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  1. Reference
  2. Run/debug configurations dialog
  3. Python tests
  4. Run/Debug Configuration: Python Unit Test

Run/Debug Configuration: Python Unit Test

Last modified: 14 September 2021

Use this dialog to create a run/debug configuration for Python unit tests.

Configuration tab

Item

Description

Unittests

Target: Module name/Script path/Custom

Click one of the radio-buttons to choose the possible target.:

  • Module name: by using a Python module name and a test class instance.

  • Script path: by using a path to a Python file.

  • Custom: by using an arbitrary combination of paths, modules, and test class instances.

Depending on the selected Target type, you can specify the following values:

  • Path to the test file, for example, /Users/jetbrains/Car/my_tests/test_car.py. You can type in the path or click the Browse button to locate the file in the project structure.

  • Name of the module in your project, for example, my_tests. You can type in the module name, search the target module by its name, or locate it in the project structure.

  • Custom combination of modules, scripts, classes, and methods, for example, my_tests.test_car.TestCar.test_brake, where:

    • my_tests: the module name

    • test_car: the target file in the module

    • TestCar: the class instance in test_car

    • test_brake: the method in the TestCar class

Pattern

In this text field, specify the pattern that describes all the tests in the required location.

This parameter corresponds to the -p, --pattern argument of the unittest discover command. Its default value is test*.py. If you want any Python file to represent a test file, put *.py in this field.

Additional Arguments

In this text field, specify the additional framework-specific arguments to be passed to the test as-is, for example: 

--some-argument=some-value

warning

This option is not recommended and should only be used by the experts, who want to launch something not supported by PyCharm.

Environment variables

This field shows the list of environment variables. If the list contains several variables, they are delimited with semicolons.

By default, the field contains the variable PYTHONUNBUFFERED set to 1. To fill in the list, click the browse button, or press Shift+Enter and specify the desired set of environment variables in the Environment Variables dialog.

To create a new variable, click the Add button, and type the desired name and value.

You might want to populate the list with the variables stored as a series of records in a text file, for example: 

Variable1 = Value1
Variable2 = Value2

Just copy the list of variables from the text file and click Paste (Paste) in the Environmental Variables dialog. The variables will be added to the table. Click Ok to complete the task. At any time, you can select all variables in the Environment Variables dialog, click Copy Copy, and paste them into a text file.

Python Interpreter

Select one of the pre-configured Python interpreters from the list.

note

When PyCharm stops supporting any of the outdated Python versions, the corresponding Python interpreter is marked as unsupported.

unsupported Python interpreter

Interpreter options

In this field, specify the command-line options to be passed to the interpreter. If necessary, click Expand the field, and type the string in the editor.

Working directory

Specify a directory to be used by the running task.

  • When a default run/debug configuration is created by the keyboard shortcut Ctrl+Shift+F10, or by choosing Run from the context menu of a script, the working directory is the one that contains the executable script. This directory may differ from the project directory.

  • When this field is left blank, the bin directory of the PyCharm installation will be used.

Add content roots to PYTHONPATH

Select this checkbox to add all content roots of your project to the environment variable PYTHONPATH;

Add source roots to PYTHONPATH

Select this checkbox to add all source roots of your project to the environment variable PYTHONPATH;

Docker container settings

warning

This field only appears when a Docker-based remote interpreter is selected for a project..

Click the Browse button to open the dialog and specify the following settings:

Options

  • Publish all ports: Expose all container ports to the host. This corresponds to the option --publish-all.

  • Port bindings: Specify the list of port bindings. Similar to using the -p option with docker run.

  • Volume bindings: Use this field to specify the bindings between the special folders-volumes and the folders of the computer, where the Docker daemon runs. This corresponds to the -v option. See Managing data in containers for details.

  • Environment variables: Use this field to specify the list of environment variables and their values. This corresponds to the -e option. Refer to the page ENV (environment variables) for details.

  • Run options: Use this field to specify the Docker command-line options.

Click Icons actions move down to expand the tables. Click Icons general add, Icons general remove, or Icons actions edit to make up the lists.

Logs tab

Use this tab to specify which log files generated while running or debugging should be displayed in the console, that is, on the dedicated tabs of the Run or Debug tool window.

Item

Description

Is Active

Select checkboxes in this column to have the log entries displayed in the corresponding tabs in the Run tool window or Debug tool window.

Log File Entry

The read-only fields in this column list the log files to show. The list can contain:

  • Full paths to specific files.

  • Aliases to substitute for full paths or patterns. These aliases are also displayed in the headers of the tabs where the corresponding log files are shown.

    If a log entry pattern defines more than one file, the tab header shows the name of the file instead of the log entry alias.

Skip Content

Select this checkbox to have the previous content of the selected log skipped.

Save console output to file

Select this checkbox to save the console output to the specified location. Type the path manually, or click the browse button and point to the desired location in the dialog that opens.

Show console when a message is printed to standard output stream

Select this checkbox to activate the output console and bring it forward if an associated process writes to Standard.out.

Show console when a message is printed to standard error stream

Select this checkbox to activate the output console and bring it forward if an associated process writes to Standard.err.

the Add button

Click this button to open the Edit Log Files Aliases dialog where you can select a new log entry and specify an alias for it.

the Edit button

Click this button to edit the properties of the selected log file entry in the Edit Log Files Aliases dialog.

the Delete button

Click this button to remove the selected log entry from the list.

the Browse button

Click this button to edit the select log file entry. The button is available only when an entry is selected.

