/approval-tests

Node.js Approvals Setup

Installation

npm install approvals

Mocha Setup

// In your test file or setup file
require('approvals').mocha();

// Or with custom base directory:
require('approvals').mocha('/path/to/approvals');

Mocha Test Example

require('approvals').mocha();

describe('My Feature', function() {
  it('generates correct output', function() {
    const result = generateOutput();
    this.verify(result);
  });

  it('returns correct JSON', function() {
    const data = fetchData();
    this.verifyAsJSON(data);
  });
});

Jest Setup

Import Methods Directly

import { verify, verifyAsJson, verifyAll } from 'approvals/lib/Providers/Jest/JestApprovals';
import { Options } from 'approvals/lib/Core/Options';

describe('My Feature', () => {
  it('generates correct output', () => {
    verify(generateOutput());
  });

  it('returns correct JSON', () => {
    verifyAsJson(fetchData());
  });
});

Direct API Usage

Without test framework integration:

const approvals = require('approvals');

// Verify a string
approvals.verify(__dirname, 'test_name', 'expected output');

// Verify JSON
approvals.verifyAsJSON(__dirname, 'test_name', { key: 'value' });

Configuration

Global Configuration

const approvals = require('approvals');

approvals.configure({
  reporters: ['vscode', 'p4merge'],
  normalizeLineEndingsTo: '\n',
  appendEOL: true,
});

Home Directory Config

Create ~/.approvalsConfig (YAML or JSON):

reporters:
  - vscode
  - p4merge
normalizeLineEndingsTo: "\n"
appendEOL: true

Per-Test Override

approvals.verify(__dirname, 'test', data, {
  reporters: ['gitdiff'],
  normalizeLineEndingsTo: false
});

Git Configuration

Add to .gitignore:

*.received.*

Add to .gitattributes:

*.approved.* eol=lf

TypeScript Setup

import approvals from 'approvals';
import { verify, verifyAsJson } from 'approvals/lib/Providers/Jest/JestApprovals';
import { Options } from 'approvals/lib/Core/Options';

// Use directly
verify('Hello World');
verifyAsJson({ key: 'value' });

CI Configuration

For CI environments without diff tools:

approvals.configure({
  reporters: ['copycommand'],  // Just outputs copy command
  // or
  reporters: ['donothing'],    // Silent, just fails
});

Reporters

approvals.configure({
  reporters: ['vscode', 'p4merge', 'gitdiff']
});

For available reporters, MultiReporter, and custom reporters, see reporters.md.