-show should have an option to write summarized passes

[TravisEz13]

1. Provide a general summary of the issue in the Title above

-show should have an option to print only summarize passes. Example only a + per pass

2. Describe Your Environment

Operating System, Pester version and PowerShell version:

Pester version     : 4.1.1 /usr/local/share/powershell/Modules/Pester/4.1.1/Pester.psm1
PowerShell version : 6.0.1
OS version         : Unix 17.4.0.0

3. Expected Behavior

ability to print something per test case to satisfy CI requirement, but not full log

4.Current Behavior

To print something per test case I have to print the full test case information. I would like something smaller.

5. Possible Solution

invoke-pester -Show @([Pester.OutputTypes]::Describe,[Pester.OutputTypes]::Summary,[Pester.OutputTypes]::Failed,[Pester.OutputTypes]::PassedSummary)

Where PassedSummary causes only a + to be printed (no newline) per test case.

6. Context

I'm trying to get output similar to the following without having to do a lot a processing of the output:

[dlwyatt]

If you need to do processing on the output, why not just use -PassThru and get nice objects to work with inestead of the text? PowerShell, man! :)

[johlju]

I like the idea that Travis proposes. It would simplify output when used in a CI pipeline. I think even when using the -PassThru parameter Pester still writes the full testing output to console. Or is there another parameter that can be used to minimize the output?

[nohwnd]

@johlju you can use -Show None to show no output to the console.

[nohwnd]

@TravisEz13 you can change the output with a small hack. You can reach inside of Pester module and replace Write-PesterResult with your custom function, like this:

&(get-module pester) { 
    ${function:Write-PesterResult} = { 
        param($TestResult)
        Write-host "abc"
    } 
}

That way you can work with the "raw data" directly, but you will also rely on internal details of the implementation. What I don't get is how you will understand which test has failed from that output. You will have to go back and run it again, or inspect the -PassThru. So personally I would use -Show Fails or -Show Failed, Summary to see short version of the test run.

[TravisEz13]

@dlwyatt travis-ci requires that we output something periodically. -passthru doesn't meet our needs. Also, suppressing the logs was the opposite of my ask.
@nohwnd We have been able to do this without rewriting a pester function, I'm just proposing moving the functionality to Pester.

[nohwnd]

@TravisEz13 I am sorry, but to me this seems too niche to warrant adding another form of output to Pester. Hopefully we will have a general "plugin" solution some day, that would allow this kind of extension (or in this case reduction :D).

[TravisEz13]

@nohwnd Without some solution, the logs become unreadable in our CI system. I hope we have enough usage of PowerShell that other projects face the same problem. Granted we have a solution but I think in the long run the solution needs to be moved into Pester.