How to run, ignore or skip Jest tests, suites and files · Code with Hugo (2024)

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When debugging or writing units tests with Jest it can be useful to specify a single file or test to run or to exclude a specific failing test for the Jest run.

This post goes how to skip and exclude a single test, a whole Jest test suite and a whole Jest test file using the CLI or Jest built-ins.

Table of Contents

Run a single Jest test file with the CLI

See Running the examples to get set up, then run:

With the CLI, you can run:

jest path/to/file

It will only run the tests in files that match path/to/file.

If you don’t have the Jest CLI installed globally, you might need to use npx or yarn:

yarn jest path/to/file# ornpx jest path/to/file

Use .only to run only certain tests

Run a single Jest test in a file using .only

To run a single Jest test in a given file, use .only on the relevant test entry:

describe('my suite', () => { test.only('my only true test', () => { expect(1 + 1).toEqual(2); }); // should fail, but isn't even run test('my only true test', () => { expect(1 + 1).toEqual(1); });});

See Running the examples to get set up, then run:

yarn jest src/single-only-test.test.js

See the output, in which we ran 1 test (that had .only) and skipped/ignored one that would have failed.

$ run-skip-jest-tests/node_modules/.bin/jest src/single-only-test.test.js PASS src/single-only-test.test.js my suite ✓ my only true test (6ms) ○ skipped my only true testTest Suites: 1 passed, 1 totalTests: 1 skipped, 1 passed, 2 totalSnapshots: 0 totalTime: 1.623sRan all test suites matching /src\/single-only-test.test.js/i.

Run multiple Jest tests in a file using .only

To run multiple (but not all) Jest tests in a file, you can use multiple test.only entries:

describe('my suite', () => { test.only('one of my .only test', () => { expect(1 + 1).toEqual(2); }); test.only('other of my .only test', () => { expect(1 + 2).toEqual(3); }); // Should fail, but isn't even run test('my only true test', () => { expect(1 + 1).toEqual(1); });});

See Running the examples to get set up, then run:

yarn jest src/many-only-tests.test.js

See the output, in which we ran 2 tests (that had .only) and skipped/ignored one that would have failed.

$ run-skip-jest-tests/node_modules/.bin/jest src/many-only-tests.test.js PASS src/many-only-tests.test.js my suite ✓ one of my .only test (4ms) ✓ other of my .only test ○ skipped my only true testTest Suites: 1 passed, 1 totalTests: 1 skipped, 2 passed, 3 totalSnapshots: 0 totalTime: 2.483sRan all test suites matching /src\/many-only-tests.test.js/i.

.only to run a single suite of tests in a describe

A whole describe can have the .only, which means that section of the suite will be run but nothing else:

describe.only('my suite', () => { test.only('one of my .only test', () => { expect(1 + 1).toEqual(2); });});describe('my other suite', () => { // Should fail, but isn't even run test('my only true test', () => { expect(1 + 1).toEqual(1); });});

See Running the examples to get set up, then run:

yarn jest src/single-only-describe.test.js

See the output, in which we ran 1 suite (that had .only) and skipped/ignored one suite that would have had a failing test.

$ run-skip-jest-tests/node_modules/.bin/jest src/single-only-describe.test.js PASS src/single-only-describe.test.js my suite ✓ one of my .only test (4ms) my other suite ○ skipped my only true testTest Suites: 1 passed, 1 totalTests: 1 skipped, 1 passed, 2 totalSnapshots: 0 totalTime: 1.709sRan all test suites matching /src\/single-only-describe.test.js/i.

.only to run multiple suites of tests in describe-s

Multiple describe-s can have .only, which means those suites will be run but nothing else:

describe.only('my suite', () => { test('one of my .only test', () => { expect(1 + 1).toEqual(2); });});describe.only('other suite', () => { test('other of my .only test', () => { expect(1 + 2).toEqual(3); });});describe('skipped other suite', () => { // Should fail, but isn't even run test('my only true test', () => { expect(1 + 1).toEqual(1); });});

See Running the examples to get set up, then run:

yarn jest src/many-only-describes.test.js

See the output, in which we ran 2 suites (that had .only) and skipped/ignored one suite that would have had a failing test.

