How do you handle dynamic web elements using Robot Framework?

Dynamic web elements are those whose attributes (like ID, name, or XPath) change during runtime. This makes it challenging to locate them reliably using static locators. Robot Framework, combined with SeleniumLibrary, provides several strategies to handle such elements:

1. Relative XPaths:

How it works: Instead of relying on absolute XPaths that might break when the element's position changes, you can construct relative XPaths that locate the element based on its relationship to a more stable ancestor or sibling element.
Example :

# Locate a stable ancestor element
${ancestor}    Locator of stable ancestor

# Locate the dynamic element relative to the ancestor
${dynamic_element}    XPath=//div[@id='${ancestor_id}']//button[contains(@class, 'dynamic-button')]
Click Element    ${dynamic_element}

2. CSS Selectors with Partial Matching:

How it works: If part of the CSS selector is stable, you can use partial matching techniques.
Example :

# If the class name changes but always contains 'product'
Click Element    css=button[class*='product']

# Or if the ID always starts with 'item-'
Click Element    css=div[id^='item-']

# Or if the ID always ends with '-details'
Click Element    css=a[id$='-details']

3. Contains Text or Value:

How it works: If the element's text or value is relatively stable, you can use keywords like Contains Text or Element Should Contain to locate it.
Example :

Element Should Contain    dynamic_element_locator    Part of the stable text

4. Using Variables in Locators:

How it works: Construct your locators using variables that you can update dynamically based on the context.
Example :

${product_id}    Get Text    product_id_element  # Get ID dynamically
${locator}    Set Variable    id=product_${product_id}
Click Element    ${locator}

5. Waiting Strategies:

How it works: Dynamic elements might take some time to appear. Use explicit waits to ensure the element is present before interacting with it.
Keywords: Wait Until Element Is Visible, Wait Until Page Contains Element, Wait Until Element Is Enabled
Example :

Wait Until Element Is Visible    dynamic_element_locator    5s    Element not found after 5 seconds
Click Element    dynamic_element_locator

6. Keyword Combinations:

How it works: Combine different techniques to create more robust locators.
Example :

${product_name}    Get Text    product_name_element
${locator}    Set Variable    xpath=//div[contains(@class, 'product')]//a[contains(text(), '${product_name}')]
Wait Until Element Is Visible    ${locator}
Click Element    ${locator}

7. Custom Locators (Advanced):

How it works: For very complex scenarios, you can create custom locators using JavaScript or other techniques. This is generally a last resort.

8. Test Data Setup:

How it works: If the dynamic element's attributes are based on data in your application, consider setting up your test data to know what to expect. For example, if you create a new product and its ID is dynamically generated, store that generated ID in a variable or database so your tests can use it.