Skip to main content

Migrating from NUnit

Performance Boost

Migrating from NUnit to TUnit can significantly improve test execution speed. Benchmarks show TUnit is 1.2x faster than NUnit on average. Check the detailed benchmarks to see performance comparisons.

Quick Reference​

NUnitTUnit
[TestFixture](remove - not needed)
[Test][Test]
[TestCase(...)][Arguments(...)]
[TestCaseSource(nameof(...))][MethodDataSource(nameof(...))]
[Category("value")][Category("value")] (same) or [Property("Category", "value")]
[Ignore][Skip]
[Explicit][Explicit]
[SetUp][Before(Test)]
[TearDown][After(Test)]
[OneTimeSetUp][Before(Class)]
[OneTimeTearDown][After(Class)]
[SetUpFixture] + [OneTimeSetUp][Before(Assembly)] on static method
[Values(...)] on parameter[Matrix(...)] on each parameter
Assert.AreEqual(expected, actual)await Assert.That(actual).IsEqualTo(expected)
Assert.That(actual, Is.EqualTo(expected))await Assert.That(actual).IsEqualTo(expected)
Assert.Throws<T>(() => ...)await Assert.ThrowsAsync<T>(() => ...)
TestContext.WriteLine(...)TestContext parameter with context.OutputWriter.WriteLine(...)
TestContext.AddTestAttachment(path, name)TestContext.Current!.Output.AttachArtifact(new Artifact { File = new FileInfo(path), DisplayName = name })
CollectionAssert.AreEqual(expected, actual)await Assert.That(actual).IsEquivalentTo(expected)
StringAssert.Contains(substring, text)await Assert.That(text).Contains(substring)

Automated Migration with Code Fixers​

TUnit includes code fixers that automate most of the migration work.

What gets converted:

  • Tests to async Task with awaited assertions
  • Removes [TestFixture], converts [TestCase] → [Arguments]
  • Both classic and constraint-based NUnit assertions to TUnit's fluent syntax
  • [TestCaseSource] → [MethodDataSource]
  • [SetUp]/[TearDown] → [Before(Test)]/[After(Test)]

The code fixer handles most common patterns automatically (roughly 80-90% of typical test suites). You'll need to manually adjust complex cases like custom fixtures or intricate async patterns.

If you find something that should be automated but isn't, please open an issue.

Steps​

Install the TUnit packages to your test projects​

Use your IDE or the dotnet CLI to add the TUnit packages to your test projects

Remove the automatically added global usings​

In your csproj add:

    <PropertyGroup>
<TUnitImplicitUsings>false</TUnitImplicitUsings>
<TUnitAssertionsImplicitUsings>false</TUnitAssertionsImplicitUsings>
</PropertyGroup>

This is temporary - Just to make sure no types clash, and so the code fixers can distinguish between NUnit and TUnit types with similar names.

Rebuild the project​

This ensures the TUnit packages have been restored and the analyzers should be loaded.

Run the code fixer via the dotnet CLI​

dotnet format analyzers --severity info --diagnostics TUNU0001

Revert step Remove the automatically added global usings​

Perform any manual bits that are still necessary​

Review the converted code and make any necessary manual adjustments. Raise an issue if you think something could be automated.

Remove the NUnit packages​

Simply uninstall them once you've migrated

Done! (Hopefully)​

Manual Migration Guide​

Test Attributes​

[TestFixture] - Remove this attribute (not needed in TUnit)

[Test] remains [Test]

[TestCase] becomes [Arguments]

[TestCaseSource] becomes [MethodDataSource]

[Category] becomes [Property("Category", "value")]

[Ignore] becomes [Skip]

[Explicit] becomes [Explicit]

Setup and Teardown​

[SetUp] becomes [Before(HookType.Test)]

[TearDown] becomes [After(HookType.Test)]

[OneTimeSetUp] becomes [Before(HookType.Class)]

[OneTimeTearDown] becomes [After(HookType.Class)]

