cli-e2e-testing

name	cli-e2e-testing
description	Use when creating, modifying, debugging, or reviewing Aspire CLI end-to-end tests that use Hex1b terminal automation under tests/Aspire.Cli.EndToEnd.Tests/.

Aspire CLI End-to-End Testing with Hex1b

This skill provides patterns and practices for writing end-to-end tests for the Aspire CLI using the Hex1b terminal automation library.

Overview

CLI E2E tests use the Hex1b library to automate terminal sessions, simulating real user interactions with the Aspire CLI. Tests run in CI with asciinema recordings for debugging.

Location: tests/Aspire.Cli.EndToEnd.Tests/

Supported Platforms: Linux only. Hex1b requires a Linux terminal environment. Tests are configured to skip on Windows and macOS in CI.

Key Components

Core Classes

• Hex1bTerminal: The main terminal class from the Hex1b library for terminal automation
• Hex1bTerminalAutomator: Async/await API for driving a Hex1bTerminal — the preferred approach for new tests
• Hex1bAutomatorTestHelpers (shared helpers): Async extension methods on Hex1bTerminalAutomator (WaitForSuccessPromptAsync, AspireNewAsync, etc.)
• CliE2EAutomatorHelpers (Helpers/CliE2EAutomatorHelpers.cs): CLI-specific async extension methods on Hex1bTerminalAutomator (PrepareDockerEnvironmentAsync, InstallAspireCliAsync, etc.)
• CellPatternSearcher: Pattern matching for terminal cell content
• SequenceCounter (Helpers/SequenceCounter.cs): Tracks command execution count for deterministic prompt detection
• CliE2ETestHelpers (Helpers/CliE2ETestHelpers.cs): Environment variable helpers and terminal factory methods
• TemporaryWorkspace: Creates isolated temporary directories for test execution
• Hex1bTerminalInputSequenceBuilder (legacy): Fluent builder API for building sequences of terminal input/output operations. Prefer Hex1bTerminalAutomator for new tests.

Test Architecture

Each test:

1. Creates a TemporaryWorkspace for isolation
2. Builds a Hex1bTerminal with headless mode and asciinema recording
3. Creates a Hex1bTerminalAutomator wrapping the terminal
4. Drives the terminal with async/await calls and awaits completion

Test Structure

public sealed class SmokeTests(ITestOutputHelper output)
{
    [Fact]
    public async Task MyCliTest()
    {
        var repoRoot = CliE2ETestHelpers.GetRepoRoot();
        var strategy = CliInstallStrategy.Detect(output.WriteLine);
        var workspace = TemporaryWorkspace.Create(output);

        using var terminal = CliE2ETestHelpers.CreateDockerTestTerminal(repoRoot, strategy, output, workspace: workspace);

        var counter = new SequenceCounter();
        var auto = new Hex1bTerminalAutomator(terminal, defaultTimeout: TimeSpan.FromSeconds(500));
        await using var terminalRun = CliE2ETestHelpers.StartRun(terminal, workspace, auto, counter, output, TestContext.Current.CancellationToken);

        await auto.PrepareDockerEnvironmentAsync(counter, workspace);
        await auto.InstallAspireCliAsync(strategy, counter);

        await auto.TypeAsync("aspire --version");
        await auto.EnterAsync();
        await auto.WaitForSuccessPromptAsync(counter);
    }
}

TerminalRun Pattern

Always use CliE2ETestHelpers.StartRun to wrap the terminal run. This returns a TerminalRun (implements IAsyncDisposable) that automatically:

1. Captures Aspire diagnostics via CaptureAspireDiagnosticsAsync (best effort)
2. Types exit and presses Enter to close the terminal
3. Awaits the pending run task

This eliminates the need for manual exit/await pendingRun at the end of every test and ensures diagnostics are always captured, even when tests fail.

// DO: Use StartRun for consistent diagnostics capture and cleanup
using var terminal = CliE2ETestHelpers.CreateDockerTestTerminal(repoRoot, strategy, output, workspace: workspace);

var counter = new SequenceCounter();
var auto = new Hex1bTerminalAutomator(terminal, defaultTimeout: TimeSpan.FromSeconds(500));
await using var terminalRun = CliE2ETestHelpers.StartRun(terminal, workspace, auto, counter, output, TestContext.Current.CancellationToken);

// ... test body — no exit/pendingRun needed at the end

// DON'T: Manually handle exit and pendingRun
var pendingRun = terminal.RunAsync(TestContext.Current.CancellationToken);
// ... test body ...
await auto.TypeAsync("exit");
await auto.EnterAsync();
await pendingRun;

Running Tests Locally

CLI E2E tests run inside Docker containers on Linux. The workflow is: build a portable archive with localhive, then point the tests at it. This is the primary way to iterate on E2E tests during development.

