diff --git a/tests/commands_test.rs b/tests/commands_test.rs
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..8e74b74350
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/commands_test.rs
@@ -0,0 +1,87 @@
+mod helpers;
+
+use helpers::in_directory as cwd;
+
+#[test]
+fn enter() {
+    nu!(output,
+        cwd("tests/fixtures/formats"),
+            r#"
+                enter sgml_description.json
+                cd glossary
+                cd GlossDiv
+                cd GlossList
+                cd GlossEntry
+                cd GlossSee
+                ls | echo $it
+                exit
+            "#);
+
+    assert_eq!(output, "markup");
+}
+
+#[test]
+fn lines() {
+    nu!(output,
+        cwd("tests/fixtures/formats"),
+        "open cargo_sample.toml --raw | lines | skip-while $it != \"[dependencies]\" | skip 1 | first 1 | split-column \"=\" | get Column1 | trim | echo $it");
+
+    assert_eq!(output, "rustyline");
+}
+
+#[test]
+fn open_toml() {
+    nu!(output, 
+        cwd("tests/fixtures/formats"), 
+        "open cargo_sample.toml | get package.edition | echo $it");
+
+    assert_eq!(output, "2018");
+}
+
+#[test]
+fn open_json() {
+    nu!(output,
+        cwd("tests/fixtures/formats"),
+        "open sgml_description.json | get glossary.GlossDiv.GlossList.GlossEntry.GlossSee | echo $it");
+
+    assert_eq!(output, "markup")
+}
+
+#[test]
+fn open_xml() {
+    nu!(output,
+        cwd("tests/fixtures/formats"),
+        "open jonathan.xml | get rss.channel.item.link | echo $it");
+
+    assert_eq!(output, "http://www.jonathanturner.org/2015/10/off-to-new-adventures.html")
+}
+
+#[test]
+fn open_ini() {
+    nu!(output,
+        cwd("tests/fixtures/formats"),
+        "open sample.ini | get SectionOne.integer | echo $it");
+
+    assert_eq!(output, "1234")
+}
+
+//fn open_unknown_format_as_raw_single_value() {
+    //nu!(output,
+    //  cwd("tests/fixtures/formats"),
+    //  "open skinfolds.unsupported | echo $it");
+
+    // does not pass on Windows
+    // left: `"\"\\\"ABS:3.0-PEC:3.0\\\""`,
+    // right: `"ABS:3.0-PEC:3.0"`'
+    //assert_eq!(output, "ABS:3.0-PEC:3.0")
+//}
+
+#[test]
+fn open_error_if_file_not_found() {
+    nu_error!(output,
+        cwd("tests/fixtures/formats"),
+        "open i_dont_exist.txt | echo $it");
+
+    assert!(output.contains("File cound not be opened"));
+}
+
diff --git a/tests/external_num.out b/tests/external_num.out
deleted file mode 100644
index f599e28b8a..0000000000
--- a/tests/external_num.out
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1 +0,0 @@
-10
diff --git a/tests/external_num.txt b/tests/external_num.txt
deleted file mode 100644
index b7a3d149dd..0000000000
--- a/tests/external_num.txt
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,3 +0,0 @@
-cd tests
-open test.json | get glossary.GlossDiv.GlossList.GlossEntry.Height | echo $it
-exit
diff --git a/tests/filters_test.rs b/tests/filters_test.rs
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..a4f8d639c5
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/filters_test.rs
@@ -0,0 +1,48 @@
+mod helpers;
+
+use helpers::in_directory as cwd;
+
+#[test]
+fn can_convert_table_to_json_text_and_from_json_text_back_into_table() {
+    nu!(output,
+        cwd("tests/fixtures/formats"),
+        "open sgml_description.json | to-json | from-json | get glossary.GlossDiv.GlossList.GlossEntry.GlossSee | echo $it");
+
+    assert_eq!(output, "markup");
+}
+
+#[test]
+fn can_convert_table_to_toml_text_and_from_toml_text_back_into_table() {
+    nu!(output,
+        cwd("tests/fixtures/formats"),
+        "open cargo_sample.toml | to-toml | from-toml | get package.name | echo $it");
+
+    assert_eq!(output, "nu");
+}
+
+#[test]
+fn can_sort_by_column() {
+    nu!(output,
+        cwd("tests/fixtures/formats"),
+        "open cargo_sample.toml --raw | lines | skip 1 | first 4 | split-column \"=\" | sort-by Column1 | skip 1 | first 1 | get Column1 | trim | echo $it");
+
