How do I run tests directly from Vim without switching to a terminal?

Explanation

The vim-test plugin by Janko Marohnić provides a universal interface for running tests from within Vim. It auto-detects your testing framework, figures out which test to run based on your cursor position, and executes it — all without you needing to manually type test commands or switch to a terminal.

Core commands

:TestNearest    " run the test nearest to the cursor
:TestFile       " run all tests in the current file
:TestSuite      " run the entire test suite
:TestLast       " re-run the last test that was executed
:TestVisit      " open the last test file that was run

The most powerful command is :TestNearest — it parses the current file, finds the test function or block closest to your cursor, and runs just that single test. This is the fastest feedback loop possible.

Supported frameworks

Vim-test supports a huge number of testing frameworks out of the box:

The plugin auto-detects which framework to use based on your project structure and configuration files.

Recommended key mappings

Add these to your vimrc for rapid test execution:

nmap <Leader>tn :TestNearest<CR>
nmap <Leader>tf :TestFile<CR>
nmap <Leader>ts :TestSuite<CR>
nmap <Leader>tl :TestLast<CR>
nmap <Leader>tv :TestVisit<CR>

Choosing a test strategy

Vim-test supports multiple strategies for how tests are executed:

let test#strategy = 'dispatch'     " async via vim-dispatch (recommended)
let test#strategy = 'vimterminal'  " Vim's built-in terminal
let test#strategy = 'neovim'       " Neovim's built-in terminal
let test#strategy = 'toggleterm'   " via toggleterm.nvim
let test#strategy = 'basic'        " synchronous (blocks Vim)

Using dispatch as the strategy sends test output to the quickfix list, so you can jump directly to failing test lines with :cnext and :cprev.

The :TestLast workflow

One of the most productive patterns with vim-test:

1. Write a failing test and run it with :TestNearest
2. Switch to your implementation file and write code
3. Press :TestLast to re-run that same test without leaving your implementation file
4. Iterate until the test passes

This eliminates the context-switch cost of jumping back to the test file just to re-run it.

Transforming test commands

Customize the generated test command with transformations:

" Add --verbose flag to all pytest runs
let test#python#pytest#options = '--verbose'

" Use a custom test runner script
let test#custom_transformations = {'docker': function('DockerTransform')}
function! DockerTransform(cmd) abort
  return 'docker-compose exec app ' . a:cmd
endfunction
let test#transformation = 'docker'

Tips

• Combine vim-test with vim-dispatch for the best experience: tests run asynchronously and errors populate the quickfix list
• Use :TestVisit to quickly jump back to the last test you ran — great for bouncing between implementation and test files
• vim-test works with vim-projectionist for alternate file navigation between source and test files
• The plugin is framework-agnostic — switching between projects with different test tools requires zero reconfiguration
• For monorepo setups, vim-test respects the nearest test configuration file when determining how to run tests