How to make a variable in global scope in Robot framework?

Question

I have create a small robot framework test suit which will communicate with trace32 Lauterbach. My idea is to run different functions name using a loop. Every loop, it will make a breakpoint in the Trace32 later batch. I have written a simple python script as library in the robot framework.

test.robot file

import os

*** Settings ***
Documentation  simple test script to control Trace32
Library        Collections
Library        can.Trace32


Suite Setup
Suite Teardown

*** Variables ***
${temp}                1
    
*** Test Cases ***
Check Input and Output
    [Documentation]  test script
    [Setup]
    
    #Retrive Data . This list has 5 values
    ${MainList}  Create List 
    
    #start debugger
    start Debugger
    #connect debugger
    Connect Debugger
    
    #Iterate 5 times
    FOR  ${UserAttribute}  IN  @{MainList}
        
        #sleep 1 sec
        Sleep  1 seconds
        
        #call for breakpoint
        break Debugger
        
        ${temp} +=1
    END
    
   Disconnect Debugger

    [Teardown]

and the trace 32 script file:

import time
import ctypes
from ctypes import c_void_p
import enum
T32_DEV = 1

class Trace32:
  
  def start_Debugger(self):
    self.t32api = ctypes.cdll.LoadLibrary('D:/test/api/python/t32api64.dll')
    self.t32api.T32_Config(b"NODE=",b"localhost")
    self.t32api.T32_Config(b"PORT=",b"20000")
    self.t32api.T32_Config(b"PACKLEN=",b"1024")
    rc = self.t32api.T32_GetChannelSize()
    ch1 = ctypes.create_string_buffer(rc)
    self.t32api.T32_GetChannelDefaults(ctypes.cast(ch1,ctypes.c_void_p))
    ch2 = ctypes.create_string_buffer(rc)
    self.t32api.T32_GetChannelDefaults(ctypes.cast(ch2,ctypes.c_void_p))
    self.t32api.T32_SetChannel(ctypes.cast(ch2,c_void_p))
    
    
  def Connect_Debugger(self):
    rc = self.t32api.T32_Init()
    rc = self.t32api.T32_Attach(T32_DEV)
    
    
 def breakpoint_Debugger(self):
    rc = self.t32api.T32_Ping()
    time.sleep(2)
    rc = self.t32api.T32_Cmd(b"InterCom M7_0 Break")
    time.sleep(3)
    rc = self.t32api.T32_Cmd(b"InterCom M7_0 Go")
    time.sleep(2)
    rc = self.t32api.T32_Cmd(b"InterCom M7_0 break.Set My_func")
    time.sleep(2)
    
  
  def Disconnect_Debugger(self):
    rc = self.t32api.T32_Exit()

In the robot file, I am calling start Debugger and Connect Debugger function to start and connect the debugger. I want self.t32api to be global. So that I can call break_Debugger many times to put a breakpoint.

But Unfortunately, I can only put breakpoint in the first iteration. In second iteration, the breakpoint is not working. How can I make self.t32api global until the robot file executed completely?

@Saxtheowl is right with with the suggestion to move the loading of the DLL to the constructor, but there are more issues with your code. You should check the return values of the function calls (so you can catch errors), you create a channel you don't seem to use, but which overwrites your configuration (`T32_Init`) and you use deprecated API functions. As you do not seem to need the channel I'd suggest to remove all channel related code. — dev15, Jun 05 '23 at 08:30

score 2 · Accepted Answer · answered Jun 03 '23 at 17:41

Just initialize it in the constructor of the Trace32 class, so it will persist as long as Trace32 object exist, we can then also remove start_Debugger()

class Trace32:
  
  def __init__(self):
    self.t32api = ctypes.cdll.LoadLibrary('D:/test/api/python/t32api64.dll')
  
  def start_Debugger(self):
    self.t32api.T32_Config(b"NODE=",b"localhost")
    self.t32api.T32_Config(b"PORT=",b"20000")
    self.t32api.T32_Config(b"PACKLEN=",b"1024")
    rc = self.t32api.T32_GetChannelSize()
    ch1 = ctypes.create_string_buffer(rc)
    self.t32api.T32_GetChannelDefaults(ctypes.cast(ch1,ctypes.c_void_p))
    ch2 = ctypes.create_string_buffer(rc)
    self.t32api.T32_GetChannelDefaults(ctypes.cast(ch2,ctypes.c_void_p))
    self.t32api.T32_SetChannel(ctypes.cast(ch2,c_void_p))

How to make a variable in global scope in Robot framework?

1 Answers1