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Getting Started

This guide will help you quickly start writing and running tests for the Talawa Plugin system. Learn the essential commands, common patterns, and best practices for testing plugins.

Quick Start​

Run all tests​

pnpm test
pnpm test:watch

Run with coverage​

pnpm test:coverage

Writing Your First Test​

Create a test file with .test.ts or .test.tsx extension:

// test/example.test.ts
import { describe, it, expect } from 'vitest';

describe('My First Test', () => {
  it('should pass', () => {
    expect(1 + 1).toBe(2);
  });
});

Run it:

pnpm test test/example.test.ts

Common Test Patterns​

These patterns demonstrate frequently used testing scenarios that you'll encounter when developing plugins. Each pattern addresses a specific testing need, from validating configuration files to managing test isolation with temporary directories. Use these as templates to build your own test suites.

Testing manifest files​

Manifest files define critical plugin metadata like IDs, versions, and extension points. Testing them ensures your plugin can be properly loaded and validated by the platform. This pattern shows how to read and verify manifest structure before deployment.

import { readFileSync } from 'node:fs';
import { join } from 'node:path';

const manifestPath = join(process.cwd(), 'plugins/MyPlugin/admin/manifest.json');
const manifest = JSON.parse(readFileSync(manifestPath, 'utf-8'));

expect(manifest.pluginId).toBeDefined();

Testing with temporary directories​

Many plugin operations involve file system interactions like generating scaffolding, creating archives, or processing uploads. Using temporary directories ensures tests don't pollute your workspace and can run in parallel safely. Always clean up temporary directories in a finally block to prevent resource leaks.

import { mkdtempSync, rmSync } from 'node:fs';
import { tmpdir } from 'node:os';
import { join } from 'node:path';

const tempDir = mkdtempSync(join(tmpdir(), 'test-'));
try {
  // Your test logic
} finally {
  rmSync(tempDir, { recursive: true, force: true });
}

Test Commands Reference​

The following table provides a quick reference for all available test commands. Different commands serve different workflows: use watch mode during active development, coverage mode before committing, and UI mode for debugging complex test scenarios.

CommandPurpose
pnpm testRun all tests once
pnpm test:watchRun tests in watch mode
pnpm test:coverageRun tests with coverage
pnpm test:uiOpen interactive UI
pnpm test [file]Run specific test file
pnpm test [directory]Run all tests in directory

Tips for Effective Testing​

  1. Use watch mode during development for instant feedback
  2. Write descriptive test names that explain what's being tested
  3. Keep tests focused - one concept per test
  4. Clean up after tests - remove temporary files/directories
  5. Check coverage to identify untested code paths

Next Steps​