$ run-skip-jest-tests/node_modules/.bin/jest src/many-only-describes.test.js PASS src/many-only-describes.test.js my suite ✓ one of my .only test (4ms) other suite ✓ other of my .only test (1ms) skipped other suite ○ skipped my only true testTest Suites: 1 passed, 1 totalTests: 1 skipped, 2 passed, 3 totalSnapshots: 0 totalTime: 2.235sRan all test suites matching /src\/many-only-describes.test.js/i.

Use .skip to ignore Jest tests or suites

Ignore a single Jest test in a file using .skip

To skip a single Jest test in a given file, use .skip on the relevant test entry:

describe('my suite', () => { test('my only true test', () => { expect(1 + 1).toEqual(2); }); // Should fail, but isn't even run test.skip('my only true test', () => { expect(1 + 1).toEqual(1); });});

See Running the examples to get set up, then run:

yarn jest src/single-skip-test.test.js

See the output, in which we ran 1 test (that didn’t have .skip) and skipped/ignored one that would have failed (that had .skip).

$ run-skip-jest-tests/node_modules/.bin/jest src/single-skip-test.test.js PASS src/single-skip-test.test.js my suite ✓ my only true test (4ms) ○ skipped my only true testTest Suites: 1 passed, 1 totalTests: 1 skipped, 1 passed, 2 totalSnapshots: 0 totalTime: 1.737sRan all test suites matching /src\/single-skip-test.test.js/i.

Skip multiple Jest tests in a file using .skip

To skip multiple (but not all) Jest tests in a file, you can use multiple test.skip entries:

describe('my suite', () => { test('one of my tests', () => { expect(1 + 1).toEqual(2); }); test.skip('skipped failing test', () => { expect(1 + 2).toEqual(3); }); test.skip('my only true test', () => { expect(1 + 1).toEqual(1); });});

See Running the examples to get set up, then run:

yarn jest src/many-skip-tests.test.js

See the output, in which we ran 1 test (that didn’t have .skip) and skipped/ignored the two that would have failed (and had .skip).

$ run-skip-jest-tests/node_modules/.bin/jest src/many-skip-tests.test.js PASS src/many-skip-tests.test.js my suite ✓ one of my tests (4ms) ○ skipped skipped failing test ○ skipped my only true testTest Suites: 1 passed, 1 totalTests: 2 skipped, 1 passed, 3 totalSnapshots: 0 totalTime: 1.484sRan all test suites matching /src\/many-skip-tests.test.js/i.

Ignore a single suite of tests in a describe with .skip

To skip a single Jest describe in a given file, use .skip on the relevant describe entry:

describe('my suite', () => { test('one of my tests', () => { expect(1 + 1).toEqual(2); });});describe.skip('my other suite', () => { test('my only true test', () => { expect(1 + 1).toEqual(1); });});

See Running the examples to get set up, then run:

yarn jest src/single-skip-describe.test.js

See the output, in which we ran 1 test (that didn’t have .skip) and skipped/ignored one that would have failed (whose describe block had .skip).

$ run-skip-jest-tests/node_modules/.bin/jest src/single-skip-describe.test.js PASS src/single-skip-describe.test.js my suite ✓ one of my tests (5ms) my other suite ○ skipped my only true testTest Suites: 1 passed, 1 totalTests: 1 skipped, 1 passed, 2 totalSnapshots: 0 totalTime: 1.63s, estimated 2sRan all test suites matching /src\/single-skip-describe.test.js/i.

