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.
runTests toolIf 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.
files parameter.testNames parameter to filter which tests run.mode="coverage" to collect coverage.Example (conceptual): run tests in src/vs/editor/test/common/model.test.ts with test name filter "should split lines".
When the runTests tool is not available (e.g. in CLI environments), use the platform-appropriate script from the repo root:
./scripts/test.sh [options].\scripts\test.bat [options]These scripts download Electron if needed and launch the Mocha test runner.
Pass source file paths directly as positional arguments. The test runner automatically treats bare .ts/.js positional arguments as --run values.
./scripts/test.sh src/vs/editor/test/common/model.test.ts
.\scripts\test.bat src\vs\editor\test\common\model.test.ts
Multiple files:
./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.
./scripts/test.sh --run src/vs/editor/test/common/model.test.ts
Multiple files can be specified by repeating --run:
./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 nameRuns only tests whose full title matches the pattern (passed to Mocha's --grep).
./scripts/test.sh --grep "should split lines"
Combine with --run to filter tests within a specific file:
./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 globRuns all test files matching a glob pattern against the compiled output directory. Useful for running all tests under a feature area.
./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./scripts/test.sh --run src/vs/editor/test/common/model.test.ts --coverage
--timeout <ms> - Set test timeoutOverride the default Mocha timeout for long-running tests.
./scripts/test.sh --run src/vs/editor/test/common/model.test.ts --timeout 10000
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.
Tests run against compiled JavaScript output. Ensure the VS Code - Build watch task is running or that compilation has completed before running tests. Test failures caused by stale output are a common pitfall.