You're right to ask about supported file formats! While Robot Framework is most known for its plain text, tabular format, it's actually quite flexible. Here's a breakdown of the file formats you can use for your test cases:
1. Plain Text (Tabular Format):
- This is the most common and default format.
- You organize your test data (test cases, keywords, variables, etc.) in tables within plain text files.
- Uses spaces or pipes (
|) as separators between columns in the tables.
- File extensions:
.txt
Example:
***Settings***
Library SeleniumLibrary
***Test Cases***
Open Browser and Navigate to Website
Open Browser ${URL} ${BROWSER}
Maximize Browser Window
Title Should Be Example Domain
2. HTML:
- You can write your Robot Framework test data in HTML format.
- This can be useful if you want to use HTML editors or tools to create and edit your test cases.
- File extensions:
.html
3. TSV (Tab Separated Values):
- TSV files are similar to CSV files, but they use tabs as separators instead of commas.
- This can be a convenient format if you are working with data that contains commas.
- File extensions:
.tsv
4. reStructuredText:
- reStructuredText is a markup language that is often used for technical documentation.
- Robot Framework supports using reStructuredText files for test cases.
- File extensions:
.robot.rst, .rst, .rest
5. JSON:
- JSON (JavaScript Object Notation) is a popular format for data exchange.
- Robot Framework also supports using JSON files for test cases.
- File extensions:
.json
Important Notes:
- File extension matters: Robot Framework often determines the file format based on the file extension.
- Plain text is still king: While other formats are supported, the plain text tabular format remains the most widely used due to its readability and simplicity.
If you're starting out with Robot Framework, I'd recommend sticking with the plain text format. It's the easiest to learn and use, and it's well-suited for most testing scenarios.
