Unveiling RunBot: The Ultimate Testing Tool for Odoo Developers

Introduction

Runbot Odoo Testing – Welcome to Odoo Unplugged! I’m Olivier Colson, your host and a developer at Odoo. Today, we’re diving into perhaps the most useful tool Odoo has to offer: RunBot. With me are the two masterminds behind it, Xavier Dollet and Christophe Meunier, also known as Moc. We’ll explore what RunBot is, its significance, and the journey of its development.

What is RunBot?

RunBot, accessible at runbot.odoo.com, is an open testing tool for Odoo. It provides continuous integration and testing for Odoo’s development branches. By visualizing branches and commits from GitHub, RunBot ensures that all code changes are thoroughly tested before integration.

Key Features of RunBot

Easy Access

RunBot’s main page is open to everyone—no login required. Here, you can view lines representing different branches from GitHub, including both main and development branches.

Comprehensive Testing

RunBot tests not only internal Odoo developments but also external pull requests. When a branch turns green, it indicates all tests have passed successfully.

Multi-Repository Support

RunBot supports multiple repositories, ensuring that changes across various parts of the Odoo ecosystem are integrated seamlessly.

Detailed Test Information

RunBot provides extensive logs and error management tools, making it easier to track and fix issues.

The Origins of RunBot

The first version of RunBot was created by Antony, Odoo’s CTO, even before GitHub Actions existed. Initially, it was a small tool, but it has grown significantly over the years to accommodate Odoo’s expanding needs.

Key Milestones

1. Porting to New Odoo Versions: RunBot has been updated to work with each new version of Odoo, from version 8 to the current version 17.
2. Docker Integration: Moving from building instances on the same machine to using Docker containers has made the system more robust and scalable.
3. Nightly Builds: RunBot performs approximately 20,000 builds every night to ensure stability and catch random errors.

Enhancing Efficiency

Parallel Testing

RunBot splits tests into multiple parallel builds, significantly speeding up the testing process. By parallelizing the at-install and post-install tests, RunBot ensures faster and more efficient testing.

Minimal Checks

Introduced recently, minimal checks prevent unnecessary builds by ensuring branches are correctly synchronized and commit messages are properly formatted.

Intelligent Resource Management

RunBot manages load efficiently by avoiding redundant tests. For example, if a branch doesn’t pass the minimal checks, the tests won’t run automatically.

Challenges and Solutions

Handling Load

With Odoo’s growth, the number of developers and tests has increased, leading to higher loads on RunBot. Strategies like parallel testing and load profiling help manage this effectively.

Random Errors

Random errors often arise from race conditions or time-based issues. Nightly multi-build tests help identify and fix these errors.

Continuous Improvement

The development team constantly refines RunBot by adding features like error management, multi-project support, and integration with tools like GitHub.

Future Directions

RunBot continues to evolve, integrating more advanced features and handling increased loads. The development team is committing to maintaining its efficiency and robustness, ensuring it remains a critical tool for Odoo developers.

Conclusion

RunBot is an invaluable tool for Odoo developers, ensuring that all code changes are thoroughly test and integrated seamlessly. From its origins to its current state, RunBot has continuously evolved to meet the growing needs of the Odoo ecosystem. As it continues to develop, it will undoubtedly remain a cornerstone of Odoo’s development process.

FAQs

Q: What is RunBot?

A: RunBot is a testing tool for Odoo that provides continuous integration and testing for development branches.

Q: How does RunBot work?

A: RunBot visualizes branches and commits from GitHub, performing comprehensive tests to ensure code changes are seamlessly integrated.

Q: What are the key features of RunBot?

A: Key features include easy access, multi-repository support, detailed test information, and parallel testing.

Q: How does RunBot handle increased loads?

A: RunBot uses strategies like parallel testing, minimal checks, and intelligent resource management to handle increased loads efficiently.