Prerequisites

• Docker Desktop running (with Linux containers)
• .NET 10 SDK (installed via ./restore.sh or .\restore.cmd)

Quick Start (macOS / Linux)

# 1. Build a portable archive with CLI + packages + bundle
#    Use linux-arm64 on Apple Silicon, linux-x64 on Intel/Linux
./localhive.sh -o /tmp/aspire-e2e -r linux-arm64 --archive

# 2. Run a specific test
ASPIRE_E2E_ARCHIVE=/tmp/aspire-e2e.tar.gz \
  dotnet test tests/Aspire.Cli.EndToEnd.Tests/Aspire.Cli.EndToEnd.Tests.csproj \
  -- --filter-method "*.CreateAndRunAspireStarterProject"

# 3. Run all tests in a class
ASPIRE_E2E_ARCHIVE=/tmp/aspire-e2e.tar.gz \
  dotnet test tests/Aspire.Cli.EndToEnd.Tests/Aspire.Cli.EndToEnd.Tests.csproj \
  -- --filter-class "*.SmokeTests"

Quick Start (Windows / PowerShell)

# 1. Build a portable archive (Docker Desktop uses linux-x64 via WSL2)
.\localhive.ps1 -o C:\tmp\aspire-e2e -r linux-x64 -Archive

# 2. Run a specific test
$env:ASPIRE_E2E_ARCHIVE = "C:\tmp\aspire-e2e.tar.gz"
dotnet test tests\Aspire.Cli.EndToEnd.Tests\Aspire.Cli.EndToEnd.Tests.csproj `
  -- --filter-method "*.CreateAndRunAspireStarterProject"

# 3. Run all tests in a class
dotnet test tests\Aspire.Cli.EndToEnd.Tests\Aspire.Cli.EndToEnd.Tests.csproj `
  -- --filter-class "*.SmokeTests"

Choosing the Right RID

The archive must match the Docker container's architecture:

Host	Docker Desktop	RID
Apple Silicon Mac	Linux arm64 containers	linux-arm64
Intel Mac	Linux x64 containers	linux-x64
Windows (any)	WSL2 Linux x64	linux-x64
Linux x64	Native	linux-x64
Linux arm64	Native	linux-arm64

Development Workflow

The typical loop when writing or debugging E2E tests:

# 1. Make your code changes (CLI, hosting, templates, etc.)

# 2. Rebuild the archive (picks up all changes — ~3 min)
./localhive.sh -o /tmp/aspire-e2e -r linux-arm64 --archive

# 3. Run the specific test you're working on
ASPIRE_E2E_ARCHIVE=/tmp/aspire-e2e.tar.gz \
  dotnet test tests/Aspire.Cli.EndToEnd.Tests/Aspire.Cli.EndToEnd.Tests.csproj \
  -- --filter-method "*.YourTestName"

# 4. If it fails, check the asciinema recording
#    Recordings are saved under the test output TestResults/recordings/ directory
#    Play with: asciinema play /path/to/YourTestName.cast

# 5. Fix and repeat from step 1 or 2

Install Modes

The CliInstallStrategy class auto-detects how to install the CLI in the test container. You can override via environment variables:

Env Var	Mode	Example
ASPIRE_E2E_ARCHIVE	LocalHive — extract archive into container	/tmp/aspire-e2e.tar.gz
ASPIRE_E2E_QUALITY	Install script with quality	dev, staging, release
ASPIRE_E2E_VERSION	Install script with version	13.2.1
(none, in CI)	PullRequest — install from PR artifacts	Auto-detected
(none, locally)	InstallScript (latest GA)	Auto-detected

LocalHive (via ASPIRE_E2E_ARCHIVE) is the recommended mode for local development — it uses your locally-built CLI, packages, and bundle so you test exactly what you've changed.

