gitlab-org--gitlab-foss/doc/ci/unit_test_reports.md

---
stage: Verify
group: Testing
info: To determine the technical writer assigned to the Stage/Group associated with this page, see https://about.gitlab.com/handbook/engineering/ux/technical-writing/#designated-technical-writers
type: reference
---

# Unit test reports

> - [Introduced](https://gitlab.com/gitlab-org/gitlab-foss/-/issues/45318) in GitLab 11.2. Requires GitLab Runner 11.2 and above.
> - [Renamed](https://gitlab.com/gitlab-org/gitlab/-/merge_requests/39737) from JUnit test reports to Unit test reports in GitLab 13.4.

It is very common that a [CI/CD pipeline](pipelines/index.md) contains a
test job that will verify your code.
If the tests fail, the pipeline fails and users get notified. The person that
works on the merge request will have to check the job logs and see where the
tests failed so that they can fix them.

You can configure your job to use Unit test reports, and GitLab will display a
report on the merge request so that it's easier and faster to identify the
failure without having to check the entire log. Unit test reports currently
only support test reports in the JUnit report format.

If you don't use Merge Requests but still want to see the unit test report
output without searching through job logs, the full
[Unit test reports](#viewing-unit-test-reports-on-gitlab) are available
in the pipeline detail view.

Consider the following workflow:

1. Your `master` branch is rock solid, your project is using GitLab CI/CD and
   your pipelines indicate that there isn't anything broken.
1. Someone from your team submits a merge request, a test fails and the pipeline
   gets the known red icon. To investigate more, you have to go through the job
   logs to figure out the cause of the failed test, which usually contain
   thousands of lines.
1. You configure the Unit test reports and immediately GitLab collects and
   exposes them in the merge request. No more searching in the job logs.
1. Your development and debugging workflow becomes easier, faster and efficient.

## How it works

First, GitLab Runner uploads all [JUnit report format XML files](https://www.ibm.com/support/knowledgecenter/en/SSQ2R2_14.1.0/com.ibm.rsar.analysis.codereview.cobol.doc/topics/cac_useresults_junit.html)
as [artifacts](pipelines/job_artifacts.md#artifactsreportsjunit) to GitLab. Then, when you visit a merge request, GitLab starts
comparing the head and base branch's JUnit report format XML files, where:

- The base branch is the target branch (usually `master`).
- The head branch is the source branch (the latest pipeline in each merge request).

The reports panel has a summary showing how many tests failed, how many had errors
and how many were fixed. If no comparison can be done because data for the base branch
is not available, the panel will just show the list of failed tests for head.

There are four types of results:

1. **Newly failed tests:** Test cases which passed on base branch and failed on head branch
1. **Newly encountered errors:** Test cases which passed on base branch and failed due to a
   test error on head branch
1. **Existing failures:**  Test cases which failed on base branch and failed on head branch
1. **Resolved failures:**  Test cases which failed on base branch and passed on head branch

Each entry in the panel will show the test name and its type from the list
above. Clicking on the test name will open a modal window with details of its
execution time and the error output.

![Test Reports Widget](img/junit_test_report.png)

## How to set it up

To enable the Unit test reports in merge requests, you need to add
[`artifacts:reports:junit`](pipelines/job_artifacts.md#artifactsreportsjunit)
in `.gitlab-ci.yml`, and specify the path(s) of the generated test reports.
The reports must be `.xml` files, otherwise [GitLab returns an Error 500](https://gitlab.com/gitlab-org/gitlab/-/issues/216575).

In the following examples, the job in the `test` stage runs and GitLab
collects the Unit test report from each job. After each job is executed, the
XML reports are stored in GitLab as artifacts and their results are shown in the
merge request widget.

To make the Unit test report output files browsable, include them with the
[`artifacts:paths`](yaml/README.md#artifactspaths) keyword as well, as shown in the [Ruby example](#ruby-example).
To upload the report even if the job fails (for example if the tests do not pass), use the [`artifacts:when:always`](yaml/README.md#artifactswhen)
keyword.

NOTE: **Note:**
You cannot have multiple tests with the same name and class in your JUnit report format XML file.

### Ruby example

Use the following job in `.gitlab-ci.yml`. This includes the `artifacts:paths` keyword to provide a link to the Unit test report output file.

```yaml
## Use https://github.com/sj26/rspec_junit_formatter to generate a JUnit report format XML file with rspec
ruby:
  stage: test
  script:
    - bundle install
    - bundle exec rspec --format progress --format RspecJunitFormatter --out rspec.xml
  artifacts:
    when: always
    paths:
      - rspec.xml
    reports:
      junit: rspec.xml
```

### Go example

Use the following job in `.gitlab-ci.yml`, and ensure you use `-set-exit-code`,
otherwise the pipeline will be marked successful, even if the tests fail:

```yaml
## Use https://github.com/jstemmer/go-junit-report to generate a JUnit report format XML file with go
golang:
  stage: test
  script:
    - go get -u github.com/jstemmer/go-junit-report
    - go test -v 2>&1 | go-junit-report -set-exit-code > report.xml
  artifacts:
    when: always
    reports:
      junit: report.xml
```

### Java examples

There are a few tools that can produce JUnit report format XML file in Java.