+    assert_eq!(output, "description");
+}
+
+#[test]
+fn can_split_by_column() {
+    nu!(output,
+        cwd("tests/fixtures/formats"),
+        "open cargo_sample.toml --raw | lines | skip 1 | first 1 | split-column \"=\" | get Column1 | trim | echo $it");
+
+    assert_eq!(output, "name");
+}
+
+#[test]
+fn can_filter_by_unit_size_comparison() {
+    nu!(output,
+        cwd("tests/fixtures/formats"),
+        "ls | where size > 1kb | get name | trim | echo $it");
+
+    assert_eq!(output, "cargo_sample.toml");
+}
diff --git a/tests/dirtest/test.toml b/tests/fixtures/formats/cargo_sample.toml
similarity index 100%
rename from tests/dirtest/test.toml
rename to tests/fixtures/formats/cargo_sample.toml
diff --git a/tests/test.xml b/tests/fixtures/formats/jonathan.xml
similarity index 100%
rename from tests/test.xml
rename to tests/fixtures/formats/jonathan.xml
diff --git a/tests/test.ini b/tests/fixtures/formats/sample.ini
similarity index 100%
rename from tests/test.ini
rename to tests/fixtures/formats/sample.ini
diff --git a/tests/dirtest/test.json b/tests/fixtures/formats/sgml_description.json
similarity index 100%
rename from tests/dirtest/test.json
rename to tests/fixtures/formats/sgml_description.json
diff --git a/tests/fixtures/formats/skinfolds.unsupported b/tests/fixtures/formats/skinfolds.unsupported
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..b1e49fd9f9
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/fixtures/formats/skinfolds.unsupported
@@ -0,0 +1 @@
+"ABS:3.0-PEC:3.0"
diff --git a/tests/helpers/mod.rs b/tests/helpers/mod.rs
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..9af9b8ac1d
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/helpers/mod.rs
@@ -0,0 +1,83 @@
+use std::path::PathBuf;
+
+#[macro_export] 
+macro_rules! nu {
+    ($out:ident, $cwd:expr, $commands:expr) => {
+        use std::error::Error;
+        use std::io::prelude::*;
+        use std::process::{Command, Stdio};
+
+        let commands = &*format!("
+                            cd {}
+                            {}
+                            exit", 
+                            $cwd, 
+                            $commands);
+
+        let process = match Command::new(helpers::executable_path())
+            .stdin(Stdio::piped())
+            .stdout(Stdio::piped())
+            .spawn() {
+                Ok(child) => child,
+                Err(why) => panic!("Can't run test {}", why.description()),
+        };
+
+        match process.stdin.unwrap().write_all(commands.as_bytes()) {
+            Err(why) => panic!("couldn't write to wc stdin: {}", why.description()),
+            Ok(_) => {}
+        }
+
+        let mut _s = String::new();
+
+        match process.stdout.unwrap().read_to_string(&mut _s) {
+            Err(why) => panic!("couldn't read stdout: {}", why.description()),
+            Ok(_) => { 
+                let _s = _s.replace("\r\n", "\n");
+            }
+        }
+
+        let _s = _s.replace("\r\n", "");
+        let $out = _s.replace("\n", "");
+    };
+}
+
+#[macro_export] 
+macro_rules! nu_error {
+    ($out:ident, $cwd:expr, $commands:expr) => {
+        use std::error::Error;
+        use std::io::prelude::*;
+        use std::process::{Command, Stdio};
+
+        let commands = &*format!("
+                            cd {}
+                            {}
+                            exit", 
+                            $cwd, 
+                            $commands);
+
+        let mut process = Command::new(helpers::executable_path())
+            .stdin(Stdio::piped())
+            .stderr(Stdio::piped())
+            .spawn()
+            .expect("couldn't run test");
+
+        let stdin = process.stdin.as_mut().expect("couldn't open stdin");
+        stdin.write_all(commands.as_bytes()).expect("couldn't write to stdin");
+
+
+        let output = process.wait_with_output().expect("couldn't read from stderr");
+        let $out = String::from_utf8_lossy(&output.stderr);
+    };
