tunit-filtering

name	tunit-filtering
description	Use for quick TUnit --treenode-filter patterns.

TUnit Filtering (quick reference)

Use this skill when you already know you need filtering syntax and want concise examples.

For full execution and troubleshooting guidance, use ../tunit-test-runner/SKILL.md.

Defaults

• Test runner is Microsoft.Testing.Platform (MTP), not VSTest.
• Use --treenode-filter for narrowing tests (do not use --filter).
• Prefer your repository's standard full-suite test command for broad runs.

--treenode-filter

Select tests by tree path:

/<Assembly>/<Namespace>/<Class name>/<Test name>

Tree segments

Each segment maps to one level:

• 1st segment: Assembly
• 2nd segment: Namespace
• 3rd segment: Class
• 4th segment: Test name

Examples:

• /*/*/LoginTests/* → all tests in class LoginTests
• /*/*/*/AcceptCookiesTest → a single test by name
• /*/MyProject.Tests.Integration/*/* → tests in a namespace

Operators and filter options

* wildcard

Matches any value in a segment, or part of a value.

Examples:

• /*/*/LoginTests*/*
• /*/*/MyProject.Tests.Api*/*

= equality

Matches an exact property value.

Example:

• /*/*/*/*[Category=Unit]

!= not equal

Excludes a property value.

Example:

• [Category!=Slow]

& AND

Combines multiple conditions in the same segment or property group.

Examples:

• /**[(Category=Unit)&(Priority=High)]
• /*/*/*/*[(Category=Unit)&(Priority=High)]

| OR

Matches either condition, inside a single parenthesized group.

Examples:

• /*/*/(LoginTests)|(SignupTests)/*
• /**[(Category=Unit)|(Priority=High)]

** match-all

Matches any path depth, but it must appear at the end of the path.

Examples:

• /**
• /MyAssembly/**

Property filtering

You can filter on custom properties in the last segment using [...].

Examples:

• /*/*/*/*[Category=Unit]
• /*/*/*/*[Owner=*Team-Backend*]
• /*/*/*/*[Category!=Slow]

Important rules

• Only one property group [...] is allowed per path segment.
• If you need multiple property conditions, combine them inside the same brackets with & or |.
• Separate brackets like [Category=Smoke]|[Priority=High] are not valid.
• ** must be at the end; /**/Path is not allowed.

Common examples

• All tests: /*/*/*/*
• All unit tests: /*/*/*/*[Category=Unit]
• High-priority unit tests: /*/*/*/*[(Category=Unit)&(Priority=High)]
• Integration tests with priority: /*/MyProject.Tests.Integration/*/*[Priority=Critical]

dotnet test note

TUnit does not use the usual VSTest --filter syntax. Use --treenode-filter instead.

Preferred: dotnet test --treenode-filter "..."

Compatibility form (older SDKs): dotnet test -- --treenode-filter "..."

Quick starts

Use path-like tree-node filters for common flows:

• /*/*/*/*/ — all tests
• /*/*/*/MyFeatureTests/* — class-scoped
• /*/*/*/*/MyScenario* — name pattern

Zero-tests troubleshooting

If zero tests run:

1. Verify --treenode-filter is used (not --filter).
2. Try dotnet test --treenode-filter "..." first; if needed for your SDK version, use dotnet test -- --treenode-filter "...".
3. Broaden filter first (/*/*/*/*/), then narrow.
4. Confirm target project contains [Test] methods.
5. Confirm property predicates are in one bracket group (e.g. [(A=1)&(B=2)]).

See also

• ../tunit-test-runner/SKILL.md
• ../dotnet-tunit/SKILL.md