robotframework-robocop 8.1.1
Static code analysis tool (linter) and code formatter for Robot Framework
Requires Python: >=3.10
Keywords: automation, formatter, formatting, linter, qa, robotframework, testautomation, testing

# Robocop

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---

<img style="float:right" src="https://raw.githubusercontent.com/MarketSquare/robotframework-robocop/main/docs/source/images/robocop_logo_small.png">


- [Introduction](#introduction)
- [Documentation](#documentation)
- [Requirements](#requirements)
- [Installation](#installation)
- [Usage](#usage)
- [Example Output](#example-output)
- [MCP Server](#mcp-server)
- [Values](#values)
- [FAQ](#faq)

---

## Introduction

Robocop is a tool that performs static code analysis and formatting of [Robot Framework](https://github.com/robotframework/robotframework) code.

It uses official [Robot Framework parsing API](https://robot-framework.readthedocs.io/en/stable/) to parse files and
runs a number of checks, looking for potential errors or violations to code quality standards (commonly referred to as
*linting issues*).

> Hosted on [GitHub](https://github.com/MarketSquare/robotframework-robocop).

## Documentation

Full documentation is available at [https://robocop.dev](https://robocop.dev). :open_book:

The most common questions with answers can be found at the bottom ⬇ of this README file.

## Requirements

Python 3.9+ :snake: and Robot Framework 4.0+ :robot:.

## Installation

You can install the latest version of Robocop simply by running:

```
pip install -U robotframework-robocop
```


## Usage

Robocop runs by default from the current directory, and it discovers supported files recursively.
To lint the files, you can run:

```
robocop check
```

To format the files, you can run:

```commandline
robocop format
```

All command line options can be displayed in a help message by executing:

```
robocop -h
```

## Example Output

Executing command:

```
robocop check --reports rules_by_error_type test.robot
```


Will result in the following output:

```text
test.robot:17:1 SPC22 Not enough whitespace after 'Test Teardown' setting
    |
 15 |
 16 | Test Setup Keyword
 17 | Test Teardown Keyword2
    | ^ SPC22
 18 | Testtimeout 1min
 19 | Documentation this is doc
    |

test.robot:28:1 SPC14 Variable in Variables section is not left aligned
   |
 1 | *** Variables ***
 2 | ${VAR} 1
 3 |  ${VAR}  1
   | ^ SPC14
 4 |   ${VAR}  1
 5 | VALUE  1

Found 2 issues: 2 ERRORs, 0 WARNINGs, 0 INFO.
```

## MCP Server

Robocop provides an [MCP (Model Context Protocol)](https://modelcontextprotocol.io/) server that allows AI assistants like Claude and GitHub Copilot to lint and format Robot Framework code directly.

Install with MCP support:

```bash
pip install robotframework-robocop[mcp]
```

Run the server:

```bash
robocop-mcp
```

Full documentation: [MCP Server](https://robocop.dev/stable/integrations/ai/)

## Values

Original *RoboCop* - a fictional cybernetic police officer - was the following three prime directives
which also drive the progress of Robocop linter:

First Directive: **Serve the public trust**

Which lies behind the creation of the project - to **serve** developers and testers as a tool to build applications they can **trust**.

Second Directive: **Protect the innocent**

**The innocent** testers and developers have no intention of producing ugly code, but sometimes, you know, it just happens,
so Robocop is there to **protect** them.

Third Directive: **Uphold the law**

Following the coding guidelines established in the project are something crucial to keep the code clean,
readable and understandable by others, and Robocop can help to **uphold the law**.

## FAQ

<details>
  <summary>Can I integrate Robocop with my code editor (IDE)?</summary>

  **Yes**, Robocop integrates nicely with popular IDEs like PyCharm or VSCode
  thanks to [the RobotCode](https://robotcode.io/) plugin.
  Read a simple manual (README) in that project to figure out how to install and use it.

</details>

<details>
  <summary>Can I load configuration from a file?</summary>

  **Yes**, you can use toml-based configuration files:

  **`pyproject.toml` file**
  **`robocop.toml` file**
  **`robot.toml` file**

  Example configuration file:

  ```toml
  [tool.robocop]
  exclude = ["deprecated.robot"]
  
  [tool.robocop.lint]
  select = [
    "rulename",
    "ruleid"
  ]
  configure = [
      "line-too-long.line_length=110"
  ]
  
  [tool.robocop.format]
  select = ["NormalizeNewLines"]
  configure = [
      "NormalizeNewLines.flatten_lines=True"
  ]
  ```

  Multiple configuration files are supported. However, global-like options such as ``--verbose`` or ``--reports`` are
  only loaded from a top configuration file. Read more in
  [configuration](https://robocop.dev/stable/configuration/).

</details>

<details>
  <summary>I use different coding standards. Can I configure rules so that they fit my needs?</summary>

  **Yes**, some rules and formatters are configurable. You can find the configuration details in the documentation or
  by running:

  ```commandline
  robocop docs rule_name_or_id
  robocop docs formatter_name
  ```

  Configuring is done by using `-c / --configure` command line option followed by pattern
  `<name>.<param_name>=<value>` where:
  - `<name>` can either be rule name or its id, or formatter name
  - `<param_name>` is a public name of the parameter
  - `<value>` is a desired value of the parameter

  For example:

  ```
  robocop check --configure line-too-long.line_length=140
  ```

  ---
  Each rule's severity can also be overwritten. Possible values are
  `e/error`, `w/warning` or `i/info` and are case-insensitive. Example:

  ```
  robocop check -c too-long-test-case.severity=e
  ```

  ---
  If there are special cases in your code that violate the rules,
  you can also exclude them in the source code.

  Example:

  ```
  Keyword with lowercased name  # robocop: off
  ```

  More about it in
  [our documentation](https://robocop.dev/stable/configuration/configuration_reference/#selecting-rules).

</details>

<details>
  <summary>Can I define custom rules?</summary>

  **Yes**, you can define and include custom rules using `--custom-rules` command line option
  by providing a path to a file containing your rule(s):
  ```
  robocop --custom-rules my/own/rule.py --custom-rules external_rules.py
  ```

  If you feel that your rule is very helpful and should be included in Robocop permanently,
  you can always share your solution by
  [submitting a pull request](https://github.com/MarketSquare/robotframework-robocop/pulls).
  You can also share your idea by
  [creating an issue](https://github.com/MarketSquare/robotframework-robocop/issues/new/choose).

  More about custom rules with code examples in
  [our documentation](https://robocop.dev/stable/linter/custom_rules/).
</details>

<details>
  <summary>Can I use Robocop in continuous integration (CI) tools?</summary>

  **Yes**, Robocop is able to produce different kinds of reports that are supported by most popular platforms such as
  GitHub, Gitlab, Sonar Qube, etc. Read more in [integrations](https://robocop.dev/stable/integrations/precommit/).

</details>

---

> Excuse me, I have to go. Somewhere there is a crime happening. - Robocop