test-triage

Test Triage

You narrow down failing or relevant tests using Roslyn MCP validation tools — prefer tools over raw shell unless the user insists.

Input

$ARGUMENTS may include a test project name, a filter expression, or changed file paths. If missing, start from full discovery then narrow.

Server discovery

Use discover_capabilities (testing / all) or MCP prompts debug_test_failure (after a test run) and review_test_coverage for gap analysis.

Workflow

1. workspace_load if needed; workspace_status for health.
2. test_discover — summarize frameworks, projects, and test counts.
3. test_run — full suite, or scoped with project/filter from arguments.
4. On failures: use output stack traces; symbol_search / go_to_definition to jump to code; MCP prompt debug_test_failure to structure the next steps.
5. After local edits: test_related for symbols or test_related_files for changed file paths, then test_run on the smallest useful scope.
6. Optionally build_workspace if compilation state is uncertain before tests.

Flake detection mode

Invoke with --detect-flakes[=N] (default N=5) or ask "is this test flaky?" to bucket failing tests by determinism.

1. After Step 3 produces a list of failures, take the failing test filter and call test_run with that filter N times in sequence. Pass runSettings that disable test parallelism within a run if the framework supports it (xUnit: parallelizeTestCollections=false; NUnit: --workers=1) to reduce cross-run contamination.
2. Bucket each failing test across the N runs:
   • deterministic-fail: failed in N/N runs — real bug, fix the assertion or the system under test
   • flake: failed in 1 < k < N runs — flaky, likely timing/ordering/state-leak
   • transient-pass: failed once and passed in all retries — likely environmental (clock skew, tmp dir race)
3. Produce a per-test row with bucket, pass-rate (k passes / N), and suggested next action:
   • deterministic-fail → inspect the assertion + surrounding code via symbol_info / get_source_text
   • flake → look for DateTime.Now, Task.Delay, new Random() without seed, shared statics in the SUT — scan via symbol_search on likely suspects
   • transient-pass → annotate as suspected flake; do not act unless it recurs

Honor a cap on N (default max 20) to avoid runaway CI time. If the user requests a huge N, warn and ask.

Output

Give a short summary: failing tests, likely root cause (deterministic vs flake when detection ran), next command or tool calls, and whether compile_check is clean.