Testing Guide

Testing is a critical part of contributing to Meshery. This guide covers testing strategies, tools, and best practices for Go (server/CLI), JavaScript (UI), and integration testing.

Testing Philosophy

Meshery follows a comprehensive testing strategy:

Unit Tests – Test individual functions and components in isolation
Integration Tests – Test interactions between components and services
End-to-End Tests – Test complete user workflows through the UI
Coverage Goals – Aim for ≥70% coverage on business logic

Go Testing (Server & CLI)

Unit Tests

Go unit tests use the standard library testing package. File naming: Place tests in *_test.go files alongside the code they test. Test naming: Use descriptive names: TestFunctionName_Scenario_ExpectedResult Example unit test:

// server/handlers/workspace_handler_test.go
package handlers

import (
    "testing"
)

func TestValidateWorkspaceName_ValidName_ReturnsTrue(t *testing.T) {
    valid := ValidateWorkspaceName("my-workspace")
    if !valid {
        t.Errorf("Expected valid=true, got valid=%v", valid)
    }
}

func TestValidateWorkspaceName_EmptyName_ReturnsFalse(t *testing.T) {
    valid := ValidateWorkspaceName("")
    if valid {
        t.Errorf("Expected valid=false, got valid=%v", valid)
    }
}

Table-driven tests:

func TestValidateWorkspaceName(t *testing.T) {
    tests := []struct {
        name     string
        input    string
        expected bool
    }{
        {"valid name", "my-workspace", true},
        {"empty name", "", false},
        {"too long", "a" + strings.Repeat("b", 100), false},
        {"special chars", "my@workspace", false},
    }

    for _, tt := range tests {
        t.Run(tt.name, func(t *testing.T) {
            result := ValidateWorkspaceName(tt.input)
            if result != tt.expected {
                t.Errorf("ValidateWorkspaceName(%q) = %v, want %v", tt.input, result, tt.expected)
            }
        })
    }
}

Running unit tests:

# Run all tests in current directory
go test .

# Run all tests recursively
go test ./...

# Run only short tests (skip integration tests)
go test --short ./...

# Run specific test
go test -run TestValidateWorkspaceName

# Run with coverage
go test -cover ./...

# Generate coverage report
go test -coverprofile=coverage.out ./...
go tool cover -html=coverage.out

Mocking

Use interfaces for mocking dependencies:

// Define interface
type WorkspaceProvider interface {
    GetWorkspace(id string) (*Workspace, error)
}

// Mock implementation for tests
type MockWorkspaceProvider struct {
    workspace *Workspace
    err       error
}

func (m *MockWorkspaceProvider) GetWorkspace(id string) (*Workspace, error) {
    return m.workspace, m.err
}

// Use in test
func TestGetWorkspaceHandler(t *testing.T) {
    mockProvider := &MockWorkspaceProvider{
        workspace: &Workspace{ID: "123", Name: "Test"},
        err:       nil,
    }
    
    handler := NewHandler(mockProvider)
    // Test handler...
}

Integration Tests (Server)

Integration tests verify interactions with external systems like Kubernetes and databases. Location: server/integration-tests/ MeshSync Integration Tests:

# Check dependencies (Docker, kind, kubectl, helm)
make server-integration-tests-meshsync-check-dependencies

# Setup test environment
make server-integration-tests-meshsync-setup

# Run tests
make server-integration-tests-meshsync-run

# Cleanup
make server-integration-tests-meshsync-cleanup

# Full cycle (build + setup + run + cleanup)
make server-integration-tests-meshsync

What the setup does:

Creates a kind (Kubernetes in Docker) cluster
Deploys Meshery Operator to the cluster
Starts NATS messaging broker
Configures connection between test cluster and Meshery Server

Writing integration tests:

// server/integration-tests/meshsync/meshsync_test.go
// +build integration

package meshsync

import (
    "os"
    "testing"
)

func TestIntegration_MeshSyncDiscovery(t *testing.T) {
    if os.Getenv("RUN_INTEGRATION_TESTS") != "true" {
        t.Skip("Skipping integration test")
    }
    
    // Test MeshSync discovery functionality
    // ...
}

Run integration tests:

RUN_INTEGRATION_TESTS=true go test -run Integration ./server/integration-tests/meshsync

CLI Tests

Unit tests:

cd mesheryctl
go test --short ./...

Integration tests:

cd mesheryctl
go test -run Integration ./...

