How to use `TestConsole` for testing CLI prompts workflows?

[MangelMaxime]

Hello,

I am working on a CLI tool and would like to test the workflow of it.

After some trial and error, and by looking at the source code of this project I was able to find the TestConsole class.

It allowed me to write code like that:

open Spectre.Console.Testing
open Spectre.Console

[<Test>]
let ``Prompt.commitType works`` () =
    let console = new TestConsole()
    console.Profile.Capabilities.Interactive <- true

    AnsiConsole.Console <- console

    console.Input.PushKey(ConsoleKey.DownArrow)
    console.Input.PushKey(ConsoleKey.Enter)

    let selectedCommitType = Prompt.commitType CommitParserConfig.Default

    Expect.equal
        selectedCommitType
        CommitParserConfig.Default.Types[1]

[<Test>]
let test () =
    let console = new TestConsole()
    console.Profile.Capabilities.Interactive <- true

    AnsiConsole.Console <- console

    console.Input.PushKey(ConsoleKey.DownArrow)
    console.Input.PushKey(ConsoleKey.Enter)
    console.Input.PushTextWithEnter("an amazing feature")

    let selectedCommitType = Prompt.commitType CommitParserConfig.Default
    let shortMessage = Prompt.shortMessage ()

    printfn "%A" selectedCommitType
    printfn "%A" shortMessage

I am not sure if using AnsiConsole.Console <- console is the correct way of doing it? I am asking because I didn't see something similar in spectre.console repository.

I am also wondering if I should not revert AnsiConsole.Console to its original value after the test?

[patriksvensson]

You should test using the TestConsole, and not use AnsiConsole.Console at all.

[patriksvensson]

Also, your control should accept an instance of IAnsiConsole, not working with AnsiConsole directly.

[MangelMaxime]

Oh I see, I didn't think about it this way.

So you mean that I should convert:

let shortMessage () =
    AnsiConsole.Clear()

    TextPrompt<string>("Short message:") |> AnsiConsole.Prompt

to

let shortMessage (console :IAnsiConsole) =
    console.Clear()

    TextPrompt<string>("Short message:") |> console.Prompt

and then pass either AnsiConsole.Console or new TestConsole()

Thank you