integration-test-verify

name	integration-test-verify
description	[Testing] Use when you need to verify integration tests pass after writing and reviewing them.

Codex compatibility note:

• Invoke repository skills with $skill-name in Codex; this mirrored copy rewrites legacy Claude /skill-name references.
• Task tracker mandate: BEFORE executing any workflow or skill step, create/update task tracking for all steps and keep it synchronized as progress changes.
• User-question prompts mean to ask the user directly in Codex.
• Ignore Claude-specific mode-switch instructions when they appear.
• Strict execution contract: when a user explicitly invokes a skill, execute that skill protocol as written.
• Subagent authorization: when a skill is user-invoked or AI-detected and its protocol requires subagents, that skill activation authorizes use of the required spawn_agent subagent(s) for that task.
• Do not skip, reorder, or merge protocol steps unless the user explicitly approves the deviation first.
• For workflow skills, execute each listed child-skill step explicitly and report step-by-step evidence.
• If a required step/tool cannot run in this environment, stop and ask the user before adapting.

Codex Project-Reference Loading (No Hooks)

Codex uses static project-reference loading instead of runtime-injected project docs. When coding, planning, debugging, testing, or reviewing, open project docs explicitly using this routing.

Always read:

• docs/project-config.json (project-specific paths, commands, modules, and workflow/test settings)
• docs/project-reference/docs-index-reference.md (routes to the full docs/project-reference/* catalog)
• docs/project-reference/lessons.md (always-on guardrails and anti-patterns)

Missing/stale context route: If docs/project-config.json, the docs index, lessons.md, CLAUDE.md, AGENTS.md, or any task-required reference doc is missing or stale, auto-run $project-init or the narrow setup route ($project-config, $docs-init, $scan-all, $scan --target=<key>, $claude-md-init) before ordinary project-specific work. If Codex mirrors or AGENTS.md are missing/stale, ask the user to run $sync-codex; do not auto-run it.

Situation-based docs:

• Backend/CQRS/API/domain/entity changes: backend-patterns-reference.md, domain-entities-reference.md, project-structure-reference.md
• Frontend/UI/styling/design-system: frontend-patterns-reference.md, scss-styling-guide.md, design-system/README.md
• Spec authoring, docs/specs/ pathing, or TC format: feature-spec-reference.md, spec-system-reference.md, spec-principles.md
• Behavior/public-contract changes or spec-test-code sync: workflow-spec-test-code-cycle-reference.md plus the spec docs above
• Derived spec indexes/ERDs/reimplementation guides: spec-system-reference.md and source Feature Specs under docs/specs/
• Integration test implementation/review: integration-test-reference.md
• E2E test implementation/review: e2e-test-reference.md
• Code review/audit work: code-review-rules.md plus domain docs above based on changed files

Do not read all docs blindly. Start from docs-index-reference.md, then open only relevant files for the task.

[BLOCKING] Execute skill steps in declared order. NEVER skip, reorder, or merge steps without explicit user approval. [BLOCKING] Before each step or sub-skill call, update task tracking: set in_progress when step starts, set completed when step ends. [BLOCKING] Every completed/skipped step MUST include brief evidence or explicit skip reason. [BLOCKING] If Task tools are unavailable, create and maintain an equivalent step-by-step plan tracker with the same status transitions.

Quick Summary

Goal: Prove the reviewed integration tests (written by $integration-test, reviewed by $integration-test-review) pass repeatably — 3 consecutive green runs without DB reset, using project-configured run commands — with every pass/fail claim backed by actual test-runner output, never assumption.

Summary:

• Read docs/project-config.json → integrationTestVerify FIRST and obey its quickRunCommand / reference docs — this skill is language-agnostic, so NEVER hardcode dotnet test; missing section → Fallback Mode.
• Gate on a healthy system before running: run systemCheckCommand, and STOP (point user at startupScript) when infrastructure/services aren't ready — unreliable system means unreliable results.
• Pass requires 3 consecutive green runs of each relevant suite WITHOUT DB reset; any failure restarts the sequence from run 1, and only actual runner output (Passed/Failed/Skipped counts + names) proves the result.
• On failure, diagnose test-bug vs service-bug and fix at the root layer — NEVER weaken assertions, add skip annotations, or mutate domain data to make red go green.

