This proposal aims to simplify and clarify the structure and usage of test files in Gno.

Proposal (short-term goals):

• Only allow _test.gno files to reside alongside .gno files in the same directory.
• Support an optional testfiles/ or testdata/ directory. If present, it can contain _filetest.gno and .txtar files. Move _filetest.gno to filetests/* folder. #846
• When executing _filetest.gno or .txtar files, display a warning indicating that these are internal testing tools, subject to change or removal, and recommend using _test.gno files for standard testing.

Long-term goals:

• Deprecate _filetest.gno in favor of testable func Example() functions, similar to Go’s testing approach. proposal: testable markdown documentation #2245
• Gradually phase out .txtar files as a public testing mechanism, retaining them as internal tools for advanced use cases.

Related:

• #1346 – proposal: removing filetests for end-users
• #1269 – improve txtar DX
• #846 – Move _filetest.gno to filetests/* folder
• #2245 – proposal: testable markdown documentation

cc @thehowl @gfanton