Testing Plan from History

Generate concise testing instructions by analyzing git history and GitHub PRs for changed files.

When to Use

•Before creating a PR that needs testing instructions
•When preparing QA notes for reviewers
•When you need to understand how to test unfamiliar code changes

Workflow

dot

digraph testing_plan {
    rankdir=TB;
    node [shape=box];

    diff [label="1. Get branch diff\n(changed files)"];
    history [label="2. For each file:\nget git log + PR history"];
    extract [label="3. Extract testing patterns\nfrom commits/PRs"];
    generate [label="4. Generate concise\ntesting instructions"];

    diff -> history -> extract -> generate;
}

Step 1: Get Changed Files

bash

# Get the base branch (main or master)
BASE=$(git symbolic-ref refs/remotes/origin/HEAD 2>/dev/null | sed 's@^refs/remotes/origin/@@' || echo "main")

# List changed files
git diff --name-only origin/$BASE...HEAD

Step 2: Gather History for Each File

For each changed file, gather context:

bash

# Recent commits touching this file (last 10)
git log --oneline -10 -- path/to/file

# PRs that modified this file (if gh cli available)
gh pr list --state merged --search "path/to/file" --limit 5 --json number,title,body

Step 3: Extract Testing Patterns

Look for in commit messages and PR descriptions:

•Test plan sections - explicit testing instructions
•Bug fix patterns - "fixes #123" often has reproduction steps
•Feature descriptions - expected behavior to verify
•Breaking changes - areas needing regression testing

Step 4: Generate Testing Instructions

Output format - keep it concise:

markdown

## Testing Instructions

### Setup
- [ ] Prerequisites or environment setup

### Functional Tests
- [ ] Core functionality to verify
- [ ] Edge cases from bug fix history

### Regression Tests
- [ ] Related features that might be affected

Quick Reference

Source	What to Extract
Commit messages	What changed and why
PR descriptions	Test plans, context, related issues
PR comments	Edge cases reviewers found
Issue references	Bug reproduction steps

Common Mistakes

Mistake	Fix
Too verbose	Bullet points, not paragraphs
Missing setup	Always include prerequisites
Only happy path	Include edge cases from history
Copying PR verbatim	Synthesize into actionable steps

Example Output

markdown

## Testing Instructions

### Setup
- [ ] Enable feature flag `new_checkout_flow`
- [ ] Have test account with saved payment method

### Functional Tests
- [ ] Complete checkout with new flow
- [ ] Verify order confirmation email sent
- [ ] Check order appears in admin

### Regression Tests
- [ ] Guest checkout still works (PR #234 context)
- [ ] Discount codes apply correctly

Integration

Works well with:

•superpowers:finishing-a-development-branch - generate test plan before PR
•superpowers:requesting-code-review - include test plan in review request