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xUnit Testing: A Practical Tutorial for .NET

A practical guide to creating an xUnit.net v3 project in .NET, writing useful facts and theories, running tests, and understanding failures.
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For a new .NET test project, the current xUnit.net v3 getting-started path is to install the xUnit template, create a project with dotnet new xunit3, write a [Fact] or data-driven [Theory], then run the generated project with dotnet run. This tutorial follows that v3 path; it is not a drop-in setup guide for an existing xUnit.net v2 project.

What you need to know about xUnit.net versions

xUnit.net is a unit-testing framework for C#, F#, and Visual Basic. The current v3 documentation supports .NET 8 or later and .NET Framework 4.7.2 or later; .NET Framework support is officially for Windows only. Check the current compatibility and package guidance before pinning versions, because the versions shown in documentation examples can change.

The xUnit.net getting-started guide dated 2026-05-02 identifies its example snapshot as xUnit.net v3 4.0.0-pre.108 with .NET SDK 10.0.102. These are the versions used in that guide’s example, not a timeless recommendation to pin those exact versions.

Choice What changes When to use it
xUnit.net v3 The documented project can be a stand-alone executable, with newer minimum runtime requirements: .NET 8 or .NET Framework 4.7.2. Use the v3 setup below for a new project when your target framework and runner path fit.
xUnit.net v2 Existing v2 projects are library projects and rely on a test runner. Their package and execution setup differs from v3. Keep using the v2 tutorial for an existing v2 solution; consult the migration guide before upgrading.

Do not mix v2 package instructions into a v3 project. The official guides for v3 getting started, v2 getting started, and v3 migration describe the version-specific paths.

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Create a v3 test project

The official v3 command-line quick start uses an xUnit template and a project configured for Microsoft Testing Platform. The templates are available for C#, F#, and VB.NET.

  1. Install the template package: dotnet new install xunit.v3.templates

  2. Create a project in the current directory: dotnet new xunit3

  3. Run the generated stand-alone test project: dotnet run

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Run these commands in a directory where you want the test project. The template creates the project files and an example test; inspect the generated project file if you need to confirm which runner configuration it selected.

Choose the runner deliberately

The default project in the v3 quick start uses the xunit.v3.mtp-v2 setup for Microsoft Testing Platform. If you need the VSTest path—for example, to use the Visual Studio Test Explorer or Visual Studio Code Testing panel—the xUnit.net documentation calls for xunit.runner.visualstudio and Microsoft.NET.Test.Sdk. Use the package setup appropriate to the runner and follow its documented invocation rather than assuming dotnet run and dotnet test are interchangeable in every project.

Microsoft Learn’s separate tutorial creates a solution with source and test projects and runs tests with dotnet test. That is a useful workflow when you want the application and tests in distinct projects; it is not the same project layout as the quick-start stand-alone v3 executable.

Write a first test with [Fact]

A fact checks one expected outcome without a data set. xUnit.net describes facts as tests that are always true: they test invariant conditions. A useful test names the behavior and asserts its observable result, rather than merely checking that the test method ran.

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using Xunit;

public class PriceCalculatorTests
{
    [Fact]
    public void ApplyDiscount_ReducesPriceByTenPercent()
    {
        var calculator = new PriceCalculator();

        decimal result = calculator.ApplyDiscount(100m);

        Assert.Equal(90m, result);
    }
}

public class PriceCalculator
{
    public decimal ApplyDiscount(decimal price)
    {
        return price * 0.90m;
    }
}

This small example tests a specific contract: applying the discount to 100 returns 90. In a real codebase, keep production code and test code in the project structure your solution uses; the key is that the assertion expresses the expected behavior clearly.

Use test-first development when it helps

Microsoft Learn’s xUnit tutorial demonstrates a test-first loop with a prime-checking service: write a test for behavior that is not implemented yet, observe the failure, implement the behavior, then add cases. The initial failure is expected in this workflow. It gives you a concrete target and helps reveal whether the implementation meets the requirement.

Use [Theory] for several inputs

A theory runs the same test body against specified data. xUnit.net distinguishes the two this way: “Theories are tests which are only true for a particular set of data.” With [InlineData], each row supplies one input and expected result, and the runner reports each data row as an individual test.

using Xunit;

public class DiscountTests
{
    [Theory]
    [InlineData(100, 90)]
    [InlineData(50, 45)]
    [InlineData(0, 0)]
    public void ApplyDiscount_ReturnsNinetyPercentOfPrice(
        decimal price,
        decimal expected)
    {
        var calculator = new PriceCalculator();

        Assert.Equal(expected, calculator.ApplyDiscount(price));
    }
}

Use a fact when the condition is a single invariant; use a theory when the same behavior should be checked for multiple meaningful inputs. Keep the method name focused on the behavior, and choose data that makes the expected contract apparent. When one row fails, the runner can identify the case that exposed the problem.

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Run tests and interpret failures

Run the default generated v3 project

For the default Microsoft Testing Platform project created by the v3 template, run dotnet run from the project directory, as shown in the official v3 quick start. The command executes the stand-alone test program and reports test outcomes in the terminal.

Run a VSTest-configured project

For projects configured with the VSTest adapter and test SDK, use the VSTest workflow, commonly dotnet test for a solution or test project. Microsoft Learn’s xUnit tutorial uses this command. In Visual Studio, use Test Explorer; in Visual Studio Code, use the Testing panel when the VSTest adapter setup is present.

Read a failed assertion as a diagnosis

A failing test report identifies the test (and for a theory, the data case) and compares the expected and actual values. For example, if a test expects 90 but receives 100, the implementation may not apply the discount, or the test may be exercising a different rule than intended. Check the named test and input first, then decide whether the requirement, assertion, or production code needs correction. A failure is useful output, not merely a red status.

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