| name | workflow-testing |
| description | Testing workflow for the machine: characterization tests for legacy code, specification tests for greenfield, and the test-quality checklist. Use when writing tests or measuring coverage.
|
| license | Apache-2.0 |
| compatibility | Designed for Claude Code |
| allowed-tools | Read, Write, Edit, Bash(pytest:*), Bash(ruff:*), Bash(npm:*), Bash(npx:*), Bash(node:*), Bash(jest:*), Bash(vitest:*), Bash(go:*), Bash(cargo:*), Bash(mix:*), Bash(uv:*), Bash(bundle:*), Bash(php:*), Bash(phpunit:*), Grep, Glob, mcp__plugin_machine_context7__resolve-library-id, mcp__plugin_machine_context7__query-docs |
| user-invocable | false |
| metadata | {"version":"3.0.0","category":"workflow","status":"active","updated":"2026-06-12","tags":"workflow, testing, ddd, tdd, coverage"} |
| progressive_disclosure | {"enabled":true,"level1_tokens":100} |
| triggers | {"keywords":["testing","characterization tests","coverage","DDD","TDD","behavior preservation","test"],"agents":["manager-ddd","manager-tdd","expert-testing","expert-performance","expert-refactoring"]} |
Workflow Testing
Specialists own the method: manager-tdd (red-green-refactor),
expert-debug (bugs). Coverage strategy: ref-testing-pyramid.
Quality gate: /gate. This skill is the testing-specific checklist.
Legacy code — characterization (PRESERVE)
- Write tests that capture what the code does now, not what it should do.
- Snapshot input/output pairs for complex paths as regression guards.
- Confirm the characterization suite is green before changing anything.
- Refactor in small steps; keep the suite green throughout.
Greenfield — specification
- Derive each test from a domain rule or invariant; name it for the behavior.
- Organize by domain concept (aggregate, entity, value object).
- Specify behavior in domain language; keep implementation detail out of tests.
- Write the test before the implementation.
Rationalizations
| Rationalization | Reality |
|---|
| "Already covered by integration tests" | Integration tests catch different bugs than unit tests. |
| "Mocking the DB is too hard, skip it" | Hard-to-test means a missing abstraction boundary. |
| "80% coverage is good enough" | Coverage targets are floors; the missing paths are error handling. |
| "Utility functions don't need tests" | Utilities are the most reused code; a bug propagates everywhere. |
| "Passed locally, CI will pass" | Trust CI output, not local runs. |
| "Flaky tests are normal, re-run" | Fix the flakiness or quarantine the test explicitly. |
Red flags
- Coverage dropped after a feature addition.
skip/t.Skip() without a linked issue.- Auto-generated test names (test_1) instead of behavior-descriptive.
- No test on the error/failure branch of a new function.
- Test imports the concrete implementation instead of the interface.
Verification
