Troubleshooting Ava Test Logging Issues: Why CI Errors Differ from Local Output

Discovering why your `Ava` test logs errors differently in CI compared to local development can be challenging. Here’s a comprehensive guide to troubleshoot the discrepancies.
---
This video is based on the question https://stackoverflow.com/q/63023908/ asked by the user 'notacorn' ( https://stackoverflow.com/u/8652920/ ) and on the answer https://stackoverflow.com/a/63026183/ provided by the user 'notacorn' ( https://stackoverflow.com/u/8652920/ ) at 'Stack Overflow' website. Thanks to these great users and Stackexchange community for their contributions.

Visit these links for original content and any more details, such as alternate solutions, latest updates/developments on topic, comments, revision history etc. For example, the original title of the Question was: Why is Ava js not showing error logging locally, only in ci

Also, Content (except music) licensed under CC BY-SA https://meta.stackexchange.com/help/l...
The original Question post is licensed under the 'CC BY-SA 4.0' ( https://creativecommons.org/licenses/... ) license, and the original Answer post is licensed under the 'CC BY-SA 4.0' ( https://creativecommons.org/licenses/... ) license.

If anything seems off to you, please feel free to write me at vlogize [AT] gmail [DOT] com.
---
Understanding the Problem: Ava Tests Not Showing Errors Locally

If you've ever encountered issues where your Ava tests log errors during continuous integration (CI) but fail to show those same logs locally, you're not alone. This common predicament can be frustrating, especially when the tests pass locally yet fail on CI platforms like Travis CI. This blog will unpack the situation so you can efficiently troubleshoot and resolve the problem.

The Scenario

In a recent situation, a developer encountered an error while running npm run test, where the logs only showed a generic error without the crucial Ava output. Here’s a glimpse of the key error seen in the CI logs:

[[See Video to Reveal this Text or Code Snippet]]

However, when running the same test suite locally after a fresh clone of the repository, a notable absence of Ava output was observed.

Key Symptoms

CI Logging: CI platforms like Travis CI showed error outputs, but lacked specific Ava error details.

Local Logging: Locally, even after a fresh clone and installation of dependencies, the logs omitted the Ava stack trace, highlighting the error only via npm messages.

Digging into the Solution: Configuration Issues

Understanding why this discrepancy occurs can be broken down into several potential solutions and considerations to explore.

1. Check Your Ava Configuration

The first step in troubleshooting the logging issue is to review your Ava configuration. Ensure that your ava setup in the package.json file is correctly configured.

[[See Video to Reveal this Text or Code Snippet]]

Make sure the test files are included and that ts-node is used if you are writing tests in TypeScript.

2. Running Compiled Tests

One workaround observed was running Ava on the compiled JavaScript version of the tests instead of the TypeScript files. Doing so could help to expose more detailed logging, potentially bypassing configuration issues that may be affecting TypeScript transpilation.

[[See Video to Reveal this Text or Code Snippet]]

3. IDE/Local Environment Factors

The problem might also originate from discrepancies in the local development environment versus the CI environment. Factors to consider include:

Node.js Version: Ensure the Node version used locally matches that in your CI environment.

Global Packages: Check if any globally installed packages could be conflicting with Ava execution.

Environment Variables: Ensure any environment configurations are consistent between local and CI contexts.

4. Debugging Further

If the above solutions do not resolve the issue, take additional steps:

Verbose Logging: Run npm run test in verbose mode to capture more detailed logs. You can add --verbose to your script.

Temporary Local Builds: Use similar build steps as Travis CI locally to reproduce the environment. This might involve modification of your local npm commands.

Conclusion: Achieving Consistent Logging in Tests

Before concluding your debugging efforts, ensure you track any differences between local and CI environments. The absence of crucial test logs can often stem from configuration mismatches or environment discrepancies. Employing workarounds like running compiled tests or enforcing consistent setups can help enhance your logging experience with Ava.

Ultimately, tackling these discrepancies may take a combination of fixes, but understanding the underlying causes will set you on the path to efficient debugging and testing.

If you have more questions or insights about possible solutions, feel free to share or dig deeper into the community!