# Prerelease of new testing framework and test run UI in VS Code

**URL:** https://discourse.julialang.org/t/prerelease-of-new-testing-framework-and-test-run-ui-in-vs-code/86355
**Category:** VS Code
**Created:** [August 25, 2022, 7:37pm UTC](https://discourse.julialang.org/t/prerelease-of-new-testing-framework-and-test-run-ui-in-vs-code/86355 "2022-08-25T19:37:13Z")
**Posts on this page:** 20
**Page:** 2

<div class="post-metadata">

### Author: ![stephenll](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/julialang/user_avatar/discourse.julialang.org/stephenll/32/28751_2.png) [@stephenll](https://discourse.julialang.org/u/stephenll)
#### Post date: [September 8, 2022, 3:05pm UTC](https://discourse.julialang.org/t/prerelease-of-new-testing-framework-and-test-run-ui-in-vs-code/86355/21 "2022-09-08T15:05:58Z")

</div>

I just created a very simple package, no deps except for `TestItems` and didn’t add `Test` this time. I added `using TestItems` in my module and use the following test code:

```julia
@testitem "My First Test" begin
    x = [1,2,3]
    @test length(x)==3
end

```

In this simple pkg I am defining a few structs, and assigning values to the fields. I also don’t have a `Test` directory. I tried just using the `TestItems` feature to do a basic test.

