CODEWITHSUNDEEP
pythondictionaryrobotframework
HKN
HKN

Reputation: 228

Why dont I have the modified dictionary in Robot, even though the Python keyword has modified the dictionary?

Here is my Robot File (robot-dictionary-tests.robot)

*** Settings ***
Documentation  Passing a dictionary object from Robot to Python and vice versa
Library        Utils.py

# To run:
# robot -L debug -d Results/  Tests/robot-dictionary-tests.robot


*** Keywords ***
Call Python To Modify The Dictionary
[arguments]  &{named}
modify dictionary   ${named}

*** Test Cases ***
Test Modifying Robot Dictionary in Python
    &{d} =          Create Dictionary       key=original
    &{expected} =   Create Dictionary       key=modified
    Call Python To Modify The Dictionary    &{d}
    Should Be Equal   ${d}      ${expected}

Here is my Utils.py:

from robot.api import logger

@keyword('modify dictionary')
def modify_dictionary(d):
   logger.debug(f'before modification, d: {d}')
   for key in d:
       d[key] = 'modified'
   logger.debug(f'after modification, d: {d}')

The Test Case Test Modifying Robot Dictionary in Python fails: enter image description here

My Question

Why does the robot test fail even though I passed the dictionary d reference to @keyword('modify dictionary')?

Upvotes: 1

Views: 212

Answers (1)

A. Kootstra
A. Kootstra

Reputation: 6961

As you've suspected, the variables are by reference and thus changed. To my knowledge this has more to do with Python, then Robot Framework.

Passing a dictionary as an object should be done through ${VarName} and not &{VarName}. The documenation on Dictionary Variables explains this like:

...a Python dictionary or a dictionary-like object can be used as a dictionary variable like &{EXAMPLE}. In practice this means that individual items of the dictionary are passed as named arguments to the keyword

In the below code for keyword Call Python To Modify The Dictionary I change the keyword argument &{named} to ${named} and where the keyword is called &{d} to ${d}. 

*** Keywords ***
Call Python To Modify The Dictionary
    [arguments]  ${named}
    modify dictionary   ${named}

*** Test Cases ***
Test Modifying Robot Dictionary in Python
    &{d} =          Create Dictionary       key=original
    &{expected} =   Create Dictionary       key=modified
    Call Python To Modify The Dictionary    ${d}
    Should Be Equal   ${d}      ${expected}

Resulting in: 

Suite Executor: Robot Framework 3.1.2 (Python 3.7.0 on win32)
==============================================================================
SO003                                                                         
==============================================================================
SO003.Test :: Passing a dictionary object from Robot to Python and vice versa 
==============================================================================
Test Modifying Robot Dictionary in Python                             | PASS |
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
SO003.Test :: Passing a dictionary object from Robot to Python and... | PASS |
1 critical test, 1 passed, 0 failed
1 test total, 1 passed, 0 failed
==============================================================================
SO003                                                                 | PASS |
1 critical test, 1 passed, 0 failed
1 test total, 1 passed, 0 failed
==============================================================================

Upvotes: 4

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