Python Automation Tutorial: Complete Guide With Examples

What Is Python Automation?

Python automation refers to using automated scripts with Python programming language to handle repetitive tasks with minimal human intervention. It leverages Python libraries to streamline workflows, improve accuracy, and save time across tasks such as web testing, data scraping, file management, and report generation.

Benefits:

• Automates Repetitive Tasks: Python automation reduces time spent on routine tasks, enabling teams to focus on strategic, value-driven activities and innovation.
• Improves Testing Reliability: Python automation testing automates manual testing efforts and ensures your software behaves as expected across environments.
• Accelerates Development Cycles: Python speeds up task execution, enabling parallel test runs and faster feedback, significantly reducing the overall software development cycle.
• Scalable Automation: Python's flexible nature scales with growing complexity, allowing simple scripts to evolve into comprehensive solutions across multiple platforms.
• Real-Time Monitoring and Insights: Python automates real-time data collection, providing actionable insights for quicker decision-making, optimizing system performance, and minimizing downtime.

Learn Python basics and start creating scripts that save time, reduce errors, and make your workflows more efficient.

Real-World Use Cases of Python Automation

Automation with Python powers practical solutions across industries, making everyday tasks faster and more reliable.

Let's explore key real-world use cases, from web testing and data scraping to report generation that showcase how Python streamlines workflows.

• Web Testing: Python can be used with automation testing tools to check that websites behave as expected. This helps developers catch bugs before users do.
• Data Scraping: Using libraries like BeautifulSoup, Python can pull data from websites (also known as Python web scraping). This is useful for gathering prices, news, or job listings.
• Email Automation: Python scripts can read, send, and organize emails. For example, you can send reports or notifications automatically.
• File Management: Python can rename, move, or delete hundreds of files at once. This is useful for cleaning up folders or organizing data.
• Report Generation: Combine Python with Excel or PDF libraries to create automatic daily or weekly reports without opening any files.
• PDF or Image Processing: Python can compare, edit, and extract text from PDF and image files. This is useful for document checks.
• Monitoring Systems: Python scripts can run in the background to watch logs, websites, or apps and alert you if something breaks.

How to Get Started With Python Automation?

Let's look at the step-by-step process to perform automation with Python, from setup to running your first scripts.

Prerequisites

• Clone this GitHub Python automation repository.
• Download Python and ensure pip is installed by running:

  pip --version

• Create a virtual environment the below command:

  python -m venv env

• Activate the virtual environment using the source env/bin/activate command for macOS/Linux and if you are on Windows, use the env\\Scripts\\activate command.
• Run the following command to install required libraries:

  pip install -r requirements.txt

• Run the following command to install Playwright:

  npm init playwright@latest

How to Perform Python Automation With LambdaTest?

LambdaTest is a cloud platform that allows you to perform Python automation testing online that allows you to run your automation scripts with tools like Selenium, Playwright across different browsers and OSes. It handles the infrastructure so you don’t need to manage browsers or devices locally.

To run Playwright automation on LambdaTest, modify your test script to connect via the LambdaTest WebSocket URL. Next, set your LambdaTest Username and Access Key as environment variables and configure the automation capabilities, including browser, browser version, platform, and other relevant settings.

capabilities = {
        "browserName": browser_name,
        "browserVersion": browser_version,
        "LT:Options": {
            "platform": platform,
            "build": build or "Playwright Python Build",
            "name": name or "Playwright Python Test",
            "user": LT_USERNAME,
            "accessKey": LT_ACCESS_KEY,
            "network": True,
            "video": True,
            "console": True,
            "tunnel": False,
        },
    }
    caps_json = json.dumps(capabilities)

    return f"wss://cdp.lambdatest.com/playwright?capabilities={caps_json}"

You can generate these Playwright capabilities using the LambdaTest Automation Capabilities Generator.

To get started, refer to the documentation on Playwright testing with LambdaTest.

To run the above test scenario on LambdaTest, execute the below command.

python web/ecommerce_search_test.py

You can now visit the LambdaTest Web Automation dashboard to view your test execution results.