Below is the error in Output:

```julia
┌ Error: Some Julia code in the VS Code extension crashed
└ @ Main ~/.vscode/extensions/julialang.language-julia-1.7.10/scripts/error_handler.jl:15
ERROR: ArgumentError: Package Test not found in current path.
- Run `import Pkg; Pkg.add("Test")` to install the Test package.
Stacktrace:
  [1] macro expansion
    @ ./loading.jl:1163 [inlined]
  [2] macro expansion
    @ ./lock.jl:223 [inlined]
  [3] require(into::Module, mod::Symbol)
    @ Base ./loading.jl:1144
  [4] eval
    @ ./boot.jl:368 [inlined]
  [5] run_testitem_handler(conn::VSCodeTestServer.JSONRPC.JSONRPCEndpoint{Base.PipeEndpoint, Base.PipeEndpoint}, params::VSCodeTestServer.TestserverRunTestitemRequestParams)
    @ VSCodeTestServer ~/.vscode/extensions/julialang.language-julia-1.7.10/scripts/packages/VSCodeTestServer/src/VSCodeTestServer.jl:52
  [6] dispatch_msg(x::VSCodeTestServer.JSONRPC.JSONRPCEndpoint{Base.PipeEndpoint, Base.PipeEndpoint}, dispatcher::VSCodeTestServer.JSONRPC.MsgDispatcher, msg::Dict{String, Any})
    @ VSCodeTestServer.JSONRPC ~/.vscode/extensions/julialang.language-julia-1.7.10/scripts/packages/JSONRPC/src/typed.jl:67
  [7] serve_in_env(conn::Base.PipeEndpoint)
    @ VSCodeTestServer ~/.vscode/extensions/julialang.language-julia-1.7.10/scripts/packages/VSCodeTestServer/src/VSCodeTestServer.jl:136
  [8] #13
    @ ~/.vscode/extensions/julialang.language-julia-1.7.10/scripts/packages/VSCodeTestServer/src/VSCodeTestServer.jl:147 [inlined]
  [9] (::VSCodeTestServer.TestEnv.var"#2#3"{VSCodeTestServer.var"#13#15"{Base.PipeEndpoint}})()
    @ VSCodeTestServer.TestEnv ~/.vscode/extensions/julialang.language-julia-1.7.10/scripts/packages/TestEnv/src/julia-1.8/activate_do.jl:18
 [10] withenv(::VSCodeTestServer.TestEnv.var"#2#3"{VSCodeTestServer.var"#13#15"{Base.PipeEndpoint}}, ::Pair{String, String}, ::Vararg{Pair{String}})
    @ Base ./env.jl:172
 [11] (::Pkg.Operations.var"#107#112"{String, Bool, Bool, Bool, VSCodeTestServer.TestEnv.var"#2#3"{VSCodeTestServer.var"#13#15"{Base.PipeEndpoint}}, Pkg.Types.PackageSpec})()
    @ Pkg.Operations /Applications/Julia-1.8.app/Contents/Resources/julia/share/julia/stdlib/v1.8/Pkg/src/Operations.jl:1619
 [12] with_temp_env(fn::Pkg.Operations.var"#107#112"{String, Bool, Bool, Bool, VSCodeTestServer.TestEnv.var"#2#3"{VSCodeTestServer.var"#13#15"{Base.PipeEndpoint}}, Pkg.Types.PackageSpec}, temp_env::String)
    @ Pkg.Operations /Applications/Julia-1.8.app/Contents/Resources/julia/share/julia/stdlib/v1.8/Pkg/src/Operations.jl:1493
 [13] (::Pkg.Operations.var"#105#110"{Nothing, Bool, Bool, Bool, VSCodeTestServer.TestEnv.var"#2#3"{VSCodeTestServer.var"#13#15"{Base.PipeEndpoint}}, Pkg.Types.Context, Pkg.Types.PackageSpec, String, Pkg.Types.Project, String})(tmp::String)
    @ Pkg.Operations /Applications/Julia-1.8.app/Contents/Resources/julia/share/julia/stdlib/v1.8/Pkg/src/Operations.jl:1582
 [14] mktempdir(fn::Pkg.Operations.var"#105#110"{Nothing, Bool, Bool, Bool, VSCodeTestServer.TestEnv.var"#2#3"{VSCodeTestServer.var"#13#15"{Base.PipeEndpoint}}, Pkg.Types.Context, Pkg.Types.PackageSpec, String, Pkg.Types.Project, String}, parent::String; prefix::String)
    @ Base.Filesystem ./file.jl:764
 [15] mktempdir(fn::Function, parent::String) (repeats 2 times)
    @ Base.Filesystem ./file.jl:760
 [16] sandbox(fn::Function, ctx::Pkg.Types.Context, target::Pkg.Types.PackageSpec, target_path::String, sandbox_path::String, sandbox_project_override::Pkg.Types.Project; preferences::Nothing, force_latest_compatible_version::Bool, allow_earlier_backwards_compatible_versions::Bool, allow_reresolve::Bool)
    @ Pkg.Operations /Applications/Julia-1.8.app/Contents/Resources/julia/share/julia/stdlib/v1.8/Pkg/src/Operations.jl:1540
 [17] sandbox
    @ /Applications/Julia-1.8.app/Contents/Resources/julia/share/julia/stdlib/v1.8/Pkg/src/Operations.jl:1531 [inlined]
 [18] activate(f::VSCodeTestServer.var"#13#15"{Base.PipeEndpoint}, pkg::String)
    @ VSCodeTestServer.TestEnv ~/.vscode/extensions/julialang.language-julia-1.7.10/scripts/packages/TestEnv/src/julia-1.8/activate_do.jl:16
 [19] serve(conn::Base.PipeEndpoint, project_path::String, package_path::String, package_name::String; is_dev::Bool, crashreporting_pipename::Nothing)
    @ VSCodeTestServer ~/.vscode/extensions/julialang.language-julia-1.7.10/scripts/packages/VSCodeTestServer/src/VSCodeTestServer.jl:146
 [20] serve(conn::Base.PipeEndpoint, project_path::String, package_path::String, package_name::String)
    @ VSCodeTestServer ~/.vscode/extensions/julialang.language-julia-1.7.10/scripts/packages/VSCodeTestServer/src/VSCodeTestServer.jl:140
 [21] top-level scope
    @ ~/.vscode/extensions/julialang.language-julia-1.7.10/scripts/testserver/testserver_main.jl:16
 [22] include(mod::Module, _path::String)
    @ Base ./Base.jl:419
 [23] exec_options(opts::Base.JLOptions)
    @ Base ./client.jl:303
 [24] _start()
    @ Base ./client.jl:522

```

---

<div class="post-metadata">

### Author: ![lmiq](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/julialang/user_avatar/discourse.julialang.org/lmiq/32/18314_2.png) [@lmiq](https://discourse.julialang.org/u/lmiq)
#### Post date: [September 8, 2022, 4:10pm UTC](https://discourse.julialang.org/t/prerelease-of-new-testing-framework-and-test-run-ui-in-vs-code/86355/22 "2022-09-08T16:10:50Z")

</div>

Here is a working case: [GitHub - lmiq/TestTests.jl](https://github.com/lmiq/TestTests.jl)

- You do need to `] add Tests`, yes (@davidanthoff can this be lifted? Seems redudant, isn’t `Test` a dependency of `TestItemRunner`, which could reexport the `Test` macros?)
- In the [main module](https://github.com/lmiq/TestTests.jl/blob/main/src/TestTests.jl) of the package you only need to put `using TestItems`
- In [`runtests.jl`](https://github.com/lmiq/TestTests.jl/blob/main/test/runtests.jl) you need to use `using TestItemRunner`

The `Project.toml` must look like this one: [TestTests.jl/Project.toml at main · lmiq/TestTests.jl · GitHub](https://github.com/lmiq/TestTests.jl/blob/main/Project.toml)

I tested removing the `test/runtests.jl` file, and the test items inside the main module continue to work.

