Get Up And Run Robot Framework In 10 Minutes

Robot framework is an extensive and widely used test automation framework which (along with RIDE) gives you an easy to use and easy to navigate interface and neat style IDE. It has huge support for a variety of external and internal libraries for keywords support, using which, a user can develop new high-level keywords with the help of the existing ones. Since Robot is an open source and verily used framework, you can find its detailed documentation from GITHUB to know more about it. (It’s not only detailed but good to understand as well).

In this article, I’ll share ‘How to setup Robot framework & RIDE IDE to write and execute your test cases in an easy and tabular manner’. To set up and configure the Robot framework correctly, you will be needing installation of the following software and tools.

1. Python
2. Iron Python.
3. Robot Framework.
4. Element Tree.
5. RIDE
6. WXPython

Installation of Required tools

• Install and set up Python

Install the latest version of Python, set the installation directory “C:\Python27”, and set its environment variables, paths for Python and Python scripts as well. To set up the environment variables, follow the steps mentioned below.

1. Right-click on "My Computer" icon.
2. Click "Properties".
3. Find "Advanced System Settings" and click it.
4. Click on "Environment Variables" button.
5. In System Variables portion, find the Path Variable, click it, and click "Edit".
6. Append Paths for Python and Python Script as “C:\Python27;C:\Python27\Scripts;”.

• Install and set up Iron Python

To set up the Iron Python correctly, you need .NET version 4.0.  Download the setup from its official site, and then run and install it in “C:\ IronPython 2.7”. Append the path for Iron Python and Iron Python scripts in the Environment variable as we have done in the case of python above.

i.e.

Paths for Iron Python and Iron Python Scripts should be-  “C:\IronPython 2.7 and C:\IronPython 2.7\Scripts;”.

• Install and set up Robot Framework

You can download robotframework-3.0 or any latest version from its official site. After extracting the files (in the C: drive), execute the following command on the command prompt.

Note
Open the command prompt inthe same directory the setup file is residing. You will get it by keeping CTRL+ SHIT pressed, right-click anywhere and then select open cmd here.

Now, execute this command.

• Install Element Tree

Download and install the latest version of Elementtree-master from this link. I repeat, don’t extract all these setup files anywhere but in the C drive itself. Execute the following command from the same directory to install Element Tree.

Element tree is an API for extracting and manipulating XML, since XML is all about tree like structure and all we need to do is the manipulation and navigations along its nodes, branches, decedents, children and subtrees. ElementTree comes in the two implementations one in Python and the second implementation of it is in C. You don’t need to know more about element tree or about the flavors of its implementations but if you want to look into it more, then refer its official site.   

• Install RIDE – You need an IDE to write better script on

RIDE is an IDE to write automation scripts in a tabulated and organized manner. Get it via download from its official site or better to meet at GIT. The setup will guide you through the installation. Keep the directory path “C:\Python27\” and Installation Directory “C:\Python27\Lib\site-packages\”.

• Install WXPython

Download and install WXPython from this link, the setup wizard will let you through the steps. Keep the path “C:\Python27\Lib\site-packages”

WXPython is a cross-platform GUI toolkit for the python language, which helps users to build interactive python applications for all hybrid platforms (Mac, Unix, Windows) with few modifications. Learn more about it from this link but if working along with robot framework either or writing test scripts we won’t need to know about it.

Run Test Case – Finally it’s time to roll 

Now, you are all set to write and execute your test scripts in an appropriate and fully configured automation environment. To be precise you will be using RIDE as an IDE to write your test cases there and you will not be interacting with any of the setups we have configured above.  Launch RIDE, open the directory where you have kept your test cases, and start a new journey with smart automation.