csdlc-qa

CSDLC QA — Step 5

QA this deliverable: $ARGUMENTS

Step 5 is a dedicated QA step, separate from implementation. Don't combine with the review (Step 4). The review checks "did the intern follow the spec?" QA checks "does it actually work?"

Procedure

1. Identify the deliverable. Same as /review — PR URL, branch, or story ID.

2. Load acceptance criteria. From the story doc (Foundry or local).

3. Verify each criterion independently. For every acceptance criterion:

   • How to verify: What command, test, or action proves this criterion is met?
   • Result: Pass or fail, with specific evidence (test output, screenshot, log line)
   • Edge cases: Test at least one edge case per criterion if applicable

4. Test beyond the criteria. Look for:

   • Error states: What happens when inputs are invalid?
   • Boundary conditions: Empty lists, null values, max-length strings
   • Regression: Did anything else break? Run the full test suite.
   • Integration: Does it work with the rest of the system, not just in isolation?

5. Produce the QA report.

   ## QA Report: {Story ID}
   
   ### Verdict: PASS / FAIL
   
   ### Acceptance Criteria Verification
   | # | Criterion | Method | Result | Evidence |
   |---|-----------|--------|--------|----------|
   | 1 | {criterion} | {how tested} | PASS/FAIL | {output/screenshot} |
   | 2 | ... | ... | ... | ... |
   
   ### Edge Cases Tested
   | Scenario | Expected | Actual | Result |
   |----------|----------|--------|--------|
   | {edge case} | {expected behavior} | {actual behavior} | PASS/FAIL |
   
   ### Regression Check
   - Test suite: {N} passed, {M} failed (was {prev} before)
   - Build: pass/fail
   
   ### Issues Found
   - {issue description} — severity: {high/medium/low}
   
   ### Human Judgment Needed
   - {anything that needs human eyes — UX, aesthetics, "does this feel right?"}
   

6. Write to Foundry. Post the QA report as an annotation on the story doc.

7. If FAIL: List specific issues. Don't fix them in this step — QA is separate from implementation. Either:

   • Re-dispatch to the intern with fix instructions (/intern)
   • Flag for human decision

8. If PASS: The deliverable is ready for Step 6 (Human Review). Suggest /present.

What NOT to do

• Don't combine QA with implementation. This is a separate step for a reason.
• Don't skip edge cases because the happy path works. The edge cases are where bugs live.
• Don't mark PASS without evidence. "Looks good" is not QA. Concrete evidence for every criterion.
• Flag anything requiring human judgment. UX, aesthetics, and "does this feel right" are human calls — surface them explicitly.