"Passing Runtime Parameters from GitLab CI/CD to Katalon Test Execution"

Product Forums Katalon Studio
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I’m currently executing my Katalon tests using the Katalon Runtime Engine integrated with CI/CD in GitLab. I would like to know how I can pass runtime values (such as deviceName, OS version, browserStack app ID, etc.) to Katalon global variables or test case variables from the GitLab pipeline during execution.

Could you advise on the recommended approach to achieve this dynamically?

Thanks!

1 Like
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to dynamically pass runtime parameters from GitLab CI/CD to Katalon tests using command-line arguments and GlobalVariables:

1. Define Global Variables in Katalon

First, declare the variables you want to pass in your Katalon project:

  • Go to Profiles > Default (or your active profile) and add variables like:
deviceName = "default_device"
osVersion = "default_os"
browserStackAppId = "default_id"

2. Pass Parameters via GitLab CI/CD Pipeline

In your .gitlab-ci.yml, pass the values using Katalon’s -g_ syntax to override GlobalVariables:

stages:
  - test

katalon_test:
  stage: test
  script:
    - katalon-execute.sh 
      -projectPath="/path/to/your-project.prj" 
      -retry=0 
      -testSuitePath="Test Suites/Your_Test_Suite" 
      -executionProfile="default" 
      -browserType="Remote" 
      -g_deviceName="iPhone_12" 
      -g_osVersion="14.0" 
      -g_browserStackAppId="bs://123456abc" 
      -apiKey=$KATALON_API_KEY

3. Access Variables in Test Cases

Use the variables directly in your test scripts via GlobalVariable:

// Example: Set Appium desired capabilities
@Keyword
def setupMobileDriver() {
  String appId = GlobalVariable.browserStackAppId
  String device = GlobalVariable.deviceName
  String os = GlobalVariable.osVersion

  Mobile.startApplication(appId, [
    'deviceName' : device,
    'platformVersion' : os,
    'platformName' : 'iOS'
  ])
}

4. Handle Optional/Dynamic Values

For optional parameters, use defaults or conditionals to avoid NullPointerException:

String appId = GlobalVariable.getProperty('browserStackAppId') ?: "default_id"

5. Secure Sensitive Data with GitLab Variables

For secrets (e.g., API keys), use GitLab’s CI/CD Variables (masked/env-protected):

  1. Navigate to GitLab Project > Settings > CI/CD > Variables.
  2. Add variables like KATALON_API_KEY, BROWSERSTACK_USER, etc.
  3. Reference them in .gitlab-ci.yml:
script:
  - katalon-execute.sh 
    ...
    -g_browserStackUser=$BROWSERSTACK_USER 
    -g_browserStackKey=$BROWSERSTACK_KEY

6. Use Custom Execution Profiles (Optional)

If you need environment-specific configurations:

  1. Create a profile (e.g., GitLab) in Katalon Studio.
  2. Set variables in the profile, then reference it via -executionProfile="GitLab".

7. Command-Line Syntax Notes

  • Global Variables: Use -g_<variableName>=<value>.
  • Test Case Variables: Use -testCaseVars.<variableName>=<value>.
  • Example:
-g_env="staging" -testCaseVars.username="test_user"

8. Verify Execution

Check the GitLab job logs to confirm variables are passed:

[INFO] Global Variable: deviceName = iPhone_12
[INFO] Global Variable: osVersion = 14.0

References