Quick Start

Get started with Kerno in minutes

Requirements

For Kerno to work you'll need:

• Docker installed and running on your machine so Kerno can start the test environment.

If you're using a VPN service Kerno will not be able to connect to LLM providers and therefore won't be able to index your codebase and run tests

Getting started

1

Start your Kerno free trial

Sign up for your Kerno account here.

2

Install the Kerno extension

Install the Kerno extension from the VS Code Marketplace or the Open VSX Directory.

Kerno is currently available on VS Code, Cursor, Windsurf, and Antigravity.

3

Open your project

Open your project in your IDE and Kerno will index your code

4

That's it!

Kerno will now help you test your endpoints

Running your first test with Kerno

1

Wait for Kerno to finish indexing your code

When you open your project, Kerno begins indexing your code and setting up a test environment. Wait for the progress dot to turn pink, which shows that indexing is complete and the environment is ready. If anything goes wrong, check the troubleshooting section or contact the engineering team on Slack.

Indexing a new project might take a few minutes to complete for large codebases.

2

Open a File

Open a file where Kerno has detected endpoints and you will see the list of all endpoints that Kerno can help you test in that file.

3

Add test coverage to an endpoint

Select any endpoint to begin adding coverage. Kerno will create a suite of test scenarios for this endpoint and use these scenarios as a baseline for future runs.

When creating tests for a new endpoint, Kerno will take 1-2 minutes to create the full test suite. When you run tests for the same endpoint the process will take a few seconds.

4

Make a code change and run a test

Update your endpoint code, save your changes, and run Kerno again. Kerno reviews the update and runs the scenarios it created earlier to detect any differences. It reviews body responses, headers, and status codes.

When you save your code changes, Kerno will update the index and restart your service. This might take a 10-20 seconds.

5

Review Results

When the tests finish, Kerno produces a report that lists all detected differences. You can approve the differences and update the tests, or you can adjust your code and run the tests again until the difference is resolved.

If you approve the difference, Kerno updates the tests to reflect the new behavior. It also adds or removes tests when the logic of your endpoint has changed.

If you encounter issues or have questions, message us on Slack, and we’ll gladly help.