2026-02-13 –, RoboCon
PlatynUI is an open-source Robot Framework library that makes desktop UI automation feel consistent on Windows, Linux, and macOS. The talk introduces what PlatynUI is, why it was created, and the ideas behind it—portability across desktops, readable tests, and habits that reduce flakiness. We’ll walk through a compact demo using the library’s tooling to explore and interact with applications and outline how to try PlatynUI in existing suites without disruption.
- PlatynUI is an open-source Robot Framework library that makes desktop UI automation feel consistent across Windows, Linux, and macOS
The talk introduces what PlatynUI is, why it was created, and the ideas behind it:
Portability across desktop platforms
- Readable tests that stay maintainable
- Practical habits that reduce flakiness
Core approach
Drive applications the way real users do: mouse + keyboard
- Keep test cases domain-focused by relying on Robot keywords, not programming inside tests
- Prefer semantic actions over low-level events: e.g. “Activate” instead of just “Click” — meaning the interaction is defined by the intended, verifiable effect in the application, not merely sending an input event
XPath 2.0 as the central interface
PlatynUI uses XPath 2.0 as the single interface to the UI tree: it is both the address of UI elements (locators) and the query language for UI information (properties, existence, counts, relations)
- Domain-level Robot keywords stay readable and action-focused, while XPath connects them to the concrete UI and reduces the need for many specialized query keywords
Compact demo
Use PlatynUI’s tooling to explore an application and inspect UI elements
- Derive XPath-2 locators/queries and automate a small end-to-end flow in Robot Framework using mouse/keyboard input and semantic actions
How to adopt without disruption
Try PlatynUI incrementally inside existing suites
- Start with a small flow, validate reliability, and expand—without rewriting your suite
Outlook
Where PlatynUI is heading next: what will be stabilized/expanded (tooling, keywords, platform coverage) and what’s needed to become fully production-ready
- What it is & why: goals, problem areas, and key design decisions.
- How it works in practice: a compact demo using the tooling (explore → interact → verify).
- What sets it apart: beyond technology—portability across desktops, readable tests, and workflow impact.
Both
Developer, Opensource enthusiast, Pro in many languages and testing tools, Developer of RobotCode -Robot Framework support for VSCode