Robot Framework Test Automation

Sumit Bisht

• Publisher: Packt Publishing
• Year: 2013
• ISBN:
  9781783283033
• Topic: Informatique
• Subtopic: Assurance qualité et tests

In Detail

Testing has traditionally been a part of software development, and has always involved a lot of manual effort. It can be automated with Robot Framework, which offers numerous benefits from cost saving to increased quality assurance in the software delivery. This book will help you to start designing test suites and Automated Acceptance Tests.

Helping you to get started with automating acceptance tests, this book will provide a detailed overview of acceptance test management practices and principles. You will also be introduced to advanced techniques that you can use to customize the test suite, along with helpful tips and tricks to extend and leverage it in a wide variety of scenarios.

Starting with a detailed explanation of the need for automated acceptance test driven development, this guide will help you with an empty test project creation and execution for proof of concept, and validation of installation. This book will also cover the Robot Framework in detail, and will help you test desktop applications using Java Swing. You will gain an in-depth knowledge of tricky activities, such as setting up a test environment and using it with Selenium.

You will also learn about other popular libraries, and how to test network protocols, web services, and databases. This book will cover the entire Robot Framework with real- world practical material to make its content informative and interesting.

By the end of this book you will be able to write acceptance tests for desktop and web applications, as well as know how to extend acceptance testing in other scenarios that are commonly devoid of tests, and present the results appropriately.

Approach

Written in an engaging, easy-to-follow style, this practical guide will teach you to create test suites and automated acceptance Tests with the Robot Framework.

Who this book is for

If you are an automation engineer, QA engineer, developer or tester who is looking to get started with Robot Framework, as well as find a standardized testing solution, this book is ideal for you. No prior knowledge of Robot Framework or acceptance testing is required, although a basic knowledge of Python is required for few sections of the book.

Robot Framework Test Automation

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Table of Contents

Robot Framework Test Automation

Credits

About the Author

About the Reviewers

www.PacktPub.com

Support files, eBooks, discount offers, and more

Why Subscribe?

Free Access for Packt account holders

Preface

What this book covers

What you need for this book

Who this book is for

Conventions

Reader feedback

Customer support

Downloading the example code

Errata

Piracy

Questions

1. Getting Started with the Robot Framework

The need for acceptance testing

Pinpoint application failure

Reducing the error rate

Providing automation and re-use

Creating the a test audit trail

What is the Robot Framework?

The Robot Framework ecosystem

Installing and setting up the Robot Framework

Source installation

One-click graphical installer

Java environment installation

The Python package installation

Support for different runtimes

Command details

A small exercise

Summary

2. Configuring a Test Project

Test naming conventions

Creating an execution order

Test randomization

Test file structure

HTML format

TSV format

Plaintext format

Pipe-separated format

Restructured text format

Test configuration files

Suite initialization files

External variable files

Structure

Python/Java files containing variables

Resource files

Structure

Test setup and teardown

Summary

3. Further Test Customization

Automation and agile

Internal re-use

Loops and flow control

Flow control

Breaking off without finishing

Feeding external data

Performing a set of tasks repeatedly within a test

Application in test automation

Higher order re-use

User keywords

Test templates

User libraries

Approaches towards writing tests

Keyboard-driven tests

Data-driven tests

Behavior-driven tests

Behavior-driven development

BDD using the Robot Framework

Standard libraries

Collections

Dialogs

Operating System

Process

Screenshot

String

Telnet

XML

Remote test execution

Summary

4. Extending the Framework

Testing the web applications

Selenium

The Robot Framework Selenium library

Running web-based tests

Using the Selenium2Library

Debugging through the REPL shell

Testing desktop applications

Testing through objects – Java Swing

A Swing test

Testing through images

Sikuli

Creating a custom Sikuli library

Other noteworthy libraries

Testing network protocols

Testing the web services

Testing the database

Summary

5. Generating Reports

The need for reports

Quick-test run assessment

Result comparison

Individual result detailing

Intelligent assessment

Generated files

Output structure

Heading

Summary information

Test statistics

Test details

Test execution log

Test coloring information

Separating files

Making changes in outputs

Customizing the report title

Background color customization

Changing how much is logged

Changing the report format

Creating derived reports

Recreating reports

Viewing differences

Further result usage

Summary

Index

Robot Framework Test Automation

Copyright © 2013 Packt Publishing

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, without the prior written permission of the publisher, except in the case of brief quotations embedded in critical articles or reviews.

Every effort has been made in the preparation of this book to ensure the accuracy of the information presented. However, the information contained in this book is sold without warranty, either express or implied. Neither the author, nor Packt Publishing, and its dealers and distributors will be held liable for any damages caused or alleged to be caused directly or indirectly by this book.

Packt Publishing has endeavored to provide trademark information about all of the companies and products mentioned in this book by the appropriate use of capitals. However, Packt Publishing cannot guarantee the accuracy of this information.

First published: October 2013

Production Reference: 1181013

Published by Packt Publishing Ltd.

Livery Place

35 Livery Street

Birmingham B3 2PB, UK.

ISBN 978-1-78328-303-3

www.packtpub.com

Cover Image by Vivek Sinha (<[email protected]>)

Credits

Author

Sumit Bisht

Reviewers

Syed Mohd Mohsin Akhtar

Ismo Aro

Acquisition Editor

Pramila Balan

Commissioning Editor

Mohammed Fahad

Technical Editors

Dipika Gaonkar

Mrunmayee Patil

Sonali Vernekar

Project Coordinator

Michelle Quadros

Proofreader

Stephen Copestake

Indexer

Rekha Nair

Graphics

Abhinash Sahu

Production Coordinator

Melwyn D'sa

Cover Work

Melwyn D'sa

About the Author

Sumit Bisht currently works as a Senior Software Engineer at a software service outsourcing firm. He has experience in both project and product-based companies and has done Masters in Computer Applications in addition to self-taught learning as part of his learning process towards making computers work. He has keen interests in leveraging various open source technologies for developing better software, considers himself a polyglot programmer and has experience working with different programming. While not working, he devotes his time in learning new researches and technologies, reviewing technical books on a wide variety of topics, sharing interesting information, and evangelizing open source philosophy through his blog, sumitbisht.blogspot.in.

I'd like to thank Vikram Mohan Sujanani for introducing me to the Robot Framework, while being my patient mentor, and Jayanti Kumar Srivastava for his support and expertise while unraveling elements of the framework. The entire Packt Publication team has worked tirelessly and persistently towards making this book a reality, and deserve a pat on the back. I am also grateful to Syed Mohd Mohsin Akhtar for reviewing this book. Last but not least, a huge thanks to Pekka Klärck and other members of the open source community for making available this versatile software and painstakingly extending help to various users.

About the Reviewers

Syed Mohd Mohsin Akhtar is a Software Engineer (R&D) at Encardio-Rite Electronics Pvt. Ltd., Lucknow, India. He received his M.C.A.(Hons.) from GBTU, India and eventually earned his spot as Software Engineer at DataBorough India a research subsidiary of DataBorough UK. He also has a specialized degree in Computer Maintenance from Aligarh Muslim University, India. He has been a Microsoft Student Partner, member OSUM (Open Source University Meetup), and an active member within several technical forums in his college days. ...

Table of contents

• Robot Framework Test Automation