Action for Running MATLAB Tests

The Run MATLAB Tests action enables you to run MATLAB® and Simulink® tests and generate test and coverage artifacts on a self-hosted or GitHub®-hosted runner:

• To use a self-hosted runner, you must set up a computer with MATLAB as your self-hosted runner and register the runner with GitHub Actions. The runner uses the topmost MATLAB release on the system path to execute your workflow.
• To use a GitHub-hosted runner, you must include the Setup MATLAB action in your workflow to set up your preferred MATLAB release (R2021a or later) on the runner.

Examples

Use the Run MATLAB Tests action to automatically run tests authored using the MATLAB unit testing framework or Simulink Test™. You can use this action with optional inputs to generate various test and coverage artifacts.

Run Tests in MATLAB Project

On a self-hosted runner, run the tests in your MATLAB project. To run the tests, specify the Run MATLAB Tests action in your workflow.

name: Run Tests in MATLAB Project
on: [push]
jobs:
  my-job:
    name: Run MATLAB Tests
    runs-on: self-hosted
    steps:
      - name: Check out repository
        uses: actions/checkout@v4
      - name: Run tests
        uses: matlab-actions/run-tests@v2

Generate Test and Coverage Artifacts

Using the latest release of MATLAB on a GitHub-hosted runner, run the tests in your MATLAB project and generate test results in JUnit-style XML format and code coverage results in Cobertura XML format. To set up the latest release of MATLAB on the runner, specify the Setup MATLAB action in your workflow. To run the tests and generate the artifacts, specify the Run MATLAB Tests action.

name: Generate Test and Coverage Artifacts
on: [push]
jobs:
  my-job:
    name: Run MATLAB Tests
    runs-on: ubuntu-latest
    steps:
      - name: Check out repository
        uses: actions/checkout@v4
      - name: Set up MATLAB
        uses: matlab-actions/setup-matlab@v2
      - name: Run tests
        uses: matlab-actions/run-tests@v2
        with:
          test-results-junit: test-results/results.xml
          code-coverage-cobertura: code-coverage/coverage.xml

Run Tests in Parallel

Run your MATLAB and Simulink tests in parallel (requires Parallel Computing Toolbox™) using the latest release of the required products on a GitHub-hosted runner. To set up the latest release of MATLAB, Simulink, Simulink Test, and Parallel Computing Toolbox on the runner, specify the Setup MATLAB action with its products input in your workflow. To run the tests in parallel, specify the Run MATLAB Tests action with its use-parallel input specified as true.

name: Run Tests in Parallel
on: [push]
jobs:
  my-job:
    name: Run MATLAB and Simulink Tests
    runs-on: ubuntu-latest
    steps:
      - name: Check out repository
        uses: actions/checkout@v4
      - name: Set up products
        uses: matlab-actions/setup-matlab@v2
        with:
          products: >
            Simulink
            Simulink_Test
            Parallel_Computing_Toolbox
      - name: Run tests
        uses: matlab-actions/run-tests@v2
        with:
          use-parallel: true

Use MATLAB Batch Licensing Token

On a GitHub-hosted runner, you need a MATLAB batch licensing token if your project is private or if your workflow includes transformation products, such as MATLAB Coder™ and MATLAB Compiler™. Batch licensing tokens are strings that enable MATLAB to start in noninteractive environments. You can request a token by submitting the MATLAB Batch Licensing Pilot form.

To use a MATLAB batch licensing token:

1. Set the token as a secret. For more information about secrets, see Using secrets in GitHub Actions.
2. Map the secret to an environment variable named MLM_LICENSE_TOKEN in your workflow.

For example, use the latest release of MATLAB on a GitHub-hosted runner to run the tests in your private project. To set up the latest release of MATLAB on the runner, specify the Setup MATLAB action in your workflow. To run the tests, specify the Run MATLAB Tests action. In this example, MyToken is the name of the secret that holds the batch licensing token.

name: Use MATLAB Batch Licensing Token
on: [push]
env:
  MLM_LICENSE_TOKEN: ${{ secrets.MyToken }}
jobs:
  my-job:
    name: Run MATLAB Tests in Private Project
    runs-on: ubuntu-latest
    steps:
      - name: Check out repository
        uses: actions/checkout@v4
      - name: Set up MATLAB
        uses: matlab-actions/setup-matlab@v2
      - name: Run tests
        uses: matlab-actions/run-tests@v2

Run MATLAB Tests

When you define your workflow in the .github/workflows directory of your repository, specify the Run MATLAB Tests action as matlab-actions/run-tests@v2.

