tdd-workflow

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

Initial Setup

If the project doesn't have a testing framework configured yet:

1. Detect project type and recommend framework:

   • JS/TS (Vite): Vitest + React Testing Library
   • JS/TS (Next.js): Jest or Vitest + React Testing Library
   • JS/TS (Node): Vitest or Jest
   • Python: pytest + pytest-asyncio
   • E2E: agent-browser for all project types

2. Install and configure:

   # JS/TS example with Vitest
   pnpm add -D vitest @testing-library/react @testing-library/jest-dom
   # Python example
   pip install pytest pytest-asyncio pytest-cov
   

3. Create config files: vitest.config.ts or pytest.ini

4. Set coverage thresholds at 80% minimum

5. Add test scripts to package.json or pyproject.toml

See the tdd-example-walkthrough.md supporting file for a complete worked example.

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 (agent-browser)

• 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:

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)

npm test
# Tests should fail - we haven't implemented yet

Step 4: Implement Code

Write minimal code to make tests pass:

// Implementation guided by tests
export async function searchMarkets(query: string) {
  // Implementation here
}

Step 5: Run Tests Again

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

npm run test:coverage
# Verify 80%+ coverage achieved

Testing Patterns

Unit Test Pattern (Jest/Vitest)

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

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 (agent-browser)

# Test: user can search and filter markets
agent-browser open http://localhost:3000
agent-browser snapshot -i
agent-browser find text "Markets" click           # Navigate to markets
agent-browser wait --load networkidle
agent-browser snapshot -i

# Search for markets
agent-browser find label "Search markets" fill "election"
agent-browser wait 600                            # Debounce
agent-browser snapshot -i                         # Verify results appear

# Filter by status
agent-browser find text "Active" click
agent-browser snapshot -i                         # Verify filtered results

# Test: user can create a new market
agent-browser open http://localhost:3000/creator-dashboard
agent-browser snapshot -i
agent-browser find label "name" fill "Test Market"
agent-browser find label "description" fill "Test description"
agent-browser find label "endDate" fill "2025-12-31"
agent-browser find role button click --name "Submit"
agent-browser wait --text "Market created successfully"
agent-browser get url                             # Verify redirect to /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

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

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

npm run test:coverage

Coverage Thresholds

{
  "jest": {
    "coverageThresholds": {
      "global": {
        "branches": 80,
        "functions": 80,
        "lines": 80,
        "statements": 80
      }
    }
  }
}

Common Testing Mistakes to Avoid

❌ WRONG: Testing Implementation Details

// Don't test internal state
expect(component.state.count).toBe(5)

✅ CORRECT: Test User-Visible Behavior

// Test what users see
expect(screen.getByText('Count: 5')).toBeInTheDocument()

❌ WRONG: Brittle Selectors

// Breaks easily
await page.click('.css-class-xyz')

✅ CORRECT: Semantic Selectors

// Resilient to changes
await page.click('button:has-text("Submit")')
await page.click('[data-testid="submit-button"]')

❌ WRONG: No Test Isolation

// Tests depend on each other
test('creates user', () => { /* ... */ })
test('updates same user', () => { /* depends on previous test */ })

✅ CORRECT: Independent Tests

// 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

npm test -- --watch
# Tests run automatically on file changes

Pre-Commit Hook

# Runs before every commit
npm test && npm run lint

CI/CD Integration

# 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

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Remember: Tests are not optional. They are the safety net that enables confident refactoring, rapid development, and production reliability.