Migrating from 4.10 to 5.x and handling -Skip

[ChrisLynchHPE]

I have a unit test script that looks like I can convert mostly to the new Discovery and Run format introduced in 5.x. However, I have some conditional -Skip cases I'm not sure how to handle. The PowerShell library I maintain interacts with a REST API. Depending on certain behaviors, the -Skip:$ShouldSkip parameter needs to be used. Now, this isn't put within a BeforeAll block, but rather in a previous It block. I will set a variable that would skip the next unit test if the one generates a specific condition. This is to handle defects with the API that either are found or need to be handled differently.

What is the best method to handle this case?

[fflaten]

Hi, that's a good question!

-Skip is evaluated as part of Discovery (see https://pester.dev/docs/usage/skip#conditional-skip). Ideally you'd run some code in BeforeDiscovery to figure out if you need them or not.

If that's not possible then you'd have to use Set-ItResult to skip. You will have to use a script-scoped (or worst case global) variable to share the variable between It-blocks.

$script:-scope is normally per *.tests.ps1-file unless you run code inside a module function or something like InModuleScope SomeModule { .. }. Remember to use unique variable names and/or clear it when it shouldn't apply anymore, ex. in a AfterAll. Especially with global-variable that would affect the next run.

Describe 'Skipcheck in Run' {
    It 'first' {
        # Run logic to make decision.. To skip or not to skip
        $script:ShouldSkipInRun = $true
        1 | Should -Be 1
    }

    It 'second' {
        if ($script:ShouldSkipInRun) {
            Set-ItResult -Skipped -Because 'first test said so'
        }

        1 | Should -Be 1
    }
}

[ChrisLynchHPE]

Ah, that should work very well. I have no issues using Global or Script scoped variables, as I use them within my existing unit tests. It's just a few additional lines of code you provided, so that shouldn't be a big problem.