Python vs. Robot Framework vs. imageio vs. pexpect Comparison Chart

Robot Framework is a generic open-source automation framework. It can be used for test automation and robotic process automation (RPA). Robot Framework is supported by Robot Framework Foundation. Many industry-leading companies use the tool in their software development. Robot Framework is open and extensible. Robot Framework can be integrated with virtually any other tool to create powerful and flexible automation solutions. Robot Framework is free to use without licensing costs. Robot Framework has an easy syntax, utilizing human-readable keywords. Its capabilities can be extended by libraries implemented with Python, Java or many other programming languages. Robot Framework has a rich ecosystem around it, consisting of libraries and tools that are developed as separate projects.

Pexpect makes Python a better tool for controlling other applications. Pexpect is a pure Python module for spawning child applications; controlling them, and responding to expected patterns in their output. Pexpect works like Don Libes’ Expect. Pexpect allows your script to spawn a child application and control it as if a human were typing commands. Pexpect can be used for automating interactive applications such as ssh, FTP, passwd, telnet, etc. It can be used to automate setup scripts for duplicating software package installations on different servers. It can be used for automated software testing. Pexpect is in the spirit of Don Libes’ Expect, but Pexpect is pure Python. Unlike other Expect-like modules for Python, Pexpect does not require TCL or Expect nor does it require C extensions to be compiled. It should work on any platform that supports the standard Python pty module. The Pexpect interface was designed to be easy to use.