direct-file/docs/engineering/working-on-client-app.md

Testing in the Direct File Client App

The Direct File client app has many steps for completing a tax return, making manual testing and bug reproduction time-consuming. These tools help streamline the process.

Dev-Only Control Panel

Access the control panel at /df/file/account/ for development settings and data management:

• Change date - Set browser date to test deadline-related functionality
• Data Import Profile - Modify seeded test data (like date of birth) that can't be changed in the normal tax flow during local development
• Download Data - Export fact graph as JSON for attaching to pull requests or bug reports
• Upload Data - Import fact graph to quickly navigate to specific application states when testing PRs or reproducing bugs
• Preview Tax Return - View backend tax return preview
• Load Preach UUID - Load specific Preach configurations

All Screens

Navigate to /df/file/all-screens/index.html to view all application pages in one location.

This page displays every screen in the tax flow and post-submission pages. Use the menu to filter and manipulate the view. Generate a PDF by pressing "p" and using the Just-One-Page-PDF Chrome extension.

Flamingo Fact Checker

Use the Flamingo Fact Checker to monitor specific fact values as you progress through the tax flow.