tape

library1.0jsnpmunverified

TAP-producing test harness for Node.js and browsers. Current stable version is 5.9.0, released in July 2024. Tape is a minimal, dependency-light testing library that outputs standard TAP (Test Anything Protocol) format, making it compatible with many reporters and CI systems. It supports both CommonJS and ES modules in Node.js, works in browsers via bundlers, and includes built-in async/Promise support. Unlike heavier frameworks like Jest or Mocha, tape has no global state, no configuration, and a single assert API inspired by the Node.js assert module. It is unopinionated about test organization and does not require describe/it nesting; tests are simply functions. Tape is ideal for projects that want a simple, composable, and predictable test harness with minimal setup.

testing

npm install tape

github ↗package ↗

INSTALL

IMPORT

SIG · TAPE

tape

testingjavascriptv1.0

Install

—

Import

—

Disk

—

Pass rate

0/ 6

Env Coverage0 / 6

glibc

18–22

musl

18–22

Install & Compatibility

Where this runs

tested against v? · npm install

Install × environment matrix

Each cell = how many times install + import succeeded across repeated harness runs. Partial = flaky.
glibc = Debian/Ubuntu slim · musl = Alpine Linux

musl

node 18–226 runs

build_error

glibc

node 18–226 runs

build_error

Code

Verified usage

Verified import paths — ran on the pinned version, not inferred.

test

✓ import test from 'tape'

✗ import { test } from 'tape'

tape's default export is a function. Named exports exist but are rarely used.

test

✓ const test = require('tape')

✗ const { test } = require('tape')

CommonJS require returns the test function directly. Destructuring will get a different export if any.

Test

✓ import { Test } from 'tape'

The Test class is a named export, available for custom assertion extensions.

Shows synchronous and async tests with plan, assertions equal and ok.

import test from 'tape'; test('basic arithmetic', function(t) { t.plan(2); t.equal(1 + 1, 2); t.ok(true, 'this is true'); }); test('async test', async function(t) { t.plan(1); const result = await Promise.resolve(42); t.equal(result, 42, 'promise resolved correctly'); }); // Run: node test.js (or: tape test.js)

Debug

Known issues

breakingtape v5 dropped Node.js < 12 support and switched to ES modules internally

fix

Upgrade to Node.js >= 12, ensure CJS require pattern still works but check for any import/export changes.

affects: >=5.0.0

deprecatedtape v4 deprecated the 'skip' option on test function in favor of test.skip()

fix

Use test.skip(name, cb) instead of test(name, {skip: true}, cb)

affects: >=4.0.0 <5

gotchatape's 't.plan()' must match number of assertions; mismatch causes failure at test end

fix

Always call t.plan(count) where count equals all assertions (including nested callbacks). Use t.end() if plan is hard to predict.

affects: *

Errors

Common errors & fixes

TypeError: test is not a function

Incorrect import: using named import instead of default import in ES modules.

fix

Use `import test from 'tape'` (no curly braces).

AssertionError: plan !== count

t.plan() count does not match number of assertions executed.

fix

Ensure t.plan(N) matches the total expected assertions, or replace with t.end() for dynamic counts.

Upgrade

Version history

1.0latest on npm

Audit

Dependencies

No dependency data recorded yet.

Agent activity

5 hits · last 30 days

node

Resources

githubhttps://github.com/tape-testing/tape ↗

packagehttps://www.npmjs.com/package/tape ↗