How can I use watch mode with Jest without to have to rerun all migrations each time a test change ?

[a-kouyate]

I’m currently working on optimizing my development workflow for integration tests using Jest, and I’ve encountered a challenge I hope to get some advice on.

Current Setup

I’m using Jest with the Medusa test utilities (@medusajs/test-utils) for integration tests. Here’s what I’m doing:
1. Each test suite initializes a test database.
2. Migrations are run before the tests begin.
3. I use Jest’s --watchAll mode to re-run tests when files change.

The Problem

Every time a test changes in watch mode, the migrations are re-applied, which is time-consuming and significantly slows down the feedback loop. This makes iterating on tests tedious.

My Current Jest Debugging Configuration

Here’s my launch.json for debugging in VS Code with watch mode enabled:

{
  "version": "0.2.0",
  "configurations": [
    {
      "type": "node",
      "request": "launch",
      "name": "Debug Jest Tests",
      "program": "${workspaceFolder}/node_modules/.bin/jest",
      "args": ["--runInBand", "--watchAll"],
      "console": "integratedTerminal",
      "internalConsoleOptions": "neverOpen",
      "env": {
        "NODE_OPTIONS": "--experimental-vm-modules",
        "TEST_TYPE": "integration:http"
      }
    }
  ]
}

What I’d Like to Achieve

• Avoid re-running migrations every time a test changes in watch mode.
• Retain the ability to work with a clean test database for each test run.
• Maintain test isolation and reliability.