How can I use pytest to write results to a JUnit XML file?

To use Pytest to write results to a JUnit XML file, you can utilize the --junitxml command-line option. This option tells Pytest to generate a JUnit-style XML report of the test results.

Here’s how to do it:

1. Basic Usage:

The simplest way is to run Pytest with the --junitxml option followed by the path to the desired output file. For example, to create a file named report.xml, you would use the following command in your terminal:

pytest --junitxml=report.xml

- This will execute all your Pytest tests and generate a report.xml file containing the results in JUnit XML format.

2. Configuration in pytest.ini (or pyproject.toml):

- You can also configure the --junitxml option in a pytest.ini file (or pyproject.toml if you're using poetry) so that you don't have to type it every time. Here's how you would set it up in pytest.ini:

[pytest] junit_family=xunit1 addopts = --junitxml=report.xml

- Alternatively, for pyproject.toml (using poetry) you would use:

[tool.pytest.ini_options] junit_family = "xunit1" addopts = "--junitxml=report.xml"

3. Using different file names:

- You can change the filename by modifying the --junitxml=your_file_name.xml, the output filename isn't mandatory to be report.xml

4. Understanding the output XML:

The generated XML file includes information about the test runs, test suites, test cases, and results (passed, failed, skipped), along with timestamps and error messages where applicable. This format is commonly used in CI/CD pipelines for test reporting and integration with other tools like Jenkins, GitLab CI, etc.

5. Example JUnit XML output structure:

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8"?>
<testsuites>
  <testsuite name="pytest" errors="0" failures="1" skipped="0" tests="1" time="0.004" timestamp="2024-09-26T15:04:54.386740">
    <testcase classname="test_example" name="test_failing" file="test_example.py" line="4" time="0.002">
      <failure message="assert 1 == 2">
      <![CDATA[assert 1 == 2]]>
      </failure>
    </testcase>
  </testsuite>
</testsuites>

By using the --junitxml option, you can easily integrate Pytest with systems that understand the JUnit XML report format, making it straightforward to automate test processes and visualize the test result data.

Learn more about this