Configure Cider Test runner

Cider test runner provides a convenient way to run Clojure unit tests from within Emacs.

Source and test code is evaluated and the Cider test runner calls the deftest functions to run all the tests. The results of the test run are shown in Emacs, along with a failure report if appropriate.

The test directory must be included in the classpath when running the REPL, otherwise the CIDER test runner will not find the deftest definitions.

Test directory should only added via an alias

The test path should not be part of the main :paths configuration, otherwise test code would be included in the jar or uberjar package and deployment.

Use .dir-locals.el to set default aliases when starting the REPL

A .dir-locals.el is an Emacs project configuration file which can set any number of aliases that are automatically included when calling the Cider jack-in command.

((clojure-mode . ((cider-preferred-build-tool . clojure-cli)
                  (cider-clojure-cli-aliases . ":env/test"))))

Aliases

Use an alias to include the test directory and libraries that support testing.

Practicalli Clojure CLI Config contains several aliases to support the running of tests with the CIDER test runner.

Practicalli Clojure CLI aliasesAlias definition

:test/env adds the test directory to the class path and enables CIDER test runner to find the test code. This is the only alias required if using Cider test runner.

:lib/kaocha add the kaocha test runner library to the class path, so kaocha can be used instead of CIDER test runner.

Other aliases can be used with the :test/env alias to support cider-connect approach:

:repl/cider include the nrepl and cider-nrepl libraries and starts an nREPL server connected to the REPL

:repl/rebel run Rebel Readline, providing a rich terminal UI for the REPL

Add the test directory to the classpath when starting the REPL using a :test/env alias added to the project deps.edn file.

:aliases
{
  :test/env
  {:extra-paths ["test"]}
}

CIDER connect

Use cider-connect to connect Emacs CIDER to the Clojure REPL process via its nREPL server, started in a terminal window with the following command:

clojure -M:test/env:repl/basic

Or for a richer terminal UI experience, use the :repl/rebel alias to start a REPL & nREPL server:

clojure -M:test/env:repl/rebel-nrepl

Alias to run a simple Terminal UI REPL with nREPL support

Run a REPL using nREPL server that starts an nREPL server, enabling CIDER to connect via cider-connect-clj

  :repl/basic
  {:extra-deps {nrepl/nrepl       {:mvn/version "1.3.1"}
                cider/cider-nrepl {:mvn/version "0.55.7"}}
   :main-opts  ["--main" "nrepl.cmdline"
                "--middleware" "[cider.nrepl/cider-middleware]"
                "--interactive"]}

Headless REPL

Remove the "-i" if a headless (non-interactive) REPL is required, useful if only interacting with Clojure code via the nREPL connected editor.

Alias to run a Rebel REPL with nREPL support

Rebel readline provides a rich terminal UI with nrepl server , enabling CIDER to connect via cider-connect-clj

  :repl/rebel
  {:extra-deps {nrepl/nrepl                {:mvn/version "1.3.1"}
                cider/cider-nrepl          {:mvn/version "0.55.7"}
                com.bhauman/rebel-readline {:mvn/version "0.1.5"}}
   :main-opts  ["--eval" "(apply require clojure.main/repl-requires)"
                "--main" "nrepl.cmdline"
                "--middleware" "[cider.nrepl/cider-middleware]"
                "--interactive"
                "-f" "rebel-readline.main/-main"]}

practicalli/clojure-cli-config contains common tools and aliases

practicalli/clojure-cli-config contains aliases for all aspects of Clojure development with the CLI tools.

Using Cider Connect

Start the REPL in a terminal including the test directory and starting an nREPL server for CIDER to connect too.

clojure -M:env/test:repl/cider

Alternatively, use a rich terminal UI for the REPL using Rebel Readline which will also start an nREPL server for Cider to connect too.

clojure -M:env/test:repl/rebel

Using CIDER jack-in

.dir-locals.el file can define aliases which are always included during cider-jack-in.

Add the variable cider-clojure-cli-aliases with a names of one or more alias names, which are from either the project deps.edn file or the user level deps.edn configuration.

SPC p e creates or opens an existing .dir-locals.el file for the current project.

((clojure-mode . ((cider-clojure-cli-aliases . ":env/test"))))

Remember to SPC b R (revert-buffer) on an existing project buffer, or open a file from the current project, to force Emacs to load in any changes to a .dir-locals.el file.

Project configuration with .dir-locals.el

Project level configuration section contains many example configurations that can be set via .dir-locals.el file.

Remember to revert-buffer an existing project buffer or open a new buffer to load in changes from the .dir-locals.el file.

Edit the jack-in command

SPU u , ' uses the Emacs universal argument with sesman-start and displays the command line to be run.

Add :test/env directly after the -M flag and before the :cider/nrepl alias

SPC u is the Spacemacs equivalent of C-u in Emacs.

Checking the jack-in command

SPC b m opens the messages buffer and the full command should be shown in the messages history.