By default, the action includes any files in your project that have a Test label. If your workflow does not use a MATLAB project, or if it uses a MATLAB release before R2019a, then the action includes all tests in the root of your repository and in any of its subfolders. The action fails if any of the included tests fail.

The Run MATLAB Tests action accepts optional inputs. For example, you can add folders to the MATLAB search path, control which tests to run, and generate various artifacts.

Input	Description
source-folder	(Optional) Location of the folder containing source code, specified as a path relative to the project root folder. The specified folder and its subfolders are added to the top of the MATLAB search path. If you specify source-folder and then generate a coverage report, the action uses only the source code in the specified folder and its subfolders to generate the report. You can specify multiple folders using a colon-separated or semicolon-separated list. Example: source-folder: source Example: source-folder: source/folderA; source/folderB
select-by-folder	(Optional) Location of the folder used to select test suite elements, specified as a path relative to the project root folder. To create a test suite, the action uses only the tests in the specified folder and its subfolders. You can specify multiple folders using a colon-separated or semicolon-separated list. Example: select-by-folder: test Example: select-by-folder: test/folderA; test/folderB
select-by-tag	(Optional) Test tag used to select test suite elements. To create a test suite, the action uses only the test elements with the specified tag. Example: select-by-tag: Unit
strict	(Optional) Option to apply strict checks when running tests, specified as false or true. By default, the value is false. If you specify a value of true, the action generates a qualification failure whenever a test issues a warning. Example: strict: true
use-parallel	(Optional) Option to run tests in parallel, specified as false or true. By default, the value is false and tests run in serial. If the test runner configuration is suited for parallelization, you can specify a value of true to run tests in parallel. This input requires a Parallel Computing Toolbox license. Example: use-parallel: true
output-detail	(Optional) Amount of event detail displayed for the test run, specified as none, terse, concise, detailed, or verbose. By default, the action displays failing and logged events at the detailed level and test run progress at the concise level. Example: output-detail: verbose
logging-level	(Optional) Maximum verbosity level for logged diagnostics included for the test run, specified as none, terse, concise, detailed, or verbose. By default, the action includes diagnostics logged at the terse level. Example: logging-level: detailed
test-results-pdf	(Optional) Location to write the test results in PDF format, specified as a path relative to the project root folder. On macOS platforms, this input is supported in MATLAB R2020b and later. Example: test-results-pdf: test-results/results.pdf
test-results-junit	(Optional) Location to write the test results in JUnit-style XML format, specified as a path relative to the project root folder. Example: test-results-junit: test-results/results.xml
test-results-simulink-test	(Optional) Location to export Simulink Test Manager results in MLDATX format, specified as a path relative to the project root folder. This input requires a Simulink Test license and is supported in MATLAB R2019a and later. Example: test-results-simulink-test: test-results/results.mldatx
code-coverage-cobertura	(Optional) Location to write the code coverage results in Cobertura XML format, specified as a path relative to the project root folder. Example: code-coverage-cobertura: code-coverage/coverage.xml
model-coverage-cobertura	(Optional) Location to write the model coverage results in Cobertura XML format, specified as a path relative to the project root folder. This input requires a Simulink Coverage™ license and is supported in MATLAB R2018b and later. Example: model-coverage-cobertura: model-coverage/coverage.xml
startup-options	(Optional) MATLAB startup options, specified as a list of options separated by spaces. For more information about startup options, see Commonly Used Startup Options. Using this input to specify the -batch or -r option is not supported. Example: startup-options: -nojvm Example: startup-options: -nojvm -logfile output.log

Notes

• By default, when you use the Run MATLAB Tests action, the root of your repository serves as the MATLAB startup folder. To run your tests using a different folder, specify the -sd startup option in the action.
• In MATLAB R2019a and later, the Run MATLAB Tests action uses the -batch option to start MATLAB noninteractively. Preferences do not persist across different MATLAB sessions launched with the -batch option. To run code that requires the same preferences, use a single action.
• When you use the Run MATLAB Tests action, you execute third-party code that is licensed under separate terms.

See Also

• Action for Running MATLAB Builds
• Action for Running MATLAB Commands
• Action for Setting Up MATLAB
• Continuous Integration with MATLAB and Simulink

Contact Us

If you have any questions or suggestions, contact MathWorks® at [email protected].