Find Test Files

Locate test files across the codebase using pattern matching and common test file naming conventions. This skill provides the functionality equivalent to a findTestFiles tool by leveraging filesystem search capabilities.

When to Use This Skill

Use this skill when you need to:

•Find all test files in a project
•Locate tests for a specific package or module
•Identify test suites for test-driven development (TDD) workflows
•Analyze test coverage by discovering what test files exist
•Prepare for test execution by building a list of test files
•Search for tests matching specific patterns or technologies

Supported Test File Patterns

Python Test Patterns

•test_*.py - Pytest and unittest standard
•*_test.py - Alternative Python test convention
•tests/**/*.py - Tests directory structure
•Files containing @pytest or class Test

C++ Test Patterns

•*_test.cpp, *_test.cc - Google Test convention
•test_*.cpp, test_*.cc - Alternative C++ pattern
•Test*.cpp, Test*.cc - CamelCase test naming
•*_unittest.cpp - Unit test naming
•test/**/*.cpp - Tests directory structure
•Files containing TEST(, TEST_F(, TYPED_TEST(

JavaScript/TypeScript Test Patterns

•*.test.js, *.test.ts - Jest/Vitest convention
•*.spec.js, *.spec.ts - Jasmine/Mocha convention
•__tests__/**/*.js, __tests__/**/*.ts - Jest standard
•Files containing describe(, it(, test(

ROS 2 Test Patterns

•test/**/*.cpp - ROS 2 C++ tests
•test/**/*.py - ROS 2 Python tests
•*_test.cpp, test_*.py - ROS package tests
•Files with ament_add_*test in parent CMakeLists.txt

Core Workflows

Workflow 1: Find All Tests in Workspace

Use the search tool with file pattern matching:

code

#search pattern:"test_*.py OR *_test.py OR *.test.ts OR *_test.cpp"

Or use search/codebase to scan for test directories:

code

#codebase - Look for directories named: test, tests, __tests__

Expected output: List of all matching test file paths

Workflow 2: Find Tests for Specific Package

For a ROS 2 package named drqp_serial:

code

#search path:"packages/runtime/drqp_serial/test/**"

For a Python module:

code

#search pattern:"test_<module_name>.py OR <module_name>_test.py"

Expected output: Test files specific to that package/module

Workflow 3: Find Tests by Technology

Python tests only:

code

#search pattern:"test_*.py OR *_test.py" type:file

C++ tests only:

code

#search pattern:"*_test.cpp OR *_test.cc OR test_*.cpp OR Test*.cpp" type:file

JavaScript/TypeScript tests only:

code

#search pattern:"*.test.js OR *.test.ts OR *.spec.js OR *.spec.ts" type:file

Expected output: Filtered list by language/framework

Workflow 4: Find Tests with Content Matching

Find tests that test a specific function or class:

code

#search content:"TEST(MyClass" OR content:"test_my_function"

Find integration tests:

code

#search content:"integration" AND pattern:"*test*.py OR *test*.cpp"

Expected output: Test files containing specific test cases

Implementation Guidelines

Using Available Tools

Since findTestFiles is not available, use these alternative approaches:

•File Pattern Search - Use search or search/codebase with glob patterns
•Directory Traversal - Search in known test directories (test/, tests/, __tests__/)
•Content-Based Discovery - Search for test framework imports/keywords
•Build System Integration - Parse CMakeLists.txt, package.json, or setup.py for test definitions

Combining Multiple Patterns

To find all tests across technologies:

markdown

Search for test files using multiple patterns:
1. Python: test_*.py, *_test.py
2. C++: *_test.cpp, *_test.cc, test_*.cpp, Test*.cpp
3. TypeScript/JavaScript: *.test.ts, *.spec.ts
4. ROS 2: test/**/*.{cpp,py}

Combine results and remove duplicates.