Workflow:

1. Read Config — Load docs/project-config.json → integrationTestVerify section for project-specific run guidance
2. System Check — Verify required system is healthy before running
3. Determine Test Projects — Discover via testProjectPattern glob, testProjects list, or git auto-detect
4. Run Tests — Execute quickRunCommand on determined test projects for 3 consecutive runs
5. Report — Pass/fail counts, failed test names, next steps on failure

Key Rules:

• MUST read project config integrationTestVerify section before doing anything else
• MUST read project-specific reference docs named by integrationTestVerify.referenceDocs or the project's integration-test doc path before running tests
• Use quickRunCommand from config — NEVER hardcode dotnet test or any language-specific command
• If system check fails → instruct user how to start system (reference startupScript from config)
• If config says local infrastructure, databases, services, or full system startup is required, treat that as a blocking prerequisite
• On test failure → diagnose root cause: test bug or service bug. NEVER weaken assertions.
• Verification only passes after 3 consecutive successful runs of each relevant suite/project without DB reset
• Always report exact failure counts and names — "all passed" requires evidence

Be skeptical. Apply critical thinking. Every pass/fail claim needs actual test runner output.

---

First Principle — Easy to Change

The success metric of every coding decision is future change cost. DRY, SRP, abstraction, design patterns, naming, layering, tests — every technique exists to serve one goal: making the next change cheaper.

When evaluating code, refactor, test, or abstraction, ask: does this make next change cheaper or more expensive?

• Reject "best practices" raising change cost (premature abstraction, speculative generality, leaky indirection, ceremony without payoff).
• Name real enemies in findings: coupling, hidden state, duplicated knowledge, unclear intent, irreversible decisions exposed too early.
• Simpler design easy to change beats sophisticated design that isn't.

Apply this lens before invoking any specific rule, pattern, or checklist below — if downstream rule would raise change cost, this principle wins.

---

Step 1: Read Project Config

Read docs/project-config.json and extract the integrationTestVerify section.

Expected config shape:
{
  "integrationTestVerify": {
    "guidance":             string   — instructions for the project's test run approach
    "referenceDocs":        string[] — project docs that explain integration-test setup/run prerequisites
    "quickRunCommand":      string   — test runner command (e.g., "dotnet test --no-build", "npm test", "pytest")
    "testProjectPattern":   string   — glob pattern to discover test projects (e.g., "**/*.IntegrationTests.csproj", "**/*.integration.spec.ts")
    "testProjects":         string[] — explicit list of test project paths (fallback if no pattern)
    "systemCheckCommand":   string   — shell command to check system readiness
    "runScript":            string   — path to CI-style full run script (reference only)
    "startupScript":        string   — path to system startup script (reference only)
  }
}

Config priority: testProjectPattern (auto-discovers via glob) > testProjects (explicit list) > git auto-detect (fallback).

If integrationTestVerify section is missing: proceed to Fallback Mode.

If section exists: display the guidance value to the user verbatim — it contains project-specific instructions the implementer wrote intentionally.

Then read the project-specific setup guidance before any system check or test command:

1. Read every file listed in integrationTestVerify.referenceDocs, if present.
2. If no referenceDocs list exists, read the integration-test reference doc indicated elsewhere in docs/project-config.json (for example a framework/testing integration test doc path), if present.
3. If config names runScript or startupScript, read those scripts when needed to understand startup, health checks, arguments, or labels. Use them as project-specific evidence, not generic assumptions.
4. If no project-specific reference exists, proceed only with the explicit config values and call out that the project should add reference docs to integrationTestVerify.

---

Step 2: System Check

If systemCheckCommand exists in config:

Run the system check via Bash:

{systemCheckCommand}

Evaluate output:

• Healthy → proceed to Step 3
• Partially healthy / no containers → display startup instructions to user: > "System not fully ready. To start: run {startupScript} (or follow the guidance above). Wait for all services to be healthy, then re-run $integration-test-verify."

  STOP — do not run tests against an unhealthy system. Results would be unreliable.

If no systemCheckCommand:

• If guidance, reference docs, runScript, or startupScript indicate required local infrastructure/services, STOP and tell the user the project config needs a concrete readiness check before AI verification can run.
• Otherwise, proceed to Step 3 and explicitly report that no system check was configured.

---

Step 3: Determine Test Projects

Priority order: testProjectPattern (glob auto-discover) > testProjects (explicit list) > git auto-detect (fallback).

