Using Vitest in VSCode forks (Windsurf, Cursor) and IDE-agnostic setup

[deacitra22]

Hi! I have questions about the Vitest VSCode extension:

1. Can this extension work in VSCode forks like Windsurf or Cursor? Or is it VSCode-specific?
2. If the extension doesn't work in other editors, what's the recommended way to get similar functionality (test UI, inline results) that works across different IDEs?
3. Is there a way to configure Vitest to provide persistent test feedback without relying on editor-specific extensions?

I'm trying to set up a workflow that works consistently regardless of the code editor being used.

[fxrdhan]

The Vitest VSCode extension should work in most VSCode forks like Cursor and Windsurf since they're built on the same VSCode foundation and support VSCode extensions. However, there might be some edge cases or minor compatibility issues depending on how much the fork has diverged from vanilla VSCode.

If you want functionality that works across different IDEs, here are some options:

• Run vitest --ui command to get a browser-based test interface that works regardless of your editor. It provides a nice visual interface for running and viewing tests.

• vitest --watch to runs tests automatically on file changes and shows results in the terminal.

• Use custom reporters to get the output format you need:

  vitest --reporter=verbose
  vitest --reporter=json --outputFile=results.json

Here are some IDE-agnostic approaches:

• As mentioned above, vitest --ui provides a persistent web interface
• Keep vitest --watch running in a terminal pane alongside your code
• Set up continuous testing in your CI pipeline
• Vitest is working on language server protocol support which would work across any LSP-compatible editor

Recommended workflow:

# In one terminal
vitest --watch --reporter=verbose

# Or for visual feedback
vitest --ui

This way, your testing workflow remains consistent no matter which editor you're using!

Hope this helps!