CODEWITHSUNDEEP
node.jspackage.json
Aakash Verma
Aakash Verma

Reputation: 3994

What is the test command while creating package.json?

While creating package.json from command line using npm init for creating a module in Node.js, there is a test command field that I don't know about. There's no mention of it in the docs too on executing npm help json also in the CLI.

Please explain what it is about.

Upvotes: 104

Views: 97149

Answers (2)

robertklep
robertklep

Reputation: 203514

Assuming you mean scripts.test:

"scripts" : {
  "test" : "echo 'Error: no test specified'; false"
}

This field contains the program(/command line) that should run when you call npm test. Typically, that program is a test-runner like mocha, ava, jest, ...

The default value is a placeholder that prints an error message (try running npm test in the same directory as your package.json).

Upvotes: 26

Denis Tsoi
Denis Tsoi

Reputation: 10414

The test command is the command that is run whenever you call npm test.

This is important when integrating with continuous integration/continuous deployment tools (such as jenkins, codeship, teamcity).

Example:
- say you deploy a project to AWS or some other cloud hosting provider,
- you can set up your infrastructure to automatically run npm test.
- If there are problems within those tests, your ci/cd will automatically rollback before deploying.

To execute tests
You can use karma, jest, or selenium/nightmare/phantomjs or about any other test scripting library/framework that allows you to write and execute tests and then set the required command in scripts.test and finally run it from npm test.

Upvotes: 72

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