If testProjectPattern exists in config:

Discover test projects by running a glob search for the pattern:

# Example (testProjectPattern from project config, e.g. "**/*.IntegrationTests.csproj")
find . -path "{testProjectPattern}" -type f
# or use language-appropriate glob tool

Use all discovered .csproj files (or equivalent) as the test project list. Exclude any paths outside the pattern scope.

If no testProjectPattern but testProjects list exists:

Use the explicit list from config directly.

If neither exists — auto-detect from git:

# Auto-detect changed test projects
git diff --name-only HEAD | grep -i "IntegrationTest" | sed 's|/[^/]*$||' | sort -u

If auto-detect finds nothing (no uncommitted test changes), ask user: "No changed test files detected. Run all test projects or skip?"

Filter rule: Only run projects relevant to the current change. If user explicitly asks to run all → run all discovered/configured projects.

---

Step 4: Run Tests

Run this step only after Step 2 passed or the config/reference docs explicitly state no external system is required.

Execute using quickRunCommand from config. Run each relevant suite/project 3 consecutive times without resetting data.

Three-run idempotency gate: If any run fails, verification fails. Fix the root cause, then restart the 3-run sequence from run 1.

Example for a configured integration-test suite:

# Run each test project individually for clear per-project results
{quickRunCommand} {testProject1}
{quickRunCommand} {testProject2}
# ...

Or run all at once using the solution filter if supported:

{quickRunCommand} --filter "Category=integration"

Capture output for every run: count Passed, Failed, Skipped. Note: skipped tests marked with the configured framework's skip annotation are expected and not a failure.

---

Step 5: Report Results

After all tests complete, report:

### Integration Test Verify Results

**Run command:** {quickRunCommand}
**Projects tested:** {N}
**Repeatability gate:** 3 consecutive runs without DB reset

| Project | Run | Passed | Failed | Skipped |
|---------|-----|--------|--------|---------|
| {Project1} | 1 | X | 0 | Y |
| {Project1} | 2 | X | 0 | Y |
| {Project1} | 3 | X | 0 | Y |

**Total:** {total_passed} passed, {total_failed} failed, {total_skipped} skipped (expected skip annotations)

Status: ✅ ALL PASS | ❌ {N} FAILURES

On failure:

1. List each failing test name + failure message
2. Diagnose: test bug (wrong assertion setup) or service bug (handler actually broken)?
3. If test bug → fix in the test file (do NOT weaken assertions — fix setup/data)
4. If service bug → report as finding, do NOT silently fix without telling user
5. After fixing → re-run the full 3-run verify sequence

Goal Contract evidence (after verify run): Resolve the active Goal Contract per the goal-contract-satisfaction-loop protocol (active plan goal.md → plans/goals/{YYMMDD-HHmm}-{slug}/goal.md). When one exists, append the verification evidence to the goal file's Iteration Log — run command, per-run pass/fail counts, report path — mapped to the saved success criteria these tests verify, and update the matching Goal Satisfaction matrix rows (PASS on 3/3 green, FAIL with the failing-test list, BLOCKED with a user-facing reason). Record No active goal — results reported inline only. when none exists. Never copy raw sensitive fixture data into the goal file.

---

Fallback Mode (No Project Config)

When docs/project-config.json has no integrationTestVerify section:

1. Detect project type from root files:

   • *.sln or *.csproj → dotnet test
   • package.json → npm test or npx jest
   • pytest.ini / setup.py / pyproject.toml → pytest
   • go.mod → go test ./...

2. Auto-detect changed test files from git:

   git diff --name-only HEAD
   

3. Run detected command on changed test projects.

4. Report results and recommend: "Add integrationTestVerify to docs/project-config.json for project-specific run guidance."

---

CI-Style Full Run (Reference)

When runScript is configured, reference it for the full CI-style run (not run by AI directly — Windows.cmd scripts and CI runners require user/pipeline execution):

"For a full CI-style run including Docker orchestration and health polling, execute: {runScript}"

This script typically: creates networks → removes stale containers → builds images → starts infrastructure (wait healthy) → starts APIs (wait healthy) → runs all tests.

