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The bugster update command automatically maintains your test specifications by analyzing code changes and updating, creating, or deleting tests accordingly to keep them synchronized with your evolving codebase.

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Basic Usage

bugster update

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Command Overview

Analyzes git changes in your codebase and intelligently updates your test suite to reflect modifications, additions, and deletions in your application code.

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When to Use

  • After modifying existing features to keep tests in sync
  • In Pull Request workflows to automate test maintenance
  • When you’ve added new pages or components
  • After deleting or refactoring code sections

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Key Features

  • Compares against git changes to determine updates needed
  • Creates new tests, modifies existing ones, or deletes obsolete tests
  • Saves current state for future incremental comparisons
  • Works with both staged and unstaged changes
  • Intelligent selective updating of relevant test sections
The update command requires a git repository with committed changes for comparison and automatically saves update state after successful runs.

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Command Syntax

bugster update [options]

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How It Works

The update command:
  1. Change Analysis: Compares current code against git history or saved state
  2. Impact Assessment: Identifies which tests are affected by code changes
  3. Test Maintenance: Updates, creates, or deletes test specifications as needed
  4. State Saving: Records current state for future incremental updates
  5. Validation: Ensures test specifications remain valid and executable

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Update Types

  • Modified Files
  • New Files
  • Deleted Files
Updates existing test specs when code changes:
  • Function signature changes → updated test steps
  • UI modifications → adjusted interaction flows
  • Logic updates → revised assertion patterns

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Scope Options

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--update-only
boolean
Only update existing test specifications. No new test suggestions or deletions will be performed.
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--suggest-only
boolean
Only suggest new test specifications for added files. No updates to existing tests or deletions.
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--delete-only
boolean
Only delete obsolete test specifications for removed files. No updates or new suggestions.

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Comparison Options

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--against-default
boolean
Compare against the default branch (main/master) instead of HEAD. Perfect for Pull Request workflows.
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--against-last-update
boolean
Compare against the commit from the last update run. Enables incremental updates for active development.
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--show-logs
boolean
Show detailed logs during analysis. (Deprecated - use —debug instead)

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Examples

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Complete Test Maintenance

bugster update
Handles all types of changes: updates, additions, and deletions.

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Safe Updates Only

bugster update --update-only
Only modifies existing tests without creating new ones or deleting any.

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New Feature Testing

bugster update --suggest-only
Generates tests only for newly added code and features.

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Post-refactor Cleanup

bugster update --delete-only
Removes obsolete tests after code refactoring or deletion.

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Branch Comparison

bugster update --against-default
Compares against main/master branch to catch all changes in feature branch.

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Incremental Updates

bugster update --against-last-update
Only processes changes since the last update run for efficient maintenance.

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Workflow Integration

Pre-commit Hook

bugster update --update-only
Ensure tests stay current before committing changes.

PR Automation

bugster update --against-default
Automate test maintenance in GitHub Actions/CI.

Feature Development

bugster update
Complete maintenance after feature development.

Daily Maintenance

bugster update --against-last-update
Regular incremental test maintenance.

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Update Scenarios

# After completing feature development
bugster update

# For PR review
bugster update --against-default
Maintains tests throughout feature development lifecycle.
# In GitHub Actions
bugster update --against-default --update-only
Automated test maintenance in CI/CD pipelines.
# After major refactoring
bugster update --delete-only

# Then update remaining tests
bugster update --update-only
Systematic test cleanup after code restructuring.

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Validation Workflow

After running update, follow this validation process:
  1. Review Changes: Examine generated test modifications
  2. Run Tests: Execute updated tests with bugster run --only-affected
  3. Validate Coverage: Ensure new features have adequate test coverage
  4. Commit Updates: Add updated test specifications to version control

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Limitations

Cannot use both --against-default and --against-last-update simultaneously. Choose one comparison method per execution.

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Best Practices

Use --against-last-update for incremental updates during active development. Combine with bugster run --only-affected for complete change validation workflow.
Always review generated changes before committing to your repository. The --against-default flag is perfect for PR workflows to catch all branch changes comprehensively.
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