Automation with Robot Framework

Configuration of the execution environment

The allure-robotframework Python module must be present in the execution environment.
It can be installed with the command:

pip install allure-robotframework

In order to retrieve the Squash TM parameters, the squash-tf-services Python library must be present.
It can be installed with the command:

pip install squash-tf-services

Test reference in Squash TM

In order to bind a Squash TM test case to a Robot Framework automated test, the content of the Automated test reference field of the Automation block of a test case must have the following format:

[repository]/[file]#[test_case]
or
[repository]/[file]
(The reference contains zero or one # character.)

with:

[repository]: Name of the Git repository.
[file]: Path and name of the Robot Framework test, from the root of the project (with the .robot extension).
It is possible to not indicate a .robot file name and, instead, only define the name of a folder. In this case, all the .robot files of this folder and its sub-folders will be executed.
[test_case]: Name of the test case to execute in the .robot file(s).
This parameter is optional, i.e. it may be absent.

Determination of the result of the test case

If a test case [test_case] is not specified, the result of the Squash TM test case is calculated by taking into account the individual results of each test in the file/folder [file]:

If at least one test has an Error status (in case of a technical issue), the status of the execution will be Blocked.
If at least one test fails functionally and none of the other ones has an Error status, the status of the execution will be Failed.
If all tests succeed, the status of the execution will be Success.

Nature of the exploitable Squash TM parameters

The exploitable Squash TM parameters will differ depending on whether you're using the Community/Premium or Ultimate version of Squash.

Here is a table showing the exploitable parameters (these parameters are transmitted as test parameters, see below, Squash TM does not generate global parameters):

Nature	Key	Community/Premium	Ultimate
Name of the dataset	DSNAME	✅	✅
Dataset parameter	DS_[name]	✅	✅
Execution ID	TC_EXECUTION_ID	❌	✅
Test case reference	TC_REFERENCE	✅	✅
Test case internal UUID	TC_UUID	✅	✅
Test case custom field	TC_CUF_[code]	✅	✅
Iteration custom field	IT_CUF_[code]	❌	✅
Campaign custom field	CPG_CUF_[code]	❌	✅
Test suite custom field	TS_CUF_[code]	❌	✅

Legend:

[code]: Value of the "Code" of a custom field
[name]: Parameter name as filled in Squash TM

Availability of the execution ID

TC_EXECUTION_ID is only available with Squash TM 8.0 or later.

As indicated, Squash TM adds a prefix to the code of the transmitted custom field. Make sure to take it into account.

Refer to the Squash TM documentation for more information about custom fields.

Parameters usage

It is possible, when running Robot Framework tests, to exploit parameters within it. A parameter can be a test parameter or a global parameter. Squash TM transmits only test parameters. Test parameters and global parameters can be used in the case of a launch from a CI/CD pipeline with the robotframework/params action.

In order to achieve this, you have to follow these steps:

Import the squash-tf-services library in the Settings section of the .robot file:
```
Library squash_tf.TFParamService
```
You can then retrieve the value of a parameter by calling one of the following keywords:
- ${value}= Get Global Param key
  
  ${value}= Get Global Param key default_value
  
  This keyword retrieves the value of a global parameter.
  If it exists, its value is assigned to ${value}.
  Otherwise the default value is assigned to ${value}; if no default value was provided, None is used.
  Example:
```
${parameter}=    Get Global Param    target_base_url    http:localhost:8080/sut/
```
- ${value}= Get Test Param key
  
  ${value}= Get Test Param key default_value
  
  This keyword retrieves the value of a test parameter.
  If it exists, its value is assigned to ${value}.
  Otherwise the default value is assigned to ${value}; if no default value was provided, None is used.
  Example:
```
${login}=    Get Test Param    TC_CUF_login    test_user
```
- ${value}= Get Param key
  
  ${value}= Get Param key default_value
  
  This keyword combines both types of parameters.
  If a test parameter exists, its value is assigned to ${value}.
  Otherwise, if a global parameter exists, its value is assigned to ${value}.
  Otherwise, the default value is assigned to ${value}; if no default value was provided, None is used.
  Example:
```
${login}=    Get Param    login    test_user
```

Example

Below is an example of a Robot Framework test file and the corresponding Squash TM test case automation:

Robot Framework example

Adding parameters to the test launch command line

You can pass additional parameters to the robot command using the ROBOTFRAMEWORK_EXTRA_OPTIONS environment variable. Here is an example of how to define an environment variable in Squash TM and associate it with the orchestrator.

Some parameters are already defined in the robot command used to launch tests:

robot \
  $ROBOTFRAMEWORK_EXTRA_OPTIONS \
  --nostatusrc --listener "allure_robotframework;." \
  --test {testcase_name} "{datasource_path}"

You must avoid passing, via the ROBOTFRAMEWORK_EXTRA_OPTIONS variable, the command line parameters that conflict with the parameters already used, or the parameters that impact the generation or alter the path of the reports expected by the orchestrator (view the report list).

Non-support of the space character on Linux

Squash Orchestrator currently does not support the space character () in the ROBOTFRAMEWORK_EXTRA_OPTIONS environment variable for tests executed in a Linux execution environment.

Supported versions

Squash has been validated with Robot Framework 4.0. Any recent version should work properly.

${value}=	Get Global Param	key
${value}=	Get Global Param	key	default_value

${value}=	Get Test Param	key
${value}=	Get Test Param	key	default_value