create-test

name	create-test
description	Create or update test cases for a Zotero translator by running it against live URLs and capturing the output.

How test cases work

Test cases are embedded at the end of each translator file between /** BEGIN TEST CASES **/ and /** END TEST CASES **/. They look like JS but the content is strict JSON — double-quoted keys, no trailing commas, no comments, no single quotes. The linter enforces this.

/** BEGIN TEST CASES **/
var testCases = [
	{
		"type": "web",
		"url": "https://example.com/article/123",
		"items": [
			{
				"itemType": "journalArticle",
				"title": "Example Article",
				...
			}
		]
	}
]
/** END TEST CASES **/

Creating test cases

The tool runs the translator, captures its output, and writes the test case JSON directly into the file. Do NOT hand-write test case item objects.

Web

node .bin/create-test.mjs "<translator filename>" --url "<url>"

Search

node .bin/create-test.mjs "<translator filename>" --search '{"DOI":"10.1234/example"}'

Import

node .bin/create-test.mjs "<translator filename>" --input "<import data>"

Export

Export tests are not supported by the automated test runner. Test export translators manually.

Options

• --no-write: Preview the captured test case without modifying the file.
• --json: Output structured JSON.
• --headed: Open a visible browser. Required for sites behind Cloudflare or a similar anti-bot wall, which refuse headless Chrome outright.

Guidelines

• Include at least one single-item test and one "multiple" test (if supported).
• Use stable URLs unlikely to change (DOI-based, permalinks, archived content).
• Always use this tool to generate test cases. Never write test case items by hand — the tool ensures the JSON matches what the translator actually produces.
• If you need to update a test case after changing translator code, re-run the tool for that URL. Replace the old test case entry with the new output.