typescript unit test with import statement fails

Environment Provide version numbers for the following components (information can be retrieved by running tns info in your project folder or by inspecting the package.json of the project): – tns doctor returns:

• Component nativescript has 5.0.1 version and is up to date.
• Component tns-core-modules has 5.0.3 version and is up to date.
• Component tns-android has 5.0.0 version and is up to date.
• Component tns-ios has 5.0.0 version and is up to date. – package file: — dependencies

    "nativescript-angular": "~7.0.0",
    "nativescript-theme-core": "~1.0.4",
    "nativescript-unit-test-runner": "^0.3.4",
    "tns-core-modules": "~5.0.2",
--- devDependencies 
    "@angular/compiler-cli": "~7.0.0",
    "@nativescript/schematics": "~0.4.0",
    "@ngtools/webpack": "~7.0.0",
    "@types/chai": "^4.1.7",
    "@types/mocha": "^5.2.5",
    "chai": "4.2.0",
    "karma": "3.1.1",
    "karma-chai": "0.1.0",
    "karma-mocha": "1.3.0",
    "karma-nativescript-launcher": "0.4.0",
    "mocha": "5.2.0",
    "nativescript-dev-typescript": "~0.7.0",
    "nativescript-dev-webpack": "~0.18.0",
    "typescript": "^3.1.6"

Describe the bug angular application typescript unit test with import statement fails with error: ReferenceError: Can’t find variable: exports

To Reproduce

1. follow document https://docs.nativescript.org/tooling/testing.

tns test init 

and select mocha. Run test

tns test ios --emulator

Test runs successfully.

1. add typing

npm i @types/chai --save-dev

1. create example.spec.ts with content:

import { assert } from 'chai'

describe('Array', function () {
	describe('#indexOf()', function () {
		it('should return -1 when the value is not present', function () {
			assert.equal(-1, [1,2,3].indexOf(5));
			assert.equal(-1, [1,2,3].indexOf(0));
		});
	});
});

tns test ios --emulator

Test fails

1. modify example.spec.ts to remove import statement:

describe('Array', function () {
	describe('#indexOf()', function () {
		it('should return -1 when the value is not present', function () {
			chai.assert.equal(-1, [1,2,3].indexOf(5));
			chai.assert.equal(-1, [1,2,3].indexOf(0));
		});
	});
});

run test 
tns test ios --emulator

Test is successful.

1. modify example.spec.ts to add import statement:

import { AppComponent } from '../app/app.component'
describe('Array', function () {
	describe('#indexOf()', function () {
		it('should return -1 when the value is not present', function () {
			chai.assert.equal(-1, [1,2,3].indexOf(5));
			chai.assert.equal(-1, [1,2,3].indexOf(0));
		});
	});
});

tns test ios --emulator

Test fails again with error:

25 11 2018 12:33:01.031:WARN [NativeScript / 12.1 (12.1; iPhone)]: Adapter did not report total number of specs.
NativeScript / 12.1 (12.1; iPhone)  /base/src/tests/example.spec.js?60ad106197c3f92cbc2e05ab96de86321ec139ae at line 0 FAILED
        ReferenceError: Can't find variable: exports
NativeScript / 12.1 (12.1; iPhone): Executed 1 of null (1 FAILED) ERROR (0.008 secs / 0 secs)

[ochemerys]

Thank you for your response, I was able to run test without import statement

describe(‘Array’, function () { describe(‘#indexOf()’, function () { it(‘should return -1 when the value is not present’, function () { chai.assert.equal(-1, [1,2,3].indexOf(5)); chai.assert.equal(-1, [1,2,3].indexOf(0)); }); }); });

but when I added there import statement: import { AppComponent } from ‘…/app/app.component’

test fails again with the same error.

so for me problem is not chai, but import statement itself Does it mean that I have declare every module as global?

Thank you.

[ochemerys]

temporary workaround is here