Alexa Skill Test Framework

This framework makes it easy to create full-coverage black box tests for an Alexa skill using Mocha.

Here's an example of what a test might look like with the test framework.

describe("AMAZON.HelpIntent into AMAZON.CancelIntent", function(){
  alexaTest.test([
    { request: alexaTest.getIntentRequest("AMAZON.HelpIntent"), says: alexaTest.t("HELP_MESSAGE"), shouldEndSession: false },
    { request: alexaTest.getIntentRequest("AMAZON.CancelIntent"), says: alexaTest.t("STOP_MESSAGE"), shouldEndSession: true }
  ]);
});

How To

Install the package as a dev dependency with npm install alexa-skill-test-framework --save-dev.

Write tests in a Javascript file and run them with Mocha. For example, if your test is at 'test/index.js', run mocha test/index.js.

For some simple examples, see the 'examples' directory.

Test Framework Documentation

alexaTest.initialize(index, appId, userId)

Initializes the test framework. Must be called before generating requests or running any tests.

index: The object containing your skill's 'handler' method. Must define a method called handler(event, context, callback), which runs the skill.
- The test framework passes 'true' as a fourth parameter to the handler. Obviously this should be used sparingly, if at all.
appId: The Skill's app ID. Looks like "amzn1.ask.skill.00000000-0000-0000-0000-000000000000".
userId: The Amazon User ID to test with. Looks like "amzn1.ask.account.LONG_STRING".

alexaTest.initializeI18N(resources)

Initializes i18n. You only need this if you use i18n in your skill, and you want to use i18n to fetch result strings to test against. You must have installed the optional dependencies i18n and i18next-sprintf-postprocessor.

resources: The same resource object you pass to i18n inside your skill.

alexaTest.setLocale(locale)

Changes the locale used by the test framework and the skill. Default is 'en-US'.

locale: A string representing the locale to use.

alexaTest.setExtraFeature(key, state)

Enables or disabled an optional test feature.

key: The key of the feature to change.
state: Whether the feature should be enabled or disabled.

Current features are:

questionMarkCheck: Checks that responses that end the session do not contain question marks, and responses that keep the session open do.

alexaTest.getLaunchRequest([locale])

Returns a LaunchRequest. The request can be passed to test (see below).

locale: Optionally, an override locale for the request.

alexaTest.getIntentRequest(intentName, [slots], [locale])

Returns an IntentRequest. The request can be passed to test (see below).

intentName: The name of the intent to invoke.
slots: Optionally, an object containing key-value pairs. The keys are the names of the slots required by the specified intent, and the values are the slot values.
locale: Optionally, an override locale for the request.

alexaTest.getSessionEndedRequest(reason, [locale])

Returns a SessionEndedRequest. The request can be passed to test (see below).

reason: The reason. See the SessionEndedRequest documentation.
locale: Optionally, an override locale for the request.

alexaTest.test(sequence)

Tests the skill with a sequence of requests and expected responses. This method should be called from inside a Mocha describe block.

sequence: An array of requests to test. Each element can have these properties:
- request: The request to run. Generate these with one of the above getFooRequest methods.
- says: Optional String. Tests that the speech output from the request is the string specified.
- saysNothing: Optional Boolean. If true, tests that the response has no speech output.
- reprompts: Optional String. Tests that the reprompt output from the request is the string specified.
- repromptsNothing: Optional Boolean. If true, tests that the response has no reprompt output.
- shouldEndSession: Optional Boolean. If true, tests that the response to the request ends or does not end the session.
- saysCallback(context, speech): Optional Function. Recieves the speech from the response as a parameter. You can throw nice assertions using context.assert and get text from i18n with context.t.
- callback(context, response): Optional Function. Recieves the response object from the request as a parameter. You can throw nice assertions using context.assert and get text from i18n with context.t.

alexaTest.t(arguments)

Forwards the request to alexaTest.i18n.t and returns the result. You must have called alexaTest.initializeI18N previously.

CallbackContext Documentation

Callback context objects are passed to callback and saysCallback in tests.

context.assert(data)

Throws an assertion error.

data Object holding data for the error. Can include:
- message: Optionally, a string describing the failure.
- expected: Optionally, the expected value.
- actual: Optionally, the actual value.
- operator: Optionally, the comparison operator that was used.
- showDiff: Optionally, true if Mocha should diff the expected and actual values.

context.t(arguments)

Forwards the request to alexaTest.i18n.t and returns the result. Additionally, ensures the language is the language used in the request. You must have called alexaTest.initializeI18N previously.

Note About DynamoDB

If your skill uses the Alexa Skills Kit for Node.js and uses its built-in DynamoDB persistence, it may be desireable not to connect to the database during testing, since the ASK Node kit uses it to persist session attributes. For that case, the framework passes a fourth parameter of true to the handler function, which you can conditionalize on to disable the database connection.

quitschibo / alexa-skill-test-framework