Introduction
In today's fast-paced integration landscape, ensuring the reliability and performance of your SnapLogic pipelines is crucial. We're excited to introduce a comprehensive test automation framework that combines the power of Robot Framework with SnapLogic's APIs to deliver a robust, scalable, and easy-to-use testing solution.
This approach leverages the snaplogic-common-robot [PyPI-published library] to provide prebuilt Robot Framework keywords for interacting with SnapLogic Public APIs, integrated within a Docker-based environment..
This lets teams spin up full SnapLogic environments on demand—including Groundplex, databases, and messaging services—so tests run the same way everywhere
This blog post explores two key components of our testing ecosystem:
- snaplogic-common-robot: A PyPI-published library https://pypi.org/project/snaplogic-common-robot/ providing reusable Robot Framework keywords for SnapLogic automation
- snaplogic-robotframework-examples: A public repository providing a complete testing framework with baseline test suites and Docker-based infrastructure for comprehensive end-to-end pipeline validation
Key Features and Benefits
1. Template-Based Testing
The framework supports template-driven test cases, allowing you to:
- Define reusable test patterns
- Parameterize test execution
- Maintain consistency across similar test scenarios
2. Intelligent Environment Management
The framework automatically:
- Loads environment variables from multiple .env files
- Auto-detects JSON values and converts them to appropriate Robot Framework variables
- Validates required environment variables before test execution
Why Robot Framework for SnapLogic Testing?
Robot Framework offers several advantages for SnapLogic test automation:
- Human-readable syntax: Tests are written in plain English, making them accessible to both technical and non-technical team members
- Keyword-driven approach: Promotes reusability and reduces code duplication
- Extensive ecosystem: Integrates seamlessly with databases, APIs, and various testing tools
- Comprehensive reporting: Built-in HTML reports with detailed execution logs
- CI/CD friendly: Easy integration with Jenkins, GitLab CI, and other automation platforms
The Power of Docker-Based Testing Infrastructure
One of the most powerful features of our framework is its Docker-based architecture.
- Isolated Test Environments: Each test run operates in its own containerized environment
- Groundplex Control: Automatically spin up and tear down Groundplex instances for testing
- Database Services: Pre-configured containers for Oracle, PostgreSQL, MySQL, SQL Server, DB2, and more
- Message Queue Systems: Integrated support for Kafka, ActiveMQ, and other messaging platforms
- Storage Services: MinIO for S3-compatible object storage testing
This architecture allows below capabilities:
- Test in production-like environments without affecting actual production systems
- Quickly provision and tear down complete testing stacks
- Run parallel tests with isolated resources
- Ensure consistency across different testing environments
snaplogic-common-robot Library
Installation
The snaplogic-common-robot library is published on PyPI, making installation straightforward https://pypi.org/project/snaplogic-common-robot/
pip install snaplogic-common-robot
Core Components
The library provides the below components
- SnapLogic APIs: Low-level keywords for direct API interactions
- SnapLogic Keywords: High-level business-oriented keywords for common operations
- Common Utilities: Database connections, file operations, and utility functions.
- Dependency Libraries: Install all necessary dependency libraries to run Robot Framework tests for SnapLogic. These libraries support API testing, database operations, Docker container testing, JMS messaging, and AWS integration tools.
The following libraries are automatically installed as dependencies when you install snaplogic-common-robot, providing comprehensive API support. This library ecosystem continues to expand as we add support for additional features and capabilities.
Snaplogic RobotFramework-examples Repository
The snaplogic-robotframework-examples repository demonstrates how to build a complete testing framework using the snaplogic common library.https://github.com/SnapLogic/snaplogic-robotframework-examples
Framework Overview
Note: This project structure is continuously evolving! We're actively working to make the framework easier and more efficient to use,The structure is subject to change as we iterate on improvements to enhance developer experience and framework efficiency.
The framework follows a modular architecture with clear separation of concerns:
Configuration Layer
- .env and .env.example manage environment variables for sensitive credentials and URLs
- env_files/ folder have all details required for creating accounts
- Makefile provides a central command interface for all build and test operations
- docker-compose.yml orchestrates the entire multi-container environment with a single command
Build Automation
- makefiles/ directory contains modular scripts organized by service type (databases, messaging, mocks)
- Each service category has dedicated makefiles for independent lifecycle management
Infrastructure
- docker/ holds Docker configurations for all services (Groundplex, Oracle, PostgreSQL, Kafka)
- env_files/ stores service-specific environment variables to isolate configuration
- Containerized approach ensures reproducible test environments across all systems
Test Organization
- test/suite/ contains Robot Framework test suites organized by pipeline functionality
- test/test_data/ provides input files and expected outputs for validation
- Tests are grouped logically (Oracle, PostgreSQL+S3, Kafka) for easy maintenance
Pipeline Assets
- src/pipelines/ stores the actual SnapLogic SLP files being tested
- src/tools/ includes helper utilities and requirements.txt with Python dependencies
- The snaplogic-common-robot library is installed via requirements.txt, providing reusable keywords
Test Reporting
- Robot Framework automatically generates comprehensive test reports after each execution
- report.html provides a high-level summary with pass/fail statistics and execution timeline
- log.html offers detailed step-by-step execution logs with keyword-level information
- output.xml contains structured test results in XML format for CI/CD integration
- Reports include screenshots, error messages, and detailed traceability for debugging
- All reports are timestamped and can be archived for historical analysis
Supporting Components
- travis_scripts/ enables CI/CD automation for continuous testing
- README/ holds project documentation and setup guides
Key Architecture Benefits
- Modular design allows independent service management
- Docker isolation ensures consistent test environments
- Makefile automation simplifies complex operations
- Clear directory structure improves maintainability
- CI/CD integration enables automated testing workflows
Integration with CI/CD Pipelines
One of the most powerful aspects of our Robot Framework testing solution is its seamless integration with CI/CD pipelines. This enables continuous testing, ensuring that every code change is automatically validated against your SnapLogic integrations.