Assertions​

Classic Assertions​

// NUnit
Assert.AreEqual(expected, actual);
Assert.IsTrue(condition);
Assert.IsNull(value);
Assert.Greater(value1, value2);

// TUnit
await Assert.That(actual).IsEqualTo(expected);
await Assert.That(condition).IsTrue();
await Assert.That(value).IsNull();
await Assert.That(value1).IsGreaterThan(value2);

Constraint-Based Assertions​

// NUnit
Assert.That(actual, Is.EqualTo(expected));
Assert.That(value, Is.True);
Assert.That(value, Is.Null);
Assert.That(text, Does.Contain("substring"));
Assert.That(collection, Has.Count.EqualTo(5));

// TUnit
await Assert.That(actual).IsEqualTo(expected);
await Assert.That(value).IsTrue();
await Assert.That(value).IsNull();
await Assert.That(text).Contains("substring");
await Assert.That(collection).Count().IsEqualTo(5);

Collection Assertions​

// NUnit
CollectionAssert.AreEqual(expected, actual);
CollectionAssert.Contains(collection, item);
CollectionAssert.IsEmpty(collection);

// TUnit
await Assert.That(actual).IsEquivalentTo(expected);
await Assert.That(collection).Contains(item);
await Assert.That(collection).IsEmpty();

String Assertions​

// NUnit
StringAssert.Contains(substring, text);
StringAssert.StartsWith(prefix, text);
StringAssert.EndsWith(suffix, text);

// TUnit
await Assert.That(text).Contains(substring);
await Assert.That(text).StartsWith(prefix);
await Assert.That(text).EndsWith(suffix);

Exception Testing​

// NUnit
Assert.Throws<InvalidOperationException>(() => DoSomething());
Assert.ThrowsAsync<InvalidOperationException>(async () => await DoSomethingAsync());

// TUnit
await Assert.ThrowsAsync<InvalidOperationException>(() => DoSomething());
await Assert.ThrowsAsync<InvalidOperationException>(async () => await DoSomethingAsync());

Test Data Sources​

TestCaseSource​

// NUnit
[TestCaseSource(nameof(TestData))]
public void TestMethod(int value, string text)
{
// Test implementation
}

private static IEnumerable TestData()
{
yield return new object[] { 1, "one" };
yield return new object[] { 2, "two" };
}

// TUnit
[MethodDataSource(nameof(TestData))]
public async Task TestMethod(int value, string text)
{
// Test implementation
}

private static IEnumerable<(int, string)> TestData()
{
yield return (1, "one");
yield return (2, "two");
}

Parameterized Tests​

// NUnit
[TestCase(1, 2, 3)]
[TestCase(10, 20, 30)]
public void AdditionTest(int a, int b, int expected)
{
Assert.AreEqual(expected, a + b);
}

// TUnit
[Test]
[Arguments(1, 2, 3)]
[Arguments(10, 20, 30)]
public async Task AdditionTest(int a, int b, int expected)
{
await Assert.That(a + b).IsEqualTo(expected);
}

Test Output​

// NUnit
TestContext.WriteLine("Test output");
TestContext.Out.WriteLine("More output");

// TUnit (inject TestContext)
public async Task MyTest(TestContext context)
{
context.OutputWriter.WriteLine("Test output");
context.OutputWriter.WriteLine("More output");
}

Test Attachments​

// NUnit
[Test]
public void TestWithAttachment()
{
// Test logic
var logPath = "test-log.txt";
File.WriteAllText(logPath, "test logs");

TestContext.AddTestAttachment(logPath, "Test Log");
}

// TUnit
[Test]
public async Task TestWithAttachment()
{
// Test logic
var logPath = "test-log.txt";
await File.WriteAllTextAsync(logPath, "test logs");

TestContext.Current!.Output.AttachArtifact(new Artifact
{
File = new FileInfo(logPath),
DisplayName = "Test Log",
Description = "Logs captured during test execution" // Optional
});
}

For more information about working with test artifacts, including session-level artifacts and best practices, see the Test Artifacts guide.

