| name | test-driven-execution |
| description | Execute feature work and bug fixes with a tracer-bullet red-green-refactor loop. Use when building behavior that should be guided by tests, when fixing regressions, or when the user wants TDD or test-first execution. Prefer public interfaces, vertical slices, and behavior-focused tests that survive refactors. |
| license | MIT |
| metadata | {"abvx_status":"experimental","abvx_origin":"adapted"} |
Test Driven Execution
Use tests as the feedback loop that shapes the implementation one vertical slice at a time.
Core Rules
- Test behavior through public interfaces.
- Prefer integration-style tests over implementation-coupled tests.
- Work in vertical slices, not horizontal batches.
- One failing test -> one minimal implementation -> repeat.
- Refactor only while green.
Workflow
- Confirm the behavior to build or fix.
- Identify the highest useful seam to test.
- Write one failing test for one observable behavior.
- Implement the minimum code to make it pass.
- Repeat for the next behavior.
- Refactor only after the slice is green.
For a diagnosed regression that needs durable proof, capture the exact same targeted command before and after with bug-evidence-protocol, then capture relevant broader checks. Do not infer FIX_PROVEN from a green targeted test alone.
Anti-Pattern
Do not write all tests first and all code later. That produces test suites for imagined behavior instead of validated behavior.
Good Tests
- name the user-visible behavior;
- survive internal refactors;
- avoid private methods and internal collaborator trivia;
- verify what the system does, not how it does it.
Planning Questions
- Which behaviors matter most?
- Which seams already exist?
- What should not be tested at this layer?
- What prior art already exists in the repo?
Final Report
Include the behaviors covered, the seams used, what remains untested, and any refactor opportunities exposed by the loop.
