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Pest Laravel Package
pestphp/pest
Pest is an elegant PHP testing framework focused on simplicity and a joyful developer experience. Write expressive tests with a clean syntax, run fast suites, and scale from tiny projects to large apps. Full docs at pestphp.com.
The elegant PHP Testing Framework.
Frequently asked questions about Pest
- Can Pest fully replace PHPUnit in a Laravel 11+ project?
- Yes, Pest is a drop-in replacement for PHPUnit in Laravel 11+. It uses the same test file structure (`.php`) but offers a cleaner, expressive syntax. The `pest` CLI replaces `phpunit`, and Laravel’s built-in testing helpers (like `actingAs()` or `get()`) work out of the box. No configuration changes are needed for basic tests.
- How does Pest’s syntax compare to PHPUnit for Laravel tests?
- Pest uses a more readable, DSL-like syntax (e.g., `expect($user)->toBeAuthenticated()` instead of `assertTrue(auth()->check())`). It retains PHPUnit’s power but simplifies common Laravel testing patterns, like HTTP assertions (`get('/dashboard')->assertOk()`). The learning curve is minimal, especially for teams already using Laravel’s testing helpers.
- Does Pest support browser testing (e.g., Playwright) in Laravel?
- Yes, Pest v4+ includes built-in Playwright integration for end-to-end testing. Use `BrowserTestCase` to write tests like `it('logs in', fn () => $page->click('button[type=submit]'))`. Playwright runs in PHP, eliminating the need for JavaScript-based tools like Cypress. Requires Node.js and Playwright binaries, but setup is straightforward via Pest’s docs.
- What Laravel versions does Pest officially support?
- Pest is fully compatible with Laravel 8+, including Laravel 11 (where it’s the default testing framework). For older versions (Laravel 7/8), use Pest v3.x or v4.x with the `laravel` preset. Pest leverages Laravel’s service container and testing helpers, so it integrates tightly with all modern Laravel features like routes, queues, and notifications.
- How do I migrate a large PHPUnit test suite to Pest?
- Start by auditing your test suite for PHPUnit-specific features (e.g., `@dataProvider`, `getMockBuilder()`), which may need refactoring. Pest provides a [migration guide](https://pestphp.com/docs/migration) and a compatibility layer for gradual adoption. For large suites, prioritize converting tests by feature, using `pest --parallel` to validate performance early. Pest’s syntax is intuitive, so most tests convert in hours.
- Can Pest run tests in parallel for faster CI/CD pipelines?
- Absolutely. Pest supports parallel test execution via the `--parallel` flag, which splits tests across processes. For Pest v4.6+, time-based sharding further optimizes CI runtime by distributing tests dynamically. This can reduce test suite execution time by 30–50%, especially for large projects. Configure it in your CI (e.g., GitHub Actions) with minimal setup.
- Are there any gotchas when using Pest with Laravel’s authentication?
- No gotchas—Pest seamlessly integrates with Laravel’s authentication system. Use `actingAs($user)` or `toBeAuthenticated()` assertions just like in PHPUnit. Pest also supports testing session-based auth (e.g., `toHaveSession(['key' => 'value'])`). For API tests, Pest’s HTTP helpers (`post('/login')`) work identically to Laravel’s built-in testing tools.
- Does Pest work outside Laravel (e.g., vanilla PHP or Symfony)?
- Pest primarily targets Laravel but includes presets for vanilla PHP (`php` preset) and Symfony 8+ (v4.4+). While it lacks Laravel-specific helpers outside Laravel apps, its core testing features (expectations, assertions, parallel runs) work universally. For Symfony, use the `symfony` preset, but some Laravel integrations (e.g., `actingAs()`) won’t apply.
- How does Pest handle database transactions in tests?
- Pest inherits Laravel’s transaction management by default—each test runs in a fresh database transaction. Use `uses(DatabaseTransactions::class)` in your test file to enable it. For performance, Pest supports `DatabaseMigrations` to refresh the schema between test suites. This matches PHPUnit’s behavior but with a cleaner syntax (e.g., `uses(RefreshDatabase::class)`).
- What’s the best way to debug failing Pest tests in Laravel?
- Use Pest’s built-in debugging tools like `dd()` or `dump()` in assertions. For HTTP tests, inspect responses with `->assertSee()` or `->assertJson()`. Pest integrates with Laravel’s debug tools (e.g., `php artisan tinker`) and IDEs (PHPStorm/VSCode) for step-through debugging. For Playwright tests, use Playwright’s DevTools (`$page->pause()`) to inspect browser state interactively.
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