MTP Hot Reload for Iterative Test Fixing

Set up and use a long-lived Microsoft Testing Platform host that applies code edits and automatically reruns tests.

When to Use

• User explicitly asks for test hot reload
• User wants a host to stay running and automatically rerun after repeated edits
• User needs to set up MTP hot reload in their project

When Not to Use

• User needs to write new tests from scratch (use general coding assistance)
• User needs to diagnose why a test is failing (use diagnostic skills)
• User wants Visual Studio Test Explorer hot reload (different feature, built into VS)
• User wants one normal run without rebuilding (use run-tests)
• User needs CI/CD pipeline configuration

Inputs

Input	Required	Description
Test project path	No	Path to the test project (.csproj). Defaults to current directory.
Failing test name or filter	No	Specific test(s) to iterate on

Response sizing

• If setup is already complete and the user asks only which command to use, return one dotnet run --project <path> command and one sentence explaining that it starts the persistent host. Do not repeat package, launch profile, or rude-edit guidance.
• If the package is already installed, show only the remaining enable-and-run steps. Do not suggest reinstalling it or add optional persistence/recovery paths unless requested.
• For a named test, identify the framework and return one runnable command with that framework's filter syntax. Never substitute MSTest/NUnit --filter for xUnit v3 --filter-method or TUnit --treenode-filter.
• A directly launched MTP host is itself the persistent watcher: dotnet run stays alive and the HotReload extension reacts to edits. Do not replace it with dotnet watch run for the normal MTP path; reserve dotnet watch for the explicit restart fallback below.

Workflow

Step 1: Detect the platform before changing anything

Hot reload requires MTP. It does not work with VSTest.

Follow the complete evaluated-property procedure in the platform-detection skill. Read imported props and package versions as well as the project file. Do this before installing packages, editing files, or returning an MTP launch command.

Hard stop for VSTest: report that MTP hot reload is unavailable for the project as configured and stop the MTP setup path. Do not install the extension, create launchSettings.json, set the environment variable, change runner properties/packages, or return a dotnet run hot-reload command. Never turn a setup request into an implicit VSTest-to-MTP migration.

Offer one valid non-MTP fallback that preserves the project:

dotnet watch --project <project-path> test

This rebuilds and reruns the existing VSTest project when files change; it is not MTP hot reload. Offer an explicit migration as a separate option, but do not perform it unless the user asks. Exact one-shot test commands remain owned by run-tests.

Step 2: Add the hot reload NuGet package

First inspect the effective package references. If Microsoft.Testing.Extensions.HotReload is already installed, preserve its version and skip this step. Otherwise install it:

dotnet add <project-path> package Microsoft.Testing.Extensions.HotReload

Note: When using Microsoft.Testing.Platform.MSBuild (included transitively by MSTest, NUnit, and xUnit runners), the extension is auto-registered when you install its NuGet package -- no code changes needed.

Step 3: Enable hot reload

Hot reload is activated by setting the TESTINGPLATFORM_HOTRELOAD_ENABLED environment variable to 1.

Option A -- Set it in the shell before running tests:

# PowerShell
$env:TESTINGPLATFORM_HOTRELOAD_ENABLED = "1"

# bash/zsh
export TESTINGPLATFORM_HOTRELOAD_ENABLED=1

Option B -- Add it to launchSettings.json (recommended for repeatable use):

Create or update Properties/launchSettings.json in the test project:

{
  "profiles": {
    "<ProjectName>": {
      "commandName": "Project",
      "environmentVariables": {
        "TESTINGPLATFORM_HOTRELOAD_ENABLED": "1"
      }
    }
  }
}

Step 4: Run the tests with hot reload

Run the test project directly (not through dotnet test) to use hot reload in console mode:

dotnet run --project <project-path>

To filter to specific failing tests, pass the filter after --. The syntax depends on the test framework -- see the filter-syntax skill for full details. Quick examples:

Framework	Filter syntax
MSTest	dotnet run --project <path> -- --filter "FullyQualifiedName~TestMethodName"
NUnit	dotnet run --project <path> -- --filter "FullyQualifiedName~TestMethodName"
xUnit v3	dotnet run --project <path> -- --filter-method "*TestMethodName"
TUnit	dotnet run --project <path> -- --treenode-filter "/*/*/ClassName/TestMethodName"

The test host will start, run the tests, and remain running waiting for code changes.

Step 5: Iterate on the fix

1. Edit the source code (test code or production code) in your editor
2. The test host detects the changes and re-runs the affected tests automatically
3. Review the updated results in the console
4. Repeat until all targeted tests pass

Important: Hot reload currently works in console mode only. There is no support for hot reload in Test Explorer for Visual Studio or Visual Studio Code.

Unsupported edits and rude edits

Method-signature changes, new types, and other unsupported edits cannot be applied to the active process. Never imply that the stale host picked them up.

For a directly launched MTP host:

1. Preserve the exact command, profile, environment, filter, and arguments that started the current host.
2. Stop it with Ctrl+C.
3. Rebuild the same project: dotnet build <project-path>.
4. Rerun the same original host command. Do not replace an unknown existing invocation with a generic dotnet run command.

If repeated unsupported edits are expected, offer a watch-managed restart fallback:

# PowerShell
$env:TESTINGPLATFORM_HOTRELOAD_ENABLED = "1"
$env:DOTNET_WATCH_RESTART_ON_RUDE_EDIT = "1"
dotnet watch --project <project-path> run -- <existing-MTP-arguments>

dotnet watch restarts the process when a rude edit cannot be applied. Without the auto-restart variable, accept the restart prompt or press Ctrl+R. Preserve any existing test filter after --. DOTNET_WATCH_RESTART_ON_RUDE_EDIT is a documented .NET SDK switch, not an MTP extension setting. When correctness may be questioned, cite the dotnet watch documentation and say that it makes the watcher restart instead of prompting. Never omit the original filter or replace the requested watch-managed fallback with a one-shot dotnet run.

Step 6: Finalize

Once all tests pass:

1. Stop the test host (Ctrl+C)
2. Use run-tests when the user requests an exact one-shot validation command, flags, filter, TRX, or dump
3. Optionally remove TESTINGPLATFORM_HOTRELOAD_ENABLED from the environment or keep launchSettings.json for future use

Validation

• Project uses Microsoft Testing Platform (not VSTest)
• Microsoft.Testing.Extensions.HotReload package is installed
• TESTINGPLATFORM_HOTRELOAD_ENABLED environment variable is set to 1
• Tests run and the host remains active waiting for changes
• Code changes are picked up without manual restart

Common Pitfalls

Pitfall	Solution
Using dotnet test instead of dotnet run	Hot reload requires dotnet run --project <path> to run the test host directly in console mode
Project uses VSTest, not MTP	Do not mutate it. Offer dotnet watch --project <path> test as a rebuild/rerun fallback or a separate explicit migration
Forgetting to set the environment variable	Set TESTINGPLATFORM_HOTRELOAD_ENABLED=1 before running
Expecting Test Explorer integration	Console mode only -- no VS/VS Code Test Explorer support
Making unsupported code changes (rude edits)	Stop, rebuild, and rerun the same host invocation, or use dotnet watch with restart-on-rude-edit behavior