Defining Test Categories to Group Your Tests

If you have created automated tests using Microsoft Visual Studio 2010, you can manage these tests by categorizing them with test categories. When you run these automated tests using Visual Studio, Team Foundation Build, or mstest.exe, you can use these test categories to easily select which tests you run. You add test categories as attributes to your test methods.

Test categories provide more flexibility than the test lists functionality from earlier versions of Microsoft Visual Studio. You can use logical operators with test categories to run tests from multiple categories together or to limit the tests that you run to tests that belong to multiple categories. Also test categories are easy to add as you create your test methods and you do not have to maintain test lists after you have created your test methods. By using test categories, you do not have to check in and check out the <solution name>.vsmdi file that maintains the test lists.

Note

Test categories are recommended for use over the test lists functionality from earlier versions of Visual Studio, unless you have to create a check-in policy which requires a test list. For more information about check-in policies, see Add Check-In Policies.

Tasks

Tasks	Associated Topics
Grouping Tests into Test Categories: You can add an automated test to one or multiple test categories using a test attribute. Each test can belong to multiple test categories. When tests are associated with categories, you can filter the tests in Test View and run them.	How to: Group and Run Automated Tests Using Test Categories
Running Tests Using Test Categories: After you choose which tests you want to run, you can choose which test categories they must belong to. You do this by using logical operators. For example, you could run all tests that belong to Priority 1 test category and Priority 2 test category.	MSTest.exe Command-Line Options
Using Test Categories To Select Tests to Run Before Check-In: You can use a build to check your code changes before you check in. You can use test categories to define the tests to run for this gated check-in build.	Define a Gated Check-In Build Process to Validate Changes
Using Test Categories To Select Tests to Run After Building Your Application or Before Check-In: You can use a build definition to define which test categories to run to test a new build.	How to: Configure and Run Scheduled Tests After Building Your Application

See Also

Concepts

Defining Test Lists to Group Your Tests

Other Resources

Creating Automated Tests