Ignore multiple suites of tests in describe-s with .skip

To skip multiple (but not all) Jest describe-s in a file, you can use multiple describe.skip entries:

describe('my suite', () => { test('one of my test', () => { expect(1 + 1).toEqual(2); });});describe.skip('other suite', () => { // Should fail, but isn't even run test('other of my .skip test', () => { expect(1 + 2).toEqual(4); });});describe.skip('skipped other suite', () => { // Should fail, but isn't even run test('my only true test', () => { expect(1 + 1).toEqual(1); });});

See Running the examples to get set up, then run:

yarn jest src/many-skip-describes.test.js

See the output, in which we ran 1 test (that didn’t have .skip) and skipped/ignored the two that would have failed (whose describe had .skip).

$ run-skip-jest-tests/node_modules/.bin/jest src/many-skip-describes.test.js PASS src/many-skip-describes.test.js my suite ✓ one of my test (4ms) other suite ○ skipped other of my .skip test skipped other suite ○ skipped my only true testTest Suites: 1 passed, 1 totalTests: 2 skipped, 1 passed, 3 totalSnapshots: 0 totalTime: 3.071sRan all test suites matching /src\/many-skip-describes.test.js/i.

Skip and ignore tests by filtering with the Jest CLI in interactive watch mode

To run the Jest CLI in interactive or watch mode, run:

yarn jest --watch

Run only files whose name match a regex

Before running these instructions, clear any filters by entering c, more information about interactive commands by entering w.

By entering the p mode, you can filter the filenames.

In the example repository, after running yarn jest and pressing p:

How to run, ignore or skip Jest tests, suites and files · Code with Hugo (1)

The effect is that only the files with many in their name are run, which we can see from the following output:

How to run, ignore or skip Jest tests, suites and files · Code with Hugo (2)

Note, the files whose names don’t match the regex are not run at all, they’re not skipped they’re completely ignored.

Run only tests whose name match a regex

Before running these instructions, clear any filters by entering c, more information about interactive commands by entering w.

By entering the t mode, you can filter the tests by their name.

In the example repository, after running yarn jest and pressing t:

How to run, ignore or skip Jest tests, suites and files · Code with Hugo (3)

The effect is that only the files with other in their name are run, which we can see from the following output:

How to run, ignore or skip Jest tests, suites and files · Code with Hugo (4)

Note, the tests whose names don’t match the regex are skipped.

Run only changed tests/files

Watch mode is quite clever and by default tries to only run files that have changed since the last commit, so you’ll see output like so:

How to run, ignore or skip Jest tests, suites and files · Code with Hugo (5)

Run only failed tests

By using the f option, you can run only failed tests

Running the examples

Run the tests by cloning github.com/HugoDF/run-skip-jest-tests and running:

npm install# or if you have yarn (recommended)yarn install

Further Reading

The Jest API documentation has the full explanation and documentation of the .skip and .only functions.

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How to run, ignore or skip Jest tests, suites and files · Code with Hugo (2024)

FAQs

How do you ignore a function in Jest? ›

Istanbul Ignore Syntax for Jest Code Coverage
  1. /* istanbul ignore next */ const f = () => { return 'abc' }
  2. /* istanbul ignore file */ ... ...
  3. class A { f() { console.log("f called") } /* istanbul ignore next */ g() { console.log("g called") } }
12 Sept 2020

How do I run a Jest test for a specific file? ›

In order to run a specific test, you'll need to use the jest command. npm test will not work. To access jest directly on the command line, install it via npm i -g jest-cli or yarn global add jest-cli . Then simply run your specific test with jest bar.

How do you run Jest test cases in react? ›

How to perform Unit testing of React Apps using JEST?
  1. Step 1: Create a new react app.
  2. Step 2: Create a component.
  3. Step 3: Write a unit test for the react component.
  4. Note: In order to let jest know about this test file, it's important to use the extension . test. js.
  5. Step 4: Run the test.
  6. Conclusion.
29 Apr 2022

Does BeforeEach run before describe? ›

If beforeEach is inside a describe block, it runs for each test in the describe block. If you only need to run some setup code once, before any tests run, use beforeAll instead.

