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Use Microsoft.Testing.Platform in the VSTest mode of dotnet test

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This article explains the integration of dotnet test for Microsoft.Testing.Platform, which is provided by Microsoft.Testing.Platform.MSBuild when running in the VSTest mode of dotnet test.

Before diving into this article, it's recommended to first read Testing with dotnet test, which explains the two modes of dotnet test (VSTest and MTP modes).

By default, dotnet test uses VSTest to run tests. To enable support for Microsoft.Testing.Platform in dotnet test, you have two options:

  1. Use dotnet test in VSTest mode and specify <TestingPlatformDotnetTestSupport>true</TestingPlatformDotnetTestSupport> MSBuild property in your project file.
  2. Use dotnet test in MTP mode for more native support of MTP in dotnet test, which is only supported starting with the .NET 10 SDK.

Both options are explained in detail in the Testing with dotnet test article.

Important

The rest of this article is specific to the VSTest mode of dotnet test.

Caution

Starting with .NET 10 SDK, it's recommended to not use the VSTest mode of dotnet test when running with Microsoft.Testing.Platform.

Show failure per test

By default, test failures are summarized into a .log file, and a single failure per test project is reported to MSBuild.

To show errors per failed test, specify -p:TestingPlatformShowTestsFailure=true on the command line, or add the <TestingPlatformShowTestsFailure>true</TestingPlatformShowTestsFailure> property to your project file.

On command line:

dotnet test -p:TestingPlatformShowTestsFailure=true

Or in project file:

<Project Sdk="Microsoft.NET.Sdk">

  <PropertyGroup>
    <TargetFramework>net8.0</TargetFramework>
    <ImplicitUsings>enable</ImplicitUsings>
    <Nullable>enable</Nullable>

    <IsPackable>false</IsPackable>

    <OutputType>Exe</OutputType>
    <EnableMSTestRunner>true</EnableMSTestRunner>

    <TestingPlatformDotnetTestSupport>true</TestingPlatformDotnetTestSupport>

    <!-- Add this to your project file. -->
    <TestingPlatformShowTestsFailure>true</TestingPlatformShowTestsFailure>

  </PropertyGroup>

  <!-- ... -->

</Project>

Show complete platform output

By default, all console output that the underlying test executable writes is captured and hidden from the user. This includes the banner, version information, and formatted test information.

To show this information together with MSBuild output, use <TestingPlatformCaptureOutput>false</TestingPlatformCaptureOutput>.

This option doesn't impact how the testing framework captures user output written by Console.WriteLine or other similar ways to write to the console.

On command line:

dotnet test -p:TestingPlatformCaptureOutput=false

Or in project file:

<Project Sdk="Microsoft.NET.Sdk">

  <PropertyGroup>
    <TargetFramework>net8.0</TargetFramework>
    <ImplicitUsings>enable</ImplicitUsings>
    <Nullable>enable</Nullable>

    <IsPackable>false</IsPackable>

    <OutputType>Exe</OutputType>
    <EnableMSTestRunner>true</EnableMSTestRunner>

    <TestingPlatformDotnetTestSupport>true</TestingPlatformDotnetTestSupport>

    <!-- Add this to your project file. -->
    <TestingPlatformCaptureOutput>false</TestingPlatformCaptureOutput>

  </PropertyGroup>

  <!-- ... -->

</Project>

Important

All examples above add properties like EnableMSTestRunner, TestingPlatformDotnetTestSupport, and TestingPlatformCaptureOutput in the csproj file. However, it's highly recommended that you set these properties in Directory.Build.props. That way, you don't have to add it to every test project file, and you don't risk introducing a new project that doesn't set these properties and end up with a solution where some projects are VSTest while others are Microsoft.Testing.Platform, which may not work correctly and is unsupported scenario.