Full test suite:

make mesheryctl-tests-int

Example CLI test:

// mesheryctl/cmd/system/start_test.go
func TestStartCommand_ValidPlatform_Succeeds(t *testing.T) {
    cmd := StartCmd
    cmd.SetArgs([]string{"--platform", "docker"})
    
    err := cmd.Execute()
    if err != nil {
        t.Errorf("StartCmd failed: %v", err)
    }
}

JavaScript Testing (UI)

End-to-End Tests with Playwright

Meshery UI uses Playwright for end-to-end testing. Install Playwright:

make test-setup-ui

This installs Playwright browsers (Chromium) with system dependencies. Run E2E tests:

# Interactive mode
make ui-integration-tests

# Or with npm
cd ui
npm run test:e2e

# CI mode (non-interactive)
make test-e2e-ci

# Or with npm
cd ui
npm run test:e2e:ci

Test file location: ui/tests/ or ui/**/*.spec.js Example Playwright test:

// ui/tests/workspaces.spec.js
import { test, expect } from '@playwright/test';

test.describe('Workspace Management', () => {
  test.beforeEach(async ({ page }) => {
    await page.goto('http://localhost:3000');
  });

  test('should create a new workspace', async ({ page }) => {
    // Navigate to workspaces page
    await page.click('a:has-text("Workspaces")');
    
    // Click create button
    await page.click('button:has-text("Create Workspace")');
    
    // Fill form
    await page.fill('input[name="name"]', 'Test Workspace');
    await page.fill('textarea[name="description"]', 'This is a test workspace');
    
    // Submit form
    await page.click('button:has-text("Save")');
    
    // Verify workspace appears in list
    await expect(page.locator('text=Test Workspace')).toBeVisible();
  });

  test('should filter workspaces', async ({ page }) => {
    await page.goto('http://localhost:3000/workspaces');
    
    // Type in search box
    await page.fill('input[placeholder="Search workspaces"]', 'Test');
    
    // Verify filtered results
    const results = page.locator('[data-testid="workspace-card"]');
    await expect(results).toHaveCount(1);
  });

  test('should delete workspace', async ({ page }) => {
    await page.goto('http://localhost:3000/workspaces');
    
    // Click delete button
    await page.click('[data-testid="delete-workspace-btn"]');
    
    // Confirm deletion
    await page.click('button:has-text("Confirm")');
    
    // Verify workspace removed
    await expect(page.locator('text=Test Workspace')).not.toBeVisible();
  });
});

Playwright configuration: ui/playwright.config.js

import { defineConfig } from '@playwright/test';

export default defineConfig({
  testDir: './tests',
  timeout: 30000,
  use: {
    baseURL: 'http://localhost:3000',
    screenshot: 'only-on-failure',
    video: 'retain-on-failure',
  },
  projects: [
    {
      name: 'chromium',
      use: { browserName: 'chromium' },
    },
  ],
});

Best practices:

Use data-testid attributes for selecting elements
Avoid hardcoded waits; use Playwright’s auto-waiting
Test user workflows, not implementation details
Keep tests independent and idempotent
Use descriptive test names

Debugging Playwright tests:

# Run in headed mode (show browser)
npx playwright test --headed

# Run in debug mode
npx playwright test --debug

# Run specific test file
npx playwright test tests/workspaces.spec.js

# Show test report
npx playwright show-report

Unit Tests (JavaScript)

JavaScript unit testing infrastructure is still being expanded. Playwright E2E tests are currently the primary testing method for UI.

Future unit testing will likely use:

Jest – Testing framework
React Testing Library – Component testing

Continuous Integration Testing

GitHub Actions Workflows

Meshery uses GitHub Actions for automated testing. Workflows location: .github/workflows/ Key workflows:

build-ui-and-server.yml – Runs on PRs; includes linting, builds, and tests
codeql-analysis.yml – Security scanning
test-e2e.yml – End-to-end tests

What runs on PR:

Linting:
- make golangci for Go code
- make ui-lint for JavaScript code
Builds:
- make build-server for server
- make ui-build for UI
- cd mesheryctl && make for CLI
Tests:
- go test --short ./... for unit tests
- make ui-integration-tests for E2E tests

View CI results: Go to your PR on GitHub and click “Checks” to see test results.

Testing Best Practices

General Guidelines

Write tests first – Consider TDD (Test-Driven Development)
Test behavior, not implementation – Focus on what the code does, not how
Keep tests fast – Unit tests should run in milliseconds
Make tests independent – Tests should not depend on each other
Use descriptive names – Test names should explain what’s being tested
Mock external dependencies – Don’t make real API calls in unit tests
Test edge cases – Empty strings, null values, boundary conditions
Clean up after tests – Remove test data, close connections

Go Testing Best Practices

// ✅ Good: Descriptive name, table-driven, clear assertions
func TestValidateWorkspaceName(t *testing.T) {
    tests := []struct {
        name     string
        input    string
        expected bool
    }{
        {"valid name", "my-workspace", true},
        {"empty name", "", false},
    }

    for _, tt := range tests {
        t.Run(tt.name, func(t *testing.T) {
            result := ValidateWorkspaceName(tt.input)
            if result != tt.expected {
                t.Errorf("got %v, want %v", result, tt.expected)
            }
        })
    }
}

// ❌ Bad: Vague name, no test cases, unclear assertions
func TestWorkspace(t *testing.T) {
    result := ValidateWorkspaceName("test")
    if !result {
        t.Error("failed")
    }
}

