Error "No section: 'default'" when using Database Library for Robot Framework

[James Do]

Dear,

I am trying to test some database queries with Robot Framework, but I can't connect to database.

I run database MySQL in localhost using XAMPP.

This is my keywords in RIDE:

*** Settings ***

Library           DatabaseLibrary

*** Variables ***

@{DB}             robotframework    root    \    localhost    3306

*** Test Cases ***

Select from database

    [Tags]    This

    Connect To Database    MySQLdb    @{DB}[0]    @{DB}[1]    @{DB}[2]    @{DB}[3]    @{DB}[4]

    @{results}=    Query    Select * from tbName

    Log Many    @{results}

I have installed MySQL db lib for Python to get Mysql driver. 

However, Everytime I run this case, it always return error:

Select from database                                                                             | FAIL |

NoSectionError: No section: 'default'

Please help me to get out of this error. 

Thanks

[James Do]

Nobody knows about it? :(

[Kevin O.]

You have empty string for item with index 2 (@{DB}[2]), corresponding to dbPassword. I'm assuming this means you have a blank password for user root.

This is causing the database library to try and load the value for dbPassword from a config file that does not exist.

This is happening because of this logic:

dbUsername = dbUsername or config.get('default', 'dbUsername')

Here dbUserName is an empty string so it evaluates to False and so the config.get part is used.

Using a user with a password with workaround this issue. Also using a dbConfig file to store the parameters would also workaround the issue. I can think of other workarounds, but the would be more difficult.

Reporting this would be helpful, as I think this is a perfectly valid use case (empty password).

For best practices, I recommend using ${EMPTY} as it is a little more explicit...

@{DB}             robotframework    root    ${EMPTY}    localhost    3306

Also it is more helpful in the future that if you have a problem like this use --loglevel DEBUG. Then you get output that is more helpful like this:

20140801 08:46:16.420 : DEBUG : 

Traceback (most recent call last):

  File "C:\apps\Python27\lib\site-packages\DatabaseLibrary\connection_manager.py", line 67, in connect_to_database

    dbPassword = dbPassword or config.get('default', 'dbPassword')

  File "C:\apps\Python27\lib\ConfigParser.py", line 607, in get

    raise NoSectionError(section)

Cheers,

Kevin

[Kevin O.]

Here's another workaround you might consider (tested it). Totally a hack :)

Add Variables file declaration:

Variables         c:/vars.py

contents of c:/vars.py:

***********************

class AlwaysTrueEmptyUnicode(unicode):

    def __nonzero__(self):

        return True

EMPTY_BUT_TRUE = AlwaysTrueEmptyUnicode()

del AlwaysTrueEmptyUnicode

*************************

Change parameters to:

@{DB}             robotframework    root    ${EMPTY_BUT_TRUE}    localhost    3306

[Kevin O.]

Sorry to reply so much, but I was laser-focused on getting that keyword to work. Instead you should use the more flexible connect keyword:

    Connect To Database Using Custom Params    MySQLdb    db='robotframework',user='root',host='localhost',port=3306
Here, passwd parameter is omitted and a blank password is used.

See http://mysql-python.sourceforge.net/MySQLdb.html#functions-and-attributes for info on the parameters available for MySQLdb.