Terminal Modes

Four Execution Paths

Repterm supports four different terminal execution modes, selected automatically based on test options and CLI flags:

Mode	Trigger	Execution	Notes
Spawn (default)	`$\`cmd``or`terminal.run()`, non-interactive	`Bun.spawn`	Exact exit code, separate stdout/stderr
PTY-only	Test has `{ record: true }`, CLI without `--record`	PTY	No `.cast` file, exit code often `-1`
Recording	CLI `--record` + test `{ record: true }`	asciinema + tmux + PTY	Produces `.cast` file, typing animation
Interactive	`{ interactive: true }` option	PTY	`expect`/`send`/`interrupt` control

Forcing Spawn Mode

Use silent: true to force Bun.spawn even in PTY or recording mode. This is useful when you need reliable exit codes or clean JSON output:

await $({ silent: true })`kubectl get pod -o json`;

Record Filter Behavior

The --record flag controls which tests run:

Without --record: All tests run, including those marked { record: true }. Record-marked tests run in PTY-only mode.
With --record: Only tests marked { record: true } run, in full recording mode.

CommandResult

Every command execution returns a CommandResult:

interface CommandResult {
  code: number;       // Exit code (-1 in PTY/recording)
  stdout: string;     // Standard output
  stderr: string;     // Standard error
  output: string;     // Combined stdout + stderr
  duration: number;   // Execution time in ms
  command: string;    // The command that was run
  successful: boolean; // code === 0
}

Assertion Strategy by Mode

Mode	Exit Code	Recommended Assertion
Spawn	Reliable	`toHaveExitCode()`, `toSucceed()`, `toFail()`
PTY/Recording	Often `-1`	`toContainInOutput()`, `toHaveStdout()`
Interactive	Often `-1`	`toContainInOutput()`, or use `proc.expect()`

For reliable exit codes in any mode, use $({ silent: true }).

Multi-Terminal

Create additional terminals with terminal.create():

In recording mode: Splits the tmux pane for side-by-side display
In non-recording mode: Creates an independent terminal session

const terminal2 = await terminal.create();
const result = await terminal2.$`echo hello`;