Before: Save g:ale_proto_buf_format_executable " Use an invalid global executable, so we don't match it. let g:ale_proto_buf_format_executable = 'xxxinvalid' call ale#test#SetDirectory('/testplugin/test/fixers') After: Restore call ale#test#RestoreDirectory() Execute(The buf-format callback should return the correct default values): call ale#test#SetFilename('../test-files/proto/testfile.proto') AssertEqual \ { \ 'command': ale#Escape('xxxinvalid') . ' format %t', \ }, \ ale#fixers#buf_format#Fix(bufnr(''))