JSTestDriver

Last modified: 28 June 2024

Required plugins:

JavaScript and TypeScript  -  The plugin is bundled with JetBrains Rider and enabled by default.

JSTestDriver  -  Install the plugin on the Settings | Plugins page, tab Marketplace.

JetBrains Rider supports integration with the JSTestDriver test framework.

Before you start 

  • Install and enable the JSTestDriver plugin on the Settings/Preferences | Plugins page, tab Marketplace, as described in Installing plugins from JetBrains Marketplace.

    Through this plugin, JetBrains Rider provides the JSTestDriver server and the assertion framework. During the test creation, the plugin detects the unit testing framework and suggests the Add <test framework> support intention action.

Configuring a testing framework in a project

  1. Download the framework of your choice and configure it as a JetBrains Rider JavaScript library.

  2. Do one of the following:

    • Add the project folder to the library scope.

    • Enable the framework support on-the-fly during test creation using the Add <test framework> support intention action.

    • To use Jasmine, add jasmine-jstd-adapter to the configuration file.

      Open jsTestDriver.conf and type the following code in it:

      load:
lib/jasmine/jasmine.js
lib/jasmine-jstd-adapter/JasmineAdapter.js

Creating a test runner configuration file manually

A test runner configuration file defines the test and production files to load the loading order. JetBrains Rider treats any file with the extension .jstd or .conf as a test runner configuration file.

To create a configuration file

  1. In the Project tree, select the parent folder of the production and test folders, and choose New | File from the context menu.

  2. In the New File dialog that opens, type the name of the configuration file with the extension .jstd or .conf.

  3. Open the new file in the editor and specify the full path to the current folder and the paths to the files to load relative to it. Use wildcards in file name patterns.

  4. Complete the configuration file using YAML, refer to description of test runner configuration files.

Running tests

With JetBrains Rider, you can quickly run a single JSTestDriver test right from the editor or create a run/debug configuration to execute some or all of your tests.

To run a single test from the editor

  • Click the Run button or the Rerun button in the left gutter and choose Run <test_name> from the list.

  • You can also see whether a test has passed or failed right in the editor, thanks to the test status icons Test passed and Test failed in the gutter.

tip

The arrows appear only if the test framework used in your tests is associated with the project, so JetBrains Rider can recognize the tests.

To create a JSTestDriver run configuration

  1. Open the Run/Debug Configuration dialog (Run | Edit Configurations in the main menu), click the Add button in the left-hand pane, and select JSTestDriver from the list. The Run/Debug Configuration: JSTestDriver dialog opens.

    tip

    Alternatively, select a test file in the Explorer tool window and select Create <filename> from the context menu.

  2. Specify the tests to run, the path to the configuration file, and the activities to perform before test execution.

To start the WebStorm default JSTestDriver test server

  1. Make sure you have at least one configuration file in your project.

  2. Open the JSTestDriver Server tool window (View | Tool Windows | JSTestDriver Server), and click the Run button on the toolbar.

tip

To use a test server running on another machine or listening to a custom port, start it according to the server-specific instructions and specify its URL address in the Server area of the Run/Debug Configuration: JSTestDriver dialog.

To stop the server when you are through with unit testing

  • Click the Stop the local server button on the toolbar.

To capture a browser

  1. Start the JSTestDriver Server if it is not running yet and then switch to the JSTestDriver Server tool window.

  2. To start a local browser with the Remote Console of the JSTestDriver, do one of the following:

    • Click the icon that indicates the browser of your choice.

    • If the browser is already opened, copy the contents of the Capture a browser using the URL read-only field and paste the URL in the address bar.

    In either case, the icon that indicates the chosen browser becomes active.

  3. Switch to the JSTestDriver Server tool window and click the icon that indicates the browser you just opened. JetBrains Rider displays a message informing you that it is ready for executing tests.

To run tests via a run configuration

  1. Select the JSTestDriver run/debug configuration from the list of configurations and click the Run icon   in the list or on the toolbar.

  2. Monitor test execution and analyze test results in the Test Runner tab of the Run tool window. For more information, refer to Explore test results.

Navigation

With JetBrains Rider, you can jump between a file and the related test file or from a test result in the Test Runner Tab to the test.

  • To jump between a test and its subject or vice versa, open the file in the editor and select Go to | Test or Go to | Test Subject from the context menu, or just press .

  • To jump from a test result to the test definition, click the test name in the Test Runner tab twice, or select Jump to Source from the context menu, or just press . The test file opens in the editor with the caret placed at the test definition.

Debugging tests

A debugging session for JSTestDriver tests is started only through a run/debug configuration.

To start debugging tests

  1. Create a JSTestDriver run/debug configuration as described above.

  2. Select the JSTestDriver run/debug configuration from the list of configurations and click the Debug icon   in the list or on the toolbar.

  3. In the Debug window that opens, proceed as usual: step through the tests, stop and resume test execution, examine the test when suspended, run JavaScript code snippets in the Console, and so on.

Monitoring code coverage

With JetBrains Rider, you can also monitor how much of your code is covered with Karma tests. JetBrains Rider displays this statistics in a dedicated Coverage tool window and marks covered and uncovered lines visually in the editor and in the Explorer tool window .

To launch tests with coverage

  1. Create a JSTestDriver run/debug configuration as described above.

  2. Start the JSTestDriver server and capture a browser to run the tests in.

  3. Select the JSTestDriver run/debug configuration from the list of configurations and click the Run with Coverage icon   in the list or on the toolbar.

  4. Monitor the code coverage in the Coverage tool window.

To exclude files from coverage analysis

  1. Create a JSTestDriver run/debug configuration as described above.

  2. In the Coverage tab, specify the paths to the files to exclude.