Combinatorial Testing​

Values and Combinatorial → Matrix​

NUnit Code:

public class CombinationTests
{
[Test]
public void TestCombinations(
[Values(1, 2, 3)] int x,
[Values("a", "b")] string y)
{
Assert.That(x, Is.GreaterThan(0));
Assert.That(y, Is.Not.Null);
}
}

TUnit Equivalent:

public class CombinationTests
{
[Test]
public async Task TestCombinations(
[Matrix(1, 2, 3)] int x,
[Matrix("a", "b")] string y)
{
await Assert.That(x).IsGreaterThan(0);
await Assert.That(y).IsNotNull();
}
}

Key Changes:

  • [Values(...)] attributes on parameters → [Matrix(...)] attributes on parameters
  • All combinations are automatically generated (3 × 2 = 6 test cases)
  • Each parameter gets its own [Matrix] attribute with the values to test

Test Fixture with Parameters​

Parameterized TestFixture​

NUnit Code:

[TestFixture("Development")]
[TestFixture("Staging")]
[TestFixture("Production")]
public class EnvironmentTests
{
private readonly string _environment;

public EnvironmentTests(string environment)
{
_environment = environment;
}

[Test]
public void ConfigurationIsValid()
{
var config = LoadConfiguration(_environment);
Assert.That(config, Is.Not.Null);
Assert.That(config.IsValid, Is.True);
}
}

TUnit Equivalent:

[Arguments("Development")]
[Arguments("Staging")]
[Arguments("Production")]
public class EnvironmentTests(string environment)
{
[Test]
public async Task ConfigurationIsValid()
{
var config = LoadConfiguration(environment);
await Assert.That(config).IsNotNull();
await Assert.That(config.IsValid).IsTrue();
}
}

Key Changes:

  • [TestFixture(...)] with parameters → [Arguments(...)] on the class
  • Primary constructor for cleaner syntax
  • All tests in the class are repeated for each argument set

Complete Test Class Example​

NUnit Code:

[TestFixture]
public class ProductServiceTests
{
private IDatabase _database;
private ProductService _productService;

[OneTimeSetUp]
public void OneTimeSetup()
{
// Runs once before all tests in the class
_database = new InMemoryDatabase();
_database.Initialize();
}

[SetUp]
public void Setup()
{
// Runs before each test
_productService = new ProductService(_database);
}

[Test]
[Category("Unit")]
[TestCase("Widget", 10.99)]
[TestCase("Gadget", 25.50)]
public void CreateProduct_WithValidData_Succeeds(string name, decimal price)
{
var product = _productService.CreateProduct(name, price);

Assert.That(product, Is.Not.Null);
Assert.That(product.Name, Is.EqualTo(name));
Assert.That(product.Price, Is.EqualTo(price));
}

[Test]
[Category("Unit")]
public void GetProduct_WhenNotFound_ReturnsNull()
{
var product = _productService.GetProduct(999);
Assert.That(product, Is.Null);
}

[Test]
[TestCaseSource(nameof(InvalidProductData))]
public void CreateProduct_WithInvalidData_ThrowsException(string name, decimal price)
{
Assert.Throws<ArgumentException>(() => _productService.CreateProduct(name, price));
}

private static IEnumerable InvalidProductData()
{
yield return new object[] { "", 10.00 };
yield return new object[] { "Product", -5.00 };
yield return new object[] { null, 10.00 };
}

[TearDown]
public void TearDown()
{
// Runs after each test
_productService?.Dispose();
}

[OneTimeTearDown]
public void OneTimeTearDown()
{
// Runs once after all tests in the class
_database?.Dispose();
}
}

TUnit Equivalent:

public class ProductServiceTests
{
private IDatabase _database = null!;
private ProductService _productService = null!;

[Before(Class)]
public async Task ClassSetup()
{
// Runs once before all tests in the class
_database = new InMemoryDatabase();
await _database.InitializeAsync();
}

