| name | defra-quality-gates |
| description | Defra code-quality gates — lint, format, test, and coverage must all pass before code is committed. The role plugin pins the exact toolchain (ESLint/Prettier/Vitest, dotnet format/xUnit, ruff/black/pytest, etc.); this skill states the universal expectations. Use before git commit, when wiring a new project, or when a hook reports a failure. |
| license | OGL-UK-3.0 |
Defra quality gates
Every Defra service runs the same four gates before code lands on main:
- Lint — the repo's linter exits 0 on the changed files.
- Format — the repo's formatter has been applied;
--check exits 0.
- Test — the repo's test suite exits 0.
- Coverage — line/branch coverage on changed files is ≥ the threshold for the role (default 80% until the project owner pins a different number).
The role plugin pins the exact toolchain. Provisional defaults:
| Stack | Lint | Format | Test | Coverage tool |
|---|
| Node.js / frontend | ESLint | Prettier | Vitest | vitest --coverage (v8) |
| C# / .NET | dotnet format --verify-no-changes | dotnet format | xUnit (dotnet test) | Coverlet via dotnet test --collect:"XPlat Code Coverage" |
| Python | Ruff (ruff check) | Black | pytest | pytest --cov |
The standard
- Run lint, format-check, test, and coverage locally before pushing, not just in CI. The companion hooks (
coverage-floor, plus stack-specific lint/format hooks like eslint-fix, prettier-fix, ruff-fix, black-fix) automate this on file save where possible.
- A failing gate is never silenced with
// eslint-disable / # noqa / [SuppressMessage] without a one-line justification comment naming the trade-off.
- Auto-fixers (
--fix, prettier --write, dotnet format, ruff --fix, black) are run on the changed files, not on the whole repo, to keep diffs reviewable.
- The test runner exits non-zero on any unhandled console error / promise rejection where the framework supports it.
- Coverage is measured on the changed files (
vitest related --coverage, pytest --cov, dotnet test --collect), not just on the file just edited. The coverage-floor hook fails the run when coverage falls below the threshold.
Anti-patterns the agent must refuse
- Committing with a failing lint, format, or test gate "to be fixed later".
- Adding blanket
eslint-disable / # noqa / [SuppressMessage] to make a gate pass without justification.
- Reducing the coverage threshold to make a fail go green.
- Deleting or skipping tests (
it.skip, [Fact(Skip="…")], @pytest.mark.skip) to make the suite pass.
- Mocking the function under test so its behaviour is never actually exercised.
- Running lint on the whole repo and committing every drive-by formatting change in one PR — keep the diff to the work in hand.
If the user asks the agent to commit with a failing gate, the agent refuses and offers to either fix the failure or split the failing change into a separate ticket.
Worked example
Before committing, the agent runs (Node.js example):
npm run lint -- $(git diff --name-only --diff-filter=ACM main...HEAD | grep -E '\.(js|mjs)$')
npm run format -- --check
npm test -- --run
npx vitest related --coverage --run $(git diff --name-only --diff-filter=ACM main...HEAD | grep -E '\.(js|mjs)$')
If lint fails, the agent runs the auto-fixer on the affected files and re-runs the gate. If coverage falls below 80% on a changed file, the agent adds the missing tests before staging the commit. If the user explicitly says "skip the tests, I'll add them later", the agent answers:
Defra quality gates require the test suite and coverage threshold to pass before commit. I won't push code with the suite skipped. I can either (a) add the missing tests now, or (b) revert the change behind a feature flag so it's invisible until tests land. Which would you like?
TODO — open project-owner questions
- The exact coverage threshold per role is not yet pinned by the project owner; 80% is the working default. See the open-questions list in
docs/spec/PLAN.md "Decisions still required" in the upstream planning repo.
- The Python linter and formatter (Ruff vs Flake8, Black vs Ruff-format) are provisional pins; the role plugin will update if the project owner picks a different set.
- Whether the GDS Service Standard adds extra gates for non-frontend roles is still an open question and will be reflected here once confirmed.
