Resolving Automatic Jest Terminal Launch in VSCode

vscode jest config

How to stop Jest from automatically opening in the terminal every time you open a project in VSCode.

Problem Description

While learning unit testing, I followed a tutorial that configured Jest to run in watch mode within VSCode. This caused the terminal to automatically open and run Jest every time I opened my project, which was quite annoying. I was unsure how to resolve this issue but have finally found a solution.

Solution Steps

1. Open VSCode Settings

  1. Launch VSCode.
  2. Click on the gear icon in the bottom left corner and select "Settings".
  3. Alternatively, use the shortcut Cmd + , (Mac) to open the settings.

2. Search for Jest Settings

  1. In the settings search bar, type jest.
  2. Find the settings related to the Jest plugin.

3. Modify Jest runMode Setting

  1. Locate the Jest: Run Mode setting in the search results.
  2. From the dropdown menu, select on-demand (or choose another mode such as watch or on-save as needed).

4. Directly Edit settings.json

  1. In the settings page, click on the "Open Settings (JSON)" icon in the top right corner or search for settings.json and open it.

  2. Add or modify the following configuration in the settings.json file:

    {
  "jest.runMode": "on-demand" // Options: "on-demand", "watch", "on-save"
}

  3. Save and close the settings.json file.

5. Check Project Configuration File

  1. Open the .vscode/settings.json file in the root directory of your project (if it exists).

  2. Add or modify the following configuration:

    {
  "jest.runMode": "on-demand" // Options: "on-demand", "watch", "on-save"
}

  3. Save and close the settings.json file.

Additional Suggestions

  • If the changes do not take effect immediately, try restarting VSCode.
  • Check if there are other plugins or configuration files that might be overriding these settings.
  • Ensure there are no conflicting settings in both the project and global configuration files.

By following these steps, I successfully resolved the issue of VSCode automatically opening Jest in the terminal. I hope these steps are helpful to you. If you encounter any issues or need further assistance, feel free to reach out.