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Running the tests

We use pytest as our website test runner. You will need to install pytest on your development machine if you want to run tests for the Python track locally. You should also install the following pytest plugins:

Extended information can be found in our website Python testing guide.

Running Tests

To run the included tests, navigate to the folder where the exercise is stored using cd in your terminal (replace {exercise-folder-location} below with your path). Test files usually end in _test.py, and are the same tests that run on the website when a solution is uploaded.

Linux/MacOS

$ cd {path/to/exercise-folder-location}

Windows

PS C:\Users\foobar> cd {path\to\exercise-folder-location}

Next, run the pytest command in your terminal, replacing {exercise_test.py} with the name of the test file:

Linux/MacOS

$ python3 -m pytest -o markers=task {exercise_test.py}
==================== 7 passed in 0.08s ====================

Windows

PS C:\Users\foobar> py -m pytest -o markers=task {exercise_test.py}
==================== 7 passed in 0.08s ====================

Common options

-o : override default pytest.ini (you can use this to avoid marker warnings)
-v : enable verbose output.
-x : stop running tests on first failure.
--ff : run failures from previous test before running other test cases.

For additional options, use python3 -m pytest -h or py -m pytest -h.

Fixing warnings

If you do not use pytest -o markers=task when invoking pytest, you might receive a PytestUnknownMarkWarning for tests that use our new syntax:

PytestUnknownMarkWarning: Unknown pytest.mark.task - is this a typo?  You can register custom marks to avoid this warning - for details, see https://docs.pytest.org/en/stable/mark.html

To avoid typing pytest -o markers=task for every test you run, you can use a pytest.ini configuration file. We have made one that can be downloaded from the top level of the Python track directory: pytest.ini.

You can also create your own pytest.ini file with the following content:

[pytest]
markers =
    task: A concept exercise task.

Placing the pytest.ini file in the root or working directory for your Python track exercises will register the marks and stop the warnings. More information on pytest marks can be found in the pytest documentation on marking test functions and the pytest documentation on working with custom markers.

Information on customizing pytest configurations can be found in the pytest documentation on configuration file formats.

Extending your IDE or Code Editor

Many IDEs and code editors have built-in support for using pytest and other code quality tools. Some community-sourced options can be found on our Python track tools page.

Submitting your solution

You can submit your solution using the exercism submit hello_world.py command. This command will upload your solution to the Exercism website and print the solution page's URL.

It's possible to submit an incomplete solution which allows you to:

See how others have completed the exercise
Request help from a mentor

Need to get help?

If you'd like help solving the exercise, check the following pages:

Should those resources not suffice, you could submit your (incomplete) solution to request mentoring.

Below are some resources for getting help if you run into trouble:

The PSF hosts Python downloads, documentation, and community resources.
The Exercism Community on Discord
Python Community on Discord is a very helpful and active community.
/r/learnpython/ is a subreddit designed for Python learners.
#python on Libera.chat this is where the core developers for the language hang out and get work done.
Python Community Forums
Free Code Camp Community Forums
CodeNewbie Community Help Tag
Pythontutor for stepping through small code snippets visually.

Additionally, StackOverflow is a good spot to search for your problem/question to see if it has been answered already. If not - you can always ask or answer someone else's question.

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