How does Jest find test files? ›

Jest is a Node-based runner. This means that the tests always run in a Node environment and not in a real browser.
...
Jest will look for test files with any of the following popular naming conventions:
  1. js suffix in __tests__ folders.
  2. test. js suffix.
  3. spec. js suffix.
7 Jul 2021

What is rootDir in Jest? ›

rootDir [string] Default: The root of the directory containing the package.json or the pwd if no package.json is found. Please provide your exact Jest configuration and mention your Jest, node, yarn/npm version and operating system.

How do you filter Jest tests? ›

Another way is to run tests in watch mode, jest --watch , and then press P to filter the tests by typing the test file name or T to run a single test name.

How do I disable Jest? ›

To disable console inside unit tests with Jest, we can use the --silent option or set the console methods to mocked functions. to run jest with the --silient to disable console output when running tests.

What is describe and test in Jest? ›

Our first friend is describe , a Jest method for containing one or more related tests. Every time you start writing a new suite of tests for a functionality wrap it in a describe block. As you can see it takes two arguments: a string for describing the test suite, and a callback function for wrapping the actual test.

How do I ignore a file in Istanbul? ›

It is up to the caller to scope this as narrowly as possible. For example, if you have a source file that is wrapped in a function expression, adding /* istanbul ignore next */ at the top of the file will ignore the whole file!

Which command is used to run the jest test? ›

Running from command line​

You can run Jest directly from the CLI (if it's globally available in your PATH , e.g. by yarn global add jest or npm install jest --global ) with a variety of useful options.

How do I run a specific test file in mocha? ›

Run a Single Test File

Using the mocha cli, you can easily specify an exact or wildcarded pattern that you want to run. This is accomplished with the grep option when running the mocha command. The spec must have some describe or it that matches the grep pattern, as in: describe('api', _ => { // ... })

How do I run a npm test? ›

Create a testable project from scratch
  1. Make a new project directory $ mkdir test-example; cd test-example.
  2. Ask npm to create a new project file for you: $ npm init and accept all defaults by hitting Enter on all the prompts. ...
  3. Try and start the test feature with $ npm test This will fail, which is expected.

How do you mock React a component in Jest? ›

To mock a React component, the most straightforward approach is to use the jest. mock function. You mock the file that exports the component and replace it with a custom implementation. Since a component is basically a function, the mock should also return a function.

What is the difference between Jest and enzyme? ›

Many people choose to use Jest and Enzyme together to test their React web applications. They use Jest as a test runner and assertion library, then use Enzyme to build the tests for their UI. This results in slimmer, cleaner testing code that's also easier to debug when a test breaks.

Which of the given method from Jest are used to test React component? ›

test. js extension as when the tests are run using the npm test command, React automatically checks for all the file names with a . test extension and runs the tests.

What is the difference between beforeAll and beforeEach? ›

If you're certain that the tests don't make any changes to those conditions, you can use beforeAll (which will run once). If the tests do make changes to those conditions, then you would need to use beforeEach , which will run before every test, so it can reset the conditions for the next one.

Does beforeAll run beforeEach? ›

The other behaviour here to consider is that the nested-beforeAll actually runs before the top-beforeEach , meaning that if your nested-beforeAll was relying on the top-beforeEach to have run before the block was entered, you're going to be out of luck.

Does beforeAll run before beforeEach? ›

You can read this article https://jestjs.io/docs/en/setup-teardown.html on Jest document. Note, that a scoped beforeAll in a nested describe will run before a parent beforeEach . So if you depend on something in a parent beforeEach in your scoped beforeAll , it will not have run yet.

How do you run Jest tests in sequence? ›

If you want to run files in sequence as well, run Jest with the --runInBand command line flag. ( -i does the same thing.) Doing this, the scheduler might still run them in a different order from run to run.

How do I speed up Jest test? ›

Overall Memory consumed.
  1. # 1 Making network calls inside the Tests. ...
  2. #2 There could be more than just network calls. ...
  3. #3 Using MaxWorkers=50% to get the optimal performance. ...
  4. #4 Switch to yarn + Node V16 + Jest 28. ...
  5. #4 Fix slowest test cases. ...
  6. #5 Switch to swc/jest for incredible performance boost. ...
  7. #6 Memory Leaks.