Testing Against Released Versions

Useful for verifying tests pass against shipped versions or catching regressions:

# Test against latest GA release
ASPIRE_E2E_QUALITY=release dotnet test tests/Aspire.Cli.EndToEnd.Tests/Aspire.Cli.EndToEnd.Tests.csproj \
  -- --filter-method "*.CreateAndRunAspireStarterProject"

# Test against daily builds
ASPIRE_E2E_QUALITY=dev dotnet test ...

# Test against a specific version
ASPIRE_E2E_VERSION=13.2.1 dotnet test ...

Emulated channel matrix tests (identity sidecar)

A set of tests validates the CLI identity sidecar — the ability to make a locally built CLI emulate a different channel/version via ASPIRE_CLI_* env vars. They form an AppHost-language × channel-emulation matrix (one test per language because C# and TypeScript scaffold through different code paths and have diverged before):

Class	Channel emulated	Aspire* source	NuGet.config dropped?
EmulatedReleasedBuildTests	stable (latest shipped)	nuget.org	No (C# and TS)
EmulatedStagingBuildTests	staging (latest darc build)	darc-pub-... feed	Yes — darc feed pin
EmulatedLocalReleaseBuildTests	stable (future, local-only)	local hive via ASPIRE_CLI_PACKAGES	No (C# and TS)

EmulatedLocalReleaseBuildTests is the all-local "future release" row: it emulates a version (e.g. 13.5.0) that exists only in a locally built hive, so a successful resolve proves the CLI consulted ASPIRE_CLI_PACKAGES rather than nuget.org. Run it by building a stable-shaped archive with localhive --version:

# 1. Build a stable-shaped archive (note: --version X.Y.Z, NOT a prerelease suffix)
./localhive.sh --version 13.5.0 -o /tmp/aspire-localrelease -r linux-arm64 --archive

# 2. Run the all-local class
ASPIRE_E2E_ARCHIVE=/tmp/aspire-localrelease.tar.gz \
  dotnet test --project tests/Aspire.Cli.EndToEnd.Tests/Aspire.Cli.EndToEnd.Tests.csproj \
  -- --filter-class "*.EmulatedLocalReleaseBuildTests"

These tests skip unless the CLI was installed from a LocalHive archive and that archive is stable-shaped (no prerelease suffix). In default CI the archive is a prerelease LocalArchive, so they skip and add zero CI cost — CI relies on --ignore-exit-code 8 (set in eng/Testing.props MtpBaseArgs) so an all-skipped class job still passes. The test also registers the hive as an ambient NuGet source (dotnet nuget add source) because MSBuild resolves the apphost's Aspire.AppHost.Sdk before restore from nuget.config sources only, ignoring ASPIRE_CLI_PACKAGES.

⚠️ Local rebuilds: isolate the NuGet global cache. This only affects local iteration of a stable-shaped emulation (the E2E tests run in fresh Docker containers, so CI is immune). NuGet's global packages folder (~/.nuget/packages/<id>/<version>/) caches extracted packages keyed by version. When you emulate a fixed stable version (e.g. 13.5.0) and rebuild it, a stale 13.5.0 in that shared cache silently shadows the freshly built one — same version, different content — so restore drifts (the stale AppHost SDK injects a prerelease floor and you get NU1603 warnings binding the graph to a stray 13.5.0-pr.…). Fix: point NUGET_PACKAGES at a per-emulation directory (export NUGET_PACKAGES=/tmp/aspire-localrelease/.nuget-packages). localhive … -o DIR's generated activate.sh/activate.ps1 already sets this up. See the cache hazard note in .agents/skills/cli-channel-debugging/SKILL.md (Scenario 7c) for the full mechanism.

SequenceCounter and Prompt Detection

The SequenceCounter class tracks the number of shell commands executed. This enables deterministic waiting for command completion via a custom shell prompt.

How It Works

1. PrepareDockerEnvironmentAsync() configures the shell with a custom prompt: [N OK] $ or [N ERR:code] $
2. Each command increments the counter
3. WaitForSuccessPromptAsync(counter) waits for a prompt showing the current count with OK

var counter = new SequenceCounter();
var auto = new Hex1bTerminalAutomator(terminal, defaultTimeout: TimeSpan.FromSeconds(500));

await auto.PrepareDockerEnvironmentAsync(counter, workspace);  // Sets up prompt, counter starts at 1

await auto.TypeAsync("echo hello");
await auto.EnterAsync();
await auto.WaitForSuccessPromptAsync(counter);  // Waits for "[1 OK] $ ", then increments to 2

await auto.TypeAsync("ls -la");
await auto.EnterAsync();
await auto.WaitForSuccessPromptAsync(counter);  // Waits for "[2 OK] $ ", then increments to 3

await auto.TypeAsync("exit");
await auto.EnterAsync();

This approach is more reliable than arbitrary timeouts because it deterministically waits for each command to complete.