---

On Test Failure Protocol

NEVER do these to make failures go away:

• ❌ Remove or weaken assertions
• ❌ Add skip annotations to hide failures
• ❌ Create or mutate domain data through repositories to bypass real use-case paths
• ❌ Mark passing by ignoring error output
• ❌ Report "all passed" without showing actual runner output

DO this instead:

1. Read the failing test method
2. Read the handler/service the test targets
3. Identify: is the assertion wrong, or is the code wrong?
4. Fix at the root cause layer; use real use cases or valid seeded fixtures for data setup
5. Re-run to confirm green

If a test fails because the system is unavailable → report as "system not ready" and reference startupScript / runScript. Never change the test.

---

Workflow Recommendation

MANDATORY IMPORTANT MUST ATTENTION — NO EXCEPTIONS: If you are NOT already in a workflow, you MUST ATTENTION use a direct user question to ask the user. Do NOT judge task complexity or decide this is "simple enough to skip" — the user decides whether to use a workflow, not you:

1. Activate workflow-write-integration-test workflow (Recommended) — scout → investigate → spec-tests → why-review → review-artifact --type=spec-tests → integration-test → integration-test-review → integration-test-verify → spec-tests [direction=sync] → docs-update → workflow-end → watzup
2. Execute $integration-test-verify directly — run this skill standalone

---

Next Steps

MANDATORY IMPORTANT MUST ATTENTION — NO EXCEPTIONS after completing this skill, you MUST ATTENTION use a direct user question to present these options. Do NOT skip because the task seems "simple" or "obvious" — the user decides:

• "$workflow-review-changes (Recommended)" — Review all changes before committing
• "$integration-test-review" — If tests fail: review and fix integration tests before re-verify
• "$docs-update" — Update documentation if test counts changed
• "Skip, continue manually" — user decides

[IMPORTANT] Use task tracking to break ALL work into small tasks BEFORE starting. A verify step that does not actually run tests 3 consecutive times is not repeatability verification. It is theater. Read project config FIRST to understand how to run tests for this specific project.

Source/test drift check. For coding, fix, debug, investigation, test, or review work: when source behavior changes, inspect affected unit/integration/E2E tests and decide from evidence whether tests should change to match intended behavior or the source change is an unintended bug to fix. Do not write tests for migration code; schema/data migrations are one-time execution paths, not core application logic.

AI Mistake Prevention — Failure modes to avoid on every task:

Re-read files after context changes. Context compaction, resume, or long-running work can make memory stale; verify current files before acting. Verify generated content against source evidence. AI hallucinates APIs, names, claims, and document facts. Check the relevant source before documenting or referencing. Check downstream references before deleting or renaming. Removing an artifact can stale docs, generated mirrors, configs, and callers; map references first. Trace the full impact chain after edits. Changing a definition can miss derived outputs and consumers. Follow the affected chain before declaring done. Verify ALL affected outputs, not just the first. One green check is not all green checks; validate every output surface the change can affect. Assume existing values are intentional — ask WHY before changing. Before changing a constant, limit, flag, wording, or pattern, read nearby context and history. Surface ambiguity before acting — don't pick silently. Multiple valid interpretations require an explicit question or stated assumption with risk. Keep shared guidance role-relevant. Universal guidance must help every receiving skill or agent; code-specific obligations belong only in code-specific protocols.

Nested Task Expansion Contract — For workflow-step invocation, the [Workflow] ... row is only a parent container; the child skill still creates visible phase tasks.

1. Call the current task list first. If a matching active parent workflow row exists, set nested=true and record parentTaskId; otherwise run standalone.
2. Create one task per declared phase before phase work. When nested, prefix subjects [N.M] $skill-name — phase.
3. When nested, link the parent with TaskUpdate(parentTaskId, addBlockedBy: [childIds]).
4. Orchestrators must pre-expand a child skill's phase list and link the workflow row before invoking that child skill or sub-agent.
5. Mark exactly one child in_progress before work and completed immediately after evidence is written.
6. Complete the parent only after all child tasks are completed or explicitly cancelled with reason.

Blocked until: the current task list done, child phases created, parent linked when nested, first child marked in_progress.

Task Tracking & External Report Persistence — Bootstrap this before execution; then run project-reference doc prefetch before target/source work.

1. Create a small task breakdown before target file reads, grep, edits, or analysis. On context loss, inspect the current task list first.
2. Mark one task in_progress before work and completed immediately after evidence; never batch transitions.
3. For plan/review work, create plans/reports/{skill}-{YYMMDD}-{HHmm}-{slug}.md before first finding.
4. Append findings after each file/section/decision and synthesize from the report file at the end.
5. Final output cites Full report: plans/reports/{filename}.