+}
+
+pub fn executable_path() -> PathBuf {
+    let mut buf = PathBuf::new();
+        buf.push("target");
+        buf.push("debug");
+        buf.push("nu");
+        buf
+}
+
+pub fn in_directory(str: &str) -> &str {
+    str
+}
diff --git a/tests/inc_plugin.out b/tests/inc_plugin.out
deleted file mode 100644
index b4de394767..0000000000
--- a/tests/inc_plugin.out
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1 +0,0 @@
-11
diff --git a/tests/inc_plugin.txt b/tests/inc_plugin.txt
deleted file mode 100644
index 111eb6e42f..0000000000
--- a/tests/inc_plugin.txt
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,3 +0,0 @@
-cd tests
-open test.json | get glossary.GlossDiv.GlossList.GlossEntry.Height | inc | echo $it
-exit
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/tests/json_roundtrip.out b/tests/json_roundtrip.out
deleted file mode 100644
index 10a6a46d7a..0000000000
--- a/tests/json_roundtrip.out
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1 +0,0 @@
-markup
diff --git a/tests/json_roundtrip.txt b/tests/json_roundtrip.txt
deleted file mode 100644
index 505c2a98db..0000000000
--- a/tests/json_roundtrip.txt
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,3 +0,0 @@
-cd tests
-open test.json | get glossary.GlossDiv.GlossList.GlossEntry.GlossSee | echo $it
-exit
diff --git a/tests/lines.out b/tests/lines.out
deleted file mode 100644
index 9abbdf551d..0000000000
--- a/tests/lines.out
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1 +0,0 @@
-rustyline
diff --git a/tests/lines.txt b/tests/lines.txt
deleted file mode 100644
index 0fbcac891c..0000000000
--- a/tests/lines.txt
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,3 +0,0 @@
-cd tests
-open test.toml --raw | lines | skip-while $it != "[dependencies]" | skip 1 | first 1 | split-column "=" | get Column1 | trim | echo $it
-exit
diff --git a/tests/open_ini.out b/tests/open_ini.out
deleted file mode 100644
index 81c545efeb..0000000000
--- a/tests/open_ini.out
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1 +0,0 @@
-1234
diff --git a/tests/open_ini.txt b/tests/open_ini.txt
deleted file mode 100644
index ebb8dd5b4c..0000000000
--- a/tests/open_ini.txt
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,3 +0,0 @@
-cd tests
-open test.ini | get SectionOne.integer | echo $it
-exit
diff --git a/tests/open_json.out b/tests/open_json.out
deleted file mode 100644
index 10a6a46d7a..0000000000
--- a/tests/open_json.out
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1 +0,0 @@
-markup
diff --git a/tests/open_json.txt b/tests/open_json.txt
deleted file mode 100644
index 505c2a98db..0000000000
--- a/tests/open_json.txt
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,3 +0,0 @@
-cd tests
-open test.json | get glossary.GlossDiv.GlossList.GlossEntry.GlossSee | echo $it
-exit
diff --git a/tests/open_toml.out b/tests/open_toml.out
deleted file mode 100644
index b39a36a7c1..0000000000
--- a/tests/open_toml.out
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1 +0,0 @@
-2018
diff --git a/tests/open_toml.txt b/tests/open_toml.txt
deleted file mode 100644
index 4e0345a61e..0000000000
--- a/tests/open_toml.txt
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,3 +0,0 @@
-cd tests
-open test.toml | get package.edition | echo $it
-exit
diff --git a/tests/open_xml.out b/tests/open_xml.out
deleted file mode 100644
index 3cfcfc2e62..0000000000
--- a/tests/open_xml.out
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1 +0,0 @@
-http://www.jonathanturner.org/2015/10/off-to-new-adventures.html
diff --git a/tests/open_xml.txt b/tests/open_xml.txt
deleted file mode 100644
index e3d0fa78e9..0000000000
--- a/tests/open_xml.txt
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,3 +0,0 @@
-cd tests
-open test.xml | get rss.channel.item.link | echo $it
-exit
diff --git a/tests/sort_by.out b/tests/sort_by.out
deleted file mode 100644
index e1b39b006c..0000000000
--- a/tests/sort_by.out
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1 +0,0 @@
