Integration Tests
Run contracts against a real GenLayer environment (GLSim, Studio, or testnet) with full consensus validation.
Running Tests
bash# Against default network (from gltest.config.yaml) gltest tests/integration/ -v -s # Against specific network gltest tests/integration/ -v -s --network localnet gltest tests/integration/ -v -s --network studionet gltest tests/integration/ -v -s --network testnet_bradbury
Always use -v -s for visible output during development.
Test Pattern
pythonfrom gltest import get_contract_factory from gltest.assertions import tx_execution_succeeded def test_full_flow(): factory = get_contract_factory("MyContract") contract = factory.deploy(args=[]) # Write methods return transaction receipts tx_receipt = contract.set_data(args=["hello"]).transact() assert tx_execution_succeeded(tx_receipt) # Read methods return values directly result = contract.get_data(args=[contract.address]).call() assert result == "hello"
ACCEPTED and FINALIZED are transaction lifecycle states, not proof that
contract execution succeeded. A transaction can be accepted and finalized with
an execution error, and failed execution applies no state changes. For deploy
transactions, failed execution means no contract is created.
Always assert tx_execution_succeeded(receipt) before reading state, checking
schema/code, or treating a missing contract as an infrastructure issue.
Key Differences from Direct Mode
| Direct Mode | Integration Tests | |
|---|---|---|
| Speed | ~30ms | ~seconds to minutes |
| Server required | No | Yes (GLSim, Studio, or testnet) |
| Consensus | Leader only | Full leader + validators |
| Write methods | Return values directly | Return transaction receipts |
| Read methods | Return values directly | Use .call() |
| Mocking | mock_web() / mock_llm() | Real web/LLM calls |
Write vs Read Calls
Write methods (state-changing):
python# .transact() submits and waits for consensus tx_receipt = contract.method_name(args=[arg1, arg2]).transact() assert tx_execution_succeeded(tx_receipt)
Read methods (view-only):
python# .call() reads without transaction result = contract.view_method(args=[arg1]).call()
Configuration (gltest.config.yaml)
yamlcontract_path: contracts/ networks: localnet: # GenLayer Studio running locally studionet: # studio.genlayer.com — gasless, no funding needed (0 GEN balance is fine) testnet_bradbury: accounts: - "${ACCOUNT_PRIVATE_KEY_1}" - "${ACCOUNT_PRIVATE_KEY_2}"
Test Markers
pythonimport pytest @pytest.mark.slow def test_expensive_operation(): """Excluded by default. Run with: gltest -m slow""" pass
Environments
- GLSim (
pip install genlayer-test[sim],glsim --port 4000 --validators 5) — lightweight, no Docker, ~1s startup. Runs Python natively, not in GenVM. Good for fast iteration. - Studio local (
genlayer up) — full GenVM, real consensus, Docker required. Validates runtime compatibility. - studio.genlayer.com (StudioNet) — hosted Studio, no setup, rate-limited (see Common Issues). Gasless: no tokens required. Accounts with 0 GEN balance can deploy and run tests normally.
- Testnet Bradbury — real network, requires funded accounts.
When to Use Integration Tests
- Validating consensus (leader + validators agree)
- Testing real web requests and LLM calls
- Pre-deployment smoke tests
- Verifying contract works in actual GenVM (not just Python runner)
Direct mode should cover most logic testing. Use integration tests for final validation before deploying.
Common Issues
"Transaction not found" errors
Clear cache: rm -rf .gltest_cache
Slow tests
Run single tests during development:
bashgltest tests/integration/test_file.py::test_specific -v -s
JSON serialization
When working with mock validators, convert to dicts:
pythontransaction_context = {"validators": [v.to_dict() for v in mock_validators]}
Studio rate limits (HTTP 429 / -32429)
studio.genlayer.com enforces per-IP limits: 60 req/min, 1000 req/hr, 10000 req/day. Limits aren't permanent — once tripped, further requests are rejected until the current window resets (next minute / hour / day cycle). Throttle batch tests, run heavy suites against localnet (GLSim or local Studio), or pace .transact() calls.
-32028 is the related pending-queue cap — up to 32 in-flight txs per sender; a separate cap also applies per contract to prevent flooding the shared Studio. Wait for receipts before submitting the next batch instead of firing in parallel.

