| name | unit-tests |
| description | Use when running unit tests in the VS Code repo. Covers the runTests tool, scripts/test.sh (macOS/Linux) and scripts/test.bat (Windows), and their supported arguments for filtering, globbing, and debugging tests. |
Running Unit Tests
Preferred: Use the runTests tool
If the runTests tool is available, prefer it over running shell commands. It provides structured output with detailed pass/fail information and supports filtering by file and test name.
- Pass absolute paths to test files via the
files parameter.
- Pass test names via the
testNames parameter to filter which tests run.
- Set
mode="coverage" to collect coverage.
Example (conceptual): run tests in src/vs/editor/test/common/model.test.ts with test name filter "should split lines".
Fallback: Shell scripts
When the runTests tool is not available (e.g. in CLI environments), use the platform-appropriate script from the repo root:
- macOS / Linux:
./scripts/test.sh [options]
- Windows:
.\scripts\test.bat [options]
These scripts download Electron if needed and launch the Mocha test runner.
Commonly used options
Bare file paths - Run tests from specific files
Pass source file paths directly as positional arguments. The test runner automatically treats bare .ts/.js positional arguments as --run values.
./scripts/test.sh src/vs/editor/test/common/model.test.ts
.\scripts\test.bat src\vs\editor\test\common\model.test.ts
Multiple files:
./scripts/test.sh src/vs/editor/test/common/model.test.ts src/vs/editor/test/common/range.test.ts
--run <file> - Run tests from a specific file (explicit form)
Accepts a source file path (starting with src/). The runner strips the src/ prefix and the .ts/.js extension automatically to resolve the compiled module.
./scripts/test.sh --run src/vs/editor/test/common/model.test.ts
Multiple files can be specified by repeating --run:
./scripts/test.sh --run src/vs/editor/test/common/model.test.ts --run src/vs/editor/test/common/range.test.ts
--grep <pattern> (aliases: -g, -f) - Filter tests by name
Runs only tests whose full title matches the pattern (passed to Mocha's --grep).
./scripts/test.sh --grep "should split lines"
Combine with --run to filter tests within a specific file:
./scripts/test.sh --run src/vs/editor/test/common/model.test.ts --grep "should split lines"
--runGlob <pattern> (aliases: --glob, --runGrep) - Run tests matching a glob
Runs all test files matching a glob pattern against the compiled output directory. Useful for running all tests under a feature area.
./scripts/test.sh --runGlob "**/editor/test/**/*.test.js"
Note: the glob runs against compiled .js files in the output directory, not source .ts files.
--coverage - Generate a coverage report
./scripts/test.sh --run src/vs/editor/test/common/model.test.ts --coverage
--timeout <ms> - Set test timeout
Override the default Mocha timeout for long-running tests.
./scripts/test.sh --run src/vs/editor/test/common/model.test.ts --timeout 10000
Integration tests
Integration tests (files ending in .integrationTest.ts or located in extensions/) are not run by scripts/test.sh. Use scripts/test-integration.sh (or scripts/test-integration.bat) instead. See the integration-tests skill for details.
Compilation requirement
Tests run against compiled JavaScript output. Ensure the VS Code - Build watch task is running or that compilation has completed before running tests. Test failures caused by stale output are a common pitfall.
