Collections

Chapter lab: Text and datach15-text.zip · 5 KB

This lesson continues in the same lab as the lesson before it. If you don’t have it yet, download it here.

Or fetch and unpack it from a terminal in VS Code:

bash / zsh
PowerShell

curl -fsSLO https://manykarim.github.io/robotframework-essentials-web/labs/ch15-text.zip && unzip -q ch15-text.zip && rm ch15-text.zip

Invoke-WebRequest https://manykarim.github.io/robotframework-essentials-web/labs/ch15-text.zip -OutFile ch15-text.zip; Expand-Archive ch15-text.zip -DestinationPath .; Remove-Item ch15-text.zip

Open the folder in VS Code with code rfe-ch15-text (or File → Open Folder…) and accept the recommended RobotCode and Python extensions. Then set it up:

uv sync

bash / zsh
PowerShell

python3 -m venv .venv
source .venv/bin/activate
pip install -r requirements.txt

python -m venv .venv
.venv\Scripts\Activate.ps1
pip install -r requirements.txt

Keep the environment active in every terminal where you run lesson commands.

poetry install --no-root

Python 3.13 or newer is required; uv installs it when it is missing.

Open in browserNo setup? Try the lab right here: its files, an editor and a terminal, running in your browser.

What's inside

Directoryrfe-ch15-text/
- Directory.vscode/
  - extensions.json
- Directorychecks/
  - smoke.robot
- Directorysample_data/
  - app.log
  - catalog.xml
  - orders.csv
  - results.xml
  - settings.cfg
- .gitignore
- .python-version
- LAB.md
- pyproject.toml
- README.md
- requirements.txt
- uv.lock

The Collections standard library works with lists and dictionaries: build them, search them, and read values out. You met Create List and Length Should Be in Part 1; here are the everyday operations — List Should Contain Value, Create Dictionary, Dictionary Should Contain Key, and Get From Dictionary.

Task 1 — Work with lists and dictionaries

Edit

Goal: create checks/collections.robot that builds a list and a dictionary, checks their contents, and reads a value out of the dictionary.

Here is the same set of operations over different values. Adapt them.

Worked example — adapt it, don’t copy it

*** Settings ***
Library    Collections

*** Test Cases ***
Build A List And A Dict
    ${colors}=    Create List    red    green    blue
    Length Should Be    ${colors}    3
    List Should Contain Value    ${colors}    green
    ${stock}=    Create Dictionary    red=5    blue=2
    Dictionary Should Contain Key    ${stock}    blue
    ${n}=    Get From Dictionary    ${stock}    red
    Should Be Equal As Integers    ${n}    5

Done when

the suite imports Collections and defines Work With Lists And Dicts.

Hint 1

Build a four-item list with Create List backpack lamp mug notebook, then Length Should Be ${products} 4 and List Should Contain Value ${products} mug.

Hint 2

Build a dict with Create Dictionary backpack=79 lamp=34, check a key with Dictionary Should Contain Key, and read one with Get From Dictionary ${prices} backpack.

Solution

*** Settings ***
Library    Collections

*** Test Cases ***
Work With Lists And Dicts
    ${products}=    Create List    backpack    lamp    mug    notebook
    Length Should Be    ${products}    4
    List Should Contain Value    ${products}    mug
    ${prices}=    Create Dictionary    backpack=79    lamp=34
    Dictionary Should Contain Key    ${prices}    lamp
    ${value}=    Get From Dictionary    ${prices}    backpack
    Should Be Equal As Integers    ${value}    79

Task 2 — Run it green

Run

Run:

uv run robot checks

robot checks

poetry run robot checks

Done when

the list and dictionary operations all hold.

Check your understanding

Quick recall. Your first answer stays in this browser; the quiz never blocks your progress.

Which keyword asserts a list contains a value?
Show the answer
Answer: List Should Contain Value — Collections' List Should Contain Value ${list} ${value} asserts membership.
Get From Dictionary ${d} key returns…
Show the answer
Answer: the value for that key — It returns the value stored under the key.

Key terms

Collectionsconcept: Standard library for list and dictionary operations.
Get From Dictionarykeyword: Return the value for a key in a dictionary.

All terms in the glossary →