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unit-tests

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.

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microsoft/vscode
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October 14, 2026 at 21:37
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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. The tool runs tests discovered by VS Code's registered test controllers; it does not compile the repository or invoke a shell test command. If discovery is unavailable, pending, or reports no executed tests, treat the request as unvalidated and use the repository's configured test command. Review per-file and test-name diagnostics for partially matched requests instead of repeatedly checking the same paths. 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. ```bash ./scripts/test.sh src/vs/editor/test/common/model.test.ts ``` ```bat .\scripts\test.bat src\vs\editor\test\common\model.test.ts ``` Multiple files: ```bash ./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. ```bash ./scripts/test.sh --run src/vs/editor/test/common/model.test.ts ``` Multiple files can be specified by repeating `--run`: ```bash ./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`). ```bash ./scripts/test.sh --grep "should split lines" ``` Combine with `--run` to filter tests within a specific file: ```bash ./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. ```bash ./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 ```bash ./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. ```bash ./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. Reuse current output from an existing `VS Code - Build` task when available; otherwise refresh client output with `npm run build-fast -- --client-only` before running tests. This supports cold and incremental builds without a persistent watcher or extension builds. Use `npm run build-fast` when extension and Copilot outputs are also needed. Fast builds transpile rather than type-check, so run appropriate explicit type checks when warranted by the change. Do not rebuild between test selections when inputs have not changed. Test failures caused by stale output are a common pitfall.
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