Files
holocron/plugins/bin/.apm/skills/tdd/SKILL.md
Defame1297 4f49b2a249 refactor(bin): move non-spec root files into references/ across four skills
grill-with-docs, improve-codebase-architecture, tdd, and triage kept
non-spec markdown files at their skill root, in violation of
skill-audit's file-structure.md rule (only SKILL.md/README.md belong
at the root; everything else lives in scripts/, references/, assets/
or tests/). A root-level file is invisible to the ADR-0020
dangling-reference gate, which only resolves unqualified
`references/...` pointers.

- Moved and renamed to lowercase-kebab-case under references/:
  grill-with-docs (ADR-FORMAT.md, CONTEXT-FORMAT.md),
  improve-codebase-architecture (DEEPENING.md, INTERFACE-DESIGN.md,
  LANGUAGE.md), tdd (five files, casing was already fine), triage
  (AGENT-BRIEF.md, OUT-OF-SCOPE.md).
- Updated every in-skill link to the new references/ paths, including
  link text that still showed the old uppercase filenames.
- Fixed improve-codebase-architecture/SKILL.md's cross-skill citation
  of grill-with-docs's two files to the sanctioned possessive form
  with the references/ segment included.
- Updated all four skills' README.md file tables to match.
- Regenerated the flat content mirror via
  scripts/sync-plugin-content.sh --all.

Fixes #122.

Co-Authored-By: Claude Sonnet 5 <noreply@anthropic.com>
Claude-Session: https://claude.ai/code/session_01PDj6F7SPXzh3FtPN78dZ88
2026-09-09 19:59:02 +00:00

115 lines
4.5 KiB
Markdown

---
name: tdd
description: >
Use when the user wants a feature built or a bug fixed test-first, in a strict
red-green-refactor loop, one behaviour at a time. Not diagnosing an existing
bug -> `diagnose`. Not throwaway exploratory code -> `prototype`.
metadata:
version: "1.0.0"
---
# Test-Driven Development
## Philosophy
**Core principle**: Tests should verify behavior through public interfaces, not implementation details. Code can change entirely; tests shouldn't.
**Good tests** are integration-style: they exercise real code paths through public APIs. They describe _what_ the system does, not _how_ it does it. A good test reads like a specification - "user can checkout with valid cart" tells you exactly what capability exists. These tests survive refactors because they don't care about internal structure.
**Bad tests** are coupled to implementation. They mock internal collaborators, test private methods, or verify through external means (like querying a database directly instead of using the interface). The warning sign: your test breaks when you refactor, but behavior hasn't changed. If you rename an internal function and tests fail, those tests were testing implementation, not behavior.
If you need worked examples of the difference — a behaviour-level test beside the implementation-coupled version of the same check — read `references/tests.md`. If a test needs a collaborator faked, read `references/mocking.md` before reaching for a mock.
## Anti-Pattern: Horizontal Slices
**DO NOT write all tests first, then all implementation.** This is "horizontal slicing" - treating RED as "write all tests" and GREEN as "write all code."
This produces **crap tests**:
- Tests written in bulk test _imagined_ behavior, not _actual_ behavior
- You end up testing the _shape_ of things (data structures, function signatures) rather than user-facing behavior
- Tests become insensitive to real changes - they pass when behavior breaks, fail when behavior is fine
- You outrun your headlights, committing to test structure before understanding the implementation
**Correct approach**: Vertical slices via tracer bullets. One test → one implementation → repeat. Each test responds to what you learned from the previous cycle. Because you just wrote the code, you know exactly what behavior matters and how to verify it.
```
WRONG (horizontal):
RED: test1, test2, test3, test4, test5
GREEN: impl1, impl2, impl3, impl4, impl5
RIGHT (vertical):
RED→GREEN: test1→impl1
RED→GREEN: test2→impl2
RED→GREEN: test3→impl3
...
```
## Workflow
### 1. Planning
When exploring the codebase, use the project's domain glossary so that test names and interface vocabulary match the project's language, and respect ADRs in the area you're touching.
Before writing any code:
- [ ] Confirm with user what interface changes are needed
- [ ] Confirm with user which behaviors to test (prioritize)
- [ ] Identify opportunities for [deep modules](references/deep-modules.md) (small interface, deep implementation)
- [ ] Design interfaces for [testability](references/interface-design.md)
- [ ] List the behaviors to test (not implementation steps)
- [ ] Get user approval on the plan
Ask: "What should the public interface look like? Which behaviors are most important to test?"
**You can't test everything.** Confirm with the user exactly which behaviors matter most. Focus testing effort on critical paths and complex logic, not every possible edge case.
### 2. Tracer Bullet
Write ONE test that confirms ONE thing about the system:
```
RED: Write test for first behavior → test fails
GREEN: Write minimal code to pass → test passes
```
This is your tracer bullet - proves the path works end-to-end.
### 3. Incremental Loop
For each remaining behavior:
```
RED: Write next test → fails
GREEN: Minimal code to pass → passes
```
Rules:
- One test at a time
- Only enough code to pass current test
- Don't anticipate future tests
- Keep tests focused on observable behavior
### 4. Refactor
After all tests pass, look for [refactor candidates](references/refactoring.md):
- [ ] Extract duplication
- [ ] Deepen modules (move complexity behind simple interfaces)
- [ ] Apply SOLID principles where natural
- [ ] Consider what new code reveals about existing code
- [ ] Run tests after each refactor step
**Never refactor while RED.** Get to GREEN first.
## Checklist Per Cycle
```
[ ] Test describes behavior, not implementation
[ ] Test uses public interface only
[ ] Test would survive internal refactor
[ ] Code is minimal for this test
[ ] No speculative features added
```