Does this work for you? You can clone that package and check, of course.

In other works, a step by step would be:

# Step by step

### Packages to add:

```julia-auto
import Pkg; Pkg.add("Test", "TestItems", "TestItemRunner")

```

### Project.toml (see example [here](https://github.com/lmiq/TestTests.jl/blob/main/Project.toml))

- Move `TestItemRunner` and `Test` to `[extras] `
- On `[targets]`, have `test = ["Test", TestItemRunner"]` (and other deps if needed).

### Main code of the package

Add `using Testitems` in the main module, and `@testitem`(s):

```julia-auto
module MyPackage
    using TestItems
    f(x) = 1

    @testitem "my test" begin
        using MyPackage # must be self-contained!
        @test MyPackage.f(1) == 1
    end
end

```

### The `test/runtests.jl` file:

Must look like this:

```julia-auto
using TestItemRunner

# other items can be here
@testitem "my other test" begin
    using MyPackage
    @test MyPackage.f(2) == 1
end

@run_package_tests

```

---

<div class="post-metadata">

### Author: ![stephenll](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/julialang/user_avatar/discourse.julialang.org/stephenll/32/28751_2.png) [@stephenll](https://discourse.julialang.org/u/stephenll)
#### Post date: [September 8, 2022, 4:46pm UTC](https://discourse.julialang.org/t/prerelease-of-new-testing-framework-and-test-run-ui-in-vs-code/86355/23 "2022-09-08T16:46:13Z")

</div>

Thanks for putting the Pkg example together! That works. I wasn’t aware that I need to add the `Test and TestItems` to my package. I usually have a `Test` project inside the ./Test folder rather than add `Test` package as a dep to my package. Thanks again.

---

<div class="post-metadata">

### Author: ![juliohm](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/julialang/user_avatar/discourse.julialang.org/juliohm/32/215266_2.png) [@juliohm](https://discourse.julialang.org/u/juliohm)
#### Post date: [September 8, 2022, 4:47pm UTC](https://discourse.julialang.org/t/prerelease-of-new-testing-framework-and-test-run-ui-in-vs-code/86355/24 "2022-09-08T16:47:36Z")

</div>

Thank you @davidanthoff and team for improving the development experience in Julia :juliaheartpulsing: Looking forward to trying it out. We have very large test sets that will definitely benefit from this new workflow.

---

<div class="post-metadata">

### Author: ![lmiq](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/julialang/user_avatar/discourse.julialang.org/lmiq/32/18314_2.png) [@lmiq](https://discourse.julialang.org/u/lmiq)
#### Post date: [September 8, 2022, 5:06pm UTC](https://discourse.julialang.org/t/prerelease-of-new-testing-framework-and-test-run-ui-in-vs-code/86355/25 "2022-09-08T17:06:50Z")

</div>

> [@stephenll](#):
>
> `Test` package as a dep to my package

Note that you only add it to the `extras`, so it won’t be loaded when a user uses your package.

---

<div class="post-metadata">

### Author: ![smillerc](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/julialang/user_avatar/discourse.julialang.org/smillerc/32/35457_2.png) [@smillerc](https://discourse.julialang.org/u/smillerc)
#### Post date: [September 8, 2022, 5:26pm UTC](https://discourse.julialang.org/t/prerelease-of-new-testing-framework-and-test-run-ui-in-vs-code/86355/26 "2022-09-08T17:26:42Z")

</div>

How do you set the number of threads that the `@testitem` uses?

I have some multi-threaded tests that require \> 1 thread. The extension by default uses 4 threads (via `julia.NumThreads` in the `settings.json` file, but this doesn’t propagate to the `@testitem`

---

<div class="post-metadata">

### Author: ![lmiq](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/julialang/user_avatar/discourse.julialang.org/lmiq/32/18314_2.png) [@lmiq](https://discourse.julialang.org/u/lmiq)
#### Post date: [September 8, 2022, 5:53pm UTC](https://discourse.julialang.org/t/prerelease-of-new-testing-framework-and-test-run-ui-in-vs-code/86355/27 "2022-09-08T17:53:35Z")

</div>

> [@smillerc](#):
>
> How do you set the number of threads that the `@testitem` uses?

