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MSTEST0078: '[DependsOn]' arguments should be valid

Property Value
Rule ID MSTEST0078
Title '[DependsOn]' arguments should be valid
Category Usage
Fix is breaking or non-breaking Non-breaking
Enabled by default Yes
Default severity Warning
Introduced in version 4.4.0 (preview)
Is there a code fix No

Important

Test dependencies are planned for MSTest 4.4 and are available only in preview builds until MSTest 4.4.0 is released.

Cause

A [DependsOn] attribute references a test by name, and the reference has a problem that the test framework can decide only at run time, such as a target that doesn't exist.

Rule description

The test framework deliberately treats a [DependsOn] target that matches no test as a non-fatal warning at run time, so that --filter and single-test runs keep working. That means a typo or a rename silently drops the declared ordering instead of failing the build. This analyzer reports the problems that can be decided at build time:

  • The referenced method doesn't exist on the referenced type.
  • The referenced member isn't a test method, so the dependency is ignored.
  • The referenced type isn't a test class, so the dependency is ignored.
  • The referenced type is declared in another assembly (dependencies are resolved within a single test source).
  • The referenced type is abstract, so its tests run under each derived test class instead.
  • The attribute makes a test depend on itself, which is a dependency cycle that fails at run time.
  • The attribute participates in a dependency cycle that's visible in the compilation, which fails every test in the cycle at run time.
  • The attribute is applied where it has no effect, because the attribute target isn't a test method or runs no test.
[TestMethod]
public void CreateCart() { }

[TestMethod, DependsOn("CreatCart")] // Violation: typo, no such member
public void AddItem() { }

How to fix violations

Fix the typo or rename, and use nameof so the compiler keeps the reference in sync when you rename the target.

[TestMethod]
public void CreateCart() { }

[TestMethod, DependsOn(nameof(CreateCart))]
public void AddItem() { }

When to suppress warnings

Don't suppress warnings from this rule. Each case reported by this analyzer either fails the dependent test at run time, such as a self-reference or a cycle, or silently drops the declared ordering, such as a typo or a reference to a non-test member.

Suppress a warning

If you just want to suppress a single violation, add preprocessor directives to your source file to disable and then re-enable the rule.

#pragma warning disable MSTEST0078
// The code that's violating the rule is on this line.
#pragma warning restore MSTEST0078

To disable the rule for a file, folder, or project, set its severity to none in the configuration file.

[*.{cs,vb}]
dotnet_diagnostic.MSTEST0078.severity = none

For more information, see How to suppress code analysis warnings.

See also

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