VSCode pytest test discovery fails when debugging Django tests

Question

I'm trying to debug my first django test, but VSCode is returning: Ran 0 tests in 0.000s. On the other hand, when I use an integrated git bash (I'm using a windows OS) in VSCode terminals or externally, it returns: Ran 1 test in 0.0014s. It also echoes FAILED and a traceback for a valid error within the test.

My vscode launch.json:

{   
    ...
    "configurations": [
        ...
        {
            "name": "Django Tests",
            "type": "python",
            "request": "launch",
            "program": "${workspaceFolder}\\testprojectname\\manage.py",
            "args": [
                "test"
            ],
            "django": true,
        }
    ]
}

My vscode settings.json:

{
    "python.pythonPath": "C:\\Users\\user\\.virtualenvs\\backend-Vg-KBKTA\\Scripts\\python.exe",
    "python.testing.pytestEnabled": true,
    "python.testing.nosetestsEnabled": false,
    "python.testing.unittestEnabled": false,
    "python.testing.pytestArgs": [
        "testprojectname"
    ]
}

• Note that C:\Users\user\.virtualenvs\backend-Vg-KBKTA\Scripts\python.exe is a valid path to the pipenv shell [(1) it is echoed when I type in the bash: pipenv --venv (2) it works when I launch the django debugger]

So far, I've tried:

1. Updating my pytest according to VSCode pytest test discovery fails
2. Changing around the name of my tests.py file to test_example.py according to Pytest - no tests ran
3. Changing the class of the tests to prefix with Test_ according to the same link in (2)

This is what the test currently looks like

class Test_Contacts(unittest.TestCase):

    def test_create_contact_message(self):
        """Create a new contact message."""
        url = reverse('message-list')
        data = {
            'first_name': 'DabApps',
            'last_name': 'jack',
            'email': 'giehogho24h@gmo8y9tgail.com',
            'message': 'hi, how are you?',
            'message_type': 1
        }
        # this is just random code to cause an error
        response = self.client.post(url, data, format='json')
        self.assertEqual(response.status_code, status.HTTP_201_CREATED)
        self.assertEqual(Message.objects.count(), 1)
        self.assertEqual(Message.objects.get().name, 'DabApps')

Answer 1

I was not able to solve the original problem, but I found a good workaround. I can now see 'debug test' above the test code. I'm not sure why, but it may be because I installed pytest-django or the extension python test explorer ui.

python test explorer ui story

1. I googled for ways to debug django tests and eventually found a stackoverflow comment that led me to this https://github.com/Microsoft/vscode-python/issues/3911
2. That github issue mentioned an adapter, which led me to downloading the VS code extension by little fox team: "Python Test Explorer for Visual Studio Code" with 262,853 downloads as of 2021 Jan 24th.
3. now when I ran pytest --collect-only in the git bash, I ran into the error: apps aren't loaded yet. This led me to where I first found out about pytest-django "Apps aren't loaded yet" when trying to run pytest-django

pytest-django story

1. read pytest-django documentation
2. made pytest.ini file with the following content:

[pytest]
DJANGO_SETTINGS_MODULE = testprojectname.settings
python_files = tests.py test_*.py *_tests.py

• testprojectname is the name of the django project

3. now I noticed that the test I made in tests.py had clickable words for debugging above it. Clicking debug test took a while to initiate, but it allowed the code to stop at the red dot VS code breakpoints. clickable words for debugging above test

4. Although that was all I needed, I also noticed that I can now run the tests from the VS code test explorer, so I no longer have to use pipenv shell in the bash to run all the tests. VS code test explorer found test

Answer 2

Here is generic way to get Django tests to run with full vscode support

1. Configure python tests
   1. Choose unittest
   2. Root Directory
   3. test*.py
2. Then each test case will need to look like the following:

from django.test import TestCase

class views(TestCase):

    @classmethod
    def setUpClass(cls):
        import django
        django.setup()

    def test_something(self,):
        from user.model import something
        ...

Any functions you want to import have to be imported inside the test case (like shown). The setUpClass runs before the test class is setup and will setup your django project. Once it's setup you can import functions inside the test methods. If you try to import models/views at the top of your script, it will raise an exception since django isn't setup. If you have any other preinitialization that needs to run for your django project to work, run it inside setUpClass