> <https://github.com/julia-vscode/julia-vscode/issues/3045#issuecomment-1236177251>
>
> It seems that the julia launched by the runner is single-threaded. Is there a wa…y to make it multi-threaded by default (or as an option)? 
> 
> (the current state of \`\] test\` is to run multi-threaded since the julia repl launched by VSCode by default is multi-threaded. 
> 
> There are tests that require specifically multi-threading.

---

<div class="post-metadata">

### Author: ![brianguenter](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/julialang/user_avatar/discourse.julialang.org/brianguenter/32/29519_2.png) [@brianguenter](https://discourse.julialang.org/u/brianguenter)
#### Post date: [September 8, 2022, 5:53pm UTC](https://discourse.julialang.org/t/prerelease-of-new-testing-framework-and-test-run-ui-in-vs-code/86355/28 "2022-09-08T17:53:54Z")

</div>

Once @lmiq pointed out that I should look at the test server output it became clear why things weren’t working.

There were various problems with the test code I was writing that caused a load error in the test server process, which caused the test server to crash.

There wasn’t any immediate feedback from VSCode that anything was wrong. The error messages only appeared in the output of the test server process, which I didn’t see because I didn’t know this output existed.

What might cause such errors? These are some I encountered:

- A missing package dependency inside the `@testitem` macro.
- Change a test and immediately run it, not realizing you’ve introduced a syntax error.

There are many, many code errors that might cause a load error and a test server crash.

Because all you see in VSCode is “The Julia Test Server crashed”, maybe after a long wait, this makes it appear that the test framework is not working when the problem is actually in your code.

If you don’t know to look at the test server output (most users won’t) then you will assume there is a bug in the test framework. This will be the source of much confusion and unnecessary and incorrect bug reports.

Ideally the cause of the test server crash would be in the string displayed in VSCode at the test site. If that is not possible or too cumbersome maybe it would be helpful to add a note to the documentation, in bold text, telling people to look at the test server output before filing a bug report.

---

<div class="post-metadata">

### Author: ![lmiq](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/julialang/user_avatar/discourse.julialang.org/lmiq/32/18314_2.png) [@lmiq](https://discourse.julialang.org/u/lmiq)
#### Post date: [September 8, 2022, 5:57pm UTC](https://discourse.julialang.org/t/prerelease-of-new-testing-framework-and-test-run-ui-in-vs-code/86355/29 "2022-09-08T17:57:56Z")

</div>

> [@brianguenter](#):
>
> If you don’t know to look at the test server output (most users won’t) then you will assume there is a bug in the test framework. This will be the source of much confusion and unnecessary and incorrect bug reports.

Effectively, as for now the use of the interface relies quite a bit in looking at that output. And it was added in the debugging process of the first issue.

For now I think that properly documenting that is fine (I was not clearly aware of those output tabs either, but at the end the errors must appear somewhere, and I am not a huge fan of them popping up in front of my code).

On the other side, there may be better alternatives, people used to these testing frameworks in other languages may have good suggestions. Worth opening issues in the repo to keep the suggestions alive.

---

<div class="post-metadata">

### Author: ![brianguenter](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/julialang/user_avatar/discourse.julialang.org/brianguenter/32/29519_2.png) [@brianguenter](https://discourse.julialang.org/u/brianguenter)
#### Post date: [September 14, 2022, 10:54pm UTC](https://discourse.julialang.org/t/prerelease-of-new-testing-framework-and-test-run-ui-in-vs-code/86355/30 "2022-09-14T22:54:45Z")

</div>

@davidanthoff I’ve had a chance to use this feature more. It is _terrific_. It is now so much easier and faster to develop a test framework while writing code.

Thank you for this feature, and all the work you do to make VSCode better.

---

<div class="post-metadata">

### Author: ![mkoculak](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/julialang/user_avatar/discourse.julialang.org/mkoculak/32/28310_2.png) [@mkoculak](https://discourse.julialang.org/u/mkoculak)
#### Post date: [September 15, 2022, 12:54am UTC](https://discourse.julialang.org/t/prerelease-of-new-testing-framework-and-test-run-ui-in-vs-code/86355/31 "2022-09-15T00:54:10Z")

</div>

@davidanthoff I have just tried this feature and is working nicely, thank you for your work!