[Before(Test)]
public async Task Setup()
{
// Runs before each test
_productService = new ProductService(_database);
}

[Test]
[Property("Category", "Unit")]
[Arguments("Widget", 10.99)]
[Arguments("Gadget", 25.50)]
public async Task CreateProduct_WithValidData_Succeeds(string name, decimal price)
{
var product = _productService.CreateProduct(name, price);

await Assert.That(product).IsNotNull();
await Assert.That(product.Name).IsEqualTo(name);
await Assert.That(product.Price).IsEqualTo(price);
}

[Test]
[Property("Category", "Unit")]
public async Task GetProduct_WhenNotFound_ReturnsNull()
{
var product = _productService.GetProduct(999);
await Assert.That(product).IsNull();
}

[Test]
[MethodDataSource(nameof(InvalidProductData))]
public async Task CreateProduct_WithInvalidData_ThrowsException(string name, decimal price)
{
await Assert.ThrowsAsync<ArgumentException>(
() => _productService.CreateProduct(name, price));
}

private static IEnumerable<(string name, decimal price)> InvalidProductData()
{
yield return ("", 10.00m);
yield return ("Product", -5.00m);
yield return (null!, 10.00m);
}

[After(Test)]
public async Task Cleanup()
{
// Runs after each test
_productService?.Dispose();
}

[After(Class)]
public async Task ClassCleanup()
{
// Runs once after all tests in the class
_database?.Dispose();
}
}

Key Changes:

  • [TestFixture] attribute removed (not needed)
  • [OneTimeSetUp] → [Before(Class)] (and can be async)
  • [SetUp] → [Before(Test)]
  • [TearDown] → [After(Test)]
  • [OneTimeTearDown] → [After(Class)]
  • [TestCase(...)] → [Arguments(...)]
  • Data sources return tuples instead of object[]
  • All assertions are awaited

Range Testing​

NUnit Code:

[Test]
public void ProcessValue_WithRange([Range(1, 10)] int value)
{
var result = ProcessValue(value);
Assert.That(result, Is.GreaterThan(0));
}

TUnit Equivalent:

[Test]
[MethodDataSource(nameof(GetRange))]
public async Task ProcessValue_WithRange(int value)
{
var result = ProcessValue(value);
await Assert.That(result).IsGreaterThan(0);
}

private static IEnumerable<int> GetRange()
{
return Enumerable.Range(1, 10);
}

Custom Test Context Properties​

NUnit Code:

[Test]
public void Test_WithContextProperties()
{
TestContext.WriteLine($"Test Name: {TestContext.CurrentContext.Test.Name}");
TestContext.WriteLine($"Test Status: {TestContext.CurrentContext.Result.Outcome.Status}");

// Test implementation
}

TUnit Equivalent:

[Test]
public async Task Test_WithContextProperties(TestContext context)
{
context.OutputWriter.WriteLine($"Test Name: {context.Metadata.TestName}");
context.OutputWriter.WriteLine($"Test ID: {context.Metadata.TestDetails.TestId}");
context.OutputWriter.WriteLine($"Class Name: {context.Metadata.TestDetails.ClassType.Name}");

// Test implementation
}

Assertion Constraint Mapping​

NUnit Code:

[Test]
public void ComplexAssertions()
{
var value = 42;
var text = "Hello World";
var list = new[] { 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 };

// Comparison assertions
Assert.That(value, Is.EqualTo(42));
Assert.That(value, Is.Not.EqualTo(0));
Assert.That(value, Is.GreaterThan(40));
Assert.That(value, Is.LessThanOrEqualTo(50));
Assert.That(value, Is.InRange(40, 45));

// String assertions
Assert.That(text, Does.StartWith("Hello"));
Assert.That(text, Does.EndWith("World"));
Assert.That(text, Does.Contain("llo Wor"));
Assert.That(text, Does.Match(@"^Hello"));