-description
diff --git a/tests/sort_by.txt b/tests/sort_by.txt
deleted file mode 100644
index aa933f8a2d..0000000000
--- a/tests/sort_by.txt
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,3 +0,0 @@
-cd tests
-open test.toml --raw | lines | skip 1 | first 4 | split-column "=" | sort-by Column1 | skip 1 | first 1 | get Column1 | trim | echo $it
-exit
diff --git a/tests/split.out b/tests/split.out
deleted file mode 100644
index f121bdbff4..0000000000
--- a/tests/split.out
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1 +0,0 @@
-name
diff --git a/tests/split.txt b/tests/split.txt
deleted file mode 100644
index 68713c675f..0000000000
--- a/tests/split.txt
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,3 +0,0 @@
-cd tests
-open test.toml --raw | lines | skip 1 | first 1 | split-column "=" | get Column1 | trim | echo $it
-exit
diff --git a/tests/test.json b/tests/test.json
deleted file mode 100644
index 8feebaa0ab..0000000000
--- a/tests/test.json
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,26 +0,0 @@
-{
-    "glossary": {
-        "title": "example glossary",
-        "GlossDiv": {
-            "title": "S",
-            "GlossList": {
-                "GlossEntry": {
-                    "ID": "SGML",
-                    "SortAs": "SGML",
-                    "GlossTerm": "Standard Generalized Markup Language",
-                    "Acronym": "SGML",
-                    "Abbrev": "ISO 8879:1986",
-                    "Height": 10,
-                    "GlossDef": {
-                        "para": "A meta-markup language, used to create markup languages such as DocBook.",
-                        "GlossSeeAlso": [
-                            "GML",
-                            "XML"
-                        ]
-                    },
-                    "GlossSee": "markup"
-                }
-            }
-        }
-    }
-}
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/tests/test.toml b/tests/test.toml
deleted file mode 100644
index f845705179..0000000000
--- a/tests/test.toml
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,58 +0,0 @@
-[package]
-name = "nu"
-version = "0.1.1"
-authors = ["Yehuda Katz <wycats@gmail.com>"]
-description = "A shell for the GitHub era"
-license = "ISC"
-edition = "2018"
-
-# See more keys and their definitions at https://doc.rust-lang.org/cargo/reference/manifest.html
-
-[dependencies]
-rustyline = "4.1.0"
-sysinfo = "0.8.4"
-chrono = { version = "0.4.6", features = ["serde"] }
-chrono-tz = "0.5.1"
-derive-new = "0.5.6"
-prettytable-rs = "0.8.0"
-itertools = "0.8.0"
-ansi_term = "0.11.0"
-conch-parser = "0.1.1"
-nom = "5.0.0-beta1"
-subprocess = "0.1.18"
-dunce = "1.0.0"
-indexmap = { version = "1.0.2", features = ["serde-1"] }
-chrono-humanize = "0.0.11"
-byte-unit = "2.1.0"
-ordered-float = "1.0.2"
-prettyprint = "0.6.0"
-cursive = { version = "0.12.0", features = ["pancurses-backend"], default-features = false }
-futures-preview = { version = "0.3.0-alpha.16", features = ["compat", "io-compat"] }
-futures-sink-preview = "0.3.0-alpha.16"
-tokio-fs = "0.1.6"
-futures_codec = "0.2.2"
-term = "0.5.2"
-bytes = "0.4.12"
-log = "0.4.6"
-pretty_env_logger = "0.3.0"
-lalrpop-util = "0.17.0"
-regex = "1.1.6"
-serde = "1.0.91"
-serde_json = "1.0.39"
-serde_derive = "1.0.91"
-getset = "0.0.7"
-logos = "0.10.0-rc2"
-logos-derive = "0.10.0-rc2"
-language-reporting = "0.3.0"
-app_dirs = "1.2.1"
-toml = "0.5.1"
-toml-query = "0.9.0"
-clap = "2.33.0"
-git2 = "0.8.0"
-
-[dependencies.pancurses]
-version = "0.16"
-features = ["win32a"]
-
-[dev-dependencies]
-pretty_assertions = "0.6.1"
diff --git a/tests/tests.rs b/tests/tests.rs
index 4147fad94d..8fd540088e 100644
--- a/tests/tests.rs
+++ b/tests/tests.rs
@@ -1,114 +1,21 @@
-#[cfg(test)]
-mod tests {
-    use std::error::Error;
-    use std::io::prelude::*;
-    use std::path::PathBuf;
-    use std::process::{Command, Stdio};
+mod helpers;
 
-    fn test_helper(test_name: &str) {