I have added some `@testitem` into my existing `runtests.jl` where I had test groups with `SafeTestsets` and both seem very similar, however they work mutually exclusively.  
When running normal test procedure from Pkg, names from `@testitem` are not displayed and all tests are clumped into one category. The same is happening in Test Output in VSCode, where each `@testitem` is a separate entity, but no name is displayed (plus there is the issue with `WARNING: replacing module Testmodule.` but I’ve seen it is already reported on github).  
The names are only displayed in the test pane, but no additional information like time.

Am I doing something wrong or is this not implemented yet?

---

<div class="post-metadata">

### Author: ![davidanthoff](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/julialang/user_avatar/discourse.julialang.org/davidanthoff/32/223493_2.png) [@davidanthoff](https://discourse.julialang.org/u/davidanthoff)
#### Post date: [September 15, 2022, 3:45am UTC](https://discourse.julialang.org/t/prerelease-of-new-testing-framework-and-test-run-ui-in-vs-code/86355/32 "2022-09-15T03:45:25Z")

</div>

Ah, I didn’t know about `SafeTestsets`, interesting! It is a little similar in that `@testitem` also runs each `@testitem` in its own module. The detection story of course is still entirely different.

Generally, the various output things still need to be improved, I think at the moment I was really more focused on getting everything to run 😉

---

<div class="post-metadata">

### Author: ![brianguenter](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/julialang/user_avatar/discourse.julialang.org/brianguenter/32/29519_2.png) [@brianguenter](https://discourse.julialang.org/u/brianguenter)
#### Post date: [September 20, 2022, 7:07pm UTC](https://discourse.julialang.org/t/prerelease-of-new-testing-framework-and-test-run-ui-in-vs-code/86355/33 "2022-09-20T19:07:16Z")

</div>

Overall this new feature is great. But I have noticed that the test framework occasionally gets out of sync with the most up to date information in the code files.

I’ll make a change to fix a bug, run the tests, they fail with an error message that makes it clear that out of date code is being run. If the tests are immediately run again, with no changes to the source, they pass.

Sorry don’t have a MWE, it’s intermittent and I don’t have insight into what might make it happen.

```julia
Julia Version 1.8.0
Commit 5544a0fab76 (2022-08-17 13:38 UTC)
Platform Info:
  OS: Linux (x86_64-linux-gnu)
  CPU: 128 × AMD EPYC 7702P 64-Core Processor
  WORD_SIZE: 64
  LIBM: libopenlibm
  LLVM: libLLVM-13.0.1 (ORCJIT, znver2)
  Threads: 128 on 128 virtual cores
Environment:
  JULIA_NUM_THREADS = 64
  JULIA_EDITOR = code

```

---

<div class="post-metadata">

### Author: ![davidanthoff](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/julialang/user_avatar/discourse.julialang.org/davidanthoff/32/223493_2.png) [@davidanthoff](https://discourse.julialang.org/u/davidanthoff)
#### Post date: [September 20, 2022, 7:14pm UTC](https://discourse.julialang.org/t/prerelease-of-new-testing-framework-and-test-run-ui-in-vs-code/86355/34 "2022-09-20T19:14:31Z")

</div>

> [@brianguenter](#):
>
> I’ll make a change to fix a bug, run the tests, they fail with an error message that makes it clear that out of date code is being run. If the tests are immediately run again, with no changes to the source, they pass.

Are you making a change to the code inside the `@testitem` or in the package? The way code changes are detected for these two scenarios is distinct.

---

<div class="post-metadata">

### Author: ![juliohm](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/julialang/user_avatar/discourse.julialang.org/juliohm/32/215266_2.png) [@juliohm](https://discourse.julialang.org/u/juliohm)
#### Post date: [September 20, 2022, 7:25pm UTC](https://discourse.julialang.org/t/prerelease-of-new-testing-framework-and-test-run-ui-in-vs-code/86355/35 "2022-09-20T19:25:08Z")

</div>

Hi David, any plans to support global variables or at least some standard place where users can store global settings? We have very long and extensive tests in some packages where we need to define some global variables related to visual tests, directories with data etc. If we could move these global settings to a place where VScode can read that would be amazing. We are hesitant to migrate because of this limitation.

---

<div class="post-metadata">

### Author: ![brianguenter](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/julialang/user_avatar/discourse.julialang.org/brianguenter/32/29519_2.png) [@brianguenter](https://discourse.julialang.org/u/brianguenter)
#### Post date: [September 20, 2022, 7:25pm UTC](https://discourse.julialang.org/t/prerelease-of-new-testing-framework-and-test-run-ui-in-vs-code/86355/36 "2022-09-20T19:25:47Z")

</div>

A change to the code in the package.