Pattern Searching with CellPatternSearcher

Use CellPatternSearcher to find text patterns in terminal output:

// Simple text search (literal string matching - PREFERRED)
var waitingForPrompt = new CellPatternSearcher()
    .Find("Enter the project name");

// Literal string with special characters (use Find, not FindPattern!)
var waitingForTemplate = new CellPatternSearcher()
    .Find("> Starter App (FastAPI/React)");  // Parentheses and slashes are literal

// Regex pattern (only when you need wildcards/regex features)
var waitingForAnyStarter = new CellPatternSearcher()
    .FindPattern("> Starter App.*");  // .* matches anything

// Chained patterns (find "b", then scan right until "$", then right of " ")
var waitingForShell = new CellPatternSearcher()
    .Find("b").RightUntil("$").Right(' ').Right(' ');

// Use in WaitUntilAsync
await auto.WaitUntilAsync(
    snapshot => waitingForPrompt.Search(snapshot).Count > 0,
    TimeSpan.FromSeconds(30),
    description: "waiting for prompt");

Find vs FindPattern

• Find(string): Literal string matching. Use this for most cases.
• FindPattern(string): Regex pattern matching. Use only when you need regex features like wildcards.

Important: If your search string contains regex special characters like (, ), /, ., *, +, ?, [, ], {, }, ^, $, |, or \, use Find() instead of FindPattern() to avoid regex interpretation.

Extension Methods

Hex1bAutomatorTestHelpers Extensions (Shared — Automator API)

Method	Description
WaitForSuccessPromptAsync(counter, timeout?)	Waits for [N OK] $ prompt, fails immediately if error prompt appears, and increments counter
WaitForAnyPromptAsync(counter, timeout?)	Waits for any prompt (OK or ERR) and increments counter
WaitForErrorPromptAsync(counter, timeout?)	Waits for [N ERR:code] $ prompt and increments counter
RunCommandAsync(command, counter, timeout?)	Types a command, presses Enter, and waits for success prompt (fails fast on error)
DeclineAgentInitPromptAsync()	Declines the aspire agent init prompt if it appears
AspireNewAsync(projectName, counter, template?, useRedisCache?)	Runs aspire new interactively, handling template selection, project name, output path, URLs, Redis, and test project prompts

See AspireNew Helper below for detailed usage.

CliE2EAutomatorHelpers Extensions on Hex1bTerminalAutomator

Method	Description
PrepareDockerEnvironmentAsync(counter, workspace)	Sets up Docker container environment with custom prompt and command tracking
InstallAspireCliAsync(installMode, counter)	Installs the Aspire CLI inside the Docker container
ClearScreenAsync(counter)	Clears the terminal screen and waits for prompt

SequenceCounterExtensions

Method	Description
IncrementSequence(counter)	Manually increments the counter

Legacy Builder Extensions

The following extensions on Hex1bTerminalInputSequenceBuilder are still available but should not be used in new tests:

Method	Description
WaitForSuccessPrompt(counter, timeout?)	(legacy) Waits for [N OK] $ prompt and increments counter
PrepareEnvironment(workspace, counter)	(legacy) Sets up custom prompt with command tracking
SourceAspireBundleEnvironment(counter)	(legacy) Sources bundle PATH environment variables

DO: Use CellPatternSearcher for Output Detection

Wait for specific output patterns rather than arbitrary delays:

var waitingForMessage = new CellPatternSearcher()
    .Find("Project created successfully.");

await auto.TypeAsync("aspire new");
await auto.EnterAsync();
await auto.WaitUntilAsync(
    s => waitingForMessage.Search(s).Count > 0,
    TimeSpan.FromMinutes(2),
    description: "waiting for project created message");

DO: Use WaitForSuccessPromptAsync After Commands

After running shell commands, use WaitForSuccessPromptAsync() to wait for the command to complete:

await auto.TypeAsync("dotnet build");
await auto.EnterAsync();
await auto.WaitForSuccessPromptAsync(counter);  // Waits for prompt, verifies success

await auto.TypeAsync("dotnet run");
await auto.EnterAsync();
await auto.WaitForSuccessPromptAsync(counter);

AspireNew Helper

The AspireNew extension method centralizes the multi-step aspire new interactive flow. Use it instead of manually building the prompt sequence.

