Command line variable conversion

pekkaklarck · pekkaklarck · commit 7781d8fba1c3 · 2025-05-20T22:00:06.000+03:00
Fixes #2946. Documentation missing, but it will be done as part of documenting variable conversion in general (#3278).
diff --git a/atest/robot/variables/variable_types.robot b/atest/robot/variables/variable_types.robot
@@ -1,8 +1,12 @@
 *** Settings ***
-Suite Setup       Run Tests    ${EMPTY}    variables/variable_types.robot
+Suite Setup       Run Tests    -v "CLI: date:2025-05-20" -v NOT:INT:1    variables/variable_types.robot
 Resource          atest_resource.robot
+Resource          ../cli/runner/cli_resource.robot
 
 *** Test Cases ***
+Command line
+    Check Test Case    ${TESTNAME}
+
 Variable section
     Check Test Case    ${TESTNAME}
 
@@ -145,15 +149,15 @@ User keyword: Invalid value
 User keyword: Invalid type
     Check Test Case    ${TESTNAME}
     Error In File
-    ...    0    variables/variable_types.robot    471
+    ...    0    variables/variable_types.robot    475
     ...    Creating keyword 'Bad type' failed:
     ...    Invalid argument specification: Invalid argument '\${arg: bad}':
     ...    Unrecognized type 'bad'.
 
 User keyword: Invalid assignment with kwargs k_type=v_type declaration
     Check Test Case    ${TESTNAME}
     Error In File
-    ...    1    variables/variable_types.robot    475
+    ...    1    variables/variable_types.robot    479
     ...    Creating keyword 'Kwargs does not support key=value type syntax' failed:
     ...    Invalid argument specification: Invalid argument '\&{kwargs: int=float}':
     ...    Unrecognized type 'int=float'.
@@ -173,7 +177,7 @@ Embedded arguments: Invalid value from variable
 Embedded arguments: Invalid type
     Check Test Case    ${TESTNAME}
     Error In File
-    ...    2    variables/variable_types.robot    495
+    ...    2    variables/variable_types.robot    499
     ...    Creating keyword 'Embedded invalid type \${x: invalid}' failed:
     ...    Invalid embedded argument '\${x: invalid}':
     ...    Unrecognized type 'invalid'.
@@ -216,3 +220,13 @@ Inline IF
 
 Set global/suite/test/local variable: No support
     Check Test Case    ${TESTNAME}
+
+Invalid value on CLI
+    Run Should Fail
+    ...    -v "BAD_VALUE: int:bad" ${DATADIR}/misc/pass_and_fail.robot
+    ...    Command line variable '\${BAD_VALUE: int}' got value 'bad' that cannot be converted to integer.
+
+Invalid type on CLI
+    Run Should Fail
+    ...    -v "BAD TYPE: bad:whatever" ${DATADIR}/misc/pass_and_fail.robot
+    ...    Invalid command line variable '\${BAD TYPE: bad}': Unrecognized type 'bad'.
diff --git a/atest/testdata/variables/variable_types.robot b/atest/testdata/variables/variable_types.robot
@@ -27,8 +27,12 @@ ${${NAME}}                              42
 
 
 *** Test Cases ***
+Command line
+    Should Be Equal    ${CLI}    2025-05-20    type=date
+    Should Be Equal    ${NOT}    INT:1
+
 Variable section
-    Should be equal    ${INTEGER}    ${42}
+    Should be equal    ${INTEGER}    42    type=int
     Variable should not exist    ${INTEGER: int}
     Should be equal    ${INT_LIST}    [42, 1]    type=list
     Variable should not exist    ${INT_LIST: list[int]}
diff --git a/src/robot/variables/scopes.py b/src/robot/variables/scopes.py
@@ -14,8 +14,10 @@
 #  limitations under the License.
 
 import os
+import re
 import tempfile
 
+from robot.errors import DataError
 from robot.model import Tags
 from robot.output import LOGGER
 from robot.utils import abspath, DotDict, find_file, get_error_details, NormalizedDict
@@ -191,12 +193,29 @@ def _set_cli_variables(self, settings):
                 LOGGER.error(msg)
                 LOGGER.info(details)
         for varstr in settings.variables:
-            try:
+            match = re.fullmatch("([^:]+): ([^:]+):(.*)", varstr)
+            if match:
+                name, typ, value = match.groups()
+                value = self._convert_cli_variable(name, typ, value)
+            elif ":" in varstr:
                 name, value = varstr.split(":", 1)
-            except ValueError:
+            else:
                 name, value = varstr, ""
             self[f"${{{name}}}"] = value
 
+    def _convert_cli_variable(self, name, typ, value):
+        from robot.running import TypeInfo
+
+        var = f"${{{name}: {typ}}}"
+        try:
+            info = TypeInfo.from_variable(var)
+        except DataError as err:
+            raise DataError(f"Invalid command line variable '{var}': {err}")
+        try:
+            return info.convert(value, var, kind="Command line variable")
+        except ValueError as err:
+            raise DataError(err)
+
     def _set_built_in_variables(self, settings):
         options = DotDict(
             rpa=settings.rpa,