#### Gradle

In the following example, `gradle` is used to generate the test reports.
If there are multiple test tasks defined, `gradle` will generate multiple
directories under `build/test-results/`. In that case, you can leverage glob
matching by defining the following path: `build/test-results/test/**/TEST-*.xml`:

```yaml
java:
  stage: test
  script:
    - gradle test
  artifacts:
    when: always
    reports:
      junit: build/test-results/test/**/TEST-*.xml
```

NOTE: **Note:**
Support for `**` was added in [GitLab Runner 13.0](https://gitlab.com/gitlab-org/gitlab-runner/-/issues/2620).

#### Maven

For parsing [Surefire](https://maven.apache.org/surefire/maven-surefire-plugin/)
and [Failsafe](https://maven.apache.org/surefire/maven-failsafe-plugin/) test
reports, use the following job in `.gitlab-ci.yml`:

```yaml
java:
  stage: test
  script:
    - mvn verify
  artifacts:
    when: always
    reports:
      junit:
        - target/surefire-reports/TEST-*.xml
        - target/failsafe-reports/TEST-*.xml
```

### Python example

This example uses pytest with the `--junitxml=report.xml` flag to format the output
into the JUnit report XML format:

```yaml
pytest:
  stage: test
  script:
    - pytest --junitxml=report.xml
  artifacts:
    when: always
    reports:
      junit: report.xml
```

### C/C++ example

There are a few tools that can produce JUnit report format XML files in C/C++.

#### GoogleTest

In the following example, `gtest` is used to generate the test reports.
If there are multiple gtest executables created for different architectures (`x86`, `x64` or `arm`),
you will be required to run each test providing a unique filename. The results
will then be aggregated together.

```yaml
cpp:
  stage: test
  script:
    - gtest.exe --gtest_output="xml:report.xml"
  artifacts:
    when: always
    reports:
      junit: report.xml
```

#### CUnit

[CUnit](https://cunity.gitlab.io/cunit/) can be made to produce [JUnit report format XML files](https://cunity.gitlab.io/cunit/group__CI.html) automatically when run using its `CUnitCI.h` macros:

```yaml
cunit:
  stage: test
  script:
    - ./my-cunit-test
  artifacts:
    when: always
    reports:
      junit: ./my-cunit-test.xml
```

### .NET example

The [JunitXML.TestLogger](https://www.nuget.org/packages/JunitXml.TestLogger/) NuGet
package can generate test reports for .Net Framework and .Net Core applications. The following
example expects a solution in the root folder of the repository, with one or more
project files in sub-folders. One result file is produced per test project, and each file
is placed in a new artifacts folder. This example includes optional formatting arguments, which
improve the readability of test data in the test widget. A full .Net Core
[example is available](https://gitlab.com/Siphonophora/dot-net-cicd-test-logging-demo).

```yaml
## Source code and documentation are here: https://github.com/spekt/junit.testlogger/

Test:
  stage: test
  script:
    - 'dotnet test --test-adapter-path:. --logger:"junit;LogFilePath=..\artifacts\{assembly}-test-result.xml;MethodFormat=Class;FailureBodyFormat=Verbose"'
  artifacts:
    when: always
    paths:
      - ./**/*test-result.xml
    reports:
      junit:
        - ./**/*test-result.xml
```

## Viewing Unit test reports on GitLab

> - [Introduced](https://gitlab.com/gitlab-org/gitlab/-/issues/24792) in GitLab 12.5 behind a feature flag (`junit_pipeline_view`), disabled by default.
> - The feature flag was removed and the feature was [made generally available](https://gitlab.com/gitlab-org/gitlab/-/issues/216478) in GitLab 13.3.

If JUnit report format XML files are generated and uploaded as part of a pipeline, these reports
can be viewed inside the pipelines details page. The **Tests** tab on this page will
display a list of test suites and cases reported from the XML file.

![Test Reports Widget](img/pipelines_junit_test_report_ui_v12_5.png)

You can view all the known test suites and click on each of these to see further
details, including the cases that make up the suite.

You can also retrieve the reports via the [GitLab API](../api/pipelines.md#get-a-pipelines-test-report).

## Viewing JUnit screenshots on GitLab

> - [Introduced](https://gitlab.com/gitlab-org/gitlab/-/issues/202114) in GitLab 13.0.
> - It's deployed behind a feature flag, disabled by default.
> - To use it in GitLab self-managed instances, ask a GitLab administrator to [enable it](#enabling-the-junit-screenshots-feature). **(CORE ONLY)**

If JUnit report format XML files contain an `attachment` tag, GitLab parses the attachment.

Upload your screenshots as [artifacts](pipelines/job_artifacts.md#artifactsreportsjunit) to GitLab. The `attachment` tag **must** contain the absolute path to the screenshots you uploaded.

```xml
<testcase time="1.00" name="Test">
  <system-out>[[ATTACHMENT|/absolute/path/to/some/file]]</system-out>
</testcase>
```

When [this issue](https://gitlab.com/gitlab-org/gitlab/-/issues/6061) is complete, the attached file will be visible on the pipeline details page.

### Enabling the JUnit screenshots feature **(CORE ONLY)**

This feature comes with the `:junit_pipeline_screenshots_view` feature flag disabled by default.

To enable this feature, ask a GitLab administrator with [Rails console access](../administration/feature_flags.md#how-to-enable-and-disable-features-behind-flags) to run the
following command:

```ruby
Feature.enable(:junit_pipeline_screenshots_view)
```