kill-mutants

name	kill-mutants
description	Analyze surviving mutants from a mutation testing run and write targeted unit tests to kill them. Re-runs mutations to confirm kills.
arguments	[{"name":"ARGUMENTS","description":"Optional mutant IDs or file path to focus on (e.g., \"src/auth.ts\" or \"1,3,5\" for specific mutant IDs)","required":false}]

Analyze surviving mutants and write tests to kill them.

Instructions

1. Read the most recent mutation testing report/results. If no report exists, ask the user to run the atdd-mutate skill first.

2. List all surviving mutants. For each, determine:

   • What was mutated (the operator: boundary change, removed call, inverted condition, etc.)
   • What behavior is unguarded by the current test suite
   • Whether the mutant is equivalent (mutation doesn't change observable behavior)

3. If $ARGUMENTS specifies a file or mutant IDs, filter to only those survivors.

4. For each non-equivalent survivor: a. Write a targeted unit test that:

   • Exercises the exact code path affected by the mutation
   • Asserts the correct behavior that the mutation would break
   • Follows existing test naming conventions and patterns in the project b. Run the new test against the original code — it must pass c. Verify the test would fail against the mutant (conceptual verification)

5. After writing all new tests, re-run mutation testing with atdd-mutate to confirm:

   • Previously surviving mutants are now killed
   • No regressions (previously killed mutants still killed)
   • This re-run is differential — adding a test changes the covering tests' hash, so only the affected function re-mutates; the rest are reused from the manifest

6. Report the updated mutation score and remaining survivors.

7. For any remaining equivalent mutants, document them:

   Equivalent mutants (safe to ignore):
   - src/utils.ts:42 — `x + 0` → `x + 1` (no behavioral change)
   

Rules

• Never modify existing tests to make mutants survive. Only ADD new tests.
• Never modify source code to kill mutants. The source is correct; the tests need strengthening.
• Never modify spec files. Mutation testing operates on unit tests only.
• If a surviving mutant reveals a genuine bug in the source code (not just a test gap), report it to the user rather than writing a test that asserts the buggy behavior.