How can I get "Copy to Output Directory" to work with Unit Tests?

Question

When I build a unit test project before the tests are executed the test output is copied to a TestResults folder and then the tests are executed. The issue I'm having is that not all the files in the Debug/bin directory are copied to the TestResults project.

How can I get a file that is copied to the Debug/bin directory to also be copied to the TestResults folder?

Solution 1

The standard way to do this is by specifying the deployment items in the .testrunconfig file, which can be accessed via the Edit Test Run Configurations item in the Visual Studio Test menu or in the Solution Items folder.

Solution 2

You can specify deployment attribute like an example shown below; Also you need to set "Content" & "Copy if newer" property ( there is no documentation on the later settings, but you have set those to make it work.

[TestMethod]
[DeploymentItem("mytestdata.xml")]
public void UploadTest()
{



}

Solution 3

I had to turn on "Enable Deployment" under Test -> Edit Test Settings -> Local -> Deployment for the [DeploymentItem] attribute to work.

Solution 4

All three answers are correct, depending on your needs.

Adding files to deploy in the .testrunconfig (.testsettings in VS2010) will copy all of those files to every test output folder, even for unrelated tests run in isolation. If you run one test, all the test data files listed in the deployment section of .testssettings will be copied to the test output folder.

In my tests I need to copy an expected XML file to the test output folder to compare with the actual test output XML. I use the DeploymentItem attribute to only copy the XML file related to the test(s) being run. In VS2010 I had to enable deployment in the .testsettings file (but not add any paths) and then reference the XML file path relative to the TestProject in the DeploymentItem.

Hope this helps.

Solution 5

I had a similar problem but mine had to do with pointing to the TraceAndTestImpact.testsettings file instead of the Local.testsettings file. You can change from one to the other under the Test/Select Active Test Settings menu.

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Comments

[ethan]

I am, but that seems like a bit of a hack. This has to be a fairly common scenario and I hope there is just some option or property I am not properly setting.

[Marcel]

In VS2010 this is: Test/Edit Test Settings/local, then in the list, select "Deployment", check the "Enable..." box and add the file(s).

[RobV]

You may have to close your solution (or even Visual Studio) and reopen before this change takes effect properly

[Miguel Angelo]

This is true... I just enabled it and now the attribute works. Thanks!

[Ignacio Soler Garcia]

RobV, you made my day. THANKS!

[Wes Grant]

My issue was the Relative Path mentioned here, I thought the Xml should be in the directory the test was in, but it needed to be in the project root, or be prefaced by the directory that it was in.

[Patrick Szalapski]

If you use the [DeploymentItem] attribute in code, you don't need to specify the files in the dialog--see @tomfanning's code below.

[Patrick Szalapski]

You still need to enable this. As Mercel wrote in his comment, In VS2010 this is: Test/Edit Test Settings/local, then in the list, select "Deployment", check the "Enable..." box.

[DavidHyogo]

I'm struggling with this problem in Visual Studio 2012 Express and because it's a limited edition it was hard to find clear documentation. A big thank you for this answer.

[DavidHyogo]

As mentioned in my comment to another answer, I'm struggling with the same problem in visual studio 2012 express and the 2 answers together finally gave me the solution.

[bu5hm4nn]

Works great. I actually think this is the better method & answer as it documents the required files right above the testmethod.

[deniz]

I found that the DeploymentItem attribute also works when specified at the test class level (instead of the method level).

[Gurpreet]

This does not resolve my problem with copying the config output from bin or release folder because at design time i don't have information about if the file will be in debug or release folder and for me that is the file which is not getting copied to the Out folder in test results

[Gurpreet]

Another thing is how do you choose which .testrunconfig file to use if i want to publish my tests from teamcity to run of VSTS?