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Laravel Test Watcher Laravel Package
wackystudio/laravel-test-watcher
A Laravel package that watches your project files and automatically reruns your tests when code changes, providing fast feedback and streamlining test-driven development. Simple to set up for local workflows and continuous testing.
Laravel Test Watcher
Frequently asked questions about Laravel Test Watcher
- What does wackystudio/laravel-test-watcher do?
- It watches your Laravel project files and automatically reruns your PHPUnit or Pest test suite when code changes, giving fast feedback during test-driven development. It is a thin developer-productivity wrapper around the test runner plus a filesystem watch loop, not application runtime code.
- How do I install laravel-test-watcher in a Laravel project?
- Install it as a Composer dev dependency with composer require --dev wackystudio/laravel-test-watcher, then run the watcher through its Artisan command or binary. Because the last release is from 2020, spike it in a branch on your current PHP, Laravel, and PHPUnit versions before adopting it. Watch the Composer output for dependency conflicts with your existing test tooling.
- Does laravel-test-watcher support Laravel 10, Laravel 11, and PHP 8.2 or newer?
- The package's last release is dated September 2020, which predates Laravel 9, 10, and 11 as well as PHP 8.1 through 8.4. It does not document support for those versions, so do not assume compatibility from a successful install alone. Verify it with a real composer update and a full edit-save-rerun cycle on your target stack.
- Should laravel-test-watcher be a dev dependency or a production dependency?
- It should only ever be installed with require-dev. It is a local developer-experience tool for watching files and rerunning tests, so it has no place in a production dependency graph or deployment artifact. Keeping it dev-only limits the blast radius if the package is abandoned or breaks on newer PHP versions.
- Does laravel-test-watcher work with Pest, or only PHPUnit?
- The package was built around PHPUnit-era Laravel workflows, and Pest compatibility is not documented. Pest already ships first-class watch mode, so using this package on a Pest project is usually redundant. Test it against your exact Pest and PHPUnit versions before relying on it.
- Why does laravel-test-watcher not detect file changes in Docker, WSL, or a Vagrant VM?
- Filesystem watch tools often depend on native events such as inotify or FSEvents, and those events may not propagate through container mounts, WSL boundaries, or shared VM folders. Without a polling fallback or correctly configured mount settings, saves may never trigger a test rerun. This produces inconsistent behavior across macOS, Linux, Windows, and containerized development environments.
- Is laravel-test-watcher still maintained and safe to use?
- The project has low community validation, with roughly 22 stars and no release since September 2020, which strongly suggests it is not actively maintained. There are no known security advisories, but there are also no fixes for PHP, Laravel, PHPUnit, or Symfony Process drift. Treat it as abandoned and either fork it internally or choose a maintained alternative.
- What are good alternatives to laravel-test-watcher for Laravel watch mode?
- Pest's built-in watch mode is the strongest option for Pest projects, while phpunit-watcher and similar packages cover PHPUnit workflows. For teams that want full control, a small internal Artisan command or Composer script can watch files and invoke the test runner in roughly 50 to 150 lines. Given the abandonment risk, the build-versus-buy decision often favors a maintained tool or a lightweight in-house script.
- Can I use laravel-test-watcher in CI or a continuous integration pipeline?
- No, it is designed for local edit-save-rerun loops, not CI. CI pipelines should invoke PHPUnit or Pest directly and fail on test failures rather than running a long-lived file watcher. The package adds no value in automated build environments and may hang or behave unpredictably there.
- How do I remove laravel-test-watcher if it breaks my test suite?
- Run composer remove --dev wackystudio/laravel-test-watcher to roll it back. There is no data or schema migration involved, so removal is a single Composer operation. After removal, confirm your normal PHPUnit or Pest command still works and update any documentation or scripts that referenced the watcher.
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