validate-changes

name	validate-changes
description	Run targeted Chocolatey module validation scopes quickly and safely, then widen validation only when the changed surface requires it.
argument-hint	What files or areas did you change, and how much validation do you want?

Validate Changes

Purpose

• Run the smallest useful validation scope first.
• Expand only when the changed surface requires it.

Use this skill when

• You changed functions under source/public or source/private.
• You changed classes or enums under source/Classes or source/Enum.
• You changed type-accelerator behavior in source/suffix.ps1.
• You changed build logic under build.ps1, build.yaml, .pipelines, or .github/workflows.
• You need confidence before opening or updating a PR.

Mandatory rule

Every validation command must go through ./build.ps1.

• Do not run Invoke-Pester directly.
• Do not call Build-Module directly.
• Do not manually edit PSModulePath.
• Bootstrap dependencies with:

./build.ps1 -ResolveDependency -Tasks noop

Decision flow

1. If a specific test file is known, run only that file:

./build.ps1 -Tasks test -PesterPath '<target_test>' -CodeCoverageThreshold 0

2. If changes are limited to one public or private function, run the matching unit test file under tests/Unit/Public or tests/Unit/Private.

3. If source/suffix.ps1, source/Classes, or source/Enum changed, run focused unit tests first, then run the default test workflow:

./build.ps1 -Tasks test

4. If build or workflow wiring changed (build.ps1, build.yaml, .pipelines, .github/workflows), run:

./build.ps1 -Tasks test

5. If Guest Configuration or packaging assets changed, expand to the broader relevant workflow:

./build.ps1 -Tasks gcpol

6. If release confidence or quality-gate coverage is needed, run:

./build.ps1 -Tasks hqrmtest

Logging rule

For long-running builds or tests, tee output to a log outside output\*:

$logPath = Join-Path -Path $env:TEMP -ChildPath 'Chocolatey.validate-test.log'

if (Test-Path $logPath)
{
    Remove-Item $logPath -Force
}

./build.ps1 -Tasks test 2>&1 |
    Tee-Object -FilePath $logPath

• Do not use | Select-Object -Last <N> inline with ./build.ps1.
• Inspect the log separately with Get-Content -Tail or Select-String.

Completion checks

• The selected validation scope passed.
• Matching unit tests were updated for public/private function changes.
• Broader workflow validation ran when build wiring or class-export behavior changed.
• CHANGELOG.md contains an Unreleased entry for user-visible or workflow-visible changes.