cmux Testing

Regression test commit policy

When adding a regression test for a bug fix, use a two-commit structure so CI proves the test catches the bug:

1. Commit 1: Add the failing test only (no fix). CI should go red.
2. Commit 2: Add the fix. CI should go green.

This makes it visible in the GitHub PR UI that the test genuinely fails without the fix.

Test quality policy

• Do not add tests that only verify source code text, method signatures, AST fragments, or grep-style patterns.
• Do not add tests that read checked-in metadata or project files such as Resources/Info.plist, project.pbxproj, .xcconfig, or source files only to assert that a key, string, plist entry, or snippet exists.
• Tests must verify observable runtime behavior through executable paths (unit/integration/e2e/CLI), not implementation shape.
• For metadata changes, prefer verifying the built app bundle or the runtime behavior that depends on that metadata, not the checked-in source file.
• If a behavior cannot be exercised end-to-end yet, add a small runtime seam or harness first, then test through that seam.
• If no meaningful behavioral or artifact-level test is practical, skip the fake regression test and state that explicitly.

Test framework

Swift Testing is the current Apple-supported primitive for tests on this codebase (shipped with Swift 6 / Xcode 16, supported on the macOS versions we target). Use it for everything that is not a UI test.

• Default to Swift Testing for all unit and integration tests. import Testing, annotate tests with @Test, group with @Suite, assert with #expect(...) and try #require(...). Do not write new tests with import XCTest unless they are UI tests.
• UI tests stay on XCTest / XCUITest. Swift Testing does not support UI testing (no XCUIApplication integration). Files under cmuxUITests/ continue to use XCTestCase + XCUIApplication. Do not migrate them and do not try to bridge Swift Testing into UI tests.
• New test targets start on Swift Testing. Every new Swift package's Tests/<Name>Tests/ directory (e.g. Packages/macOS/CmuxSettings/Tests/CmuxSettingsTests/) should ship with Swift Testing from the first commit. Xcode 16 auto-detects the framework based on the import Testing statement; no extra Package.swift configuration is required.
• Migration guide when touching an existing XCTest test. Convert in place: XCTestCase subclass becomes a @Suite struct (or final class if you need a reference type); each func testFoo() becomes @Test func foo(); XCTAssertEqual(a, b) becomes #expect(a == b); XCTAssertTrue(cond) becomes #expect(cond); XCTUnwrap(x) becomes try #require(x); XCTFail("msg") becomes Issue.record("msg"). setUp() becomes init() on the suite; tearDown() becomes deinit. Async setup is async init(). Do not bulk-rewrite untouched tests; migrate incrementally as a side effect of editing the file.
• Parameterized tests use @Test(arguments: [...]). Prefer this over duplicate test methods.
• Parallelization and shared state. Swift Testing runs tests in parallel by default, including across suites. If a suite genuinely needs ordering or guards shared mutable state, annotate it with .serialized instead of adding locks or sleeps.
• Tags with @Test(.tags(.something)) (or on a @Suite) let CI and local runs filter selectively.

Test target validation

reload.sh does not compile the test target. It builds only the cmux scheme, so a green reload.sh says nothing about whether cmuxTests/cmuxUITests still compile. A symbol that is moved or renamed can keep the cmux app building while breaking the test target (real case: a write(to:atomically:) typo and a removed TabManager.CommandResult only surfaced in the tests job). Before pushing package/refactor changes, build the cmux-unit scheme (with -derivedDataPath /tmp/cmux-<tag> and, for cmuxApp/AppDelegate churn, the GlobalISel workaround flag) or let the tests CI job gate it — never treat reload.sh alone as proof the tests build.

Detailed references

• Read references/swift-testing-migration.md when converting XCTest unit tests to Swift Testing or adding new package tests.
• Read references/regression-and-quality.md when adding a regression test, deciding whether a test is behavioral enough, or checking Xcode project test wiring.
• Read references/local-vs-ci-validation.md when choosing between reload.sh, cmux-unit, GitHub Actions, E2E/UI tests, and Python socket tests.