robotframework-docker

This is an example of running robotframework selenium test in headlesschrome through docker image build. A simple guide to practice the test with docker images as well. Go through below guidance.

Table of Contents

1. Overview of Docker and its importance in automation CI testing.

2. Where to start?

3. Using the Ready-Made image

4. Creating your own images and then use it.

5. Using Docker-Compose command

   5.1 Why Docker-Compose command?

   5.2 how to use Docker-Compose

Overview of Docker and its importance in automation CI testing.

First of all if you are working as QA Automation engineer, then you should be aware of the struggles in test automation when it comes to testing against different test enviroments from scratch, installing all the dependencies in new machine, incompataible between drivers and browser versions etc. You should have heard of Docker, Container, Orchestration talk between developer and operations team. But Did you ever wonder how Docker can contribute to the field of test automation?

OK!!

First, lets talk about the advantages of utilizing Docker over the automation testing.

• Installation on any new machine only requires one tool (Docker) instead of multiple tools like Python, Pip, robot-framework, test libaries, user define keywords.
• Installation is harmonized over all team members and the CI enviroment is in one central place.
• Updating versions of individual components can be easily done using a separate docker image.

You understand the benefits of docker in testing, lets see now, how.

Where to start?

Whenever I am trying to learn new things then the most difficult part to figure out is to from where do I start? So let me tell you that as well. Since I am using Windows machine so in this whole learning path, I am going through windows steps.

• Start with creating an account on Docker Hub (its free)
• Install docker for windows desktop. Installation guidance with download
• If you are not able to install docker on windows due to some incompatibility , the you can use docker playground for practice.

Now there are two steps to use Docker.

1. Using the Ready-Made images
2. Creating your own images and then use it.

Using the Ready-Made image

We are going to use the image from dockerhub that has already been created. robotframework-docker-image

Run below command on the command line to pull the image from docker hub to your pc.

docker pull kumarshresthaanil/robotframework-docker

If you want to go inside container and run the script and dig into container

docker run -it --name robotframework-docker  kumarshresthaanil/robotframework-docker bash

robot googletest.robot

If you want to run the script from your computer and get the results in your local harddrive

docker run -v [local folder location]:/project/testresults --name robotframework-docker  kumarshresthaanil/robotframework-docker

Creating your own images and then use it.

For creating your image, you have to clone the project in your local drive.

• clone the project.

git clone https://github.com/Anilkumar-Shrestha/robotframework-docker.git

• After you have cloned the repository on your local drive, start command line and go to the project folder robotframework-docker you just cloned. You should be in the path where Dockerfile file exist.
• Run the command :

docker build -t <'dockerhub-username'>/robotframework-docker .

You can give your own tag name instead of robotframework-docker mentioned in command above. 'dockerhub-username' is the username of the account dockerhub. Please do dont forget the dot in the end which represent the current dir path of Dockerfile

• You can check if image is build using command:

docker images

Congratulations!! if image is successfully build.

• Now you can push your image to your docker hub account using command.

docker push <'dockerhub-username'>/robotframework-docker

• After this you can follow the "Using the Ready-Made images" steps.

Congratulations Again, you have successfully run the test. But Did you figureout something, you need to run the docker run command each time you need to run the test. Thats easy part but that can ease more with docker-compose command. Lets run the test in container using image through Docker-Compose command.

Using Docker-Compose command

1. Why Docker-Compose command?

Using Docker-compose command, we can fit all the setup into one configuration file which can be executed with one line command which makes your task more easier. Also, we can simplifly running multiple docker container and attaching them to external networks using docker-compose command.

2. How to use Docker-Compose.

To use docker compose, we need one configuration file. docker-compose.yml. In this file you will define which services(containers) make up your set up and how they behave and interact. These services can include any public Docker images as well as your own, defined in local Dockerfile. After defining a configuration file, the only thing that you have to do is run the configuration, which starts all your containers, take care of all your dependencies, when you want it and in the order you want it. Tearing down the setup is also really.

For how the Docker-compose works and syntax you can refer its

original Docker-compose documentation

Our Docker-compose.yml file contents is

version: '3.8'
services:
  robotframework-docker:
    image: kumarshresthaanil/robotframework-docker
    volumes:
        - testresults_volume:/project/testresults

volumes:
  testresults_volume:
    driver: local
    driver_opts:
      o: bind
      type: none
      device: /C/Users/nlshr/PycharmProjects/robotframework-docker/testresults

After the complete of setup file, test can be run using a single command below:

docker-compose up

After the tests are finished with the execution, this environment can be turned off using the command.

docker-compose down

I hope now, you can make your own robotframework docker images and run the testresults with single command.