diff --git a/Cargo.lock b/Cargo.lock
index b22c838709..a1b75ae205 100644
--- a/Cargo.lock
+++ b/Cargo.lock
@@ -3813,12 +3813,14 @@ dependencies = [
  "roc_can",
  "roc_derive",
  "roc_load",
+ "roc_module",
  "roc_parse",
  "roc_problem",
  "roc_region",
  "roc_reporting",
  "roc_solve",
  "roc_target",
+ "roc_types",
  "test_solve_helpers",
 ]
 
diff --git a/crates/test_compile/Cargo.toml b/crates/test_compile/Cargo.toml
index 8cbb13ad46..977a607814 100644
--- a/crates/test_compile/Cargo.toml
+++ b/crates/test_compile/Cargo.toml
@@ -16,6 +16,8 @@ roc_region = { path = "../compiler/region" }
 roc_load = { path = "../compiler/load" }
 roc_parse = { path = "../compiler/parse" }
 roc_can = { path = "../compiler/can" }
+roc_module = { path = "../compiler/module" }
+roc_types = { path = "../compiler/types" }
 roc_problem = { path = "../compiler/problem" }
 roc_reporting = { path = "../reporting" }
 roc_target = { path = "../compiler/roc_target" }
diff --git a/crates/test_compile/src/deindent.rs b/crates/test_compile/src/deindent.rs
index 501a770e80..434d63e413 100644
--- a/crates/test_compile/src/deindent.rs
+++ b/crates/test_compile/src/deindent.rs
@@ -1,13 +1,13 @@
 use bumpalo::Bump;
-use std::borrow::Cow;
 
 /// The purpose of this function is to let us run tests like this:
 ///
-///     run_some_test(r#"
-///         x = 1
+/// ```rust,ignore
+/// run_some_test(r#"
+///     x = 1
 ///
-///         x
-///     ")
+///     x
+/// "#)
 ///
 /// ...without needing to call a macro like `indoc!` to deal with the fact that
 /// multiline Rust string literals preserve all the indented spaces.
diff --git a/crates/test_compile/src/help_can.rs b/crates/test_compile/src/help_can.rs
index a9336445b4..a36ee48d36 100644
--- a/crates/test_compile/src/help_can.rs
+++ b/crates/test_compile/src/help_can.rs
@@ -1,6 +1,31 @@
+use std::path::Path;
+
 use crate::help_parse::ParseExpr;
 use bumpalo::Bump;
-use roc_can::expr::Expr;
+use roc_can::{
+    desugar,
+    env::Env,
+    expr::{canonicalize_expr, Expr, Output},
+    scope::Scope,
+};
+use roc_module::symbol::{IdentIds, Interns, ModuleId, ModuleIds, PackageModuleIds, Symbol};
+use roc_problem::can::Problem;
+use roc_region::all::{Loc, Region};
+use roc_types::{
+    subs::{VarStore, Variable},
+    types::{AliasVar, Type},
+};
+
+#[derive(Debug)]
+pub struct CanExprOut {
+    pub loc_expr: Loc<Expr>,
+    pub output: Output,
+    pub problems: Vec<Problem>,
+    pub home: ModuleId,
+    pub interns: Interns,
+    pub var_store: VarStore,
+    pub var: Variable,
+}
 
 pub struct CanExpr {
     parse_expr: ParseExpr,
@@ -14,20 +39,18 @@ impl Default for CanExpr {
     }
 }
 
-impl CanExpr {
-    pub fn can_expr<'a>(&'a self, input: &'a str) -> Result<Expr, CanExprProblem> {
-        match self.parse_expr.parse_expr(input) {
-            Ok(ast) => {
-                // todo canonicalize AST and return that result.
-                let loc_expr = roc_parse::test_helpers::parse_loc_with(arena, expr_str).unwrap_or_else(|e| {
-                    panic!(
-                        "can_expr_with() got a parse error when attempting to canonicalize:\n\n{expr_str:?} {e:?}"
-                    )
-                });
+fn test_home() -> ModuleId {
+    ModuleIds::default().get_or_insert(&"Test".into())
+}
 
+impl CanExpr {
+    pub fn can_expr<'a>(&'a self, input: &'a str) -> CanExprOut {
+        match self.parse_expr.parse_loc_expr(input) {
+            Ok(loc_expr) => {
                 let mut var_store = VarStore::default();
                 let var = var_store.fresh();
                 let qualified_module_ids = PackageModuleIds::default();
+                let home = test_home();
 
                 let mut scope = Scope::new(
                     home,
@@ -38,8 +61,8 @@ impl CanExpr {
 
                 let dep_idents = IdentIds::exposed_builtins(0);
                 let mut env = Env::new(
-                    arena,
-                    expr_str,
+                    &self.arena(),
+                    input,
                     home,
                     Path::new("Test.roc"),
                     &dep_idents,
@@ -95,7 +118,7 @@ impl CanExpr {
                 }
             }
             Err(syntax_error) => {
-                // todo panic due to unexpected syntax error
+                panic!("Unexpected syntax error: {:?}", syntax_error);
             }
         }
     }
@@ -103,4 +126,8 @@ impl CanExpr {
     pub fn into_arena(self) -> Bump {
         self.parse_expr.into_arena()
     }
+
+    pub fn arena(&self) -> &Bump {
+        &self.parse_expr.arena()
+    }
 }
diff --git a/crates/test_compile/src/help_parse.rs b/crates/test_compile/src/help_parse.rs
index a7cb083370..081807b217 100644
--- a/crates/test_compile/src/help_parse.rs
+++ b/crates/test_compile/src/help_parse.rs
@@ -57,4 +57,8 @@ impl ParseExpr {
     pub fn into_arena(self) -> Bump {
         self.arena
     }
+
+    pub fn arena(&self) -> &Bump {
+        &self.arena
+    }
 }