README.md

MSTest and Microsoft.Testing.Platform documentation

Architecture and specifications

Start with the product architecture index for component boundaries and runtime flows, then use the specification guide for current behavioral contracts and the documentation maintenance model.

• MSTest architecture and behavioral contracts.
• Microsoft.Testing.Platform architecture and behavioral contracts.
• Documentation audit: source-inspected baseline, existing-document dispositions, and remaining coverage gaps.

Current specifications describe a scoped implementation baseline and link to code and existing tests. RFCs preserve proposal and decision history; they are not automatically statements of current behavior. Consult the audit before treating an older design as a verified contract.

Consumer documentation

The following official learn.microsoft.com website contains all the information about writing unit tests, unit test frameworks, integration with CLI and Visual Studio.

This blog post announces the vision for MSTest V2.

For API documentation refer to Microsoft Documentation.

Contributing

• See CONTRIBUTING.md for details about how you can contribute.
• See dev-guide.md for more details on configurations for building the codebase. In practice, you only really need to run build.cmd/build.sh.

Features

You can find detailed examples and explanations of MSTest features at

• Writing your first test with MSTest
• MSTest element via runsettings
• Use the MSTest framework in unit tests
• Create a data-driven unit test
• Run selected unit tests
• Upgrade from MSTestV1 to MSTestV2
• Using a configuration file to define a data source
• MSTest Runner

For historical technical reasoning and proposed designs, see the RFCs below. The audit indexes the complete RFC set and records the scope of its comparison with current code:

• Framework Extensibility Trait Attributes
• Framework Extensibility for Custom Assertions
• Customize Running tests
• In-assembly parallel execution
• Framework Extensibility for Custom Test Data Source
• DynamicData Attribute for Data Driven Tests
• DataSource Attribute Vs ITestDataSource
• Test case timeout via runsettings

For current MTP consumer guidance, see the Microsoft.Testing.Platform overview.

Guides

• Affected-test selection rollout: active CI layout, storage fallback, and rollback.
• Package README guidelines: required content and review checklist for NuGet package pages.
• Testing WinUI apps: packaged (MSIX) vs unpackaged WinUI, and how the test host is started for each.

Design notes

• MSTest source generator — design: scope, fallback categories, discovery limitations and trim/AOT story for the MSTest.SourceGeneration package.

Releases

See Changelog.md for MSTest releases and Changelog-Platform.md for Microsoft.Testing.Platform releases.