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Using QWeb from Python

While QWeb is primarily known as a Robot Framework library, it can also be used directly as a Python module. This allows you to leverage QWeb's "Text-First" locators and automatic waiting strategies within standard Python scripts, pytest suites, or other automation frameworks.

Setup

You do not need a separate installation. The standard pip install QWeb includes the Python bindings.

Basic Usage

To use QWeb in Python, import the QWeb class and instantiate it. All Robot Framework keywords are available as class methods, converted to standard Python snake_case.

  • ClickText --> click_text
  • VerifyElement --> verify_element
  • OpenBrowser --> open_browser

Example Script

Here is a complete example of a Python script using QWeb:

from QWeb import QWeb

# 1. Initialize the library
qweb = QWeb()

# 2. Open Browser
# Note: Drivers are still handled automatically!
qweb.open_browser("https://qentinelqi.github.io/shop", "chrome")

# 3. Interact using QWeb keywords (in snake_case)
qweb.verify_text("The animal friendly clothing company")
qweb.click_text("Scar the Lion")

# 4. Assertions
# These will raise standard Python exceptions if they fail
qweb.verify_text("Add to cart")

# 5. Get Data
# Keywords that return values work as expected
title = qweb.get_title()
print(f"Page Title is: {title}")

# 6. Teardown
qweb.close_all_browsers()

Why use QWeb with Python?

  1. Powerful Locators: You get the benefit of click_text("Save") instead of managing complex Selenium XPaths or Page Object Models.
  2. Auto-Waiting: You don't need to write explicit WebDriverWait loops; QWeb handles retries automatically.
  3. Tooling: You can use your favorite Python test runners like pytest or unittest.

Limitations

  • Reporting: You lose Robot Framework's automatic HTML log and report generation. You will need to rely on your test runner (like pytest-html) for reporting.
  • Listener Support: Some advanced Robot Framework listener features may not be available.