Are you tired of manually re-running failed test cases, only to find that you’re stuck in a never-ending loop of debugging and frustration? Do you wish there was a way to automate the process, using different sets of data to ensure that your test cases are robust and reliable? Look no further! In this article, we’ll show you how to run failed test cases using Pabot with multiple argument files, and take your testing game to the next level.
What is Pabot?
Pabot is a command-line tool that allows you to run Robot Framework test cases in parallel, using multiple processes or threads. This makes it an ideal solution for large-scale testing, where speed and efficiency are crucial. With Pabot, you can run multiple test cases simultaneously, reducing the overall testing time and improving your productivity.
Why Use Multiple Argument Files?
Using multiple argument files with Pabot allows you to run the same test cases with different sets of data, without having to modify the test cases themselves. This is particularly useful when you need to test a feature or functionality with different inputs, such as different user credentials, payment methods, or product configurations.
Imagine you’re testing an e-commerce website, and you need to ensure that the payment gateway works correctly with different credit card types. With multiple argument files, you can run the same test case multiple times, each time with a different credit card type, without having to create separate test cases for each variation.
Setting Up Pabot with Multiple Argument Files
Before we dive into the nitty-gritty of running failed test cases with Pabot, let’s cover the basics of setting up Pabot with multiple argument files.
Step 1: Install Pabot
pip install pabot
Step 2: Create an Argument File
An argument file is a simple text file that contains the input data for your test cases. For example, let’s create an argument file called `credit_card_types.txt` with the following content:
--variable credit_card_type:Visa --variable credit_card_number:4111111111111111 --variable expiration_date:12/2025
Step 3: Create Multiple Argument Files
Create multiple argument files, each with a different set of data. For example, you can create `mastercard.txt` and `amex.txt` files with the following content:
--variable credit_card_type:Mastercard --variable credit_card_number:5105105105105100 --variable expiration_date:12/2025
--variable credit_card_type:American Express --variable credit_card_number:378282246310005 --variable expiration_date:12/2025
Running Test Cases with Pabot and Multiple Argument Files
Now that we have our argument files set up, let’s run our test cases using Pabot. The basic syntax for running Pabot is:
pabot --argumentfile1 file1.txt --argumentfile2 file2.txt ... test_case.robot
Replace `file1.txt`, `file2.txt`, etc. with the names of your argument files, and `test_case.robot` with the name of your test case file.
For example, to run a test case called `payment_gateway_test.robot` with the `credit_card_types.txt`, `mastercard.txt`, and `amex.txt` argument files, you would use the following command:
pabot --argumentfile1 credit_card_types.txt --argumentfile2 mastercard.txt --argumentfile3 amex.txt payment_gateway_test.robot
This will run the `payment_gateway_test.robot` test case three times, each time with a different set of data from the argument files.
Running Failed Test Cases with Pabot
Now that we’ve covered the basics of running test cases with Pabot and multiple argument files, let’s talk about running failed test cases.
When you run a test case with Pabot, it will output a report that lists the test cases that failed. You can then use this report to re-run the failed test cases using the following syntax:
pabot --rerunfailed output.xml
Replace `output.xml` with the name of the report file generated by Pabot.
But what if you want to re-run the failed test cases with a different set of data? That’s where the `–rehek` option comes in. This option allows you to re-run the failed test cases with a new set of data from an argument file.
For example, let’s say you want to re-run the failed test cases from the previous run, but this time with the `visa_gold.txt` argument file. You would use the following command:
pabot --rerunfailed output.xml --argumentfile visa_gold.txt
This will re-run the failed test cases from the previous run, using the data from the `visa_gold.txt` argument file.
Example Scenario: Re-Running Failed Test Cases with Multiple Argument Files
Let’s say you’re testing a payment gateway, and you want to ensure that it works correctly with different credit card types. You have three argument files: `visa.txt`, `mastercard.txt`, and `amex.txt`, each with a different set of credit card data.
