# Client Build System Installs, stages, and builds the client-side scripts necessary for running the Galaxy web client. When started through `run.sh` or any other method that utilizes `scripts/common_startup.sh`, Galaxy will (since 18.09) _automatically_ build the client as a part of server startup when it detects changes unless that functionality is explicitly disabled. The base dependencies used are Node.js and pnpm. Galaxy includes appropriate versions of these in the virtual environment, and they can be accessed by activating that with `. .venv/bin/activate` from the Galaxy root directory. If you'd like to install your dependencies external to Galaxy, on OSX the easiest way to get set up is using `homebrew` and the command `brew install node pnpm`. More information, including instructions for other platforms, is available at [https://nodejs.org](https://nodejs.org) and [https://pnpm.io/](https://pnpm.io/). The Galaxy client build has necessarily grown more complex in the past several years, but we are still trying to keep things as simple as possible for everyone. If you're having any trouble with building the client after following the instructions below, please create an issue on GitHub or reach out for help directly on Gitter at [https://gitter.im/galaxyproject/Lobby](https://gitter.im/galaxyproject/Lobby). ## Complete Client Build There are many moving parts to the client build system, but the entry point for most people is the 'client' rule in the Makefile at the root of the Galaxy repository. Execute the following to perform a complete build suitable for local development, including dependency staging, style building, script processing, and bundling. This is a development-specific build that includes extra debugging features and excludes several production optimizations made during the build process. make client For a production build, suitable for deploying to a live server, use the following: make client-production And, lastly, if you want a production build that includes sourcemaps to allow for inspection of live javascript to facilitate debugging, use: make client-production-maps Important Note: The Galaxy repository does not include client script artifacts, and these should not be committed. ## Automatic Rebuilding When you're actively developing, it is convenient to have the client automatically rebuild every time you save a file. You can do this using: make client-dev-server Or, with the package scripts from this `client` directory: pnpm run develop This will start up an extra client development server running on port 5173. Open your browser to `http://localhost:5173` (instead of the default 8080 that Galaxy would run on), and you should see Galaxy like normal. Except now, when you change client code it'll automatically rebuild _and_ reload the relevant portion of the application for you. Lastly, if you are running Galaxy at a location other than the default, you can specify a different proxy target (in this example, port 8000) using the GALAXY_URL environment variable: GALAXY_URL="http://localhost:8000" make client-dev-server Sometimes you want to run your local UI against a remote Galaxy server. This is also possible if you set the `CHANGE_ORIGIN` environment variable: CHANGE_ORIGIN=true GALAXY_URL="https://usegalaxy.org/" make client-dev-server You can also specify a particular port to bind the dev server to: VITE_PORT=8083 pnpm run develop ## Running a Separate Server When developing the client it can be helpful to run a local server for the client to connect to, and run the client separately with one of the above commands. This command will run galaxy without building the client: make skip-client Or by setting the following environment variable and running Galaxy however you prefer: GALAXY_SKIP_CLIENT_BUILD=1 ./run.sh ## Changing Styles/CSS Galaxy uses Sass for globally applied styling, which is a superset of CSS that compiles down to regular CSS. Most Galaxy styling source (.scss) files are kept in `client/src/style/scss`. Many components will also have local style blocks containing styles that are particular to that individual component and do not apply site-wide. On build, the compiled css bundle is served at `/static/dist/base.css`. As mentioned above, `make client` will rebuild styles as a part of the build process. For iterative development, "Watch Mode" rebuilds as described above do include style changes. ## Client-Side Unit Testing Galaxy's client is undergoing an extensive refactoring and modernizing process. As part of this initiative, we would like to request that all new client-side code submissions come with accompanying javascript unit-tests for the developer-facing API of your new code. ### Testing Technologies [Galaxy uses Vitest](https://vitest.dev/) for its client-side unit testing framework. For testing Vue components, we use the [Vue testing utils](https://vue-test-utils.vuejs.org/) to mount individual components in a test bed and check them for rendered features. Please use Vitest's mocking capabilities for isolating test functionality. ### Linting We use [Prettier](https://prettier.io/) to enforce code style and best practices. Before submitting a pull request, run the following commands as appropriate to ensure all the code is properly formatted: make client-lint make client-format ### Running the tests #### At Build-Time To simply run all the javascript unit tests, you can use make from the root directory. This is what happens during a complete client build. make client-test #### During Development During client-side development, it is more convenient to have granular testing