5 files changed, 83 insertions, 2 deletions
diff --git a/cli/flags.rs b/cli/flags.rs
index b78dc646a..4cacb01e4 100644
--- a/cli/flags.rs
+++ b/cli/flags.rs
@@ -1105,7 +1105,7 @@ fn test_subcommand<'a, 'b>() -> App<'a, 'b> {
       Arg::with_name("filter")
         .long("filter")
         .takes_value(true)
-        .help("Run tests with this string in the test name"),
+        .help("Run tests with this string or pattern in the test name"),
     )
     .arg(
       Arg::with_name("files")
diff --git a/cli/js/testing.ts b/cli/js/testing.ts
index e8d42c2eb..0648683a4 100644
--- a/cli/js/testing.ts
+++ b/cli/js/testing.ts
@@ -308,6 +308,9 @@ function createFilterFn(
     if (filter) {
       if (filter instanceof RegExp) {
         passes = passes && filter.test(def.name);
+      } else if (filter.startsWith("/") && filter.endsWith("/")) {
+        const filterAsRegex = new RegExp(filter.slice(1, filter.length - 1));
+        passes = passes && filterAsRegex.test(def.name);
       } else {
         passes = passes && def.name.includes(filter);
       }
@@ -325,6 +328,8 @@ function createFilterFn(
   };
 }
 
+exposeForTest("createFilterFn", createFilterFn);
+
 interface RunTestsOptions {
   exitOnFail?: boolean;
   failFast?: boolean;
diff --git a/cli/tests/unit/filter_function_test.ts b/cli/tests/unit/filter_function_test.ts
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..dd83c1dbc
--- /dev/null
+++ b/cli/tests/unit/filter_function_test.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,52 @@
+import { unitTest, assertEquals } from "./test_util.ts";
+
+// @ts-expect-error TypeScript (as of 3.7) does not support indexing namespaces by symbol
+const { createFilterFn } = Deno[Deno.internal];
+
+unitTest(function filterAsString(): void {
+  const filterFn = createFilterFn("my-test");
+  const tests = [
+    {
+      fn(): void {},
+      name: "my-test",
+    },
+    {
+      fn(): void {},
+      name: "other-test",
+    },
+  ];
+  const filteredTests = tests.filter(filterFn);
+  assertEquals(filteredTests.length, 1);
+});
+
+unitTest(function filterAsREGEX(): void {
+  const filterFn = createFilterFn("/.+-test/");
+  const tests = [
+    {
+      fn(): void {},
+      name: "my-test",
+    },
+    {
+      fn(): void {},
+      name: "other-test",
+    },
+  ];
+  const filteredTests = tests.filter(filterFn);
+  assertEquals(filteredTests.length, 2);
+});
+
+unitTest(function filterAsEscapedREGEX(): void {
+  const filterFn = createFilterFn("/\\w+-test/");
+  const tests = [
+    {
+      fn(): void {},
+      name: "my-test",
+    },
+    {
+      fn(): void {},
+      name: "other-test",
+    },
+  ];
+  const filteredTests = tests.filter(filterFn);
+  assertEquals(filteredTests.length, 2);
+});
diff --git a/cli/tests/unit/unit_tests.ts b/cli/tests/unit/unit_tests.ts
index 1701170d1..ad820a55c 100644
--- a/cli/tests/unit/unit_tests.ts
+++ b/cli/tests/unit/unit_tests.ts
@@ -24,6 +24,7 @@ import "./event_target_test.ts";
 import "./fetch_test.ts";
 import "./file_test.ts";
 import "./files_test.ts";
+import "./filter_function_test.ts";
 import "./form_data_test.ts";
 import "./format_error_test.ts";
 import "./fs_events_test.ts";
diff --git a/docs/testing.md b/docs/testing.md
index f44483125..174123cce 100644
--- a/docs/testing.md
+++ b/docs/testing.md
@@ -129,10 +129,33 @@ There are a number of options to filter the tests you are running.
 Tests can be run individually or in groups using the command line `--filter`
 option.
 
+The filter flags accept a string or a pattern as value.
+
+Assuming the following tests:
+
+```ts
+Deno.test({ name: "my-test", fn: myTest });
+Deno.test({ name: "test-1", fn: test1 });
+Deno.test({ name: "test2", fn: test2 });
+```
+
+This command will run all of these tests because they all contain the word
+"test".
+
 ```shell
-deno test --filter "hello world" tests/
+deno test --filter "test" tests/
 ```
 
+On the flip side, the following command uses a pattern and will run the second
+and third tests.
+
+```shell
+deno test --filter "/test-*\d/" tests/
+```
+
+_To let Deno know that you want to use a pattern, wrap your filter with
+forward-slashes like the JavaScript syntactic sugar for a REGEX._
+
 This command will run any test which contains the string "hello world" in its
 test name for tests found within files in the `tests/` directory.