RobotFramework Standards

RobotFramework team has given guidelines --> HowToWriteGoodTestCasesWithExamples. Similar to coding standards, Automation team should use certain guidelines for Keyword-Driven framework also. It would be more useful to functional team as well as other teams.

Test Suite / Script

• Test Script names should be less than 20 characters and file type should be HTML.
• It should be easily readable and self-explanatory.
• Remember that suite names are created automatically from file/directory names. Extensions are stripped, underscores are converted to spaces and, if name is all lower case, words are capitalized. For example login_tests.html -> Login Tests and DHCP_and_DNS -> DHCP and DNS.
• Documentation should be updated with purpose of the script and pre-conditions.
• Proper keywords should be given for Suite Setup, Suite Teardown, Test Setup and Test Teardown.
• Should not have too many tests (max 50) in one suite unless they are data-driven.

TestCases / Tests

• Test case names should be less than 40 characters and file type should be HTML.
• Test case Name should be in camel case (In a word, First letter is capital and remaining letters are in small).
• It should be easily readable and self explanatory.
• Documentation should be updated with manual test case steps, notes and pre-conditions.
• Proper keywords should be given for Suite Setup, Suite Teardown, Test Setup and Test Teardown.
• Appropriate tags should be given for each case.
• Tests should be independent.
• In dependant tests, detailed notes should be given. Consider verifying the status of the previous test using ${PREV TEST STATUS} variable.
• Hard coding of object name should be avoided.
• Should contain many high level keywords instead of repeating steps often.
• High level keywords should be used for navigation.
• Local variables should have prefix char ‘t’ as temporary variables

Resources

• Keep all resource files in single folder.
• Resource file names should be less than 20 characters and file type should be HTML.
• All characters should be small characters.
• Documentation should be updated with purpose.
• All constants should be maintained in separate resource file.
• Keep separate resource files for application’s data.
• Keep separate resource files for all GUI objects page wise or module-wise.
• Group the high level keywords by categories like business logic, module and general.

High Level Keyword / User Keyword / Function

• Function names should be less than 35 characters.
• It should be easily readable and self explanatory.
• For easy readability, it should be in camel case (Capital & Small letters).
• Prefixes are sometimes useful. For example, Is - to ask a question about something, Get - get a value, Set - set a value
• Can have space for better readability.
• Documentation should have clear details for purpose, variables and returning values.
• Hard coding of object name should be avoided.
• Arguments should have char ‘p’ as prefix and returned variable should have char ‘r’ as prefix.
• Local variables should have prefix char ‘t’ as temporary variables
• Duplicate Functions should not be added.
• Can contain some programming logic (for loops, if/else)
• Complex logic in libraries rather than in user keywords
• Important variables can have comments on the RHS

Variables

• Variable names should be less than 20 characters.
• Variables should have meaningful words
• For easy readability, it should be in camel case (Capital & Small letters).
• Local variables should have prefix char ‘t’ as temporary variables
• Arguments should have char ‘p’ as prefix and returned variable should have char ‘r’ as prefix.
• GUI object variables should have char ‘o’ as prefix.
• Constant variables should be in Capital letters. For example, APP_URL, DB_SERVER. All other type of variables should have mixed style (small and capital) characters.
• Script/Global variables should be defined at the top of the script.
• Function / test case level variables should be defined at top of the function.
• Can have space. But try to restrict for minimum