AspireTemplate Enum

Value	Template	Arrow Keys
Starter (default)	Starter App (Blazor)	None (first option)
JsReact	Starter App (ASP.NET Core/React)	Down ×1
PythonReact	Starter App (FastAPI/React)	Down ×2
ExpressReact	Starter App (Express/React)	Down ×3
EmptyAppHost	Empty AppHost	Down ×4

Parameters

Parameter	Default	Description
projectName	(required)	Project name typed at the prompt
counter	(required)	SequenceCounter for prompt tracking
template	AspireTemplate.Starter	Which template to select
useRedisCache	true	Accept Redis (Enter) or decline (Down+Enter). Only applies to Starter, JsReact, PythonReact.

Usage Examples

// Starter template with defaults (Redis=Yes, TestProject=No)
await auto.AspireNewAsync("MyProject", counter);

// Starter template, no Redis
await auto.AspireNewAsync("MyProject", counter, useRedisCache: false);

// JsReact template, no Redis
await auto.AspireNewAsync("MyProject", counter, template: AspireTemplate.JsReact, useRedisCache: false);

// PythonReact template
await auto.AspireNewAsync("MyProject", counter,
    template: AspireTemplate.PythonReact,
    useRedisCache: false);

// Empty app host
await auto.AspireNewAsync("MyProject", counter, template: AspireTemplate.EmptyAppHost);

DO: Handle Interactive Prompts

For aspire new, use the AspireNewAsync helper instead of manually building the prompt sequence:

// DO: Use the helper
await auto.AspireNewAsync("MyProject", counter);

// DON'T: Manually build the sequence (this is what AspireNewAsync does internally)
var waitingForTemplatePrompt = new CellPatternSearcher()
    .FindPattern("> Starter App");
var waitingForProjectNamePrompt = new CellPatternSearcher()
    .Find("Enter the project name");
await auto.TypeAsync("aspire new");
await auto.EnterAsync();
await auto.WaitUntilAsync(
    s => waitingForTemplatePrompt.Search(s).Count > 0,
    TimeSpan.FromSeconds(30),
    description: "waiting for template prompt");
await auto.EnterAsync();
await auto.WaitUntilAsync(
    s => waitingForProjectNamePrompt.Search(s).Count > 0,
    TimeSpan.FromSeconds(10),
    description: "waiting for project name prompt");
await auto.TypeAsync("MyProject");
await auto.EnterAsync();

For other interactive CLI commands, wait for each prompt before responding:

var waitingForPrompt = new CellPatternSearcher()
    .Find("Enter your choice");

await auto.TypeAsync("aspire some-command");
await auto.EnterAsync();
await auto.WaitUntilAsync(
    s => waitingForPrompt.Search(s).Count > 0,
    TimeSpan.FromSeconds(30),
    description: "waiting for choice prompt");
await auto.EnterAsync();

DO: Use Ctrl+C to Stop Long-Running Processes

For processes like aspire run that don't exit on their own:

using Hex1b.Input;

await auto.TypeAsync("aspire run");
await auto.EnterAsync();
await auto.WaitUntilAsync(
    s => waitForCtrlCMessage.Search(s).Count > 0,
    TimeSpan.FromSeconds(30),
    description: "waiting for Ctrl+C message");
await auto.Ctrl().KeyAsync(Hex1bKey.C);  // Send Ctrl+C
await auto.WaitForSuccessPromptAsync(counter);

DO: Check IsRunningInCI for CI-Only Operations

Some operations only apply in CI (like installing CLI from PR artifacts):

var installMode = CliInstallStrategy.Detect(output.WriteLine);

await auto.PrepareDockerEnvironmentAsync(counter, workspace);
await auto.InstallAspireCliAsync(installMode, counter);

// Continue with test commands...

