Let the Robots Test: Acceptance Test-Driven Development (ATDD) with Robot Framework

Business specifications are often vague or incomplete, making development challenging. Acceptance Test-Driven Development (ATDD) bridges this gap with clear, executable specifications. This talk explores how Robot Framework enhances collaboration between business and development teams. Through practical examples, we’ll show how to write effective tests and extend Robot Framework with custom Python libraries. Gain insights and tools to improve communication, development, and software delivery.

Testing, BDD, ATDD

Developers often face the challenge of working with unclear, ambiguous, or abstract requirements from business stakeholders, leading to misaligned expectations, wasted effort, and costly rework. Without a shared understanding, delivering the right product becomes difficult, resulting in frustration and delays.

Acceptance Test-Driven Development (ATDD) addresses this by providing clear, testable specifications that align both business and development teams. ATDD turns requirements into concrete, executable examples, creating a common "source of truth" that reduces misunderstandings and builds confidence in the software being developed.

Robot Framework is a simple yet powerful tool for implementing ATDD, offering a keyword-driven, human-readable syntax that enables seamless collaboration between technical and non-technical stakeholders. This makes specifications accessible and executable for everyone, from business analysts to developers.

In this talk, we’ll explore the core concepts of Robot Framework, showing how tests are written in its clear syntax and how existing libraries simplify common test automation tasks. We’ll also demonstrate how to extend Robot Framework with custom Python libraries to address specific project needs. You’ll leave with practical insights on using Robot Framework to build collaborative, maintainable, and effective test suites that enhance team alignment and software quality.