run-smoke-tests

Smoke tests verify that a VS Code extension activates correctly and registers commands properly in a real environment. They catch critical issues early by validating basic functionality after code changes, preventing broken deployments before you submit a pull request.

Running automated smoke tests inside an actual VS Code instance verifies extension activation and command registration after code changes. This approach quickly ensures no critical issues are introduced before submitting a pull request.

Yes, you can debug failed smoke tests directly within VS Code. The skill provides debugging support instructions, allowing developers to step through failed tests and identify issues with extension activation or command registration in the actual VS Code environment.

Yes, automating VS Code extension smoke tests requires TypeScript and Mocha. The skill uses the @vscode/test-cli along with these Node.js testing frameworks and scripts to execute tests in a real VS Code instance.

VS Code extension tests may fail outside the development environment due to activation issues or unregistered commands. Running automated smoke tests in a real VS Code instance helps identify these critical functional problems before deployment.