DO: Get Environment Variables Using Helpers

Use CliE2ETestHelpers for CI environment variables:

var prNumber = CliE2ETestHelpers.GetRequiredPrNumber();   // GITHUB_PR_NUMBER (0 when local)
var commitSha = CliE2ETestHelpers.GetRequiredCommitSha(); // GITHUB_PR_HEAD_SHA ("local0000" when local)
var isCI = CliE2ETestHelpers.IsRunningInCI;               // true when both env vars set

DO: Always Include description: on WaitUntilAsync

Every WaitUntilAsync call requires a named description: parameter. This description appears in logs and asciinema recordings to make debugging easier when a wait times out.

// DON'T: Missing description
await auto.WaitUntilAsync(
    s => pattern.Search(s).Count > 0,
    TimeSpan.FromSeconds(30));

// DO: Include a meaningful description
await auto.WaitUntilAsync(
    s => pattern.Search(s).Count > 0,
    TimeSpan.FromSeconds(30),
    description: "waiting for build output");

DO: Inline Code Where ExecuteCallback Was Used

The old builder API used ExecuteCallback() to run synchronous operations mid-sequence. With the automator API, simply inline the code directly — no special wrapper is needed.

// Old builder API (DON'T use in new tests)
sequenceBuilder
    .ExecuteCallback(() => File.WriteAllText(configPath, newConfig))
    .Type("aspire run")
    .Enter();

// Automator API (DO)
File.WriteAllText(configPath, newConfig);
await auto.TypeAsync("aspire run");
await auto.EnterAsync();

DON'T: Use Hard-coded Delays

Use WaitUntilAsync() with specific output patterns instead of arbitrary delays:

// DON'T: Arbitrary delays
await Task.Delay(TimeSpan.FromSeconds(30));

// DO: Wait for specific output
await auto.WaitUntilAsync(
    snapshot => pattern.Search(snapshot).Count > 0,
    TimeSpan.FromSeconds(30),
    description: "waiting for expected output");

DON'T: Hard-code Prompt Sequence Numbers

Don't hard-code the sequence numbers in WaitForSuccessPromptAsync calls. Use the counter:

// DON'T: Hard-coded sequence numbers
await auto.WaitUntilAsync(
    s => s.GetScreenText().Contains("[3 OK] $ "),
    timeout,
    description: "waiting for prompt");

// DO: Use the counter
await auto.WaitForSuccessPromptAsync(counter);

The counter automatically tracks which command you're waiting for, even if command sequences change.

Writing New Tests with Hex1b MCP Server

When writing new CLI E2E tests, use the Hex1b MCP server to interactively explore what terminal output to expect. The MCP server provides tools to start terminal sessions, send commands, and capture screenshots—helping you discover the exact strings and prompts to use in CellPatternSearcher.

Workflow for Discovering Patterns

1. Start a bash terminal session using the MCP server's terminal creation tools
2. Send commands (like aspire new or aspire run) and observe the output
3. Capture terminal screenshots (SVG or text) to see exact formatting
4. Use captured text to build your CellPatternSearcher patterns

Example: Finding Prompt Text for aspire new

Ask the MCP server to:

1. Start a new bash terminal
2. Run aspire new interactively
3. Capture the terminal text at each prompt

This reveals the exact strings like:

• "> Starter App" for template selection
• "Enter the project name" for name input
• "Press Ctrl+C to stop..." for run completion

Benefits

• See real output: No guessing what text appears in the terminal
• Exact formatting: Capture shows spacing, ANSI codes stripped, actual cell content
• Interactive exploration: Try different inputs and see responses before writing test code
• Debug patterns: If a CellPatternSearcher isn't matching, capture current terminal state to compare

Tips

• Use Capture Terminal Text to get plain text for pattern matching
• Use Capture Terminal Screenshot (SVG) for visual debugging
• The Wait for Terminal Text tool works similarly to WaitUntil in tests
• Terminal sessions persist, so you can step through multi-command sequences

Adding New Extension Methods

When adding new CLI operations as extension methods, define them on Hex1bTerminalAutomator:

internal static async Task MyNewOperationAsync(
    this Hex1bTerminalAutomator auto,
    string arg,
    SequenceCounter counter,
    TimeSpan? timeout = null)
{
    var expectedOutput = new CellPatternSearcher()
        .Find("Expected output");

    await auto.TypeAsync($"aspire my-command {arg}");
    await auto.EnterAsync();
    await auto.WaitUntilAsync(
        snapshot => expectedOutput.Search(snapshot).Count > 0,
        timeout ?? TimeSpan.FromSeconds(30),
        description: "waiting for expected output from my-command");
    await auto.WaitForSuccessPromptAsync(counter);
}

