tdd-workflow
Use this skill when writing new features, fixing bugs, or refactoring code. Enforces test-driven development with 80%+ coverage including unit, integration, and E2E tests.
About this skill
This skill meticulously guides an AI agent through a rigorous Test-Driven Development (TDD) workflow, ensuring all code adheres to best practices for quality and maintainability. Designed to enhance an agent's ability to produce robust, production-ready systems, it mandates writing comprehensive tests *before* any code implementation. The workflow explicitly enforces a minimum of 80% test coverage, encompassing unit tests for granular functionality, integration tests for component interactions, and end-to-end tests for full system flows. It also requires thorough testing of edge cases, error scenarios, and boundary conditions, promoting a 'test-first' mindset for new features, bug fixes, and refactoring efforts. As part of the 'everything-claude-code' collection, this skill is a cornerstone for building highly reliable software.
Best use case
To ensure high code quality, reduce the likelihood of bugs, accelerate safe refactoring, and promote a disciplined, test-first approach in all software development tasks performed by an AI agent.
Use this skill when writing new features, fixing bugs, or refactoring code. Enforces test-driven development with 80%+ coverage including unit, integration, and E2E tests.
Production-ready, well-structured code accompanied by a comprehensive test suite (unit, integration, E2E) achieving 80%+ coverage. The developed code will be more resilient to future changes, contain fewer defects, and be easier to understand, maintain, and extend, all delivered following a strict TDD methodology.
Practical example
Example input
Agent, implement a new secure user profile management module using the TDD workflow. It needs functionalities for updating personal information, changing passwords, and managing notification preferences.
Example output
Acknowledged. Initiating Test-Driven Development workflow for the user profile management module. 1. **Requirement Analysis & Test Planning**: I will first outline the specific user stories and acceptance criteria for updating personal info, changing passwords, and notification preferences, identifying key scenarios, edge cases, and error conditions. 2. **Red (Failing Tests)**: I will begin by writing failing unit tests for the 'update personal information' functionality, focusing on critical paths and validations. 3. **Green (Minimum Code)**: I will then write the minimal code necessary to make these unit tests pass. 4. **Refactor**: I will refactor the code for clarity, efficiency, and adherence to best practices, ensuring all existing tests remain green. 5. **Iterate**: This Red-Green-Refactor cycle will be repeated for 'change password' and 'manage notification preferences', progressively adding unit, integration, and finally end-to-end tests. 6. **Coverage Monitoring**: Throughout the process, I will continuously monitor test coverage to ensure it consistently meets or exceeds the 80% target. 7. **Final Delivery**: Upon completion, I will provide the fully implemented module, the comprehensive test suite, and a detailed test coverage report.
When to use this skill
- When developing new features or functionality from scratch.
- When fixing bugs or addressing existing issues in a codebase.
- When refactoring or improving the design of existing code.
- When adding new API endpoints or modifying existing ones.
When not to use this skill
- For extremely trivial, throwaway scripts or one-off tasks where the overhead of formal TDD is disproportionately high.
- In highly experimental or exploratory coding phases where rapid prototyping without immediate testing is preferred (though TDD can be integrated later).
- When working with legacy codebases that lack any existing test infrastructure and the initial effort to establish a test harness is beyond the scope of the immediate task.
Installation
Claude Code / Cursor / Codex
Manual Installation
- Download SKILL.md from GitHub
- Place it in
.claude/skills/tdd-workflow/SKILL.mdinside your project - Restart your AI agent — it will auto-discover the skill
How tdd-workflow Compares
| Feature / Agent | tdd-workflow | Standard Approach |
|---|---|---|
| Platform Support | Claude | Limited / Varies |
| Context Awareness | High | Baseline |
| Installation Complexity | easy | N/A |
Frequently Asked Questions
What does this skill do?
Use this skill when writing new features, fixing bugs, or refactoring code. Enforces test-driven development with 80%+ coverage including unit, integration, and E2E tests.
Which AI agents support this skill?
This skill is designed for Claude.
How difficult is it to install?
The installation complexity is rated as easy. You can find the installation instructions above.
Where can I find the source code?
You can find the source code on GitHub using the link provided at the top of the page.
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SKILL.md Source
# Test-Driven Development Workflow
This skill ensures all code development follows TDD principles with comprehensive test coverage.
## When to Activate
- Writing new features or functionality
- Fixing bugs or issues
- Refactoring existing code
- Adding API endpoints
- Creating new components
## Core Principles
### 1. Tests BEFORE Code
ALWAYS write tests first, then implement code to make tests pass.
