4.7 KiB
name, description
| name | description |
|---|---|
| pest-testing | Tests applications using the Pest 4 PHP framework. Activates when writing tests, creating unit or feature tests, adding assertions, testing Livewire components, browser testing, debugging test failures, working with datasets or mocking; or when the user mentions test, spec, TDD, expects, assertion, coverage, or needs to verify functionality works. |
Pest Testing 4
When to Apply
Activate this skill when:
- Creating new tests (unit, feature, or browser)
- Modifying existing tests
- Debugging test failures
- Working with browser testing or smoke testing
- Writing architecture tests or visual regression tests
Documentation
Use search-docs for detailed Pest 4 patterns and documentation.
Basic Usage
Creating Tests
All tests must be written using Pest. Use php artisan make:test --pest {name}.
Test Organization
- Unit/Feature tests:
tests/Featureandtests/Unitdirectories. - Browser tests:
tests/Browser/directory. - Do NOT remove tests without approval - these are core application code.
Basic Test Structure
it('is true', function () { expect(true)->toBeTrue(); });
Running Tests
- Run minimal tests with filter before finalizing:
php artisan test --compact --filter=testName. - Run all tests:
php artisan test --compact. - Run file:
php artisan test --compact tests/Feature/ExampleTest.php.
Assertions
Use specific assertions (assertSuccessful(), assertNotFound()) instead of assertStatus():
it('returns all', function () { $this->postJson('/api/docs', [])->assertSuccessful(); });
| Use | Instead of |
|---|---|
assertSuccessful() |
assertStatus(200) |
assertNotFound() |
assertStatus(404) |
assertForbidden() |
assertStatus(403) |
Mocking
Import mock function before use: use function Pest\Laravel\mock;
Datasets
Use datasets for repetitive tests (validation rules, etc.):
it('has emails', function (string $email) { expect($email)->not->toBeEmpty(); })->with([ 'james' => 'james@laravel.com', 'taylor' => 'taylor@laravel.com', ]);
Pest 4 Features
| Feature | Purpose |
|---|---|
| Browser Testing | Full integration tests in real browsers |
| Smoke Testing | Validate multiple pages quickly |
| Visual Regression | Compare screenshots for visual changes |
| Test Sharding | Parallel CI runs |
| Architecture Testing | Enforce code conventions |
Browser Test Example
Browser tests run in real browsers for full integration testing:
- Browser tests live in
tests/Browser/. - Use Laravel features like
Event::fake(),assertAuthenticated(), and model factories. - Use
RefreshDatabasefor clean state per test. - Interact with page: click, type, scroll, select, submit, drag-and-drop, touch gestures.
- Test on multiple browsers (Chrome, Firefox, Safari) if requested.
- Test on different devices/viewports (iPhone 14 Pro, tablets) if requested.
- Switch color schemes (light/dark mode) when appropriate.
- Take screenshots or pause tests for debugging.
it('may reset the password', function () { Notification::fake();
$this->actingAs(User::factory()->create());
$page = visit('/sign-in');
$page->assertSee('Sign In')
->assertNoJavascriptErrors()
->click('Forgot Password?')
->fill('email', 'nuno@laravel.com')
->click('Send Reset Link')
->assertSee('We have emailed your password reset link!');
Notification::assertSent(ResetPassword::class);
});
Smoke Testing
Quickly validate multiple pages have no JavaScript errors:
$pages = visit(['/', '/about', '/contact']);
$pages->assertNoJavascriptErrors()->assertNoConsoleLogs();
Visual Regression Testing
Capture and compare screenshots to detect visual changes.
Test Sharding
Split tests across parallel processes for faster CI runs.
Architecture Testing
Pest 4 includes architecture testing (from Pest 3):
arch('controllers') ->expect('App\Http\Controllers') ->toExtendNothing() ->toHaveSuffix('Controller');
Common Pitfalls
- Not importing
use function Pest\Laravel\mock;before using mock - Using
assertStatus(200)instead ofassertSuccessful() - Forgetting datasets for repetitive validation tests
- Deleting tests without approval
- Forgetting
assertNoJavascriptErrors()in browser tests