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unittest VS Robot framework

Compare unittest VS Robot framework and see what are their differences

unittest logo unittest

Testing Frameworks

Robot framework logo Robot framework

Robot Framework is a generic test automation framework for acceptance testing and acceptance...
  • unittest Landing page
    Landing page //
    2023-10-19
  • Robot framework Landing page
    Landing page //
    2023-06-20

unittest features and specs

  • Standard Library Integration
    Unittest is part of the Python Standard Library, which means it is included with every standard Python installation. This makes it easily accessible and eliminates the need for additional dependencies.
  • Discoverability
    Unittest automatically discovers tests, which makes it simpler to organize and run a large suite of tests.
  • Test Suite Management
    It provides powerful mechanisms for structuring test cases, including test suites, test cases inheritance, and grouping of tests, allowing for better organization.
  • Compatibility with Other Testing Frameworks
    Unittest is compatible with test runners from other testing frameworks like pytest, providing flexibility and integration with more advanced features if needed.
  • Setup and Teardown Facilities
    It provides built-in setup and teardown methods with setUp(), tearDown(), setUpClass(), and tearDownClass(), which help in preparing the environment before tests and cleaning up afterward.

Possible disadvantages of unittest

  • Verbose Syntax
    The syntax for writing tests in unittest can be more verbose compared to some other testing frameworks, like pytest, which may lead to more boilerplate code.
  • Less Expressive Assertions
    Unittest comes with a set of built-in assertions that are sometimes not as expressive or convenient as those provided by other testing libraries like pytest.
  • Limited Fixtures Flexibility
    While unittest provides basic setUp and tearDown methods, it lacks more sophisticated fixtures that other frameworks like pytest offer, which can lead to less flexible test setups.
  • Steeper Learning Curve
    For beginners, unittest can have a steeper learning curve compared to simpler or more modern testing frameworks, mainly due to its structure and the amount of boilerplate.

Robot framework features and specs

  • Open Source
    Robot Framework is open-source, which means it is free to use and has a large community of users and contributors who continuously improve the tool and provide support.
  • Extensible
    Its extensible nature allows easy integration with various libraries and tools. Custom libraries can also be added to extend its functionality further.
  • Keyword-Driven Testing
    Utilizes a keyword-driven testing approach, making tests readable and simple to create even for non-programmers. This encourages collaboration between developers and non-technical stakeholders.
  • Platform Independent
    Robot Framework is platform-independent and can be run on different operating systems like Windows, macOS, and Linux.
  • Selenium Integration
    Offers seamless integration with Selenium, empowering it to be used for a wide range of web application testing tasks, from simple UI checks to complex automated workflows.
  • Rich Reporting
    Generates comprehensive logs and reports that help in the easy identification of test results and issues. The reports are user-friendly and provide detailed execution flow.
  • Data-Driven Testing
    Supports data-driven test cases, allowing tests to be executed with multiple sets of input data, enhancing test coverage.

Possible disadvantages of Robot framework

  • Learning Curve
    For those unfamiliar with keyword-driven testing or the framework itself, there can be a learning curve, particularly in understanding how to best structure test cases and use the available libraries.
  • Performance Overhead
    The high level of abstraction can introduce some performance overhead, making it less suitable for extremely performance-sensitive or low-level testing scenarios.
  • Limited Mobile Testing
    While it supports mobile testing through Appium, the support and community resources for mobile testing are not as robust as for web application testing.
  • Python Dependency
    It primarily relies on Python, which means that some organizations that use different programming languages might find it less straightforward to integrate and utilize effectively.
  • Debugging Complexity
    Debugging can be less intuitive compared to traditional code-based frameworks. Errors can sometimes be harder to trace due to the abstraction layer provided by keyword-driven scripting.

Analysis of Robot framework

Overall verdict

  • Yes, Robot Framework is a good choice for automating tests and processes, especially if you are looking for an open-source solution with strong community support and flexibility.

Why this product is good

  • Robot Framework is considered good because it is an open-source automation framework that supports both keyword and behavior-driven development (BDD). It is versatile and can be used for test automation and robotic process automation (RPA). It has a simple, human-readable syntax, making it accessible for non-programmers. The framework is extensible, allowing users to create custom libraries. It also integrates well with various tools and environments, which enhances its functionality.

Recommended for

  • QA engineers and testers looking for a robust test automation framework.
  • Organizations seeking an open-source tool for robotic process automation.
  • Teams that need a scalable solution that integrates with other tools.
  • Non-programmers who require a framework with an easy-to-understand syntax.

unittest videos

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Robot framework videos

Robot Framework Tutorial | Robot Framework With Python | Python Robot Framework | Edureka

More videos:

  • Review - The Robot Framework โ€“ Top 7 Things You Need to Know
  • Review - Robot Class vs Robot Framework Vs Robotic Process Automation

Category Popularity

0-100% (relative to unittest and Robot framework)
Automated Testing
20 20%
80% 80
Testing
26 26%
74% 74
Browser Testing
0 0%
100% 100
Online Services
100 100%
0% 0

User comments

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Reviews

These are some of the external sources and on-site user reviews we've used to compare unittest and Robot framework

unittest Reviews

25 Python Frameworks to Master
nose2 extends the built-in unittest library and provides a more powerful and flexible way to write and run tests. Itโ€™s an extensible tool, so you can use multiple built-in and third-party plugins to your advantage.
Source: kinsta.com

