My local test development environment setup — VSCode extensions and tools I actually use
Ajitesh MohantaAmbassador
Feb 4, 2026 3,257 0
People often share CI setups. Here's my local setup for writing and debugging tests:
**VSCode extensions:**
- **Playwright Test for VSCode** — run individual tests from the gutter, step through with the inspector. Game changer.
- **Python Test Explorer** — pytest integration, but the built-in Python extension now handles this too
- **Error Lens** — shows error messages inline, not just in the Problems panel
- **GitLens** — for blaming test history and understanding why a test was written the way it was
**Terminal tools:**
- `pytest -x --no-header -q` as my default pytest alias — stops at first failure, minimal output
- `playwright show-trace` aliased to `pt` — open traces without remembering the full command
**Other:**
- Keep a test scratch file (`test_sandbox.py`) in `.gitignore` for quick experiments without creating real test files
- `watchexec` to auto-run tests on file save during active development
What's in your local setup that others might not know about?