Key points:

1. Define as async extension method on Hex1bTerminalAutomator
2. Accept SequenceCounter parameter for prompt tracking
3. Use CellPatternSearcher for output detection
4. Always include description: on WaitUntilAsync calls
5. Call WaitForSuccessPromptAsync(counter) after command completion
6. Return Task (no fluent chaining needed with async/await)

CI Configuration

Environment variables set in CI:

• GITHUB_PR_NUMBER: PR number for downloading CLI artifacts
• GITHUB_PR_HEAD_SHA: PR head commit SHA for version verification (not the merge commit)
• GH_TOKEN: GitHub token for API access
• GITHUB_WORKSPACE: Workspace root for artifact paths

Each test class runs as a separate CI job via the unified TestEnumerationRunsheetBuilder infrastructure (using SplitTestsOnCI=true) for parallel execution.

CI Troubleshooting

When CLI E2E tests fail in CI, follow these steps to diagnose the issue:

Flaky test investigation: for recurring/intermittent failures, see troubleshooting.md for a catalog of known flake classes (Y/n input race, prompt-counter desync, etc.) and the recipes to identify them from .cast recordings.

VS Code Extension E2E Diagnostics

For VS Code extension behavior or extension/CLI integration issues, strongly prefer adding or updating a reproducible test under extension/src/test-e2e/. Use agent-driven Playwright/VS Code UI driving only as exploratory diagnosis when the E2E scenario is not clear yet; convert any successful manual reproduction into an E2E test before fixing the bug unless there is a strong, explicit reason not to.

When running extension E2E tests against an older published CLI for compatibility validation, set ASPIRE_EXTENSION_E2E_SKIP_CURRENT_CLI_REGRESSIONS=true to skip tests that intentionally cover bugs fixed only by the current repo-built CLI.

VS Code extension E2E jobs upload shard-specific diagnostics as extension-e2e-diagnostics-<rid>-<shard>-attempt<N> artifacts. Linux shards include .mp4 display recordings from Xvfb by default; Windows shards do not record video and instead rely on screenshots, VS Code logs, state files, and workspace diagnostics.

# List VS Code extension E2E diagnostic artifacts for a run.
gh api "repos/microsoft/aspire/actions/runs/<run-id>/artifacts?per_page=100" --paginate \
  --jq '.artifacts[] | select(.name | startswith("extension-e2e-diagnostics")) | "\(.size_in_bytes)\t\(.name)"'

# Download one shard's diagnostics. The artifact contains .mp4 recordings
# on Linux, .ffmpeg.log files, screenshots, VS Code logs, state files, and
# captured workspace diagnostics.
mkdir -p ./e2e-diagnostics && cd ./e2e-diagnostics
gh run download <run-id> --repo microsoft/aspire \
  -n extension-e2e-diagnostics-linux-x64-<shard>-attempt<N> \
  -D <shard>

Important paths inside the downloaded shard:

<shard>/.test-recordings/<shard>/<runId>.mp4
<shard>/.test-recordings/<shard>/<runId>.ffmpeg.log
<shard>/.test-storage/**/screenshots/
<shard>/.test-results/e2e/<shard>/extension-state.json

The workflow keeps Linux recordings by default with ASPIRE_EXTENSION_E2E_RECORDING_MODE=always. Use failure to keep only failed-run videos or off to disable recording for local runs.

Quick Start: Download and Play Recordings

The fastest way to debug a CLI E2E test failure is to download and play the asciinema recording.

Using the helper scripts (recommended):

# Linux/macOS - Download and play recording from latest CI run on current branch
./eng/scripts/get-cli-e2e-recording.sh -p

# List available test recordings
./eng/scripts/get-cli-e2e-recording.sh -l

# Download specific test
./eng/scripts/get-cli-e2e-recording.sh -t SmokeTests -p

# Download from specific run
./eng/scripts/get-cli-e2e-recording.sh -r 20944531393 -p

# Windows PowerShell
.\eng\scripts\get-cli-e2e-recording.ps1 -Play

# List available recordings
.\eng\scripts\get-cli-e2e-recording.ps1 -List

# Download specific test
.\eng\scripts\get-cli-e2e-recording.ps1 -TestName SmokeTests -Play

# Download from specific run
.\eng\scripts\get-cli-e2e-recording.ps1 -RunId 20944531393 -Play

Manual download steps:

