Learn about the best Python libraries for full stack automation testing on the basis of their features and flexibility. Python is an open-source, high-level, and general-purpose programming language that was first released in 1991. Created with an intention to make programming simple and intuitive, this language’s popularity has skyrocketed ever since its launch.

Python functionalities and simplicity makes it an essential tool for testing. It allows a manual tester with no programming skills to write test scripts swiftly. Its libraries are full of excellent testing tools and its built-in capabilities allow users to set up robust automation testing suites. Python plays an important role in ensuring software correctness by making it easy to add automation testing to its codebase that can be used for a variety of different tasks.

With the increasing popularity of Python, the prevalence of Python automation testing tools has increased as well. There is a wide array of tools present in the market, each offering its unique functionalities to users. With these multiple options, it can become laborious for a user to choose one that fits his needs. Thus, we have cherry-picked the five best tools currently available in the market, that you can choose according to your own goals.

Let’s now look at the top 5 python tools that make automation testing convenient for you.

Pytest

Pytest is one of the most popular open-source Python testing frameworks in the market. It supports unit testing, functional testing, and API testing as well. PyTest’s features such as its ability to run tests based on method names, decorators, or packages parallelly, enable you to manage large codebases conveniently. PyTest further allows you to improve test coverage by enabling you to integrate with other test frameworks and runners such as PyUnit and Nose2. PyTest requires you to install Python version 3.5 or higher.

Features

  • It’s highly extensible and allows you to run both compact and simple test suites
  • You can also add plugins to your project to print HTML reports and to run tests parallelly.
  • Covers all parameter combinations without rewriting test scenarios

Installation 

pip install -U pytest

Robot Framework

Robot Framework (RF) is an open-source test automation tool that can be run using Python, Jython, and IronPython. RF is used by organizations to perform acceptance testing, robotics process automation, and acceptance test-driven development.

It is keyword-driven rather than being behavior-focused like its counterparts. RF requires you to install Python version 2.7.14 or higher. Robot Framework and its plugins enable you to automate the acceptance testing process completely.

Features

  • Utilizes keyword-driven test approach, allowing users with no coding experience to create tests.
  • Supports each and every operating system and application type.
  • Can be integrated with any 3rd party tool because of its rich ecosystem consisting of many APIs

Installation 

pip install robotframework

Behave

Behave is one of the most popular behavior-driven (BDD) test frameworks in the market. Behave’s capability to integrate with both Django and Flask makes it perfect for full-stack projects.

There are a plethora of online tutorials that allow you to learn how to use Behave. You can write tests in readable English that describes the behavior of a feature and expected test outcomes. Behave is capable of generating and running tests as well as collecting results.

Features

  • Gherkin language support allows you to create feature files without any technical knowledge.
  • The simple language used while writing tests allow teams to collaborate easily.
  • A plethora of online tutorials and support to help you start your project.

Installation 

pip install behave

TestProject

TestProject is an open-source automation framework with both cloud and local HTML reports. This single Python open-source SDK allows you to develop automation tests for mobile apps, web apps as well as general-purpose testing. TestProject requires you to install Python version 3.6 or higher. 

Features

  • Blogs, forums, and built-in live chat for support.
  • Allows you to generate automatic reports in HTML/PDF format for free.
  • Test execution history can be accessed using RESTful API.

Installation 

pip3 install testproject-python-sdk

Lettuce

Lettuce is another behavior-driven automation tool for Python. It also provides easy integration with other frameworks, like Selenium and Nose. You can create a robust testing framework for Django applications by integrating Lettuce with Selenium’s Python bindings.

Features

  • Lettuce is mostly used for black-box testing, but it can perform more testing types.
  • Gherkin language support allows members with no technical background to create tests.

Installation 

pip install lettuce

Final Words

Python software development culture has dawned on software testing service providers. This culture has risen because of the dynamic properties of Python in comparison to its static counterparts. 

There are a variety of tools with different functionalities that are available in the market. But which one is more suitable for you?

I hope that going through this article has provided you with the clarity required to pick the best-suited tools to fulfill your needs.