How to pass a boolean variable to a python function from robot framework

user_1522049 0
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I am new to robot framework, and inherited some .robot files which call some python functions.

Within the .robot file we have some variables defined as:

| *** Variables ***  |
| ${file}            | 2021
| ${useV2}           | False

However when the python function is called and this code runs:

log.info(f"{useV2} , type: {type(useV2)}")

the output is

False , type: <class 'str'>

So short of checking for "False" and "True" in this function, and subsequent functions where needed, how do I setup a robot framework variable as a boolean and have python derive true/false accurately?

robotframework python
2 Answers

Two options - either use the syntax to declare it as the actual boolean type:

${useV2}           ${False}

(this works for declaring ints or floats too), or use the keyword Convert To Boolean, that handles the strings "True" and "False":

${useV2}=    Convert To Boolean    ${useV2}

The section in the user guide talking about this variable syntax - http://robotframework.org/robotframework/latest/RobotFrameworkUserGuide.html#boolean-and-none-null-variables ; the integers/floats are described in the section above it.

And here's a sample; with this RobotFramework code:

*** Variables ***
${booly}      ${True}
${stringy}    True

*** Test Cases ***
A test
    Do It       ${booly}
    Do It       ${stringy}
    ${cast to booly}=       Convert To Boolean      ${stringy}
    Do It       ${cast to booly}

, and this python function:

from robot.libraries.BuiltIn import BuiltIn

def do_it(useV2):
    BuiltIn().log_to_console(f"{useV2} , type: {type(useV2)}")

, the output in the console is:

True , type: <class 'bool'>
True , type: <class 'str'>
True , type: <class 'bool'>

E.g. the variable defined as ${True} is <class 'bool'>, the one defined as True is <class 'str'>, and the later after going through Convert To Boolean becomes bool itself.

user_34461260

Older RF versions always passed parameters to python land as strings. So, python code was supposed to always do a typecast to a proper type. Here's a issue about the topic: https://github.com/robotframework/robotframework/issues/2890

Newer versions when that landed do a type conversion if your python code has type annotation for the parameter (with few caveats).

So, I'd assume that your python function that is a keyword in RF, does not have type annotation ..

user_1085380
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