Blocked until: task breakdown exists, report path declared for plan/review work, first finding persisted before the next finding.

Critical Thinking Mindset — Apply critical thinking, sequential thinking. Every claim needs traced proof, confidence >80% to act. Anti-hallucination: Never present guess as fact — cite sources for every claim, admit uncertainty freely, self-check output for errors, cross-reference independently, stay skeptical of own confidence — certainty without evidence root of all hallucination.

Project Reference Docs Gate — Run after task-tracking bootstrap and before target/source file reads, grep, edits, or analysis. Project docs override generic framework assumptions.

1. Identify scope: file types, domain area, and operation.
2. Required docs by trigger: always docs/project-reference/lessons.md; doc lookup docs-index-reference.md; review code-review-rules.md; backend/CQRS/API backend-patterns-reference.md; domain/entity domain-entities-reference.md; frontend/UI frontend-patterns-reference.md; styles/design scss-styling-guide.md + design-system/design-system-canonical.md; integration tests integration-test-reference.md; E2E e2e-test-reference.md; feature docs/specs feature-spec-reference.md + spec-system-reference.md + spec-principles.md; behavior/public-contract/spec-test-code sync workflow-spec-test-code-cycle-reference.md; derived spec index/ERD/reimplementation guides spec-system-reference.md + source Feature Specs under docs/specs/; architecture/new area project-structure-reference.md.
3. Read every required doc. If docs/project-config.json, the docs index, lessons.md, CLAUDE.md, AGENTS.md, or any task-required reference doc is missing or stale, auto-run $project-init or the narrow lower-level route ($project-config, $docs-init, $scan-all, $scan --target=<key>, $claude-md-init) before ordinary project-specific work. If Codex mirrors or AGENTS.md are missing/stale, ask the user to run $sync-codex; do not auto-run it.
4. Before target work, state: Reference docs read: ... | Not applicable: ....

Ready when: scope evaluated, required docs checked/read or setup route completed, lessons.md confirmed, citation emitted.

MUST ATTENTION apply critical + sequential thinking — every claim needs appropriate traced evidence (file:line for repo/code claims; source URL or artifact section for research, product, content, and docs claims); confidence >80% to act, <60% DO NOT recommend. Anti-hallucination: never present guess as fact, admit uncertainty freely, cross-reference independently, stay skeptical of own confidence.

MUST ATTENTION apply AI mistake prevention — verify generated content against evidence, trace downstream references before deleting or renaming, verify all affected outputs, re-read files after context loss, and surface ambiguity before acting.

• MANDATORY Bootstrap task tracking before target work; transition one task at a time.
• MANDATORY Persist plan/review findings to plans/reports/ incrementally and synthesize from disk.

• MANDATORY After task-tracking bootstrap and before target/source work, read required project-reference docs and cite Reference docs read: ....
• MANDATORY Always include lessons.md; project conventions override generic defaults.
• MANDATORY If project config, root instruction files, or any required reference doc is missing or stale, auto-run $project-init or the narrow lower-level route before ordinary project-specific work.

• MANDATORY Parent workflow rows do not replace child phase tracking; expand phases and link the parent when nested.
• MANDATORY Orchestrators pre-expand child skill phases before invocation; use [N.M] $skill-name — phase prefixes and one-in_progress discipline.

• MANDATORY Resolve the active Goal Contract BEFORE work (active plan goal.md → plans/goals/{YYMMDD-HHmm}-{slug}/goal.md → create from current request) and read saved success criteria before editing.
• MANDATORY Append iteration evidence after execution; emit a Goal Satisfaction matrix (PASS/FAIL/BLOCKED) before reporting PASS; loop on validated FAIL; escalate repeated no-progress or blockers. NEVER store secrets in goal files.

Prompt-Enhance Closing Anchors

IMPORTANT MUST ATTENTION follow declared step order for this skill; NEVER skip, reorder, or merge steps without explicit user approval IMPORTANT MUST ATTENTION for every step/sub-skill call: set in_progress before execution, set completed after execution IMPORTANT MUST ATTENTION every skipped step MUST include explicit reason; every completed step MUST include concise evidence IMPORTANT MUST ATTENTION if Task tools unavailable, maintain an equivalent step-by-step plan tracker with synchronized statuses

Closing Reminders

IMPORTANT MUST ATTENTION Goal: Prove the reviewed integration tests pass repeatably — 3 consecutive green runs without DB reset, using project-configured run commands — with every pass/fail claim backed by actual test-runner output, never assumption.