// Collection assertions
Assert.That(list, Has.Count.EqualTo(5));
Assert.That(list, Has.Member(3));
Assert.That(list, Has.All.GreaterThan(0));
Assert.That(list, Is.Ordered);

// Compound assertions
Assert.That(value, Is.GreaterThan(40).And.LessThan(50));
Assert.That(text, Is.Not.Null.And.Not.Empty);
}

TUnit Equivalent:

[Test]
public async Task ComplexAssertions()
{
var value = 42;
var text = "Hello World";
var list = new[] { 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 };

// Comparison assertions
await Assert.That(value).IsEqualTo(42);
await Assert.That(value).IsNotEqualTo(0);
await Assert.That(value).IsGreaterThan(40);
await Assert.That(value).IsLessThanOrEqualTo(50);
await Assert.That(value).IsBetween(40, 45);

// String assertions
await Assert.That(text).StartsWith("Hello");
await Assert.That(text).EndsWith("World");
await Assert.That(text).Contains("llo Wor");
await Assert.That(text).Matches(@"^Hello");

// Collection assertions
await Assert.That(list).Count().IsEqualTo(5);
await Assert.That(list).Contains(3);
await Assert.That(list).AllSatisfy(x => x > 0);
await Assert.That(list).IsInAscendingOrder();

// Compound assertions (using And/Or)
await Assert.That(value).IsGreaterThan(40).And.IsLessThan(50);
await Assert.That(text).IsNotNull().And.IsNotEmpty();
}

SetUpFixture for Assembly-Level Hooks​

NUnit Code:

[SetUpFixture]
public class AssemblySetup
{
[OneTimeSetUp]
public void RunBeforeAnyTests()
{
// Initialize resources needed by all tests
Console.WriteLine("Assembly setup running");
}

[OneTimeTearDown]
public void RunAfterAllTests()
{
// Cleanup resources
Console.WriteLine("Assembly cleanup running");
}
}

TUnit Equivalent:

public static class AssemblyHooks
{
[Before(Assembly)]
public static async Task AssemblySetup()
{
// Initialize resources needed by all tests
Console.WriteLine("Assembly setup running");
}

[After(Assembly)]
public static async Task AssemblyCleanup()
{
// Cleanup resources
Console.WriteLine("Assembly cleanup running");
}
}

Key Changes:

  • [SetUpFixture] → simple static class
  • [OneTimeSetUp] → [Before(Assembly)]
  • [OneTimeTearDown] → [After(Assembly)]
  • Methods must be static
  • Can be async

Key Differences to Note​

  1. Async by Default: TUnit tests and assertions are async by default. Add async Task to your test methods and await assertions.

  2. No TestFixture Required: TUnit doesn't require a [TestFixture] attribute on test classes.

  3. Fluent Assertions: TUnit uses a fluent assertion style with Assert.That() as the starting point.

  4. Dependency Injection: TUnit has built-in support for dependency injection in test classes and methods.

  5. Hooks Instead of Setup/Teardown: TUnit uses [Before] and [After] attributes with HookType to specify when they run.

  6. TestContext Injection: Instead of a static TestContext, TUnit injects it as a parameter where needed.

  7. Isolated Test Instances: Each test runs in its own class instance (NUnit's default behavior can be different).

Code Coverage​

Important: Coverlet is Not Compatible with TUnit​

If you're using Coverlet (coverlet.collector or coverlet.msbuild) for code coverage in your NUnit projects, you'll need to migrate to Microsoft.Testing.Extensions.CodeCoverage.

Why? TUnit uses the modern Microsoft.Testing.Platform instead of VSTest, and Coverlet only works with the legacy VSTest platform.

Good News: Coverage is Built In! 🎉​

When you install the TUnit meta package, it automatically includes Microsoft.Testing.Extensions.CodeCoverage for you. You don't need to install it separately!