You run the test case `payment_gateway_test.robot` with Pabot, using the following command:
pabot --argumentfile1 visa.txt --argumentfile2 mastercard.txt --argumentfile3 amex.txt payment_gateway_test.robot
The test case fails with one of the credit card types, say Mastercard. You want to re-run the failed test case with a different set of data, say the `mastercard_gold.txt` argument file.
You can use the following command to re-run the failed test case:
pabot --rerunfailed output.xml --argumentfile mastercard_gold.txt
This will re-run the failed test case with the data from the `mastercard_gold.txt` argument file.
Conclusion
In this article, we’ve covered the basics of running failed test cases using Pabot with multiple argument files. We’ve shown you how to set up Pabot with multiple argument files, run test cases with different sets of data, and re-run failed test cases with new data.
By using Pabot with multiple argument files, you can significantly reduce the time and effort required to test and debug your application. You can also ensure that your test cases are more robust and reliable, by testing them with different sets of data.
Additional Resources
For more information on Pabot and Robot Framework, check out the following resources:
Frequently Asked Questions
Q: Can I use Pabot with other testing frameworks besides Robot Framework?
A: Yes, Pabot can be used with other testing frameworks that supportArgument Files, such as Pytest and Unittest.
Q: Can I run Pabot on a CI/CD pipeline?
A: Yes, Pabot can be integrated with CI/CD pipelines, such as Jenkins and GitLab CI/CD, to automate testing and deployment.
Q: Can I use Pabot with cloud-based testing services?
A: Yes, Pabot can be used with cloud-based testing services, such as Sauce Labs and BrowserStack, to automate testing on different environments and browsers.
Final Thoughts
Running failed test cases with Pabot and multiple argument files is a powerful way to ensure that your test cases are robust and reliable. By automating the process of re-running failed test cases with different sets of data, you can significantly reduce the time and effort required to test and debug your application.
With Pabot, you can take your testing game to the next level, and ensure that your application is of the highest quality.
| Argument File | Description |
|---|---|
| visa.txt | Visa credit card data |
| mastercard.txt | Mastercard credit card data |
| amex.txt | American Express credit card data |
| mastercard_gold.txt | Mastercard Gold
Frequently Asked QuestionGet the inside scoop on running failed test cases using pabot with multiple argument files! How do I run failed test cases using pabot with a single argument file?To run failed test cases using pabot with a single argument file, you can use the following command: `pabot –rerunfailed output.xml –argumentfile1 argfile1.yaml`. This will rerun the failed test cases from the previous run, using the test data from `argfile1.yaml`. Easy peasy! Can I run failed test cases using pabot with multiple argument files, each with a different set of data?Absolutely! You can run failed test cases using pabot with multiple argument files by separating them with commas. For example: `pabot –rerunfailed output.xml –argumentfile1 argfile1.yaml –argumentfile2 argfile2.yaml –argumentfile3 argfile3.yaml`. This will rerun the failed test cases using the test data from all three argument files. How do I specify the output file for the rerun test cases using pabot?To specify the output file for the rerun test cases using pabot, you can use the `-o` or `–output` option followed by the desired output file name. For example: `pabot –rerunfailed output.xml –argumentfile1 argfile1.yaml -o rerun_output.xml`. This will save the output of the rerun test cases to `rerun_output.xml`. Can I use pabot to rerun failed test cases from multiple output files?Yes, you can! To rerun failed test cases from multiple output files using pabot, you can specify multiple output files separated by commas. For example: `pabot –rerunfailed output1.xml,output2.xml,output3.xml –argumentfile1 argfile1.yaml`. This will rerun the failed test cases from all three output files using the test data from `argfile1.yaml`. What if I want to rerun only a specific set of failed test cases using pabot?You can do that! To rerun only a specific set of failed test cases using pabot, you can use the `–test` option followed by the test case names or tags. For example: `pabot –rerunfailed output.xml –argumentfile1 argfile1.yaml –test tag1,tag2,my_test-case`. This will rerun only the failed test cases with the specified tags or names.  |