JavaScript Testing Best Practices

// ✅ Good: Descriptive, tests user behavior, uses proper selectors
test('should create workspace when form is submitted', async ({ page }) => {
  await page.goto('/workspaces');
  await page.click('[data-testid="create-workspace-btn"]');
  await page.fill('[data-testid="workspace-name-input"]', 'New Workspace');
  await page.click('[data-testid="save-btn"]');
  await expect(page.locator('text=New Workspace')).toBeVisible();
});

// ❌ Bad: Generic name, hardcoded waits, brittle selectors
test('test workspace', async ({ page }) => {
  await page.goto('/workspaces');
  await page.waitForTimeout(1000);
  await page.click('.btn-primary');
  await page.fill('#name', 'Test');
  await page.click('button');
});

Test Coverage

Go Coverage

Generate coverage report:

go test -coverprofile=coverage.out ./...
go tool cover -html=coverage.out -o coverage.html
open coverage.html

View coverage in terminal:

go test -cover ./...

Coverage by package:

go test -coverprofile=coverage.out ./...
go tool cover -func=coverage.out

Coverage Goals

Business logic: ≥70% coverage
Handlers/Controllers: ≥60% coverage
Utilities: ≥80% coverage
Models/DTOs: May have lower coverage (mostly data structures)

Debugging Tests

Go Tests

Print debug output:

func TestSomething(t *testing.T) {
    t.Logf("Debug: value = %v", value)
    // Test code...
}

Run single test:

go test -v -run TestSpecificTest

Use Delve debugger:

go install github.com/go-delve/delve/cmd/dlv@latest
dlv test -- -test.run TestSpecificTest

Playwright Tests

Run in debug mode:

cd ui
npx playwright test --debug

Run in headed mode:

npx playwright test --headed

Take screenshots on failure: Playwright automatically takes screenshots on failure if configured. View test trace:

npx playwright show-trace trace.zip

Performance Testing

Meshery includes tools for performance testing.

wrk2 Setup

make wrk2-setup

Nighthawk Setup

make nighthawk-setup

Load Testing Example

# Using wrk2
cd server/cmd/wrk2
./wrk -t2 -c100 -d30s --latency http://localhost:9081/api/system/version

Testing Checklist

Before submitting a PR, ensure:

All unit tests pass: go test --short ./...
All E2E tests pass: make ui-integration-tests
Linting passes: make golangci and make ui-lint
New features have tests
Tests are independent and repeatable
Coverage is maintained or improved
Integration tests pass (if applicable)
Tests run successfully in CI

Next Steps

Code Style

Review coding standards

Server Development

Contribute to the backend

UI Development

Contribute to the frontend

CLI Development

Contribute to mesheryctl

Getting Started

Development

Testing Philosophy

Go Testing (Server & CLI)

Unit Tests

Mocking

Integration Tests (Server)

CLI Tests

JavaScript Testing (UI)

End-to-End Tests with Playwright

Unit Tests (JavaScript)

Continuous Integration Testing

GitHub Actions Workflows

Testing Best Practices

General Guidelines

Go Testing Best Practices

JavaScript Testing Best Practices

Test Coverage

Go Coverage

Coverage Goals

Debugging Tests

Go Tests

Playwright Tests

Performance Testing

wrk2 Setup

Nighthawk Setup

Load Testing Example

Testing Checklist

Next Steps

Code Style

Server Development

UI Development

CLI Development

Build docs developers (and LLMs) love

Getting Started

Development

Documentation Index

​Testing Philosophy

​Go Testing (Server & CLI)

​Unit Tests

​Mocking

​Integration Tests (Server)

​CLI Tests

​JavaScript Testing (UI)

​End-to-End Tests with Playwright

​Unit Tests (JavaScript)

​Continuous Integration Testing

​GitHub Actions Workflows

​Testing Best Practices

​General Guidelines

​Go Testing Best Practices

​JavaScript Testing Best Practices

​Test Coverage

​Go Coverage

​Coverage Goals

​Debugging Tests

​Go Tests

​Playwright Tests

​Performance Testing

​wrk2 Setup

​Nighthawk Setup

​Load Testing Example

​Testing Checklist

​Next Steps

Code Style

Server Development

UI Development

CLI Development

Build docs developers (and LLMs) love

Testing Philosophy

Go Testing (Server & CLI)

Unit Tests

Mocking

Integration Tests (Server)

CLI Tests

JavaScript Testing (UI)

End-to-End Tests with Playwright

Unit Tests (JavaScript)

Continuous Integration Testing

GitHub Actions Workflows

Testing Best Practices

General Guidelines

Go Testing Best Practices

JavaScript Testing Best Practices

Test Coverage

Go Coverage

Coverage Goals

Debugging Tests

Go Tests

Playwright Tests

Performance Testing

wrk2 Setup

Nighthawk Setup

Load Testing Example

Testing Checklist

Next Steps