Common settings

When you edit a run configuration (but not a run configuration template), you can specify the following options:

Item

Description

Name

Specify a name for the run/debug configuration to quickly identify it when editing or running the configuration, for example, from the Run popup Alt+Shift+F10.

Allow parallel run

Select to allow running multiple instances of this run configuration in parallel.

By default, it is disabled, and when you start this configuration while another instance is still running, PyCharm suggests to stop the running instance and start another one. This is helpful when a run/debug configuration consumes a lot of resources and there is no good reason to run multiple instances.

Store as project file

Save the file with the run configuration settings to share it with other team members. The default location is .idea/runConfigurations. However, if you do not want to share the .idea directory, you can save the configuration to any other directory within the project.

By default, it is disabled, and PyCharm stores run configuration settings in .idea/workspace.xml.

Toolbar

The tree view of run/debug configurations has a toolbar that helps you manage configurations available in your project as well as adjust default configurations templates.

Item

Shortcut

Description

the Add button

Alt+Insert

Create a run/debug configuration.

the Remove button

Alt+Delete

Delete the selected run/debug configuration. Note that you cannot delete default configurations.

Copy

Ctrl+D

Create a copy of the selected run/debug configuration. Note that you create copies of default configurations.

Save configuration

The button is displayed only when you select a temporary configuration. Click this button to save a temporary configuration as permanent.

Move into new folder / Create new folder

Move into new folder / Create new folder. You can group run/debug configurations by placing them into folders.

To create a folder, select the configurations within a category, click Folder, and specify the folder name. If only a category is in focus, an empty folder is created.

Then, to move a configuration into a folder, between the folders or out of a folder, use drag or Move Up and Move Down buttons.

To remove grouping, select a folder and click Remove Configuration.

Sort configurations

Click this button to sort configurations in the alphabetical order.

Before launch

In this area, you can specify tasks to be performed before starting the selected run/debug configuration. The tasks are performed in the order they appear in the list.

Item

Shortcut

Description

the Add button

Alt+Insert

Click this icon to add one of the following available tasks:

  • Run External tool: select to run an external application. In the dialog that opens, select one or multiple applications you want to run. If it is not defined in PyCharm yet, add its definition. For more information, see External tools and External Tools.

  • Run Another Configuration: select to execute another run/debug configuration. In the dialog that opens, select the configuration to be run.

  • Launch Web Browser: select this option to have a browser started. In the dialog that opens, select the type of the browser and provide the start URL. Also, specify if you want the browser be launched with JavaScript debugger.

  • Run File Watchers: select this option to have PyCharm apply all the currently active File Watchers.

  • Run Grunt task: select this option to run a Grunt task.

    In the Grunt task dialog that opens, specify the Gruntfile.js where the required task is defined, select the task to execute, and specify the arguments to pass to the Grunt tool.

    Specify the location of the Node.js interpreter, the parameters to pass to it, and the path to the grunt-cli package.

  • Run gulp task: select this option to run a Gulp task.

    In the Gulp task dialog that opens, specify the Gulpfile.js where the required task is defined, select the task to execute, and specify the arguments to pass to the Gulp tool.

    Specify the location of the Node.js interpreter, the parameters to pass to it, and the path to the gulp package.

  • Run npm script: select this option to execute an npm script.

    In the NPM Script dialog that opens, specify the npm run/debug configuration settings.

  • Start React Native Bundler: select this option to run the bundler automatically, as part of a running or debugging session. by default, this is done through react-native start. If your application uses Expo, you need to run the development server via the start npm task. To do that, click Add, then in the Configure React Native dialog, choose npm script and select start from the list.

  • Compile TypeScript: select to run the built-in TypeScript compiler and thus make sure that all the changes you made to your TypeScript code are reflected in the generated JavaScript files. In the TypeScript Compile Settings dialog that opens, select or clear the Check errors checkbox to configure the behaviour of the compiler in case any errors are detected:

    • If the Check errors checkbox is selected, the compiler will show all the errors and the run configuration will not start.

    • If the Check errors checkbox is cleared, the compiler will show all the detected errors but the run configuration still will be launched.

  • Generate CoffeeScript Source Maps: select this option to generate the source maps for your CoffeeScript sources. In the dialog that opens, specify where your CoffeeScript source files are located.

  • Run Remote External Tool: adds a remote SSH external tool.

the Remove button

Alt+Delete

Click this icon to remove the selected task from the list.

Edit

Enter

Click this icon to edit the selected task. Make the necessary changes in the dialog that opens.

Method up/Method down

Alt+Up/Alt+Down

Click these icons to move the selected task one line up or down in the list. The tasks are performed in the order that they appear in the list.

Show this page

Select this checkbox to show the run/debug configuration settings prior to actually starting the run/debug configuration.

Activate tool window

By default this checkbox is selected and the Run or the Debug tool window opens when you start the run/debug configuration.

Otherwise, if the checkbox is cleared, the tool window is hidden. However, when the configuration is running, you can open the corresponding tool window for it yourself by pressing Alt+4 or Alt+5.

See also

Procedures

Language and Framework-Specific Guidelines

External Links