Follow Test Patterns

Reference discovered test patterns when writing tests to ensure consistency with project conventions.

When to Use

• •Before writing any test file
• •When implementing test-related phases in plans
• •When user asks you to add tests

Workflow

1. Check for Pattern Document

if [ -f thoughts/notes/testing.md ]; then
  # Read and follow patterns
else
  # Prompt user to run discover-test-patterns first
  echo "No test patterns found. Run discover-test-patterns skill first."
fi

2. Read Pattern Document

Read thoughts/notes/testing.md fully to understand:

• •File naming conventions
• •Testing framework and imports
• •Test structure (table-driven, etc.)
• •Assertion style
• •Mocking approach

3. Apply Patterns to New Tests

Use the discovered patterns for:

File Naming:

• •Follow the pattern (e.g., *_test.go, *.test.ts)
• •Place alongside source or in test directory as per convention

Imports:

• •Use same testing framework (testify, jest, pytest)
• •Import same assertion libraries

Test Structure:

• •If codebase uses table-driven tests, use that pattern
• •If codebase uses describe/it blocks, use that pattern
• •Match indentation and formatting

Assertions:

• •Use same assertion style (require.Equal vs assert.Equal)
• •Follow error message conventions

Mocking:

• •Use same mocking library (mockery, jest.mock, unittest.mock)
• •Follow interface/class mocking patterns found in codebase

Alternative: Use Test-Writer Agent

For complex test generation, spawn the test-writer agent:

Task(subagent_type="workflows:test-writer",
     prompt="Generate tests for [functions] following patterns in testing.md.
     Expected behavior: [describe].
     Return test code only.")

Benefits:

• •Conserves main agent context (3k instead of 20k+)
• •Agent reads testing.md and examples in isolation
• •Returns only the test code you need
• •Follows project patterns automatically

When to use:

• •Generating multiple test files
• •Complex table-driven tests
• •During phased implementation (see spawn-implementation-agents)

4. Verify Consistency

After writing tests, verify:

• •File name matches convention
• •Framework imports are correct
• •Test structure matches examples
• •Assertions use same style
• •Tests are in correct location

Example

If thoughts/notes/testing.md shows:

## Go Test Patterns
- File: `*_test.go` alongside source
- Framework: testify/require
- Pattern: Table-driven tests

Then write:

package handlers

import (
    "testing"
    "github.com/stretchr/testify/require"
)

func TestNewFeature(t *testing.T) {
    tests := []struct {
        name string
        input FeatureInput
        want FeatureOutput
    }{
        {name: "valid case", input: ..., want: ...},
    }
    for _, tt := range tests {
        t.Run(tt.name, func(t *testing.T) {
            got := NewFeature(tt.input)
            require.Equal(t, tt.want, got)
        })
    }
}

Benefits

• •Tests automatically match project style
• •Reduces review feedback
• •Faster test writing with clear examples
• •Consistency across all new tests