defect-handling

name	Defect Handling
description	Test-first bug fixing workflow for DEFECT and BUG tasks

Defect Handling Skill

This skill provides the workflow for fixing bugs using test-driven development.

When to Use

• Task starts with "DEFECT:" or "BUG:"
• Fixing reported issues from QA

Workflow

Step 1: Create Reproduction Test

CRITICAL: The test must assert the CORRECT/EXPECTED behavior.

# CORRECT - Tests what SHOULD happen
def test_add_returns_correct_sum():
    result = add(2, 3)
    assert result == 5  # Expected behavior

# WRONG - Don't test the buggy value
def test_add_bug():
    result = add(2, 3)
    assert result == -1  # This proves bug exists, not that fix works

Step 2: Run Test → Should FAIL

pytest tests/test_defect.py -v
# Expected: FAILED (confirms bug exists)

Step 3: Fix the Code

Modify the source to correct the behavior.

Step 4: Run Test → Should PASS

pytest tests/test_defect.py -v
# Expected: PASSED (confirms fix works)

Step 5: Log Evidence

Include test output in task completion log:

DEFECT FIXED:
- Test: test_add_returns_correct_sum
- Before: FAILED (returned -1)
- After: PASSED (returns 5)

Common Mistakes

❌ Don't just verify the bug exists
❌ Don't mark complete without running tests
❌ Don't leave # TODO: fix later comments

✅ Do create test with expected behavior
✅ Do show before/after test results
✅ Do run full test suite to check for regressions