IMPORTANT MUST ATTENTION — Protocols in force (concise digest of the SYNC/shared blocks this skill carries):

• Source/Test Drift: On source change, reconcile affected tests vs source-bug from evidence.
• AI Mistake Prevention: verify generated content against evidence, trace downstream references, verify all affected outputs, re-read after context loss, surface ambiguity.
• Nested Task Creation: Expand child phases and link parent when nested; one in_progress.
• Task Tracking & External Report: Bootstrap tracking; persist plan/review findings to plans/reports/ incrementally.
• Critical Thinking: Traced file:line proof per claim; confidence >80% to act.
• Project Reference Docs: Read required project docs and lessons.md before target work; cite them.

IMPORTANT MUST ATTENTION read docs/project-config.json → integrationTestVerify FIRST — project-specific guidance overrides defaults; missing section → Fallback Mode — why: hardcoded assumptions about the runner break on any non-default stack. IMPORTANT MUST ATTENTION use quickRunCommand from config — NEVER hardcode dotnet test or any language-specific command — why: this skill is language-agnostic and one repo's runner is another's wrong tool. IMPORTANT MUST ATTENTION read project-specific integration-test reference docs/scripts named by referenceDocs before any test command — Codex has no hook injection, so it must open these files directly. IMPORTANT MUST ATTENTION gate on a healthy system before running — run systemCheckCommand, and STOP (point user at startupScript) when infrastructure/services aren't ready — why: an unreliable system produces unreliable green/red results that prove nothing. IMPORTANT MUST ATTENTION pass requires 3 consecutive green runs of each relevant suite WITHOUT DB reset; any single failure restarts the sequence from run 1 — why: a one-off green run hides order-dependent and state-leak flakiness. IMPORTANT MUST ATTENTION show actual runner output (Passed/Failed/Skipped counts + failing names) — "all passed" without evidence is theater, not verification — confidence >80% to claim PASS, and that confidence rests on the captured output, never assumption. IMPORTANT MUST ATTENTION on failure, diagnose test-bug vs service-bug at the responsible layer BEFORE any edit — fix the root cause; report service bugs as findings, do NOT silently fix — why: patching the symptom site leaves the real defect live. IMPORTANT MUST ATTENTION to make red go green NEVER weaken/remove assertions, add skip annotations, or mutate domain data outside real use-case paths — instead fix the assertion setup or the handler, then re-run the full 3-run sequence — why: a test that no longer protects its invariant is worse than no test. IMPORTANT MUST ATTENTION before authoring or changing any test code, grep 3+ sibling integration tests and follow the local pattern (base fixtures, real DI, no mocks) — cite file:line — why: the closest example may not share the same preconditions; verify fit before copying. IMPORTANT MUST ATTENTION bootstrap task tracking before work and mark one task in_progress / completed at a time; on context loss call the current task list first and resume — never blindly duplicate tasks. IMPORTANT MUST ATTENTION resolve and update the active Goal Contract — append per-run pass/fail evidence to the goal file's Iteration Log and matrix; NEVER copy raw sensitive fixture data into goal files.

Anti-Rationalization:

Evasion	Rebuttal
"One green run is enough"	3 consecutive green runs without DB reset, or it isn't verified. Restart on any red.
"I'll just hardcode dotnet test"	Read quickRunCommand from config — this skill is language-agnostic.
"The test asserts too strictly, relax it"	Fix the code or the setup, never the assertion. Weakened tests protect nothing.
"Looks like it passed"	Show Passed/Failed/Skipped counts from real runner output. No output = no claim.
"System probably ready"	Run systemCheckCommand. Unhealthy system → STOP, point user at startupScript.
"Too simple to track"	Skip depth, never skip task tracking. Wrong assumptions waste more time.

[IMPORTANT] Use task tracking to break ALL work into small tasks BEFORE starting — analyze task size first.