### 2. Coverage Requirements
- Minimum 80% coverage (unit + integration + E2E)
- All edge cases covered
- Error scenarios tested
- Boundary conditions verified
### 3. Test Types
#### Unit Tests
- Individual functions and utilities
- Component logic
- Pure functions
- Helpers and utilities
#### Integration Tests
- API endpoints
- Database operations
- Service interactions
- External API calls
#### E2E Tests (Playwright)
- Critical user flows
- Complete workflows
- Browser automation
- UI interactions
## TDD Workflow Steps
### Step 1: Write User Journeys
```
As a [role], I want to [action], so that [benefit]
Example:
As a user, I want to search for markets semantically,
so that I can find relevant markets even without exact keywords.
```
### Step 2: Generate Test Cases
For each user journey, create comprehensive test cases:
```typescript
describe('Semantic Search', () => {
it('returns relevant markets for query', async () => {
// Test implementation
})
it('handles empty query gracefully', async () => {
// Test edge case
})
it('falls back to substring search when Redis unavailable', async () => {
// Test fallback behavior
})
it('sorts results by similarity score', async () => {
// Test sorting logic
})
})
```
### Step 3: Run Tests (They Should Fail)
```bash
npm test
# Tests should fail - we haven't implemented yet
```
### Step 4: Implement Code
Write minimal code to make tests pass:
```typescript
// Implementation guided by tests
export async function searchMarkets(query: string) {
// Implementation here
}
```
### Step 5: Run Tests Again
```bash
npm test
# Tests should now pass
```
### Step 6: Refactor
Improve code quality while keeping tests green:
- Remove duplication
- Improve naming
- Optimize performance
- Enhance readability
### Step 7: Verify Coverage
```bash
npm run test:coverage
# Verify 80%+ coverage achieved
```
## Testing Patterns
### Unit Test Pattern (Jest/Vitest)
```typescript
import { render, screen, fireEvent } from '@testing-library/react'
import { Button } from './Button'
describe('Button Component', () => {
it('renders with correct text', () => {
render(<Button>Click me</Button>)
expect(screen.getByText('Click me')).toBeInTheDocument()
})
it('calls onClick when clicked', () => {
const handleClick = jest.fn()
render(<Button onClick={handleClick}>Click</Button>)
fireEvent.click(screen.getByRole('button'))
expect(handleClick).toHaveBeenCalledTimes(1)
})
it('is disabled when disabled prop is true', () => {
render(<Button disabled>Click</Button>)
expect(screen.getByRole('button')).toBeDisabled()
})
})
```
### API Integration Test Pattern
```typescript
import { NextRequest } from 'next/server'
import { GET } from './route'
describe('GET /api/markets', () => {
it('returns markets successfully', async () => {
const request = new NextRequest('http://localhost/api/markets')
const response = await GET(request)
const data = await response.json()
expect(response.status).toBe(200)
expect(data.success).toBe(true)
expect(Array.isArray(data.data)).toBe(true)
})
it('validates query parameters', async () => {
const request = new NextRequest('http://localhost/api/markets?limit=invalid')
const response = await GET(request)
expect(response.status).toBe(400)
})
it('handles database errors gracefully', async () => {
// Mock database failure
const request = new NextRequest('http://localhost/api/markets')
// Test error handling
})
})
```
### E2E Test Pattern (Playwright)
```typescript
import { test, expect } from '@playwright/test'
test('user can search and filter markets', async ({ page }) => {
// Navigate to markets page
await page.goto('/')
await page.click('a[href="/markets"]')
// Verify page loaded
await expect(page.locator('h1')).toContainText('Markets')
// Search for markets
await page.fill('input[placeholder="Search markets"]', 'election')
// Wait for debounce and results
await page.waitForTimeout(600)
// Verify search results displayed
const results = page.locator('[data-testid="market-card"]')
await expect(results).toHaveCount(5, { timeout: 5000 })
// Verify results contain search term
const firstResult = results.first()
await expect(firstResult).toContainText('election', { ignoreCase: true })
// Filter by status
await page.click('button:has-text("Active")')
// Verify filtered results
