pytest-dev / pytest-dev/pytest-xdist

Upgrading from 2.3.0 to 3.3.1 and use --dist=worksteal reorders the test cases

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Description

Hi,

we have a long running test suite which consists of a single test function run on different input files (the input files are passed via @pytest.mark.parametrize). The function runs longer for larger input files, therefore we are sorting the input files according to their sizes such that the largest file comes first. This has been working well with the admittedly old version with the default distribution scheduling.

Now I have read about the worksteal option and wanted to give it a try. Unfortunately, I'm realizing now that the order seems to be randomized. Because the duration of the tests might differ by some magnitudes, it is very important for a short overall duration to execute the long running tests first. Is there a way to do that with the current version?

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Research direction

Start by reproducing the ordering change with pytest-xdist 3.3.1, a parametrized test, and --dist=worksteal. Then trace the worksteal scheduling entry point and existing tests for ordering behavior. Done should define and verify the intended ordering behavior, or clearly document that preserving parametrization order is unsupported.

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Assessment

Tech stack
python
Domain
distributed-systems, testing-qa
Issue type
Feature
Difficulty
5/5
Estimated time
Over a week
Activity status
Stale
Clarity
Needs clarification
Newbie friendliness
30/100

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