---

<div class="post-metadata">

### Author: ![davidanthoff](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/julialang/user_avatar/discourse.julialang.org/davidanthoff/32/223493_2.png) [@davidanthoff](https://discourse.julialang.org/u/davidanthoff)
#### Post date: [September 20, 2022, 8:49pm UTC](https://discourse.julialang.org/t/prerelease-of-new-testing-framework-and-test-run-ui-in-vs-code/86355/37 "2022-09-20T20:49:28Z")

</div>

> [@juliohm](#):
>
> Hi David, any plans to support global variables or at least some standard place where users can store global settings? We have very long and extensive tests in some packages where we need to define some global variables related to visual tests, directories with data etc. If we could move these global settings to a place where VScode can read that would be amazing.

So the best way to do that right now is to put that code into a separate file, say `test_shared.jl`, and then at the beginning of each `@testitem` just do a `include("test_shared.jl")`.

Of course, that will _not_ add any shared state between different `@testitem`s, it will just allow you to reuse some code in multiple `@testitem`s. I am thinking about something where actual state is shared also. In that case a user would have to guarantee that this state is never modified by any `@testitem`, otherwise things will go really haywire 🙂 But I haven’t really decided how to do that exactly, at the moment I’m working on a parallel test execution feature in the extension.

---

<div class="post-metadata">

### Author: ![davidanthoff](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/julialang/user_avatar/discourse.julialang.org/davidanthoff/32/223493_2.png) [@davidanthoff](https://discourse.julialang.org/u/davidanthoff)
#### Post date: [September 20, 2022, 8:51pm UTC](https://discourse.julialang.org/t/prerelease-of-new-testing-framework-and-test-run-ui-in-vs-code/86355/38 "2022-09-20T20:51:03Z")

</div>

> [@brianguenter](#):
>
> I’ll make a change to fix a bug, run the tests, they fail with an error message that makes it clear that out of date code is being run. If the tests are immediately run again, with no changes to the source, they pass.

Interesting… The logic in general is that before any `@testitem` execution I first try to call `Revise.revise()`. If that works, I run the `@testitem`. If not, I restart the test process… I think I’ll try to add some diagnostic output in a new version that will allow you to tell me whether this kind of restart is happening in your case or not. But that will take a new build…

---

<div class="post-metadata">

### Author: ![lmiq](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/julialang/user_avatar/discourse.julialang.org/lmiq/32/18314_2.png) [@lmiq](https://discourse.julialang.org/u/lmiq)
#### Post date: [September 20, 2022, 9:46pm UTC](https://discourse.julialang.org/t/prerelease-of-new-testing-framework-and-test-run-ui-in-vs-code/86355/39 "2022-09-20T21:46:29Z")

</div>

> [@juliohm](#):
>
> Hi David, any plans to support global variables or at least some standard place where users can store global settings? We have very long and extensive tests in some packages where we need to define some global variables related to visual tests, directories with data etc.

I’m keeping a submodule in my package called “Testing”, containing functions and variables for testing. The I use this module inside the test items.

---

<div class="post-metadata">

### Author: ![juliohm](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/julialang/user_avatar/discourse.julialang.org/juliohm/32/215266_2.png) [@juliohm](https://discourse.julialang.org/u/juliohm)
#### Post date: [September 20, 2022, 11:47pm UTC](https://discourse.julialang.org/t/prerelease-of-new-testing-framework-and-test-run-ui-in-vs-code/86355/40 "2022-09-20T23:47:40Z")

</div>

> [@lmiq](#):
>
> I’m keeping a submodule in my package called “Testing”, containing functions and variables for testing. The I use this module inside the test items.

That is an interesting idea. I wonder if the Julia extension could do something like that for us automatically with macros. For example, if users added a section

```julia
@testsetup begin
  # global variables
  a = 1

  # global functions
  f(x) = 2x
end

```

to their `runtests.jl` file, this would then become available in all `@testitems` with the module trick.

[Previous page](https://discourse.julialang.org/t/prerelease-of-new-testing-framework-and-test-run-ui-in-vs-code/86355.md?page=1)

[Next page](https://discourse.julialang.org/t/prerelease-of-new-testing-framework-and-test-run-ui-in-vs-code/86355.md?page=3)