await expect(results).toHaveCount(3)
})
test('user can create a new market', async ({ page }) => {
// Login first
await page.goto('/creator-dashboard')
// Fill market creation form
await page.fill('input[name="name"]', 'Test Market')
await page.fill('textarea[name="description"]', 'Test description')
await page.fill('input[name="endDate"]', '2025-12-31')
// Submit form
await page.click('button[type="submit"]')
// Verify success message
await expect(page.locator('text=Market created successfully')).toBeVisible()
// Verify redirect to market page
await expect(page).toHaveURL(/\/markets\/test-market/)
})
```
## Test File Organization
```
src/
├── components/
│ ├── Button/
│ │ ├── Button.tsx
│ │ ├── Button.test.tsx # Unit tests
│ │ └── Button.stories.tsx # Storybook
│ └── MarketCard/
│ ├── MarketCard.tsx
│ └── MarketCard.test.tsx
├── app/
│ └── api/
│ └── markets/
│ ├── route.ts
│ └── route.test.ts # Integration tests
└── e2e/
├── markets.spec.ts # E2E tests
├── trading.spec.ts
└── auth.spec.ts
```
## Mocking External Services
### Supabase Mock
```typescript
jest.mock('@/lib/supabase', () => ({
supabase: {
from: jest.fn(() => ({
select: jest.fn(() => ({
eq: jest.fn(() => Promise.resolve({
data: [{ id: 1, name: 'Test Market' }],
error: null
}))
}))
}))
}
}))
```
### Redis Mock
```typescript
jest.mock('@/lib/redis', () => ({
searchMarketsByVector: jest.fn(() => Promise.resolve([
{ slug: 'test-market', similarity_score: 0.95 }
])),
checkRedisHealth: jest.fn(() => Promise.resolve({ connected: true }))
}))
```
### OpenAI Mock
```typescript
jest.mock('@/lib/openai', () => ({
generateEmbedding: jest.fn(() => Promise.resolve(
new Array(1536).fill(0.1) // Mock 1536-dim embedding
))
}))
```
## Test Coverage Verification
### Run Coverage Report
```bash
npm run test:coverage
```
### Coverage Thresholds
```json
{
"jest": {
"coverageThresholds": {
"global": {
"branches": 80,
"functions": 80,
"lines": 80,
"statements": 80
}
}
}
}
```
## Common Testing Mistakes to Avoid
### FAIL: WRONG: Testing Implementation Details
```typescript
// Don't test internal state
expect(component.state.count).toBe(5)
```
### PASS: CORRECT: Test User-Visible Behavior
```typescript
// Test what users see
expect(screen.getByText('Count: 5')).toBeInTheDocument()
```
### FAIL: WRONG: Brittle Selectors
```typescript
// Breaks easily
await page.click('.css-class-xyz')
```
### PASS: CORRECT: Semantic Selectors
```typescript
// Resilient to changes
await page.click('button:has-text("Submit")')
await page.click('[data-testid="submit-button"]')
```
### FAIL: WRONG: No Test Isolation
```typescript
// Tests depend on each other
test('creates user', () => { /* ... */ })
test('updates same user', () => { /* depends on previous test */ })
```
### PASS: CORRECT: Independent Tests
```typescript
// Each test sets up its own data
test('creates user', () => {
const user = createTestUser()
// Test logic
})
test('updates user', () => {
const user = createTestUser()
// Update logic
})
```
## Continuous Testing
### Watch Mode During Development
```bash
npm test -- --watch
# Tests run automatically on file changes
```
### Pre-Commit Hook
```bash
# Runs before every commit
npm test && npm run lint
```
### CI/CD Integration
```yaml
# GitHub Actions
- name: Run Tests
run: npm test -- --coverage
- name: Upload Coverage
uses: codecov/codecov-action@v3
```
## Best Practices
1. **Write Tests First** - Always TDD
2. **One Assert Per Test** - Focus on single behavior
3. **Descriptive Test Names** - Explain what's tested
4. **Arrange-Act-Assert** - Clear test structure
5. **Mock External Dependencies** - Isolate unit tests
6. **Test Edge Cases** - Null, undefined, empty, large
7. **Test Error Paths** - Not just happy paths
8. **Keep Tests Fast** - Unit tests < 50ms each
9. **Clean Up After Tests** - No side effects
10. **Review Coverage Reports** - Identify gaps
## Success Metrics
- 80%+ code coverage achieved
- All tests passing (green)
- No skipped or disabled tests
- Fast test execution (< 30s for unit tests)
- E2E tests cover critical user flows
- Tests catch bugs before production
---
**Remember**: Tests are not optional. They are the safety net that enables confident refactoring, rapid development, and production reliability.Related Skills
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