applications and platforms, including desktop applications, web applications, APIs, databases and more. It is also compatible with multiple operating systems, including Windows, Mac and Linux.
  4. Large community and support:
    Robot Framework has a large and active community of users and contributors who provide support, share knowledge and contribute to the development of the framework. This community has developed many external libraries and plugins that extend Robot Framework’s capabilities.
  5. Integration with other testing tools:
    Robot Framework integrates easily with other testing tools and frameworks such as Selenium, Appium and PyTest, allowing testers to leverage their existing knowledge and experience.
  6. Data-driven testing:
    Robot Framework supports data-driven testing so that testers can run the same test case with different input data sets, reducing the effort required to create and maintain test cases.

Robotframework Library

Robot Framework has a variety of built-in and external libraries that you can use to extend its capabilities. Here are some of the most popular libraries:

SeleniumLibrary:
A library that provides keywords for automating web tests with the Selenium WebDriver.

RequestsLibrary:
A library of keywords for creating HTTP requests and checking responses.

DatabaseLibrary:
A library that provides keywords for interacting with databases.

AppiumLibrary:
A library of keywords for automating mobile app testing with Appium.

XMLLibrary:
A library that provides keywords for processing XML data.

StringLibrary:
A library that provides keywords for processing strings.

DateTimeLibrary:
A library that provides keywords for working with dates and times.

CollectionsLibrary:
A library that provides keywords for working with collections such as lists, dictionaries and sets.

OperatingSystem:
A library that provides keywords for working with the operating system, e.g. for file and directory operations.

ExcelLibrary:
A library that provides keywords for working with Excel files.

SSHL library:
A library that provides keywords for interacting with remote servers via SSH.

DialogsLibrary:
A library of keywords for interacting with dialogues and alarms in desktop applications.

These are just a few examples of the libraries available for Robot Framework. Many more libraries are available, and testers can also create their own custom libraries to meet their specific needs.

How Can i install Robotframework

You can install Robot Framework using the following steps:

  • Install Python: Robot Framework is written in Python, so you need to have Python installed on your system. You can download Python from the official website: https://www.python.org/downloads/.
  • Install Robot Framework: Once you have installed Python, you can use pip (Python package manager) to install Robot Framework. Open a command prompt or terminal window and run the following command:
pip install --upgrade robotframework
  • This will download and install the latest version of Robot Framework and its dependencies.
  • Install test libraries: Depending on the type of testing you want to perform, you may need to install additional test libraries. For example, if you want to automate web testing using Selenium, you need to install the SeleniumLibrary. To install the library, run the following command:
pip install — upgrade robotframework-seleniumlibrary

You can install other libraries in a similar way.

IDE’s for robotframework

There are several popular IDEs (Integrated Development Environments) that support Robot Framework development. Here are some of the most commonly used IDEs:

  1. PyCharm:
    PyCharm is a popular Python IDE that supports Robot Framework development. It provides features like syntax highlighting, code completion and debugging for Robot Framework test cases. PyCharm also supports integration with version control systems such as Git and Mercurial.
  2. Visual Studio Code:
    Visual Studio Code (VS Code) is a free, open source IDE that supports Robot Framework development through extensions. The Robot Framework Language Server extension provides features such as syntax highlighting, code completion and debugging for Robot Framework test cases.
  3. Eclipse:
    Eclipse is a popular Java-based IDE that supports Robot Framework development through plugins such as RED (Robot Editor) and RobotFrameworkIDE. These plugins provide features such as syntax highlighting, code completion and debugging for Robot Framework test cases.
  4. Atom:
    Atom is a free, open source text editor that supports Robot Framework development through plugins. The Atom IDE and Hydrogen plugins provide features such as syntax highlighting, code completion and debugging for Robot Framework test cases.

These are just a few examples of IDEs that support Robot Framework development. You can choose the one that best suits your needs and preferences.

That’s all for now.
Thanks for reading.

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