Dry Run Mode

Dry run mode previews sync changes without modifying any files. Always use dry run first to verify what will change.

Usage

testlink sync --dry-run

Or via Pest:

pest --sync-coverage-links --dry-run

Output Format

Scanning production code for #[TestedBy] attributes...

Found 3 attribute(s) to sync:

  App\Services\UserService::create
  └── #[TestedBy(UserServiceTest::class, 'creates a new user')]
      → Will add link to test
      → File: tests/Unit/UserServiceTest.php
      → Test: "creates a new user"

  App\Services\UserService::create
  └── #[TestedBy(UserServiceTest::class, 'validates user data')]
      → Will add link to test
      → File: tests/Unit/UserServiceTest.php
      → Test: "validates user data"

  App\Services\OrderService::place
  └── #[TestedBy(OrderServiceTest::class, 'places order')]
      → Will add link to test
      → File: tests/Unit/OrderServiceTest.php
      → Test: "places order"

Run without --dry-run to apply changes.

Understanding the Output

Method Identifier

App\Services\UserService::create

The production method that has the #[TestedBy] attribute.

Attribute Display

└── #[TestedBy(UserServiceTest::class, 'creates a new user')]

Shows the exact attribute that will be synced.

What Will Be Added

For Pest tests:

→ Will add: ->linksAndCovers(UserService::class.'::create')

For PHPUnit tests:

→ Will add: #[LinksAndCovers(UserService::class, 'create')]

Target Location

→ File: tests/Unit/UserServiceTest.php
→ Test: "creates a new user"

Which file and test case will be modified.

No Changes Needed

When everything is already in sync:

Scanning production code for #[TestedBy] attributes...

No changes needed - all coverage links are already in sync.

With Errors

Dry run also shows errors that would occur:

Scanning production code for #[TestedBy] attributes...

Found 2 attribute(s) to sync:

  App\Services\UserService::create
  └── #[TestedBy(UserServiceTest::class, 'creates user')]
      → Will add link to test
      → File: tests/Unit/UserServiceTest.php
      → Test: "creates user"

Errors:
  ✗ Test not found: "missing test" in tests/Unit/UserServiceTest.php
  ✗ File not found: tests/Unit/NonExistentTest.php

Workflow

1. Run Dry Run

testlink sync --dry-run

2. Review Changes

• Check the files that will be modified
• Verify the test names are correct
• Ensure no unexpected changes

3. Apply If Satisfied

testlink sync

4. Verify

testlink validate

Combining with Other Options

Dry Run with Path Filter

testlink sync --dry-run --path=src/Services

Preview changes only for attributes in src/Services.

Dry Run with Prune

testlink sync --dry-run --prune --force

Preview both additions and removals.

Dry Run with Link Only

testlink sync --dry-run --link-only

Preview using links() / #[Links] instead of linksAndCovers() / #[LinksAndCovers].

Dry Run with Framework Filter

testlink sync --dry-run --framework=phpunit

Preview changes only for PHPUnit tests.

Best Practices

1. Always dry-run first - Especially after major refactoring
2. Review carefully - Check that test names match exactly
3. Use git - Have a clean working tree to easily diff changes
4. Run in CI - Add dry-run checks to pull requests

CI Integration

Add dry-run as a check in pull requests:

- name: Check Sync Status
  run: |
    ./vendor/bin/testlink sync --dry-run 2>&1 | tee sync-output.txt
    if grep -q "Found.*attribute(s) to sync" sync-output.txt; then
      echo "::warning::Coverage links need syncing"
    fi