How do you organize test cases in Jest? ›

Organize Test Cases using test. each in Jest
  1. Using test. each with Multiple Arguments per Test Case. ...
  2. Using a 2D Array of Inputs for Test Cases with test. each. ...
  3. Grouping Passing and Failing Test Cases.
3 Mar 2020

Does jest run tests in parallel? ›

Each time a test run completes, the global environment is automatically reset for the next. Since tests are standalone and their execution order doesn't matter, Jest runs tests in parallel.

How do I debug a jest test in Vscode? ›

Start debugging
  1. Open the unit test file you want to debug.
  2. Set breakpoints or the debugger statement where you want to stop.
  3. Press Ctrl + Shift + D , or click on the Debug icon in the left panel.
  4. Select DEBUG ‣ Jest: current file option in the top panel.
  5. Press F5 to start debugging.

Is jest a unit test? ›

Jest is an open source JavaScript unit testing framework, used by Facebook to test all JavaScript code including React applications. Jest is built on top of Jasmine.

How do you mock an import Jest? ›

To mock an imported function with Jest we use the jest. mock() function. jest. mock() is called with one required argument - the import path of the module we're mocking.

What is Jest watch mode? ›

The Jest watch plugin system provides a way to hook into specific parts of Jest and to define watch mode menu prompts that execute code on key press. Combined, these features allow you to develop interactive experiences custom for your workflow.

How do I ignore console warn in jest? ›

If using Jest test framework, you can turn off all console messages by one command: jest --silent .

How do you use jest extension or code? ›

Jest VSCode Extension | How to code Tutorial - YouTube

How do you skip a test in Cypress? ›

skip in order to skip a test in a cypress suite.

How do you test a function using Jest? ›

How to setup Jest?
  1. Create a folder with any name you like. Am going to create a folder with mkdir test-js and cd into it cd test-js .
  2. Since we will be installing Jest as a package, we need to initialize our folder with NPM with npm init -y .
  3. We can now add Jest with npm install --save-dev jest . ...
  4. In your package.
28 Nov 2019

How does Jest mock work? ›

Mock functions allow you to test the links between code by erasing the actual implementation of a function, capturing calls to the function (and the parameters passed in those calls), capturing instances of constructor functions when instantiated with new , and allowing test-time configuration of return values.

Why do we mock in unit testing? ›

Mocking is a process used in unit testing when the unit being tested has external dependencies. The purpose of mocking is to isolate and focus on the code being tested and not on the behavior or state of external dependencies.

How do I open LCOV Report index HTML? ›

Usage
  1. Open a project that has a coverage report.
  2. (Optional): In your settings, under Open Coverage, change your HTML path if it's different to th default coverage/lcov-report/index.html.
  3. Click in the Open Coverage button in the Status Bar (AKA footer)
  4. Enjoy!
20 Jul 2021

Does Jest use Istanbul? ›

The good news is that Istanbul is built into Jest. That means configuration is handled directly by Jest. The catch here is that Istanbul is not running by default when you create your app with the Create React App template.

What is Babel plugin Istanbul? ›

A Babel plugin that instruments your code with Istanbul coverage. It can instantly be used with karma-coverage and mocha on Node. js (through nyc). Note: This plugin does not generate any report or save any data to any file; it only adds instrumenting code to your JavaScript source code.

Can Jest be used for functional testing? ›

- [Instructor] The Jest framework can be used to functionally test an application. The results can be included in a code coverage report, which is really useful. As a reminder, functional testing literally tests the functionality of an application.

What is the difference between Jest and mocha? ›

Jest is an open-source unit testing framework developed by Facebook. Mocha is a JavaScript testing framework that also supports Node. js. In addition, it provides developers with a base test framework with options such as assertion, mocking, and spy libraries.

