first-base

Integration testing for CLI applications.

Usage Example

const { spawn } = require("first-base");

test("something", async () => {
  const run = spawn("node", ["-i"]); // launch node REPL
  await run.outputContains("> "); // wait until `> ` is logged
  run.write("2 + 2\n"); // enter `2 + 2` and press enter
  await run.outputContains("4"); // wait until `4` is logged
  run.kill(); // Ctrl+C
  await run.completion; // Wait until process exits
});

API

spawn(command: string, args?: Array<string>, options?: Object) => RunContext

args and options are the same as child_process.spawn.

Returns a RunContext object; see below.

RunContext#result

An object with the following properties on it:

• stdout (string): All the data the process has written to STDOUT so far
• stderr (string): All the data the process has written to STDERR so far
• code (number | null): Exit status code, if the process has finished
• error (boolean): If the process errored out, this is true

This object gets updated over time as the process runs.

Usage

const run = spawn("ls", { cwd: __dirname });
console.log(run.result); // { stdout: '', stderr: '', code: null, error: false }
await run.completion;
console.log(run.result); // { stdout: 'README.md\npackage.json\nindex.js\n', stderr: '', code: 0, error: false }

RunContext#completion

A Promise that gets resolved when the process completes. You can await it in your tests.

Usage

const run = spawn("ls", { cwd: __dirname });
await run.completion; // Waits until the `ls` process finishes

RunContext#debug() => RunContext

Enables debug logging for the RunContext and returns it. Useful when your tests are failing and you want to understand what's going on.

Returns itself so you can add it to a variable declaration easily.

Usage

const run = spawn("ls", { cwd: __dirname }).debug();
// The following messages are logged to the console over time:
//
// STDOUT: README.md\npackage.json\nindex.js
// Process exited
// { stdout: 'README.md\npackage.json\nindex.js', stderr: '', code: 0, error: false }

RunContext#outputContains(value: string | RegExp) => Promise<void>

Returns a Promise that will resolve once the process's output (combined STDOUT/STDERR) contains either the specified string or matches the specified RegExp. Ignores ANSI control characters.

Usage

const run = spawn("node", ["-i"]); // start Node.js REPL
await run.outputContains("> "); // Wait until prompt appears

RunContext#clearOutputContainsBuffer()

Clears the buffer of "seen" output as far as the outputContains method is concerned. Useful if the output already contains the specified value, and you want to wait until it appears a second time.

Usage

const run = spawn("node", ["-i"]); // start Node.js REPL
await run.outputContains("> "); // Wait until prompt appears
run.write("2 + 2\n"); // Write 2 + 2 then press enter
run.clearOutputContainsBuffer();
await run.outputContains("> "); // Wait until prompt appears a second time. If we hadn't cleared the buffer, this would resolve immediately.

RunContext#write(data: string | Buffer)

Write some data into the process's STDIN stream.

Usage

const run = spawn("node", ["-i"]); // start Node.js REPL
await run.outputContains("> "); // Wait until prompt appears
run.write("2 + 2\n"); // Write 2 + 2 then press enter
await run.outputContains("4");

RunContext#close(stream: 'stdin' | 'stdout' | 'stderr')

Close one of the processes's associated stdio streams.

Usage

const run = spawn("node", ["-i"]); // start Node.js REPL
await run.outputContains("> "); // Wait until prompt appears
run.close("stdin"); // Like pressing Ctrl+D; sends EOF
await run.completion;

RunContext#kill(signal?: string)

Kills the process. If no signal is specified, it defaults to "SIGINT".

Usage

const run = spawn("node", ["-i"]);
run.kill(); // Kill with SIGINT
// OR:
run.kill("SIGKILL"); // Kill with SIGKILL

License

MIT