Language-Specific Conventions

Python (pytest/unittest)

•Primary: test_*.py in any directory
•Secondary: Files in tests/ or test/ directories
•Content markers: import pytest, import unittest, def test_, class Test

C++ (Google Test/Catch2)

•Primary: *_test.cpp in test directories
•Secondary: Files with TEST(, TEST_F(, ASSERT_, EXPECT_
•Build integration: Check CMakeLists.txt for ament_add_gtest, add_test

JavaScript/TypeScript (Jest/Vitest/Mocha)

•Primary: *.test.{js,ts,jsx,tsx}, *.spec.{js,ts,jsx,tsx}
•Secondary: __tests__/**/* directories
•Content markers: describe(, it(, test(, expect(

Example Queries

Example 1: TDD Red Phase - Find Existing Tests

User request: "Show me all existing tests for the serial driver"

Agent action:

code

#search path:"packages/runtime/drqp_serial/test/**"

Response format:

code

Found 3 test files for drqp_serial:
1. packages/runtime/drqp_serial/test/test_serial_connection.cpp
2. packages/runtime/drqp_serial/test/test_serial_protocol.cpp
3. packages/runtime/drqp_serial/test/integration/test_serial_hardware.cpp

Example 2: Test Coverage Analysis

User request: "List all Python test files to check coverage"

Agent action:

code

#search pattern:"test_*.py" type:file
#search pattern:"*_test.py" type:file

Response format:

code

Python test files found (15 total):
Runtime packages:
  - packages/runtime/drqp_brain/test/test_state_machine.py
  - packages/runtime/drqp_control/test/test_controller.py
  ...
Simulation packages:
  - packages/simulation/drqp_gazebo/test/test_spawn.py

Example 3: Find Tests for Refactoring

User request: "Find all tests that reference the old ConnectionManager class"

Agent action:

code

#search content:"ConnectionManager" AND pattern:"*test*.{py,cpp}"

Response format:

code

Tests referencing ConnectionManager (4 files):
1. test/test_serial_connection.cpp:15 - TEST(ConnectionManager, InitTest)
2. test/test_protocol.py:23 - def test_connection_manager_setup():
3. integration/test_hardware.cpp:45 - Uses ConnectionManager mock
4. test/test_reconnect.cpp:10 - Tests ConnectionManager reconnection logic

Troubleshooting

Issue	Solution
No tests found	Check if test directory exists; verify naming conventions match project standards
Too many false positives	Add content-based filtering (search for `TEST(`, `def test_`, etc.)
Missing nested tests	Use recursive patterns: `test/*/.py`, `*/test/.cpp`
Tests in non-standard locations	Search by content markers instead of filename patterns
Performance issues with large codebases	Narrow search to specific directories or packages

Common Patterns

Pattern: Comprehensive Test Discovery

For projects with multiple test frameworks:

bash

# Search all common test patterns
find . -type f \( \
  -name "test_*.py" -o \
  -name "*_test.py" -o \
  -name "*_test.cpp" -o \
  -name "*_test.cc" -o \
  -name "test_*.cpp" -o \
  -name "Test*.cpp" -o \
  -name "*.test.ts" -o \
  -name "*.test.js" -o \
  -name "*.spec.ts" -o \
  -name "*.spec.js" \
\) | grep -v node_modules | grep -v build | sort

Pattern: ROS 2 Package Test Discovery

For ROS 2 workspaces with colcon:

bash

# Find tests organized by package
find packages -type d -name "test" -exec sh -c 'echo "Package: $(basename $(dirname $1))"; find "$1" -type f \( -name "*.py" -o -name "*.cpp" \)' _ {} \;

Pattern: Group Tests by Type

Organize discovered tests by type:

code

Unit Tests:
  - Files in test/unit/
  - Names containing "_unit_test"

Integration Tests:
  - Files in test/integration/
  - Names containing "_integration_test"

End-to-End Tests:
  - Files in test/e2e/
  - Names containing "_e2e_test"

Integration with TDD Workflow

Red Phase (Write Failing Tests)

•Use this skill to find existing tests
•Identify where new test should be placed
•Follow naming convention of nearby tests

Green Phase (Make Tests Pass)

•Quickly locate the failing test file
•Run specific test file
•Iterate on implementation

Refactor Phase (Improve Code Quality)

•Find all tests that touch refactored code
•Ensure all tests still pass
•Update test names if refactoring changed behavior

Limitations

•Cannot execute tests (use execute/runTests for that)
•May miss tests in non-standard locations
•Requires consistent naming conventions
•Large codebases may need scoped searches
•Build-generated test files may not be visible in source search

Additional Resources

•ROS 2 Testing Guide: https://docs.ros.org/en/jazzy/Tutorials/Intermediate/Testing/Testing-Main.html
•pytest Documentation: https://docs.pytest.org/
•Google Test Primer: https://google.github.io/googletest/primer.html
•Jest Testing Framework: https://jestjs.io/docs/getting-started