Define a list of dictionaries in Robot Framework - robotframework

Question

Is there a way of defining, in the Variables section of a robot framework file (.rst), a list of dictionaries (or list of lists)?
This should be very straighforward, even for a Robot novice, but I'm struggling to do it.
To make things clear, I need something like this:
`*** Variables ***
#{list_of_dicts} [{'name': 'Alice', 'age': 25},
{'name': 'Bob', 'age': 30},
{'name': 'Charlie', 'age': 35}]
*** Keywords ***
Example Keyword
: FOR ${dict} IN #{list_of_dicts}
\ Log ${dict['name']} is ${dict['age']} years old`
I tried varying the posted code in several ways.
Robot Version: 2.9.2

Answer 1

Actually it's not so straightforward. I would suggest to user .yaml file for storing such variables. So in your case:
Persons:
- name: Alice
age: 25
- name: Bob
age: 30
- name: Charlie
age: 35
and latter use it in robot:
*** Settings ***
Variables persons.yaml
*** Test Cases ***
Example Test Case
FOR ${person} IN #{PERSONS}
Log ${person["name"]} is ${person["age"]} years old
END

Answer 2

Regretfully, no, it's painfully not-straightforward using just RF syntax - you have to define each dict as a var, and then include them individually in the list variable:
*** Variables ***
&{dict1} key1=value1 key2=value2
&{dict2} keyY=valueY keyX=valueX
#{list_of_dicts} &{dict1} &{dict2}
There is an alternative though - the inline evaluation technique; it for sure will work inside cases and keywords (I've used it for exactly this purpose - a list of dicts to later serialize as json), but I don't know does it work in the Variables section, you have to try it out.
If it does, it'll look like this - a direct python statement or expression inside ${{}}(double curly brackets):
*** Variables ***
${list_of_dicts} ${{ [{'name': 'Alice', 'age': 25}, {'name': 'Bob', 'age': 30}, {'name': 'Charlie', 'age': 35}] }}
If it doesn't (work there) - you can do it in a keyword, call Set Suite Variable on the variable, and have that keyword called in Suite Setup (that goes under the moto "life is a series of workarounds" :))