-        let mut baseline_path = PathBuf::new();
-        baseline_path.push("tests");
-        baseline_path.push(test_name);
-        baseline_path.set_extension("out");
+use helpers::in_directory as cwd;
 
-        let mut txt_path = PathBuf::new();
-        txt_path.push("tests");
-        txt_path.push(test_name);
-        txt_path.set_extension("txt");
-
-        let executable = {
-            let mut buf = PathBuf::new();
-            buf.push("target");
-            buf.push("debug");
-            buf.push("nu");
-            buf
-        };
-
-        let process = match Command::new(executable)
-            .stdin(Stdio::piped())
-            .stdout(Stdio::piped())
-            .spawn()
-        {
-            Ok(process) => process,
-            Err(why) => panic!("Can't run test {}", why.description()),
-        };
-
-        let baseline_out = std::fs::read_to_string(baseline_path).unwrap();
-        let baseline_out = baseline_out.replace("\r\n", "\n");
-        let input_commands = std::fs::read_to_string(txt_path).unwrap();
-
-        match process.stdin.unwrap().write_all(input_commands.as_bytes()) {
-            Err(why) => panic!("couldn't write to wc stdin: {}", why.description()),
-            Ok(_) => {}
-        }
-
-        let mut s = String::new();
-        match process.stdout.unwrap().read_to_string(&mut s) {
-            Err(why) => panic!("couldn't read stdout: {}", why.description()),
-            Ok(_) => {
-                let s = s.replace("\r\n", "\n");
-                assert_eq!(s, baseline_out);
-            }
-        }
-    }
-
-    #[test]
-    fn open_toml() {
-        test_helper("open_toml");
-    }
-
-    #[test]
-    fn open_json() {
-        test_helper("open_json");
-    }
-
-    #[test]
-    fn open_xml() {
-        test_helper("open_xml");
-    }
-
-    #[test]
-    fn open_ini() {
-        test_helper("open_ini");
-    }
-
-    #[test]
-    fn json_roundtrip() {
-        test_helper("json_roundtrip");
-    }
-
-    #[test]
-    fn toml_roundtrip() {
-        test_helper("toml_roundtrip");
-    }
-
-    #[test]
-    fn sort_by() {
-        test_helper("sort_by");
-    }
-
-    #[test]
-    fn split() {
-        test_helper("split");
-    }
-
-    #[test]
-    fn lines() {
-        test_helper("lines");
-    }
-
-    #[test]
-    fn external_num() {
-        test_helper("external_num");
-    }
-
-    #[test]
-    fn unit() {
-        test_helper("unit");
-    }
-
-    #[test]
-    fn inc_plugin() {
-        test_helper("inc_plugin");
-    }
+#[test]
+fn external_num() {
+    nu!(output,
+        cwd("tests/fixtures/formats"),
+        "open sgml_description.json | get glossary.GlossDiv.GlossList.GlossEntry.Height | echo $it");
+    
+    assert_eq!(output, "10");
+}
+
+#[test]
+fn inc_plugin() {
+    nu!(output,
+        cwd("tests/fixtures/formats"),
+        "open sgml_description.json | get glossary.GlossDiv.GlossList.GlossEntry.Height | inc | echo $it");
+
+    assert_eq!(output, "11");
 }
diff --git a/tests/toml_roundtrip.out b/tests/toml_roundtrip.out
deleted file mode 100644
index f5f171aac7..0000000000
--- a/tests/toml_roundtrip.out
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1 +0,0 @@
-nu
diff --git a/tests/toml_roundtrip.txt b/tests/toml_roundtrip.txt
deleted file mode 100644
index 959483fc27..0000000000
--- a/tests/toml_roundtrip.txt
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,3 +0,0 @@
-cd tests
-open test.toml | to-toml | from-toml | get package.name | echo $it
-exit
diff --git a/tests/unit.out b/tests/unit.out
deleted file mode 100644
index cacefde74f..0000000000
--- a/tests/unit.out
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1 +0,0 @@
-test.toml
diff --git a/tests/unit.txt b/tests/unit.txt
deleted file mode 100644
index e4b9829114..0000000000
--- a/tests/unit.txt
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,4 +0,0 @@
-cd tests
-cd dirtest
-ls | where size > 1kb | get name | trim | echo $it
-exit
\ No newline at end of file