---

IMPORTANT MUST ATTENTION Goal: Prove reviewed integration tests pass repeatably — 3 consecutive green runs, no DB reset, every pass/fail claim backed by actual runner output. IMPORTANT MUST ATTENTION read integrationTestVerify config FIRST and use its quickRunCommand — NEVER hardcode a language-specific runner. IMPORTANT MUST ATTENTION NEVER weaken assertions, add skips, or mutate domain data to force green — fix the root-cause layer (test bug vs service bug) and re-run the full 3-run sequence.

---

Closing reminder — Easy to Change is the success metric. Every finding, test, refactor, and abstraction must answer one question: does this make the next change cheaper or more expensive? If it doesn't reduce future change cost, reject it. Coupling, hidden state, duplicated knowledge, and unclear intent are the real enemies — call them out by name.

Hookless Prompt Protocol Mirror (Auto-Synced)

Source: .claude/.ck.json + .claude/skills/shared/sync-inline-versions.md (:full blocks) + .claude/scripts/lib/hookless-prompt-protocol.cjs

[WORKFLOW-EXECUTION-PROTOCOL] [BLOCKING] Workflow Execution Protocol — MANDATORY IMPORTANT MUST CRITICAL. Do not skip for any reason.

Generic portability boundary: Reusable skills and protocol text stay project-neutral; project-specific conventions are discovered from docs/project-config.json and docs/project-reference/. Apply shared AI-SDD from shared/sdd-artifact-contract.md. Read docs/project-config.json and docs/project-reference/docs-index-reference.md, then open the project reference docs named there. For spec, test-case, behavior-change, public-contract, or docs/specs/ work, route through the local spec docs named by the docs index: feature-spec-reference.md, spec-system-reference.md, spec-principles.md, and workflow-spec-test-code-cycle-reference.md when specs/tests/code must stay synchronized. If either file or a required reference doc is missing or stale, auto-run $project-init (or the narrow lower-level route such as $project-config, $docs-init, $scan-all, or $scan --target=<key>) before ordinary project-specific work. Any supported AI tool may execute when this shared context and local docs are available.

1. DETECT: If the prompt starts with an explicit slash skill/workflow command, execute it directly. Otherwise match the prompt against the workflow catalog and skill list.
2. ANALYZE: Choose the best option: execute directly, invoke a skill, activate a standard workflow, or compose a custom step combination.
3. AUTO-SELECT: Pick the best option yourself. Do not ask the user to choose between direct execution, skill, standard workflow, or custom workflow.
4. ACTIVATE: For a selected workflow, call $start-workflow <workflowId>; for a selected skill, invoke that skill; for a custom workflow, sequence custom steps directly; for direct execution, proceed with the task.
5. CREATE TASKS: task tracking for ALL workflow/skill/custom steps before execution when the selected path has multiple steps.
6. EXECUTE: Advance per the Workflow Step Advancement & Parallel Phases rule in your context instructions — model-driven; a sub-agent completion advances a step identically to an inline call; a parallel-phase group is an all-return barrier (advance only after ALL members return, never serialize it)

Shared AI-SDD Protocol Markers

Source: .claude/skills/shared/sync-inline-versions.md

SYNC:ai-sdd-artifact-contract

AI-SDD Artifact Contract — Shared spec-driven development rules stay portable and source-owned.

1. Keep reusable AI-SDD principles in .claude; put repository-specific paths, commands, owners, products, and formats in project config/reference docs.
2. Preserve cycle: spec -> plan -> tasks -> implement -> verify -> update spec/docs.
3. Trace every requirement or invariant through decision, task, TC/test, source evidence, and docs/spec update.
4. Treat code-to-spec extraction as reference-only until accepted by the canonical spec owner.
5. Any supported AI tool may plan, implement, review, or verify with synced context; using multiple tools is optional.
6. Update .claude source first, then sync generated mirrors; do not manually edit .agents, .codex, or AGENTS.md. — why: mirrors are generated artifacts; hand-edits are overwritten on the next sync
7. If docs/project-config.json, root instruction files, or a required project-reference doc is missing or stale, auto-run $project-init or the narrow lower-level route before ordinary project-specific work.

Active reference: shared/sdd-artifact-contract.md in the active skills root.

