We previously explored how to use FlaUI with the nUnit framework. Now, let’s leverage its capabilities for automating Windows desktop applications by integrating it with Robot Framework.
I. Why Use FlaUI with Robot Framework?
Robot Framework uses a keyword-driven approach with a table format, making it easier to write and understand test cases, even for those without a strong programming background. But it lacks built-in functionalities for interacting directly with desktop applications. FlaUI help us to cover this gap by providing keywords specifically designed to control and interact with these UI elements within your Robot Framework tests.
II. robotframework-flaui Library
Robot Framework integrates with FlaUI through the robotframework-flaui library.
robotframework-FlaUI uses the FlaUI library to provide a keyword-driven approach for automating user interfaces in various Windows application types (Win32, WinForms, WPF, Store Apps). For example, We can use the Launch Application keyword to start the Calculator application:
Launch Application calc.exe
You can explore even more keywords in this comprehensive documentation: https://gdatasoftwareag.github.io/robotframework-flaui/
III. Element Locator
robotframework- flaui only uses XPath locators. And it offers flexibility within this method by allowing you to specify various criteria for targeting UI elements. For examples:
//Button[@Name=”Eight”]
/Window[starts-with(@Name,”FlaUI”)]//Edit[@AutomationId=”TextBox”]
/Window[contains(@Name,”FlaUI WPF”)]/TitleBar/Button[@Name=”Schließen” or @Name=”Close” or @AutomationId=”Close”]
You can refer to this link https://gdatasoftwareag.github.io/robotframework-flaui/xpath.html for more examples.
IV. Getting Started
a. Prerequisites:
– Ensure you have Python (version 3.8 or newer) installed with pip (package manager) available
– Install Robot Framework using command:
pip install robotframework.
– Install robotframework-flaui to integrate FlaUI using:
pip install robotframework-flaui
b. Sample Code:
Here’s a basic example demonstrating how to launch the Calculator app and enter a simple calculation:
c. Running the Tests:
V. Conclusion
Overall, FlaUI with Robot Framework is a strong option for automating Windows desktop applications, especially when you value ease of use, maintainability, and the ability to combine UI automation with other tasks within the Robot Framework.
By effectively combining Robot Framework and FlaUI, you can automate various tasks within your Windows desktop applications, streamlining your testing process and ensuring software quality.
Referral:
https://gdatasoftwareag.github.io/robotframework-flaui/keywords/3.0.2.html