Why do we test library? ›

The Testing Library family of libraries is a very light-weight solution for testing without all the implementation details. The main utilities it provides involve querying for nodes similarly to how users would find them. In this way, testing-library helps ensure your tests give you confidence in your UI code.

How do you run a Mocha test in VS code? ›

Testing Inside VS Code with Mocha - YouTube

How do you debug a Mocha test? ›

Launch test debugging via a run/debug configuration
  1. Set the breakpoints next to the tests that you want to debug. ...
  2. Create a Mocha run/debug configuration as described above.
  3. Select the Mocha run/debug configuration from the list on the main toolbar and click.
27 Jul 2022

Does Mocha run tests in parallel? ›

Mocha does not run individual tests in parallel.

That means if you hand Mocha a single, lonely test file, it will spawn a single worker process, and that worker process will run the file. If you only have one test file, you'll be penalized for using parallel mode. Don't do that.

What is npm Run command? ›

Npm run is a command provided by npm CLI which allows to instantiate a shell and execute the command provided in the package. json file of your project.

How do I run a npm file? ›

How to Execute a JavaScript File by using NPM - YouTube

How do I run a script defined package in json? ›

To define an NPM script, set its name and write the script under the 'scripts' property of your package. json file: To execute your Script, use the 'npm run <NAME-OF-YOUR-SCRIPT>' command. Some predefined aliases convert to npm run, like npm test or npm start, you can use them interchangeably.

How do you skip a test in Cypress? ›

skip in order to skip a test in a cypress suite.

What is Fdescribe? ›

fdescribe: Function

Like describe , but instructs the test runner to only run the test cases in this group. This is useful for debugging.

Why do we test library? ›

The Testing Library family of libraries is a very light-weight solution for testing without all the implementation details. The main utilities it provides involve querying for nodes similarly to how users would find them. In this way, testing-library helps ensure your tests give you confidence in your UI code.

How can we skip test case conditionally? ›

The Complete TestNG & Automation Framework Design Course

Use the parameter enabled=false at @Test. By default, this parameter is set as True. Use throw new SkipException(String message) to skip a test. Conditional Skip − User can have a condition check.

How do I stop my cypress test from running? ›

Cypress gives us the ability to stop the test at a spot via cy. pause() command. We can use this to stop the test before any action or assertion that is causing our tests to fail.

How do you run all tests in Cypress? ›

How To Run All Specs In Cypress v10 - YouTube

What is Xdescribe in angular testing? ›

xdescribe: Function

Like describe , but instructs the test runner to exclude this group of test cases from execution. This is useful for debugging, or for excluding broken tests until they can be fixed.

What is fit in Jasmine? ›

fit will focus on a test or a set of them. so if you have 5 tests, 3 it and 2 fit , only the 2 with fit will run by Jasmine. ERROR: 'DEPRECATION: fit and fdescribe will cause your suite to report an 'incomplete' status in Jasmine 3.0'

What is Xit in Jasmine? ›

Use xit option to exclude specs in a spec file instead of fit option. When xit option is used, Jasmine provides a pending reason - "Temporarily disabled with xit" for the excluded specs. We can use the pending reason to check whether reporting in Digital zoom should be started or not. spec started.

Which testing library is good for React? ›

Top React testing libraries and tools,
  • Cypress.io: An end-to-end testing framework for anything that runs in the browser.
  • Jest: JavaScript testing framework created and maintained by Facebook.
  • Enzyme: JavaScript testing utility for React that makes it easier to test react component output.
1 Jun 2022

Is React testing library and Jest same? ›

React Testing Library is not an alternative to Jest. Each performs a clear task, and you need them both to test your components. Jest is a test runner that finds tests, runs the tests, and determines whether the tests passed or failed. Additionally, Jest offers functions for test suites, test cases, and assertions.

Is Jest a unit test? ›

Jest is an open source JavaScript unit testing framework, used by Facebook to test all JavaScript code including React applications. Jest is built on top of Jasmine.

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