run-helix-tests

name	run-helix-tests
description	Submit and monitor .NET MAUI unit tests on Helix infrastructure. Supports running XAML, Resizetizer, Core, Essentials, and other unit test projects on distributed Helix queues. Use when this capability is needed.
metadata	{"author":"dotnet"}

Run Helix Tests Skill

Submit and monitor .NET MAUI unit tests on Helix infrastructure from your local machine.

Tools Required

This skill uses pwsh (PowerShell 7+) to run the scripts. The scripts call the local .dotnet/dotnet SDK.

When to Use

• User asks to "run tests on Helix"
• User wants to validate test changes on Helix infrastructure
• User asks to "test on multiple platforms" (Windows + macOS)
• User wants to debug Helix-specific test failures locally
• User asks about "Helix unit tests" (not device tests - those use helix_xharness.proj)

Prerequisites

Before running Helix tests, ensure:

1. Local SDK provisioned: The .dotnet/ folder must exist with the SDK

   # If missing, run:
   dotnet cake --target=dotnet
   

2. Build tasks compiled (for first run):

   # Windows
   .\build.cmd -restore -build -configuration Release -projects .\Microsoft.Maui.BuildTasks.slnf
   
   # macOS/Linux  
   ./build.sh -restore -build -configuration Release -projects ./Microsoft.Maui.BuildTasks.slnf
   

Scripts

All scripts are in .github/skills/run-helix-tests/scripts/

1. Submit Unit Tests to Helix

# Submit all unit tests (XAML, Core, Essentials, Resizetizer, etc.)
pwsh .github/skills/run-helix-tests/scripts/Submit-HelixTests.ps1

# Submit with specific configuration
pwsh .github/skills/run-helix-tests/scripts/Submit-HelixTests.ps1 -Configuration Debug

# Submit to specific queue only
pwsh .github/skills/run-helix-tests/scripts/Submit-HelixTests.ps1 -Queue "Windows.10.Amd64.Open"

2. Monitor Helix Job Status

# Monitor a submitted job (use job ID from submission output)
pwsh .github/skills/run-helix-tests/scripts/Get-HelixJobStatus.ps1 -JobId <JOB_ID>

# Wait for completion with polling
pwsh .github/skills/run-helix-tests/scripts/Get-HelixJobStatus.ps1 -JobId <JOB_ID> -Wait

3. Get Helix Work Item Console Logs

# Get console output for a specific work item
pwsh .github/skills/run-helix-tests/scripts/Get-HelixWorkItemLog.ps1 -JobId <JOB_ID> -WorkItem <WORK_ITEM_NAME>

# Get failed work items only
pwsh .github/skills/run-helix-tests/scripts/Get-HelixWorkItemLog.ps1 -JobId <JOB_ID> -FailedOnly

Quick Start (Manual)

If you prefer to run directly without scripts:

# Windows
.\helix.cmd

# macOS/Linux
./helix.sh

These wrapper scripts set the required environment variables and submit to Helix.

Test Projects Submitted

The following test projects are submitted to Helix (defined in eng/helix.proj):

Project	Description
Controls.Xaml.UnitTests	XAML parsing and compilation tests
Controls.Core.UnitTests	Core controls unit tests
Controls.BindingSourceGen.UnitTests	Binding source generator tests
SourceGen.UnitTests	General source generator tests
Core.UnitTests	Core framework tests
Essentials.UnitTests	Essentials APIs tests
Resizetizer.UnitTests	Image resizing tests

Helix Queues

Tests run on multiple queues in parallel:

Queue	Platform
Windows.10.Amd64.Open	Windows 10 x64
osx.15.arm64.maui.open	macOS 15 ARM64

Workflow

Submit and Monitor Tests

1. Submit tests:

   $result = pwsh .github/skills/run-helix-tests/scripts/Submit-HelixTests.ps1
   # Note the job IDs from output
   

2. Monitor progress:

   pwsh .github/skills/run-helix-tests/scripts/Get-HelixJobStatus.ps1 -JobId $jobId -Wait
   

3. Check failures (if any):

   pwsh .github/skills/run-helix-tests/scripts/Get-HelixWorkItemLog.ps1 -JobId $jobId -FailedOnly
   

Debug a Specific Test Failure

1. Get the job ID from the Helix submission output
2. Find the failed work item name
3. Get the console log:

   pwsh .github/skills/run-helix-tests/scripts/Get-HelixWorkItemLog.ps1 -JobId <JOB_ID> -WorkItem "Microsoft.Maui.Controls.Xaml.UnitTests.dll"
   

Understanding Results

Helix test results are reported to the console and can be viewed at:

• Helix Portal: https://helix.dot.net/api/2019-06-17/jobs/{jobId}
• Work Item Console: https://helix.dot.net/api/2019-06-17/jobs/{jobId}/workitems/{workItemName}/console

Common Issues

Issue	Solution
"dotnet not found"	Run dotnet cake --target=dotnet to provision SDK
"Build failed"	Run build.cmd/build.sh first to build required projects
"Queue not available"	Check https://helix.dot.net for queue status
"Test timeout"	Some tests have long execution times; this is normal

Difference from Device Tests

This skill runs unit tests on Helix (eng/helix.proj).

For device tests (iOS, Android, MacCatalyst emulators/simulators), use:

# Device tests use helix_xharness.proj instead
./eng/common/msbuild.sh ./eng/helix_xharness.proj /t:Test /p:TargetOS=ios

See .github/instructions/helix-device-tests.instructions.md for device test guidance.

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