This is a brief update about the AL Test Runner extension that I’ve been working on for VS Code. I’ve had some great feedback and suggestions via GitHub, a pull request correcting me being a muppet and 300-odd installs so far. Thanks to everyone who has got involved to improve it.
This version includes a new setting “Publish Before Test” which allows you to invoke either the “Publish without debugging” or “Rapid Application Publish without debugging” commands in the AL Language extension.
If you’re aiming for a quick write test->run test->write code->run test cycle then you might like to try setting this option to “Rapid application publish”. Create a test->hit Ctrl+Alt+T (rapid publish and run the current test)->see the test fail->write the code->run the test…
Obviously, the above is a silly example. Don’t make your tests pass by simply commenting out any code that causes it to fail 😉 You’ll still need to do a full publish from time to time as not all changes are pushed in a rapid publish.
Wish List
The main improvement to the extension would come in the form of support for remote development. There are, I think, two key scenarios:
- Visual Studio Code is running locally but Docker host is not i.e. apps are being published to some central server
- The ALTestRunner module would need to be installed on the Docker host (maybe served from the PowerShell Gallery?) and the PowerShell commands invoked on the server (through SSH? through a PowerShell session?)
- Remote Visual Studio Code development – where both VS Code and the Docker host are running remotely somewhere
- I don’t know enough about this way of working yet (we’ve only ever developed on Docker containers running on our own laptops) but with AL Test Runner installed on the remote end maybe this sort of works already?
In both cases I think the results file would need to passed back somehow to the developer’s machine in order to decorate the local copy of the AL file that they are working on. If you know more about these scenarios than I do or have other suggestions I’d be glad to hear from you.
I’m planning a few other bits and pieces like adding the path to file/line of a failing test in the Output window so that you can click and jump straight to it.
And with that I’m going to sign off for this year. Merry Christmas and see you in 2020!
James Pearson 