Feature: Consider to cancel @Ignore by command through an option

[manueljordan]

Hello JUnit Team

Consider a Test Class (and even a Test Method) annotated with @Ignore.

Taking in consideration (or reference) Spring Framework where is possible override profiles by command with the -Dspring.profiles.active option. Therefore it is useful to avoid open a Class, change programmatically the profiles and re-compile for execution.

Therefore with the purpose to avoid open a Test Class (or Test Method), comment @Ignore and re-compile for test execution. Can be consider it in create an option to "cancel" the @Ignore? Something like the -DcancelIgnore option

Therefore with Maven consider:

mvn test -Dtest=com.manuel.jordan.CountryTest -DcancelIgnore
mvn test -Dtest=com.manuel.jordan.CountryTest#cityTest -DcancelIgnore

Thanks for understanding

[sbrannen]

Hi Manuel!

Thanks for the suggestion, but I don't think this is something we'd add.

First, @Ignore is a JUnit 4 annotation. In CountryTest, you're presumably running a plain JUnit 4 test class, which executes via the JUnit Vintage engine. Vintage delegates to JUnit 4's own Runner/filtering machinery under the hood, which JUnit 5/6 (Jupiter) doesn't intercept. So there's no hook on our side to "cancel" @Ignore for a Vintage-based test run.

If you're actually writing Jupiter tests, the equivalent annotation is @Disabled, and what you're asking for already exists! You can deactivate any ExecutionCondition (including the one backing @Disabled) via a JUnit configuration parameter or JVM system property, without touching your source code:

-Djunit.jupiter.conditions.deactivate=org.junit.*DisabledCondition

or even -Djunit.jupiter.conditions.deactivate=* to deactivate all conditions. See the docs here: https://docs.junit.org/6.1.3/extensions/conditional-test-execution.html#deactivation

As a side note, junit-jupiter-migrationsupport does have limited @Ignore support for JUnit-4-style tests run as Jupiter tests, via IgnoreCondition — and that would also be covered by the same deactivation mechanism. But that module is deprecated for removal as of 6.0, so I wouldn't build a workflow around it.

In summary, for JUnit Jupiter and @Disabled, you're covered today. For genuine JUnit 4 and @Ignore on Vintage, that would need to be addressed upstream in JUnit 4 itself, which basically won't happen since JUnit 4 is in maintenance mode at this point.

Hope that helps!

[manueljordan]

Hello Sam!

Huge thanks for the quick reply and you are correct, It is about JUnit 5/6, therefore about the @Disabled. I was so tired yesterday in the night so I thought in: "Ignore" @Disabled so it end merged in @Ignore and it is related in JUnit 4

Big thanks for the link shared and guidance. Soon as I can I am going to do some experiments

A cold beer to you 🍻