Pytest Watch

4.2.0 · abandoned · verified Sat Apr 11

pytest-watch is a zero-config command-line interface (CLI) tool that continuously runs `pytest` and automatically re-executes tests when relevant files in your project change. It enhances the testing workflow by providing features such as audible beeps on test failures and the ability to run custom commands before or after test executions. Although it reached version 4.2.0, the project is considered unmaintained, with its official GitHub repository and PyPI page providing the primary documentation.

Warnings

breaking The project is no longer actively maintained and has known compatibility issues with newer Python or `pytest` versions, often leading to installation or runtime errors. An alternative, `pytest-watcher`, was developed specifically because `pytest-watch` is unmaintained and problematic for many users.
Fix: Consider migrating to `pytest-watcher` (pip install pytest-watcher) for an actively maintained alternative.
gotcha pytest-watch has been reported to fail in parsing valid `pyproject.toml` files, which can affect how project configurations are recognized and applied.
Fix: Ensure critical configurations are in `pytest.ini` or consider using `pytest-watcher` which addresses this.
gotcha By default, `pytest-watch` will interrupt ongoing tests if a new file system event occurs. To ensure tests complete their execution before re-running, the `--wait` command-line option must be used.
Fix: Run `ptw --wait` to ensure tests finish before interruption.
gotcha Users have reported issues with `pytest-watch` not reliably detecting changes in subdirectories or requiring explicit configuration for them.
Fix: Explicitly specify directories to watch using `ptw <dir1> <dir2>...` or consider alternative solutions if issues persist. Check `pytest-watch`'s `--ignore` option, which also affects watching.

Install

pip install pytest-watch Install Pytest Watch

Quickstart

Navigate to your project directory and run 'ptw' (or 'pytest-watch') to start watching for file changes and re-running tests.

cd myproject
ptw

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