orhankalyon / robotframework-chromefortesting

Actually automated Chrome for Testing.

robotframework-chromefortesting 🇺🇦

The only extension for seamless setup of Chrome for Testing (CfT) in and within Robot Framework.

For detailed information on CfT, refer to the official CfT documentation:

• Chrome for Testing Documentation
• Google Chrome Labs - Chrome for Testing (CfT)

📖 Overview

🎩 Before proceeding check out release checklist

This module provides a conveniet keyword that takes care of automated installation and configuration of specific Chromium flavour: Chrome for Testing. Dynamically ensures a consistent automation testing environment across multiple platforms, by encapsulation of automatic browser infrastructure setup.

📦 Instalation

pip install robotframework-chromefortesting

It is highly recommended to use a virtual environment (.venv) for achieving best reliability.

🔨 Usage

In your Robot Framework script:

*** Settings ***
Library    ChromeForTesting

*** Test Cases ***
Open page
    Open Chrome Browser    https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Grapefruit

*** Keywords ***
Open Chrome Browser    ${url}
    # Create your own custom browser/page opener and adjust further if required
    Initialise Chrome For Testing    ${channel}=stable    ${path}=None    ${headless}=False
    Open Browser    ${url}    browser=chrome

⚠️ Oi, Windows!

On Windows Chromedriver will attempt to access Google Chrome default binary install location C:\Program Files\Google\Chrome\Application\ uncoditionally. Alas, such attempt of access takes precedence over system-wide %PATH% executable path and any kind of virtual environment activation %PATH% control. Thus, to harden only CfT binary recognition, consider the following strategies based on your specific use case, context, workflow, or pipeline:

0. Ditch Google Chrome -> OK for CI/CD agents & containers, humankind.
1. 💡 Capture module keyword output & provide with Open Browser options:

*** Keywords ***
Open Chrome Browser    ${url}
    ${binary_location}    Initialise Chrome For Testing    ${channel}=stable
    ${options}    Set Variable    add_argument("--binary-location=${binary_location}")
    Open Browser    ${url}    chrome    options=${options}

2. Select Beta instead of Stable channel (or any other). Version divergence against consumer release of Google Chrome will result in non-compatible binary bypass. -> OK for anticipatory automated testing, smart.
3. Rename default Google Chrome executable: chrome.exe -> googlechrome.exe -> OK, obscure.

📋 Checklist

• complete platform detection
• chrome binary return support
• headless chrome support
• explicit Robot Framework logging
• progress bar for downloads
• complete error handling