How to Terminate a Process in Katalon Studio Using Groovy Script

26 February 2025 Stephan Petzl Leave a comment Katalon Issues

In test automation, managing external processes is crucial for ensuring that resources are appropriately released after test execution. This article addresses a common challenge faced by Katalon Studio users: terminating an external application, such as a PDF viewer, after a test run. Below, we explore a practical solution using Groovy script in Katalon Studio.

Understanding the Challenge

Consider a scenario where you need to validate that your application under test (AUT) opens a PDF viewer. Once the test completes, it becomes necessary to close this viewer to maintain a clean testing environment. A user attempted to achieve this using the following command:

Runtime.getRuntime().exec("taskkill /im AcroRd32.exe /f")

Although this command works when executed directly from the command line, it fails to terminate the process when run within a Katalon script.

Solution: Using ProcessBuilder in Groovy

The solution involves utilizing the ProcessBuilder class in Groovy, which offers more control over the execution environment and is better suited for handling system processes within Katalon Studio. Here’s a step-by-step guide:

Step-by-Step Guide

1. Define the command and its arguments within a string array.
2. Create a ProcessBuilder instance with the defined arguments.
3. Inherit the I/O of the current process to capture output and errors.
4. Start the process and wait for its completion.
5. Destroy the process to ensure it is completely terminated.

Below is the Groovy code implementing this approach:

String[] arguments = {
      "taskkill", "/im", "AcroRd32.exe", "/f"
  }
  ProcessBuilder pb = new ProcessBuilder(arguments);
  pb.inheritIO();
  
  Process process = pb.start();
  process.waitFor();
  process.destroy();

Enhancing Test Automation with Repeato

While Katalon Studio provides a robust platform for test automation, integrating a tool like Repeato can further streamline your testing process. Repeato’s no-code test automation capabilities allow you to create, run, and maintain tests efficiently without delving deep into scripting languages. Its support for command line scripts and JavaScript code can automate complex tasks, similar to the process management discussed here.

Moreover, Repeato’s approach to saving all tests and workspace data in text and JSON format facilitates easy version control, making it a practical alternative to other tools that might have limitations in scripting language support or require extensive resources.

For more information on optimizing your test automation strategies, explore our documentation or visit our blog.

If you have further questions or need assistance, feel free to contact us.

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