managing-robot-framework

name	managing-robot-framework
description	Use when working with Robot Framework — robot Framework test automation management and analysis. Covers test suite organization, keyword library management, variable file configuration, output XML parsing, log and report analysis, and resource file review. Use when managing Robot Framework suites, investigating test failures, or reviewing keyword-driven test automation.
connection_type	robot-framework
preload	false

Robot Framework Test Automation Management Skill

Manage and analyze Robot Framework test suites, keywords, and results.

Core Helper Functions

#!/bin/bash

# Parse Robot Framework output.xml
robot_results() {
    local output="${1:-output.xml}"
    python3 -c "
from robot.api import ExecutionResult
result = ExecutionResult('$output')
stats = result.statistics.total
import json
print(json.dumps({
    'total': stats.total,
    'passed': stats.passed,
    'failed': stats.failed,
    'skipped': stats.skipped,
    'elapsed': str(result.suite.elapsedtime)
}))
" 2>/dev/null
}

MANDATORY: Discovery-First Pattern

Always discover test suites and keyword libraries before querying specifics.

Phase 1: Discovery

#!/bin/bash

echo "=== Robot Framework Version ==="
robot --version 2>/dev/null || python3 -m robot --version 2>/dev/null

echo ""
echo "=== Test Suite Files ==="
find . -name "*.robot" 2>/dev/null | wc -l | xargs echo "Total .robot files:"
find . -name "*.robot" 2>/dev/null | head -15

echo ""
echo "=== Resource Files ==="
find . -name "*.resource" 2>/dev/null | head -10

echo ""
echo "=== Variable Files ==="
find . -name "*variables*" -name "*.py" -o -name "*variables*" -name "*.yaml" 2>/dev/null | head -10

echo ""
echo "=== Library Imports ==="
grep -rh "Library " --include="*.robot" 2>/dev/null | sort -u | head -15

echo ""
echo "=== Tags in Use ==="
grep -rh "\[Tags\]" --include="*.robot" 2>/dev/null | sed 's/.*\[Tags\]\s*//' | tr '    ' '\n' | sort | uniq -c | sort -rn | head -15

Phase 2: Analysis

#!/bin/bash

echo "=== Test Results ==="
OUTPUT=$(find . -name "output.xml" 2>/dev/null | head -1)
if [ -n "$OUTPUT" ]; then
    robot_results "$OUTPUT"

    echo ""
    echo "=== Failed Tests ==="
    python3 -c "
from robot.api import ExecutionResult
result = ExecutionResult('$OUTPUT')
for test in result.suite.all_tests:
    if test.status == 'FAIL':
        print(f'{test.name}\t{test.message[:80]}')
" 2>/dev/null | column -t | head -15

    echo ""
    echo "=== Suite Statistics ==="
    python3 -c "
from robot.api import ExecutionResult
result = ExecutionResult('$OUTPUT')
for suite in result.suite.suites:
    stats = suite.statistics
    print(f'{suite.name}\tP={stats.passed}\tF={stats.failed}\tS={stats.skipped}')
" 2>/dev/null | column -t | head -15
fi

echo ""
echo "=== Custom Keywords ==="
grep -rh "^\*\*\* Keywords \*\*\*" --include="*.robot" -A 20 2>/dev/null | grep -E "^[A-Z]" | head -15

Output Rules

• TOKEN EFFICIENCY: Target 50 lines per output
• Parse output.xml programmatically via robot.api
• Never dump full log.html — summarize key failures and statistics

Anti-Hallucination Rules

• NEVER guess test case names — always discover from .robot files
• NEVER fabricate test results — parse actual output.xml
• NEVER assume keyword availability — check Library imports and resource files

Safety Rules

• NEVER modify .robot files without explicit user confirmation
• NEVER delete output.xml, log.html, or report.html without user approval
• NEVER run tests without user consent — they may interact with live systems

Output Format

Present results as a structured report:

Managing Robot Framework Report
═══════════════════════════════
Resources discovered: [count]

Resource       Status    Key Metric    Issues
──────────────────────────────────────────────
[name]         [ok/warn] [value]       [findings]

Summary: [total] resources | [ok] healthy | [warn] warnings | [crit] critical
Action Items: [list of prioritized findings]

Target ≤50 lines of output. Use tables for multi-resource comparisons.

Counter-Rationalizations

Shortcut	Counter	Why
"I'll skip discovery and check known resources"	Always run Phase 1 discovery first	Resource names change, new resources appear — assumed names cause errors
"The user only asked for a quick check"	Follow the full discovery → analysis flow	Quick checks miss critical issues; structured analysis catches silent failures
"Default configuration is probably fine"	Audit configuration explicitly	Defaults often leave logging, security, and optimization features disabled
"Metrics aren't needed for this"	Always check relevant metrics when available	API/CLI responses show current state; metrics reveal trends and intermittent issues
"I don't have access to that"	Try the command and report the actual error	Assumed permission failures prevent useful investigation; actual errors are informative