Console Test Laravel Package

Getting Started

Install via Composer: composer require --dev zenstruck/console-test. No extra service provider setup needed—it auto-registers with Laravel/Symfony. Start by writing a PHPUnit test that extends Zenstruck\Console\Test\CommandTestCase (Laravel) or uses the trait Zenstruck\Console\Test\WithConsoleCommands. Your first test should run a real command (e.g., php artisan your:command) using $this->run('your:command', ['arg' => 'value']), then assert exit code (assertSuccess()) and output (assertOutputContains('Success!')). This is your entry point to safe, reliable CLI testing.

Implementation Patterns

• Basic Command Testing: Wrap $this->run('cmd:name', $args, $options) with chained assertions for output, exit code, and error output. Use assertExitCode(0) for success, assertOutputContains('foo') for partial matches, or assertOutputMatches('/pattern/') for regex.
• Interactive Inputs: Simulate user input with withInput(['yes', 'john']) before run(), or use withInputs([...]) for multi-step prompts.
• Reusability: Create test helper methods like assertMigrateRunsSuccessfully() to reduce duplication across test suites.
• Isolation: Always use run() inside each test—commands execute in full isolation, with a fresh container each time (critical for state-sensitive commands).
• Debugging: Use dumpOutput(), dumpErrorOutput(), or getOutput()/getErrorOutput() to inspect raw output when assertions fail.

Gotchas and Tips

• Output buffering: Output is captured at the command level—don’t expect dump() calls from nested services to appear in CLI output. Use Laravel’s dd()/dump() in tests to debug.
• Question helper mocking: Interactive questions (e.g., ask(), confirm()) require withInput() before run(). If questions appear skipped, verify interactive mode isn’t enabled—run() defaults to non-interactive; use withInteractive(true) only when testing full interactive flows.
• Laravel config caching: If config changes aren’t reflected in tests, run php artisan config:clear—cached configs may override environment variables during command execution.
• Custom command registration: If a command isn’t found, ensure it’s registered in your app’s app/Console/Kernel.php and not conditionally resolved via service location (which may break auto-discovery in tests).
• Advanced introspection: Access the underlying CommandTester via getCommandTester() after run() for low-level control (e.g., inspecting output formatting, raw input parameters), but prefer built-in assertions for readability.