Use Dry-Run Mode

This guide explains how to use dry-run mode to preview changes before applying them.

What is Dry-Run Mode?

Dry-run mode shows what a command would do without actually making changes. It's essential for:

• Previewing modifications before committing
• Understanding what will change
• Avoiding unintended modifications
• Reviewing changes in code review

Available in These Commands

Command	Dry-Run Flag
testlink sync	--dry-run
testlink pair	--dry-run

Using Dry-Run with Sync

Basic preview

./vendor/bin/testlink sync --dry-run

Output example

  Syncing Coverage Links
  ──────────────────────
  Running in dry-run mode. No files will be modified.


  Would add @see tags to
    ✓ UserService::create
      + @see UserServiceTest::test_creates_user
      + @see UserServiceTest::test_updates_user
    ✓ OrderService::process
      + @see OrderServiceTest::test_processes_order

  Would add 3 @see tag(s).

    Run without --dry-run to apply changes:
    testlink sync

With additional options

# Dry-run with pruning preview
./vendor/bin/testlink sync --dry-run --prune

# Dry-run for specific path
./vendor/bin/testlink sync --dry-run --path=src/Services

Using Dry-Run with Pair

Basic preview

./vendor/bin/testlink pair --dry-run

Output example

  Pairing Placeholders
  ────────────────────
  Running in dry-run mode. No files will be modified.

  Scanning for placeholders...


  Found Placeholders
    ✓ @user-create   1 production × 2 tests = 2 links
    ✓ @order-flow    2 production × 3 tests = 6 links


  Production Files
    src/Services/UserService.php
      @user-create → UserServiceTest::test_creates_user
      @user-create → UserServiceTest::test_validates_email
    src/Services/OrderService.php
      @order-flow → OrderServiceTest::test_creates_order
      @order-flow → OrderServiceTest::test_processes_payment


  Test Files
    tests/Unit/UserServiceTest.php
      @user-create → UserService::create
    tests/Unit/OrderServiceTest.php
      @order-flow → OrderService::create
      @order-flow → OrderService::process

  Dry run complete. Would modify 4 file(s) with 8 change(s).

    Run without --dry-run to apply changes:
    testlink pair

Preview specific placeholder

./vendor/bin/testlink pair --dry-run --placeholder=@user-create

Understanding the Output

File changes

    ✓ UserService::create
      + @see UserServiceTest::test_creates_user
           ↑
           What will be added

Summary

  Would add 3 @see tag(s).
                       ↑
                       Individual changes

Workflow with Dry-Run

Step 1: Always start with dry-run

./vendor/bin/testlink sync --dry-run

Step 2: Review the output

• Check that the right files are being modified
• Verify the changes make sense
• Look for unexpected modifications

Step 3: Apply if satisfied

./vendor/bin/testlink sync

Step 4: Verify result

./vendor/bin/testlink validate

Dry-Run in CI

Use dry-run to check what would be synced:

jobs:
  check-sync:
    runs-on: ubuntu-latest
    steps:
      - uses: actions/checkout@v4
      - run: composer install
      - name: Check sync status
        run: |
          ./vendor/bin/testlink sync --dry-run > sync-preview.txt
          if grep -q "Would modify" sync-preview.txt; then
            echo "Files need syncing!"
            cat sync-preview.txt
            exit 1
          fi

Tips

1. Run before commits - Check what needs syncing
2. Use in PR reviews - Share dry-run output for review
3. Combine with verbose - Get more details
4. Save output - Redirect to file for review

# Save dry-run output
./vendor/bin/testlink sync --dry-run > pending-changes.txt