Why CI/CD Integration Matters
In modern DevOps practices, manual testing becomes a bottleneck. By integrating our Robot Framework tests into your CI/CD pipeline, you achieve:
- Automatic Test Execution: Tests run automatically on every commit, pull request, or scheduled interval
- Early Bug Detection: Issues are caught immediately, not days or weeks later in production
- Consistent Testing: The same tests run every time, eliminating human error and variability
- Fast Feedback Loop: Developers know within minutes if their changes broke existing integrations
- Quality Gates: Prevent deployments if tests fail, ensuring only validated code reaches production
Jenkins is one of the most popular CI/CD tools, and integrating our Robot Framework tests is straightforward.
How It Works?
- Stage 1: Prepare Environment Install SnapLogic common Robot library and required dependencies
- Stage 2: Start Docker Services Launches Groundplex, Oracle DB, Kafka, and MinIO containers
- Stage 3: Run Robot Framework Tests Execute test suites in parallel across 4 threads using pabot
- Stage 4: Publish Test Results Generate HTML reports, XML results, and test artifacts and can upload to S3.
- Stage 5: Send Notifications Distributes test results via Slack.
- Post: Cleanup Tears down containers, removes temp files, archives logs
Slack Notifications include the below details
Our CI/CD pipeline automatically sends detailed test execution reports to Slack, providing immediate visibility into test results for the entire team.
HTML Reports have the below details
Robot Framework automatically generates comprehensive HTML reports after each test execution, providing detailed insights into test results, performance, and execution patterns.
Real-World Benefits
Here's what this means for your team:
For Developers
- Push code with confidence - Tests run automatically
- Get feedback in minutes - No waiting for QA cycles
- Fix issues immediately - While the code is still fresh in your mind
For QA Teams
- Focus on exploratory testing - Let automation handle regression
- Better test coverage - Tests run on every single change
- Clear reports - See exactly what's tested and what's not
Future Enhancements
We're continuously improving the framework with planned features include:
- Enhanced support for more end points
- Integration with cloud storage services
- Advanced performance testing capabilities
- Enhanced security testing features
Conclusion
The combination of snaplogic-common-robot library and snaplogic-robotframework-examples framework provides a powerful, scalable solution for SnapLogic test automation. By leveraging Docker's containerization capabilities, Robot Framework's simplicity, and SnapLogic's robust APIs, teams can:
- Reduce testing time from hours to minutes
- Increase test coverage with automated end-to-end scenarios
- Improve reliability through consistent, repeatable tests
- Enable continuous testing in CI/CD pipelines
Whether you're testing simple pipeline transformations or complex multi-system integrations, this framework provides the tools and patterns needed for comprehensive SnapLogic testing.
Getting Involved
We welcome contributions from the SnapLogic community! Here's how you can get involved:
- Try the Framework: Install snaplogic-common-robot and run the example tests
- Report Issues: Help us improve by reporting bugs or suggesting enhancements
- Contribute Code: Submit pull requests with new keywords or test patterns
- Share Your Experience: Let us know how you're using the framework in your organization
Resources
- snaplogic-common-robot on PyPI: pip install snaplogic-common-robot https://pypi.org/project/snaplogic-common-robot/
- snaplogic-robotframework-example repo: https://github.com/SnapLogic/snaplogic-robotframework-examples
- Documentation: Comprehensive HTML documentation available after installation via README folder
- Community Support: Join the discussion in SnapLogic Community forums
Start automating your SnapLogic tests today and experience the power of comprehensive, containerized test automation!
Questions? We're Here to Help!
We hope this comprehensive guide helps you get started with automated testing for your SnapLogic integrations. The combination of snaplogic-common-robot and Docker-based infrastructure provides a powerful foundation for building reliable, scalable test automation.
Have questions or need assistance implementing this framework?
The SLIM (SnapLogic Intelligent Modernization) team is here to support you! We'd love to hear about your use cases, help you overcome any challenges, or discuss how this framework can be customized for your specific needs.
Contact the SLIM Team:
- Reach out to us directly through the SnapLogic Community forums
- Tag us in your questions with @slim-team
- Email us at: slim-team@snaplogic.com
We're committed to helping you achieve testing excellence and look forward to seeing how you leverage this framework to enhance your SnapLogic automation journey!
Happy Testing!
The SLIM Team
