René's URL Explorer Experiment

{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"DiscussionForumPosting","headline":"test_runner: directory arguments to --test fail with MODULE_NOT_FOUND on Windows (regression since v20)","articleBody":"### Version\n\ntest_runner: directory arguments to --test crash with MODULE_NOT_FOUND instead of being searched (since v21)\n\n\n### Platform\n\n```text\nMicrosoft Windows NT 10.0.26200.0 x64\n```\n\n### Subsystem\n\ntest_runner\n\n### What steps will reproduce the bug?\n\nCreate a directory containing a single test file:\n\n`tests/sample.test.mjs`:\n\n```js\nimport test from 'node:test';\ntest('ok', () => {});\n```\n\nThen, on Windows, pass the directory to the test runner:\n\n```console\nnode --test tests\nnode --test tests/\nnode --test tests\\\n```\n\nAll three fail with `MODULE_NOT_FOUND` — the directory is executed as if it\nwere a test file instead of being searched for test files.\n\nFor contrast, all of the following work:\n\n- `node --test` with no arguments in the same folder (default discovery finds and runs the test)\n- the same three commands on Node v20.20.2 on Windows\n- passing a directory on Linux/macOS\n\n\n### How often does it reproduce? Is there a required condition?\n\nAlways, on Windows, whenever a directory path is passed as an argument to --test.\n\n\n### What is the expected behavior? Why is that the expected behavior?\n\nPassing a directory to `node --test` should recursively search it for test\nfiles and run them, as documented, as Node v20 does on Windows, and as current\nversions still do on Linux/macOS.\n\n\n### What do you see instead?\n\nThe directory is treated as a single test file and executed directly, which\nfails in the module loader:\n\n```console\nPS C:\\Users\\KIIT\\node-bug-repro> node --test tests/\nnode:internal/modules/cjs/loader:1368\n  throw err;\n  ^\n\nError: Cannot find module 'C:\\Users\\KIIT\\node-bug-repro\\tests'\n    at Function._resolveFilename (node:internal/modules/cjs/loader:1365:15)\n    at defaultResolveImpl (node:internal/modules/cjs/loader:1021:19)\n    at resolveForCJSWithHooks (node:internal/modules/cjs/loader:1026:22)\n    at Function._load (node:internal/modules/cjs/loader:1175:37)\n    at TracingChannel.traceSync (node:diagnostics_channel:322:14)\n    at wrapModuleLoad (node:internal/modules/cjs/loader:235:24)\n    at Function.executeUserEntryPoint [as runMain] (node:internal/modules/run_main:171:5)\n    at node:internal/main/run_main_module:36:49 {\n  code: 'MODULE_NOT_FOUND',\n  requireStack: []\n}\n\nNode.js v22.18.0\n✖ tests (70.2044ms)\n  'test failed'\nℹ tests 1\nℹ suites 0\nℹ pass 0\nℹ fail 1\nℹ cancelled 0\nℹ skipped 0\nℹ todo 0\nℹ duration_ms 79.0802\n\n✖ failing tests:\n\ntest at tests:1:1\n✖ tests (70.2044ms)\n  'test failed'\n```\n\nThe output is identical for `node --test tests` and `node --test tests\\`.\n\n\n### Additional information\n\nThis appears to be a regression between v20.20.2 (works) and v22.x (broken).\nPossibly related to the test runner's file discovery moving to the internal\nglob implementation (`createTestFileList` in `lib/internal/test_runner/runner.js`),\nwhere a directory pattern seems to match the directory itself rather than\nbeing expanded to the test files inside it.\n\nHappy to work on a fix if a collaborator confirms this is a bug.\n","author":{"url":"https://github.com/dhruvvv0913","@type":"Person","name":"dhruvvv0913"},"datePublished":"2026-07-17T10:51:16Z","url":"https://github.com/nodejs/node/issues/64555"}