Robot framework Reviews

Top 5 Selenium Alternatives for Less Maintenance
Robot Framework is an open-source automation framework that uses a keyword-driven approach, making it easy to create and maintain test cases. It supports both codeless and script-based automation, making it versatile for various testing needs.
Best Automation Testing Tools (Free and Paid) | July 2022
Selenium is an open-source test automation framework that automates web browsers. It becomes a favorite automation tool of choice for automation testers. It acts as a core framework for open-source test automation software such as Watir, Robot Framework, Katalon Studio, and Protractor.
Top 10 Best Selenium Alternatives You Should Try
Robot Framework is an open-source test automation framework used for acceptance test-driven development (ATDD) and acceptance testing. Robot Framework is standard and uses a keyword-driven testing approach and behavior-driven.
Best Selenium Alternatives (Free and Paid) in 2021
Robot Framework is an open-source automation framework that implements the keyword-driven approach for acceptance testing and acceptance test-driven development (ATDD). Robot Framework provides frameworks for different test automation needs. But its test capability can be further extended by implementing additional test libraries using Python and Java. Selenium WebDriver is...
5 Selenium Alternatives to Fill in Your Top Testing Gaps
Robot Framework is an open-source Selenium alternative primarily for acceptance test-driven development (ATDD) and acceptance testing. Using the keyword-driven methodology, testers and developers can use Robot Framework as an automation system for web and mobile test automation.
Source: www.perfecto.io

Social recommendations and mentions

Based on our record, unittest should be more popular than Robot framework. It has been mentiond 63 times since March 2021. We are tracking product recommendations and mentions on various public social media platforms and blogs. They can help you identify which product is more popular and what people think of it.

unittest mentions (63)

  • Building a serverless GenAI API with FastAPI, AWS, and CircleCI
    Testing and validating the API is crucial to ensure it is functioning correctly before deploying it. Below are several tests using pytest and unittest packages. The unit tests check if the app runs locally and in AWS Lambda, ensuring that requests work in both setups. - Source: dev.to / 7 months ago
  • Using Selenium Webdriver with Python's unittest framework
    In this tutorial, we'll be going over how to use Selenium Webdriver with Python's unittest framework. We'll use webdriver-manager to automatically download and install the latest version of Chrome. - Source: dev.to / 8 months ago
  • Asynchronous Server: Building and Rigorously Testing a WebSocket and HTTP Server
    The last part of our CI/CD was running tests and getting coverage reports. In the Python ecosystem, pytest is an extremely popular testing framework. Though very tempting and might still be used later on, we will stick with Python's built-in testing library, unittest, and use coverage for measuring code test coverage of our program. Let's start with the test setup:. - Source: dev.to / 8 months ago
  • Enhance Your Project Quality with These Top Python Libraries
    Unittest is a built-in module of Python. Itโ€™s inspired by the xUnit framework architecture. This is a great tool to create and organise test cases in a systematic way. You can use unittest.mock with pytest when you need to create mock objects in your tests. The unittest.mock module is a powerful feature in Pythonโ€™s standard library for creating mock objects in your tests. It allows you to replace parts of your... - Source: dev.to / over 1 year ago
  • An Introduction to Testing with Django for Python
    Unittest is Python's built-in testing framework. Django extends it with some of its own functionality. - Source: dev.to / over 1 year ago
View more

Robot framework mentions (32)

  • Most Effective Approaches for Debugging Applications
    Fixing a bug is incomplete without preventing its recurrence. Root cause analysis (RCA), coupled with regression testing and documentation, ensures long-term reliability. Antony Marceles, Founder of Pumex Computing, emphasizes, โ€œFixing a bug is only part of the solution, preventing it from happening again is the real goal.โ€ Marcelesโ€™ team uses regression tests via Robot Framework and code reviews with Gerrit to... - Source: dev.to / 5 months ago
  • Robot Framework Using the Browser Library: Advantages, Disadvantages, and Practical Tips
    Documentation is your best friend. It provides comprehensive guides, examples, and API references to help you navigate the library effectively. Here you can access it, as well as the Robot Framework documentation. - Source: dev.to / 10 months ago
  • Automated Acceptance Testing with Robot Framework and Testkube
    The Robot Framework is an acceptance testing tool that is easy to write and manage due to its key-driven approach. Let us learn more about the Robot Framework to enable acceptance testing. - Source: dev.to / over 1 year ago
  • Beautiful is better than ugly, but my beginner code is horrible
    Well, I work with software quality and despite not having a strong foundation in automation, one fine day I decided to make a change. I have been working with Robot Framework for a few months - and that's when I got a taste of the power of python. Some time later, I dabbled a little with Cypress and Playwright, always using javascript. - Source: dev.to / almost 2 years ago
  • Embedded professionals, what kind of 'github' projects would make you hire a developer?
    I've used Lua/Busted in a data-heavy environment (telemetry from hospital ventilators). I've also used robot: https://robotframework.org/. Source: over 2 years ago
View more

What are some alternatives?

When comparing unittest and Robot framework, you can also consider the following products

pytest - Javascript Testing Framework

Selenium - Selenium automates browsers. That's it! What you do with that power is entirely up to you. Primarily, it is for automating web applications for testing purposes, but is certainly not limited to just that.

Pandas - Pandas is an open source library providing high-performance, easy-to-use data structures and data analysis tools for the Python.

Katalon - Built on the top of Selenium and Appium, Katalon Studio is a free and powerful automated testing tool for web testing, mobile testing, and API testing.

OSv - OSv is an open source project to build the best OS for cloud workloads

Cypress.io - Slow, difficult and unreliable testing for anything that runs in a browser. Install Cypress in seconds and take the pain out of front-end testing.