Contributing to `package:vm_service` and `package:vm_service_interface`

Updating the VM service version

To update package:vm_service and package:vm_service_interface to support the latest version of the VM service protocol, run the following script to regenerate the client and interface:

dart tool/generate.dart

Updating the code generator

Both package:vm_service and package:vm_service_interface make use of code generation to generate much of their implementations. As a result, manual changes made to some files (e.g., package:vm_service/src/vm_service.dart and package:vm_service_interface/src/vm_service_interface.dart) will be overwritten by the code generator.

To make changes to the generated files, make changes in one or more of the following files:

tool/dart/generate_dart_client.dart for code specific to package:vm_service
tool/dart/generate_dart_interface.dart for code specific to package:vm_service_interface
tool/dart/generate_dart_common.dart for code common to package:vm_service and package:vm_service_interface

Running tests locally

1. Build the SDK

From the root of the Dart SDK, run the following commands:

gclient sync -D && \
python3 tools/build.py -ax64 create_sdk

Note: for a release build, add the -mrelease flag: ./tools/build.py -mrelease -ax64 create_sdk

2. Run the tests

To run all the tests: python3 tools/test.py [ -mdebug | -mrelease ] -ax64 -j4 pkg/vm_service