Implementation:MarketSquare Robotframework browser Rfbrowser Init

Knowledge Sources	robotframework-browser
Domains	Browser_Automation, Dependency_Management
Last Updated	2026-02-12 04:00 GMT

Overview

Concrete tool for installing Node.js dependencies and Playwright browser binaries provided by the robotframework-browser library's rfbrowser init CLI command.

Description

The rfbrowser_init function is the core implementation behind the rfbrowser init CLI command. It performs the complete Node.js-side initialization of the Browser library in two phases:

Phase 1 -- Node.js Dependency Installation:

Verifies that package.json exists in the Browser/wrapper/ directory
Checks that the installation directory is writable
Confirms that npm is available in the system PATH
Runs npm ci --production --parseable true --progress false as a subprocess
Polls the subprocess output and logs progress

Phase 2 -- Browser Binary Installation (optional):

Builds the command npx --quiet playwright install
Appends specific browser names if requested (e.g., chromium, firefox)
Appends --with-deps if system dependency installation is requested
On Unix systems with pty support, uses a pseudo-terminal to display progress bars
On Windows or systems without pty, falls back to standard subprocess polling

The function manages the PLAYWRIGHT_BROWSERS_PATH and PLAYWRIGHT_SKIP_BROWSER_DOWNLOAD environment variables to control where and whether browser binaries are downloaded.

Usage

This function is called by the rfbrowser init CLI command. It can also be imported and called directly from Python code for programmatic initialization in custom setup scripts or CI pipelines.

Code Reference

Source Location

Repository: robotframework-browser
File: Browser/entry/rfbrowser_init.py
Lines: 205-259

Signature

def rfbrowser_init(
    skip_browser_install: bool,
    silent_mode: bool,
    with_deps: bool,
    browser: list,
) -> None:

Import

from Browser.entry.rfbrowser_init import rfbrowser_init

I/O Contract

Inputs

Name	Type	Required	Description
skip_browser_install	`bool`	Yes	When `True`, sets `PLAYWRIGHT_SKIP_BROWSER_DOWNLOAD=1` and skips the `npx playwright install` step entirely
silent_mode	`bool`	Yes	When `True`, suppresses all log output (both console and file logging)
with_deps	`bool`	Yes	When `True`, appends `--with-deps` to the Playwright install command, causing system-level dependencies (fonts, libraries) to be installed automatically
browser	`list`	Yes	A list of browser names to install (e.g., `["chromium", "firefox"]`); an empty list installs all default browsers

Outputs

Name	Type	Description
return	`None`	The function returns nothing on success
side effects	environment changes	Modifies `PLAYWRIGHT_BROWSERS_PATH` and potentially `PLAYWRIGHT_SKIP_BROWSER_DOWNLOAD` environment variables; installs packages into `Browser/wrapper/node_modules/`
exceptions	`RuntimeError`	Raised if npm or npx processes exit with non-zero return codes, or if `package.json` is missing or the directory is not writable

Usage Examples

Basic Example

from Browser.entry.rfbrowser_init import rfbrowser_init

# Full initialization: install Node.js deps and all default browser binaries
rfbrowser_init(
    skip_browser_install=False,
    silent_mode=False,
    with_deps=False,
    browser=[],
)

Install Only Specific Browsers

from Browser.entry.rfbrowser_init import rfbrowser_init

# Install Node.js deps and only chromium and firefox binaries
rfbrowser_init(
    skip_browser_install=False,
    silent_mode=False,
    with_deps=False,
    browser=["chromium", "firefox"],
)

CI Environment With System Dependencies

from Browser.entry.rfbrowser_init import rfbrowser_init

# Silent mode for CI, with automatic system dependency installation
rfbrowser_init(
    skip_browser_install=False,
    silent_mode=True,
    with_deps=True,
    browser=["chromium"],
)

Skip Browser Download

from Browser.entry.rfbrowser_init import rfbrowser_init

# Only install Node.js dependencies, skip browser binaries
rfbrowser_init(
    skip_browser_install=True,
    silent_mode=False,
    with_deps=False,
    browser=[],
)

CLI Equivalent Commands

# Full init (all browsers)
rfbrowser init

# Specific browsers only
rfbrowser init chromium firefox

# With system dependencies for CI
rfbrowser init --with-deps

# Skip browser download
rfbrowser init --skip-browsers

# Silent mode
rfbrowser --silent init

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Principle

Implementation

Heuristic

Environment