qa-robot-framework-writer

name	qa-robot-framework-writer
description	Generate Robot Framework tests for E2E, acceptance testing, and RPA with keyword-driven human-readable syntax, SeleniumLibrary, BrowserLibrary, and RequestsLibrary.
output_dir	tests/e2e

QA Robot Framework Writer

Purpose

Write Robot Framework tests from test case specifications. Transform structured test cases (from qa-testcase-from-docs, qa-manual-test-designer, qa-testcase-from-ui, or specs) into executable .robot files with keyword-driven syntax, resource files, and proper configuration.

Trigger Phrases

• "Write Robot Framework tests for [feature/flow]"
• "Generate Robot Framework E2E tests from test cases"
• "Create Robot Framework acceptance tests"
• "Add Robot Framework tests with SeleniumLibrary"
• "Robot Framework tests for [URL/flow]"
• "Robot Framework API tests with RequestsLibrary"
• "Robot Framework RPA automation for [task]"
• "BrowserLibrary Playwright tests in Robot Framework"
• "Data-driven Robot Framework tests"
• "BDD-style Robot Framework tests"

Key Features

Feature	Description
Keyword-driven	Human-readable keywords; business logic in reusable keywords
Human-readable syntax	Plain-text, tab-separated; no programming required for basic tests
SeleniumLibrary	Browser automation (Open Browser, Input Text, Click Element)
BrowserLibrary	Playwright-based modern browser automation
RequestsLibrary	API testing (GET, POST, PUT, DELETE)
Built-in data-driven	FOR loops, template tests, variable tables
Variable support	*** Variables ***, variable files, ${VAR} syntax
Extensible via Python	Custom libraries, listener APIs

Test Types

Type	Scope	Approach
E2E web	Full user flows, browser interactions	SeleniumLibrary or BrowserLibrary
Acceptance	BDD-style Given/When/Then	Gherkin-like keywords
RPA	Desktop/file/process automation	RPA Framework, Process, OperatingSystem
API	REST endpoints	RequestsLibrary

Workflow

1. Read test cases — From specs, requirements, or manual test designs
2. Generate .robot files — Produce {feature}.robot with test cases and keywords
3. Add resource files — Shared keywords in resources/*.robot
4. Configure — Variable files, output dir, listeners, CLI options

Context7 MCP

Use Context7 MCP for Robot Framework documentation when:

• Library keyword syntax (SeleniumLibrary, BrowserLibrary, RequestsLibrary) is uncertain
• Variable scope, FOR loops, or template syntax needs verification
• Resource file import or variable file format requires reference

Key Patterns

Pattern	Usage
*** Settings ***	Library imports, resource imports, suite/test setup
*** Variables ***	Suite-level variables
*** Test Cases ***	Test case definitions
*** Keywords ***	Reusable keyword definitions
Given/When/Then	BDD-style keyword naming
FOR loops	FOR ${item} IN @{list}
IF/ELSE	IF condition ... ELSE ...
TRY/EXCEPT	Error handling in keywords
Template tests	Data-driven via [Template]
[Documentation]	Test/keyword documentation
[Tags]	Test categorization

Libraries

Library	Purpose	Key Keywords
SeleniumLibrary	Browser (Selenium)	Open Browser, Input Text, Click Element, Get Title, Close Browser
BrowserLibrary	Browser (Playwright)	New Browser, Click, Fill Text, Get Text, Close Browser
RequestsLibrary	API	GET, POST, PUT, DELETE, Create Session, Status Should Be
BuiltIn	Core	Log, Should Be Equal, Run Keyword If, Fail, Sleep
Collections	Lists/dicts	Get From List, Append To List, Dictionary Should Contain Key
String	String ops	Get Length, Should Contain, Replace String
DateTime	Date/time	Get Current Date, Add Time To Date

File Naming

• {feature}.robot — Test files (e.g., login.robot, checkout.robot)
• resources/*.robot — Resource files for shared keywords (e.g., resources/common.robot)
• variables.py or variables.robot — Variable files for environment/config

Scope

Can do (autonomous):

• Generate Robot Framework tests from test case specs
• Create .robot files with Settings, Variables, Test Cases, Keywords
• Add resource files for shared keywords
• Use SeleniumLibrary, BrowserLibrary, RequestsLibrary as appropriate
• Apply BDD-style Given/When/Then, data-driven (FOR, template), TRY/EXCEPT
• Configure variable files, output dir, basic CLI options
• Call qa-diagram-generator for test flow diagrams if needed
• Use Context7 MCP for Robot Framework docs

Cannot do (requires confirmation):

• Change production code to satisfy tests
• Add tests for requirements not in source documents
• Override project-level Robot config without approval
• Install new libraries not in project dependencies

Will not do (out of scope):

• Execute tests (user runs robot tests/ or robot -d output tests/)
• Write Playwright/Cypress TypeScript tests (use qa-playwright-ts-writer, qa-cypress-writer)
• Modify CI/CD pipelines

References

• references/patterns.md — Keyword-driven, BDD, data-driven, resource files, variable files
• references/libraries.md — SeleniumLibrary, BrowserLibrary, RequestsLibrary, BuiltIn, Collections
• references/config.md — CLI options, variable files, output dir, listeners
• references/best-practices.md — Keyword naming, resource organization, variable scope, test independence

Quality Checklist

• Tests match test case steps and expected results
• Keywords are reusable and well-named (Given/When/Then where appropriate)
• No hardcoded secrets or sensitive data (use variables)
• Resource files used for shared logic; no duplication
• Proper teardown (Close Browser, Delete All Sessions) in suite/test teardown
• File naming follows {feature}.robot convention
• [Documentation] and [Tags] applied for traceability
• Variable scope appropriate (suite vs test vs keyword)

Troubleshooting

Symptom	Likely Cause	Fix
Keyword not found	Library not imported, typo	Add Library LibraryName in Settings; check keyword spelling
Variable not defined	Scope or variable file	Define in Variables section or variable file; check ${VAR} syntax
Element not found	Selector, timing	Use Wait Until Element Is Visible; verify locator (id, xpath, css)
Resource import fails	Path, file missing	Use relative path from test file; ensure resource exists
API test fails	Session, URL	Create Session before requests; verify base URL
Browser not opening	Driver, browser binary	Install chromedriver/geckodriver; or use BrowserLibrary (bundled)
FOR loop syntax error	Indentation, IN RANGE	Use 4+ spaces between FOR items; check IN vs IN RANGE