Step 1: Find the CI Run

# List recent CI runs for your branch
gh run list --branch $(git branch --show-current) --workflow CI --limit 5

# Get the run ID from the output or use:
RUN_ID=$(gh run list --branch $(git branch --show-current) --workflow CI --limit 1 --json databaseId --jq '.[0].databaseId')
echo "Run ID: $RUN_ID"
echo "URL: https://github.com/microsoft/aspire/actions/runs/$RUN_ID"

Step 2: Find CLI E2E Test Artifacts

Job names follow the pattern: Tests / Cli E2E Linux (<TestClass>) / <TestClass> (ubuntu-latest)

Artifact names follow the pattern: logs-<TestClass>-ubuntu-latest

# Check if CLI E2E tests ran and their status
gh run view $RUN_ID --json jobs --jq '.jobs[] | select(.name | test("Cli E2E")) | {name, conclusion}'

# List available CLI E2E artifacts
gh api --paginate "repos/microsoft/aspire/actions/runs/$RUN_ID/artifacts" \
  --jq '.artifacts[].name' | grep -i "smoke"

Step 3: Download and Play Recording

# Download the artifact
mkdir -p /tmp/cli-e2e-debug
gh run download $RUN_ID -n logs-SmokeTests-ubuntu-latest -D /tmp/cli-e2e-debug

# Find the recording
find /tmp/cli-e2e-debug -name "*.cast"

# Play it (requires asciinema: pip install asciinema)
asciinema play /tmp/cli-e2e-debug/testresults/recordings/CreateAndRunAspireStarterProject.cast

# Or view raw content for AI analysis
head -100 /tmp/cli-e2e-debug/testresults/recordings/CreateAndRunAspireStarterProject.cast

Artifact Contents

Downloaded artifacts contain:

testresults/
├── <TestClass>_net10.0_*.trx          # Test results XML
├── Aspire.Cli.EndToEnd.Tests_*.log     # Console output log
├── *.crash.dmp                        # Crash dump (if test crashed)
├── test.binlog                        # MSBuild binary log
├── recordings/
│   ├── CreateAndRunAspireStarterProject.cast   # Asciinema recording
│   └── ...
└── workspaces/                        # Captured project workspaces (on failure)
    └── TestClassName.MethodName/      # Full generated project for debugging
        ├── apphost.ts
        ├── aspire.config.json
        ├── .aspire/modules/                  # Generated SDK - check aspire.js for exports
        └── ...

Workspace Capture

Tests annotated with [CaptureWorkspaceOnFailure] automatically copy the generated project workspace into the test artifacts when a test fails. This is invaluable for debugging template generation or aspire run failures — you can inspect the exact generated files including the SDK output in .aspire/modules/aspire.js.

To add workspace capture to a new test:

[Fact]
[CaptureWorkspaceOnFailure]
public async Task MyTemplateTest()
{
    var workspace = TemporaryWorkspace.Create(output);
    // ... test code — workspace is automatically registered for capture ...
}

### One-Liner: Download Latest Recording

```bash
# Download and play the latest CLI E2E recording from current branch
RUN_ID=$(gh run list --branch $(git branch --show-current) --workflow CI --limit 1 --json databaseId --jq '.[0].databaseId') && \
  rm -rf /tmp/cli-e2e-debug && mkdir -p /tmp/cli-e2e-debug && \
  gh run download $RUN_ID -n logs-SmokeTests-ubuntu-latest -D /tmp/cli-e2e-debug && \
  CAST=$(find /tmp/cli-e2e-debug -name "*.cast" | head -1) && \
  echo "Recording: $CAST" && \
  asciinema play "$CAST"

Common Issues and Solutions

Symptom	Likely Cause	Solution
Timeout waiting for prompt	Command failed or hung	Check recording to see terminal output at timeout
[N ERR:code] $ in prompt	Previous command exited with non-zero	Check recording to see which command failed
Pattern not found	Output format changed	Update CellPatternSearcher patterns
Pattern not found but text is visible	Using FindPattern with regex special chars	Use Find() instead of FindPattern() for literal strings containing (, ), /, etc.
Test hangs indefinitely	Waiting for wrong prompt number	Verify SequenceCounter usage matches commands
Timeout waiting for dashboard URL	Project failed to build/run	Check recording for build errors