options. The various testing scripts are defined inside package.json within the client folder and are called with `pnpm` as demonstrated in the following commands. This is what CI is going to run, and also what 'make client-test' invokes, executing all the client tests: pnpm test ##### Watch and rerun unit tests every time a source file changes This is incredibly handy, and there are a host of options in the interactive terminal this starts for executing Vitest tests. pnpm test:watch ##### Run only specified test files when a source file changes pnpm test:watch MyModule pnpm test:watch Dialog pnpm test:watch workflow/run ### Testing Best Practices and Patterns #### Test File Structure Test files should be placed adjacent to the code they test with a `.test.ts` or `.test.js` extension: ``` src/components/MyComponent/ ├── MyComponent.vue ├── MyComponent.test.ts └── test-utils.ts # optional: shared test utilities ``` Standard imports pattern: ```typescript import { createTestingPinia } from "@pinia/testing"; import { getLocalVue } from "@tests/vitest/helpers"; import { mount } from "@vue/test-utils"; import flushPromises from "flush-promises"; import { beforeEach, describe, expect, it, vi } from "vitest"; import { useServerMock } from "@/api/client/__mocks__"; import MyComponent from "./MyComponent.vue"; ``` #### Galaxy Testing Infrastructure **LocalVue Setup**: Use the shared `getLocalVue()` helper which configures BootstrapVue, Pinia, localization, and common directives: ```typescript const localVue = getLocalVue(); // or with localization instrumentation for testing l() calls: const localVue = getLocalVue(true); ``` **Test Data Factories**: Use factory functions for consistent test data: ```typescript import { getFakeRegisteredUser } from "@tests/test-data"; const user = getFakeRegisteredUser({ id: "custom-id", is_admin: true }); ``` Create domain-specific factories for complex test data: ```typescript // In test-utils.ts or inline function createFakeHistory(overrides = {}) { return { id: "history-id", name: "Test History", deleted: false, ...overrides, }; } ``` **Suppressing Warnings**: Use helpers to suppress known console warnings: ```typescript import { suppressBootstrapVueWarnings, suppressLucideVue2Deprecation } from "@tests/vitest/helpers"; beforeEach(() => { suppressBootstrapVueWarnings(); suppressLucideVue2Deprecation(); }); ``` #### API Mocking with MSW Galaxy uses [Mock Service Worker (MSW)](https://mswjs.io/) with [OpenAPI-MSW](https://github.com/christoph-fricke/openapi-msw) for type-safe API mocking. This is the preferred approach over axios-mock-adapter: ```typescript import { useServerMock } from "@/api/client/__mocks__"; const { server, http } = useServerMock(); beforeEach(() => { server.use( http.get("/api/histories/{history_id}", ({ response }) => { return response(200).json({ id: "history-id", name: "Test History", }); }), http.post("/api/jobs", ({ response }) => { return response(201).json({ id: "job-id" }); }), ); }); ``` For untyped responses (endpoints not in OpenAPI spec): ```typescript import { HttpResponse, useServerMock } from "@/api/client/__mocks__"; server.use( http.get("/api/configuration", ({ response }) => { return response.untyped(HttpResponse.json({ enable_feature: true })); }), ); ``` See the [MSW documentation](https://mswjs.io/docs/) for advanced usage patterns. #### Mount vs ShallowMount Vue Test Utils provides two mounting functions: `mount` and `shallowMount`. In Galaxy, **prefer `shallowMount`** for client unit tests. **`shallowMount`** (preferred): - Renders the component but stubs all child components - Tests the component in isolation - Faster execution, fewer dependencies to mock - Avoids cascading API calls from child components **`mount`**: - Renders the full component tree including all children - Tests component integration with children - Slower, requires more mocking setup ```typescript import { shallowMount, mount } from "@vue/test-utils"; // Preferred: isolated unit test const wrapper = shallowMount(MyComponent, { localVue, pinia }); // Use sparingly: when testing parent-child interaction const wrapper = mount(MyComponent, { localVue, pinia }); ``` **Why shallowMount for Galaxy?** Client-side tests should be focused unit tests that verify individual component behavior. Integration testing across multiple components is better handled by Galaxy's Selenium/Playwright test framework, which tests the full application stack in a real browser environment. This separation keeps unit tests fast, focused, and maintainable. See [Vue Test Utils: Stubs and Shallow Mount](https://test-utils.vuejs.org/guide/advanced/stubs-shallow-mount) for more details. #### Component Testing Patterns **Mount Wrapper Factories**: Create reusable mount functions for complex component setup: ```typescript async function mountMyComponent(propsData = {}, options = {}) { const pinia = createTestingPinia({ createSpy: vi.fn }); const wrapper = shallowMount(MyComponent, { localVue, propsData: { defaultProp: "value", ...propsData, }, pinia, ...options, }); await flushPromises(); return wrapper; } ``` **Selector Constants**: Define selectors as constants for maintainability: ```typescript const SELECTORS = { SUBMIT_BUTTON: "[data-description='submit button']", ERROR_MESSAGE: "[data-description='error message']", USER_NAME: "#user-name-input", }; it("shows error on failure", async () => { const wrapper = await mountMyComponent(); expect(wrapper.find(SELECTORS.ERROR_MESSAGE).exists()).toBe(true); }); ``` **Testing Emitted Events**: ```typescript it("emits update on change", async () => { const wrapper = await mountMyComponent(); await wrapper.find("input").setValue("new value"); expect(wrapper.emitted()["update:value"]).toBeTruthy(); expect(wrapper.emitted()["update:value"][0][0]).toBe("new value"); }); ``` #### Pinia Store Testing **Setup for Component Tests**: ```typescript import { createTestingPinia } from "@pinia/testing"; import { setActivePinia } from "pinia"; const pinia = createTestingPinia({ createSpy: vi.fn, stubActions: false }); setActivePinia(pinia); const wrapper = shallowMount(MyComponent, { localVue, pinia }); // Access and manipulate stores const userStore = useUserStore(); userStore.currentUser = getFakeRegisteredUser(); ``` **Isolated Store Tests**: ```typescript import { createPinia, setActivePinia } from "pinia"; describe("useMyStore", () => { beforeEach(() => { setActivePinia(createPinia()); }); it("updates state correctly", () => { const store = useMyStore(); store.doAction(); expect(store.someState).toBe("expected"); }); }); ``` #### Composable Testing Test composables by mounting a minimal component that uses them: ```typescript import { mount } from "@vue/test-utils"; import { ref } from "vue"; import { useMyComposable } from "./useMyComposable"; function createTestComponent(initialValue) { return mount({ template: "
", setup() { const input = ref(initialValue); const { result, doSomething } = useMyComposable(input); return { result, doSomething }; }, }); } it("computes result correctly", () => { const wrapper = createTestComponent("input"); expect(wrapper.vm.result).toBe("expected"); }); ``` #### Mocking Modules and Composables Mock at file level before imports are resolved: ```typescript vi.mock("@/composables/config", () => ({ useConfig: vi.fn(() => ({ config: { enable_feature: true }, isConfigLoaded: true, })), })); vi.mock("vue-router/composables", () => ({ useRoute: vi.fn(() => ({ params: { id: "123" } })), })); ``` #### Async Operations Always use `flushPromises()` after operations that trigger API calls or state updates: ```typescript import flushPromises from "flush-promises"; it("loads data on mount", async () => { const wrapper = shallowMount(MyComponent, { localVue, pinia }); await flushPromises(); // Wait for mounted() API calls expect(wrapper.find(".data").exists()).toBe(true); }); ``` For Vue reactivity, use `nextTick()`: ```typescript import { nextTick } from "vue"; await wrapper.setProps({ value: "new" }); await nextTick(); expect(wrapper.text()).toContain("new"); ``` #### Useful Test Pattern Examples The following test files demonstrate specific patterns well and can serve as references: | Pattern | Example File | What It Demonstrates | | ----------------------------- | ----------------------------------------------------------------------- | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | | **API mocking basics** | `src/api/client/serverMock.test.ts` | Core useServerMock patterns: query params, path params, status codes, typed responses | | **Multiple HTTP methods** | `src/composables/userToolCredentials.test.ts` | GET, POST, PUT, DELETE in one test; query param filtering; 204 empty responses | | **Conditional API responses** | `src/composables/taskMonitor.test.ts` | Switch statement pattern for different task states (PENDING, SUCCESS, FAILURE) | | **Paginated API responses** | `src/stores/collectionElementsStore.test.ts` | Dynamic response generation based on offset/limit query params | | **API error handling** | `src/components/History/Export/HistoryExport.test.ts` | 4XX/5XX error responses with err_code and err_msg | | **Config composable mock** | `src/entry/analysis/modules/Login.test.ts` | Using setMockConfig() helper to customize Galaxy configuration | | **Config mock (simple)** | `src/components/Citation/CitationsList.test.ts` | Basic vi.mock pattern for useConfig | | **Shared YAML** | `src/components/Collections/pairing.test.ts` | Defining YAML specifications that can be shared between frontend and backend | | **Stub with methods** | `src/components/Workflow/Editor/Index.test.ts` | Stubbing components with methods and `expose` for template refs | | **Stub with factory** | `src/components/Tool/ToolForm.test.js` | MockCurrentHistory() factory for configurable stubs | | **Selective stubbing** | `src/components/History/Content/ContentItem.test.js` | Mix of stubbed (`true`) and rendered (`false`) components | | **Named slots** | `src/components/Popper/Popper.test.js` | Testing multiple named slots with HTML string content | | **Multiple slots** | `src/components/Form/FormCardSticky.test.js` | Testing buttons, default, and footer slots together | | **Scoped slots mock** | `src/components/Visualizations/DisplayApplications.test.js` | Mocking provider component with $scopedSlots | | **Slots in stubs** | `src/components/Markdown/Editor/Configurations/ConfigureHeader.test.js` | Stub templates that include slot definitions | | **Test data factory** | `tests/test-data/index.ts` | getFakeRegisteredUser() pattern for reusable mock data | #### Best Practices Summary 1. **Test behavior, not implementation**: Focus on what users see, not internal methods 2. **Avoid accessing `wrapper.vm` directly**: Test through the template when possible 3. **Keep tests focused**: One behavior per test 4. **Use descriptive names**: `"displays error banner when API returns 500"` not `"test error"` 5. **Clean up between tests**: Reset mocks in `beforeEach`/`afterEach` 6. **Mock at appropriate level**: Mock external services, test component logic with real data 7. **Don't test framework code**: Vue and Pinia are already tested 8. **Test edge cases**: Error states, empty data, boundary conditions