| name | qa-author-by-task |
| description | QA-Author by-task mode procedure. Use when QA-Author is dispatched for a master-plan task after TL, and after design-confirmed for UI tasks, to author task-scoped structural/api/e2e/functional test cases under docs/test-cases/by-task/<task-id>/ and coordinate visual-spec generation for UI tasks. |
| agents | ["qa-author"] |
| sdlc_phase | qa |
| owner | Platform Eng |
| status | active |
QA Author By-Task
Use
Use this skill for QA-Author by-task mode. Load test-case-author for TC format, ui-test-execution for executable specs, and visual-spec-author before writing structural tests for UI tasks.
Inputs
- Task file under
docs/plan/phase-*/tasks/<task-id>.md
- Linked US/FR files
docs/architecture.md- Frozen API contracts for BE/BE+FE tasks
docs/uiux/handoffs/<task-id>.md and docs/instrumentation-contract.md for UI tasks- Existing by-us test cases for linked US IDs
Preconditions
- TL has linked US IDs and FR IDs.
- UI tasks have
design-confirmed and a handoff on main.
- FE tasks dependent on BE contracts have frozen API contracts.
- Missing preconditions cause
NEEDS_CONTEXT/blocked return; do not author partial task TCs silently.
Procedure
- Verify by-us coverage exists for each linked US. If missing, file an open issue and continue only for task-specific layers that can be authored safely.
- Determine required task layers:
api.md for BE or BE+FE contract/API work;structural.md for UI tasks;e2e.md for multi-system or cross-surface flows;functional.md only for task-specific behavior not covered by by-us.
- For UI tasks, run
visual-spec-author first. Structural TCs derive from docs/uiux/visual-specs/<task-id>.md, not from ad-hoc Figma interpretation.
- For API tests, read both the FR file and frozen API contract. If they disagree, file an open issue; do not silently let one override the other.
- Author markdown TCs under
docs/test-cases/by-task/<task-id>/.
- Author executable specs at every TC's
Executable: path using the project runner conventions.
- Ensure runner test names start with the TC ID.
- Emit
plan-update.json with track: "qa" and by-task notes.
Hard Rules
- Never author by-task cases into by-us paths or the reverse.
- Never invent missing API contract behavior.
- Never write structural UI tests before visual spec exists.
- Every executable TC needs a real spec file.
- Commit before signaling ready-to-finalize.
