Django Test Runner
A VS Code extension that resolves the Python test path from your cursor position and runs it with a configurable command. Built for Django but works with any Python test runner — pytest, unittest, nose2, tox, and more.
Works in VS Code, Cursor, Windsurf, and VSCodium.
Features
- Run Closest Method Test — runs the test method nearest to your cursor
- Run Closest Class Tests — runs all tests in the class nearest to your cursor
- Run Current File Tests — runs all tests in the current file
- Run Current App Tests — runs all tests in the current app
- Run Previous Tests — re-runs the last test command
- Smart Parsing — indentation-aware class/method detection that correctly handles nested classes and strings containing "class"
- Terminal Reuse — reuses a single "Django Test Runner" terminal instead of creating new ones
All commands are available from the Command Palette (Cmd+Shift+P / Ctrl+Shift+P).
How It Works
The extension builds a test command from your settings and sends it to the terminal:
[prefixCommand] [pythonPath] [manageProgram] [testPath] [flags]
For a standard Django project with manage.py in the workspace root, no configuration is needed. The default manageProgram is manage.py test, so running "Run Closest Method Test" produces something like:
python manage.py test myapp.tests.test_models.MyTestCase.test_create
Configuration
| Setting |
Type |
Default |
Description |
python.djangoTestRunner.manageProgram |
string |
"manage.py test" |
The test command. Can be any command that accepts a test path. |
python.djangoTestRunner.prefixCommand |
string |
"" |
Prefix before the command (env vars, cd, docker, etc.) |
python.djangoTestRunner.flags |
string |
"" |
Flags appended after the test path |
python.djangoTestRunner.useVSCodePythonPath |
boolean |
true |
Use the Python interpreter from the Python extension |
python.djangoTestRunner.stripRootFolder |
boolean |
false |
Strip the first folder from the test path |
python.djangoTestRunner.rootPackageName |
string |
"" |
Root package name to strip from test paths |
python.djangoTestRunner.djangoNose |
boolean |
false |
Use colon separator for django-nose syntax |
Examples
Since the command is fully configurable, you can adapt it to any setup:
// pytest
{ "python.djangoTestRunner.manageProgram": "pytest", "python.djangoTestRunner.useVSCodePythonPath": false }
// Docker Compose
{ "python.djangoTestRunner.prefixCommand": "docker compose exec web", "python.djangoTestRunner.useVSCodePythonPath": false }
// Poetry
{ "python.djangoTestRunner.prefixCommand": "poetry run" }
// tox
{ "python.djangoTestRunner.manageProgram": "tox -- ", "python.djangoTestRunner.useVSCodePythonPath": false }
// manage.py in a subdirectory (e.g., src/)
{ "python.djangoTestRunner.prefixCommand": "cd src &&", "python.djangoTestRunner.stripRootFolder": true }
Set useVSCodePythonPath to false whenever your test command already includes a Python interpreter or doesn't need one (pytest, tox, docker, etc.).
Keybindings
No default keybindings are included to avoid conflicts with VS Code built-ins. Add your own in keybindings.json (Cmd+Shift+P > "Open Keyboard Shortcuts (JSON)"):
[
{ "key": "ctrl+t ctrl+m", "command": "python.djangoTestRunner.runMethodTests" },
{ "key": "ctrl+t ctrl+c", "command": "python.djangoTestRunner.runClassTests" },
{ "key": "ctrl+t ctrl+f", "command": "python.djangoTestRunner.runFileTests" },
{ "key": "ctrl+t ctrl+a", "command": "python.djangoTestRunner.runAppTests" },
{ "key": "ctrl+t ctrl+p", "command": "python.djangoTestRunner.runPreviousTests" }
]
Troubleshooting
Wrong test path? Use stripRootFolder or rootPackageName to adjust the path prefix. This is common when manage.py lives in a subdirectory.
Python path not detected? Ensure the Python extension is installed and an interpreter is selected, or set useVSCodePythonPath to false.
Contributing
See CONTRIBUTING.md for development setup and guidelines.
License
MIT