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SYNC:ai-sdd-artifact-contract:reminder

• MANDATORY Apply shared/sdd-artifact-contract.md; keep reusable AI-SDD in .claude and local rules in project docs.
• MANDATORY Code-to-spec extraction is reference-only until canonical acceptance; any supported AI tool may execute with synced context.
• MANDATORY Update .claude source before syncing generated mirrors; do not manually edit .agents, .codex, or AGENTS.md.
• MANDATORY Missing or stale project config, root instruction files, or required reference docs route project-specific work through $project-init or the narrow setup route automatically. [TASK-PLANNING] [MANDATORY] BEFORE executing any workflow or skill step, create/update task tracking for all planned steps, then keep it synchronized as each step starts/completes.

[LESSON-LEARNED-REMINDER] [BLOCKING] Task Planning & Continuous Improvement — MANDATORY. Do not skip.

Break work into small tasks (task tracking) before starting. Add final task: "Analyze AI mistakes & lessons learned".

Extract lessons — ROOT CAUSE ONLY, not symptom fixes:

1. Name the FAILURE MODE (reasoning/assumption failure), not symptom — "assumed API existed without reading source" not "used wrong enum value".
2. Generality test: does this failure mode apply to ≥3 contexts/codebases? If not, abstract one level up.
3. Write as a universal rule — strip project-specific names/paths/classes. Useful on any codebase.
4. Consolidate: multiple mistakes sharing one failure mode → ONE lesson.
5. Recurrence gate: "Would this recur in future session WITHOUT this reminder?" — No → skip $learn.
6. Auto-fix gate: "Could $code-review/$code-simplifier/$security-review/$lint catch this?" — Yes → improve review skill instead.
7. BOTH gates pass → ask user to run $learn. [CRITICAL-THINKING-MINDSET] Apply critical thinking, sequential thinking. Every claim needs traced proof, confidence >80% to act. Anti-hallucination principle: Never present guess as fact — cite sources for every claim, admit uncertainty freely, self-check output for errors, cross-reference independently, stay skeptical of own confidence — certainty without evidence root of all hallucination. AI Attention principle (Primacy-Recency): Put the 3 most critical rules at both top and bottom of long prompts/protocols so instruction adherence survives long context windows. Goal-driven execution: Define success criteria first, loop until verified, and stop only when observable checks pass. Tests verify intent: Tests must protect business rules/invariants and fail when the protected intent breaks, not only mirror current behavior.

Common AI Mistake Prevention (System Lessons)

• Re-read files after context compaction. Edit requires prior Read in same context; compaction wipes read state. Re-read before editing.
• Grep for old terms after bulk replacements. AI over-trusts find/replace completeness. Grep full repo after bulk edits for missed refs in docs/configs/catalogs.
• Check downstream references before deleting. Deletions cascade doc/code staleness. Map referencing files before removal.
• After memory loss, check existing state before creating new. Compaction wipes prior-work memory. Query current state to resume — never blindly duplicate.
• Verify AI-generated content against actual code. AI hallucinates APIs, class names, method signatures. Grep to confirm existence before documenting/referencing.
• Trace full dependency chain after edits. Changing a definition misses downstream consumers. Trace the full chain.
• When renaming, grep ALL consumer file types. Some file types silently ignore missing refs (no compile error). Search code, templates, configs, generated files.
• Trace ALL code paths when verifying correctness. Code existing ≠ code executing. Trace early exits, error branches, conditional skips — not just happy path.
• Update docs that embed canonical data when source changes. Docs inlining derived data (workflows, schemas, configs) go stale silently. Update all embedding docs alongside source.
• Verify sub-agent results after context recovery. Background agents may finish while parent compacted — grep-verify output, don't trust assumed completion.
• Cross-check full target list against sub-agent assignments. Parallel sub-agents by category miss boundary items. Reconcile union of assignments against target list before proceeding.
• Sub-agents inherit knowledge only from their agent .md definition — use custom agent types, not built-in Explore. Tool adoption = permission + knowledge + enforcement (numbered workflow step).
• Persist sub-agent findings incrementally, not as a final batch. Long sub-agents hit cutoffs before final write — findings lost. Instruct append-per-section to report file.
• When debugging, ask "whose responsibility?" before fixing. Trace caller (wrong data) vs callee (wrong handling). Fix at responsible layer — never patch symptom site.
• Grep ALL removed names after extraction/refactoring. Primary file "done" ≠ secondary files clean. Grep entire scope for every removed symbol before declaring complete.
• Assume existing values are intentional — ask WHY before changing. Pattern-matching as "wrong" skips context. Before changing any constant/limit/flag: read comments, git blame, surrounding code.