Migration Steps​

1. Remove Coverlet Packages​

Remove any Coverlet packages from your project file:

Remove these lines from your .csproj:

<!-- Remove these -->
<PackageReference Include="coverlet.collector" Version="x.x.x" />
<PackageReference Include="coverlet.msbuild" Version="x.x.x" />

2. Verify TUnit Meta Package​

Ensure you're using the TUnit meta package (not just TUnit.Core):

Your .csproj should have:

<PackageReference Include="TUnit" Version="0.x.x" />

This automatically brings in:

  • Microsoft.Testing.Extensions.CodeCoverage (coverage support)
  • Microsoft.Testing.Extensions.TrxReport (test result reports)

3. Update Your Coverage Commands​

Replace your old Coverlet commands with the new Microsoft coverage syntax:

Old (Coverlet with NUnit):

# With coverlet.collector
dotnet test --collect:"XPlat Code Coverage"

# With coverlet.msbuild
dotnet test /p:CollectCoverage=true /p:CoverletOutputFormat=cobertura

New (TUnit with Microsoft Coverage):

# Run tests with coverage
dotnet run --configuration Release --coverage

# Specify output location
dotnet run --configuration Release --coverage --coverage-output ./coverage/

# Specify coverage format (default is cobertura)
dotnet run --configuration Release --coverage --coverage-output-format cobertura

# Multiple formats
dotnet run --configuration Release --coverage --coverage-output-format cobertura --coverage-output-format xml

4. Update CI/CD Pipelines​

If you have CI/CD pipelines that reference Coverlet, update them to use the new commands:

GitHub Actions Example:

# Old (NUnit with Coverlet)
- name: Run tests with coverage
run: dotnet test --collect:"XPlat Code Coverage"

# New (TUnit with Microsoft Coverage)
- name: Run tests with coverage
run: dotnet run --project ./tests/MyProject.Tests --configuration Release --coverage

Azure Pipelines Example:

# Old (NUnit with Coverlet)
- task: DotNetCoreCLI@2
inputs:
command: 'test'
arguments: '--collect:"XPlat Code Coverage"'

# New (TUnit with Microsoft Coverage)
- task: DotNetCoreCLI@2
inputs:
command: 'run'
arguments: '--configuration Release --coverage --coverage-output $(Agent.TempDirectory)/coverage/'

Coverage Output Formats​

The Microsoft coverage tool supports multiple output formats:

# Cobertura (default, widely supported)
dotnet run --configuration Release --coverage --coverage-output-format cobertura

# XML (Visual Studio format)
dotnet run --configuration Release --coverage --coverage-output-format xml

# Cobertura + XML
dotnet run --configuration Release --coverage \
--coverage-output-format cobertura \
--coverage-output-format xml

Viewing Coverage Results​

Coverage files are generated in your test output directory:

TestResults/
├── coverage.cobertura.xml
└── <guid>/
└── coverage.xml

You can view these with:

  • Visual Studio - Built-in coverage viewer
  • VS Code - Extensions like "Coverage Gutters"
  • ReportGenerator - Generate HTML reports: reportgenerator -reports:coverage.cobertura.xml -targetdir:coveragereport
  • CI Tools - Most CI systems can parse Cobertura format natively

Advanced Coverage Configuration​

You can customize coverage behavior with a .runsettings file:

coverage.runsettings:

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8"?>
<RunSettings>
<DataCollectionRunSettings>
<DataCollectors>
<DataCollector friendlyName="Code Coverage">
<Configuration>
<CodeCoverage>
<ModulePaths>
<Include>
<ModulePath>.*\.dll$</ModulePath>
</Include>
<Exclude>
<ModulePath>.*tests\.dll$</ModulePath>
</Exclude>
</ModulePaths>
</CodeCoverage>
</Configuration>
</DataCollector>
</DataCollectors>
</DataCollectionRunSettings>
</RunSettings>

Use it:

dotnet run --configuration Release --coverage --coverage-settings coverage.runsettings

Troubleshooting​

Coverage files not generated?

  • Ensure you're using the TUnit meta package, not just TUnit.Engine
  • Verify you have a recent .NET SDK installed

Missing coverage for some assemblies?

Need help?