Verification Before Completion

Description

Mandatory verification process before claiming any task is complete. This skill enforces evidence-based completion rather than assumption-based claims.

When to Use

•Before claiming tests pass
•Before claiming build succeeds
•Before claiming bug is fixed
•Before marking any task complete
•Before declaring success to user

The 5-Step Verification Process

Step 1: IDENTIFY

Determine the command that proves your assertion:

markdown

Claim: "Tests pass"
Verification command: npm test

Claim: "Build succeeds"
Verification command: npm run build

Claim: "Linting passes"
Verification command: npm run lint

Step 2: EXECUTE

Run the command fully and freshly:

bash

# Don't rely on cached results
# Don't assume previous run is still valid
npm test

Step 3: READ

Read the complete output and exit codes:

bash

# Check output carefully
# Don't skim - read every line
# Note exit code (0 = success)

Step 4: VERIFY

Confirm the output matches your claim:

markdown

Claim: "All tests pass"
Output shows: "42 passing, 0 failing"
Verification: ✓ Claim is accurate

Step 5: CLAIM

Only now make the claim, with evidence:

markdown

✓ All tests pass (42 passing, verified at 2024-01-15 14:30)

Required Validations by Category

Testing

bash

# Run test command
npm test

# Verify in output:
# - Zero failures
# - Expected test count
# - No skipped tests (unless intentional)

Not valid: "Tests should pass" without running them

Linting

bash

# Run linter completely
npm run lint

# Verify in output:
# - Zero errors
# - Zero warnings (or acceptable known warnings)

Not valid: Using lint as proxy for build success

Building

bash

# Run build command
npm run build

# Verify:
# - Exit code 0
# - Build artifacts created
# - No errors in output

Not valid: Assuming lint passing means build passes

Bug Fixes

bash

# Step 1: Reproduce original bug
npm test -- --grep "failing test"
# Should fail

# Step 2: Apply fix

# Step 3: Verify fix works
npm test -- --grep "failing test"
# Should pass

Not valid: Claiming fix works without reproducing original failure

Regression Tests

Complete red-green cycle required:

bash

# 1. Write test, run it
npm test  # Should PASS with new test

# 2. Revert the fix
git stash

# 3. Run test again
npm test  # Should FAIL (proves test catches the bug)

# 4. Restore fix
git stash pop

# 5. Run test again
npm test  # Should PASS

Requirements Verification

markdown

## Original Requirements
1. User can login with email
2. User can reset password
3. Session expires after 24 hours

## Verification Checklist
- [x] Requirement 1: Tested login flow manually + unit tests
- [x] Requirement 2: Tested reset flow manually + integration test
- [x] Requirement 3: Verified SESSION_TIMEOUT=86400 in config + test

Agent Work Verification

Don't trust agent reports blindly:

bash

# Agent claims: "Fixed the bug in user.ts"

# Verify independently:
git diff src/user.ts  # Check actual changes
npm test              # Verify tests pass

Forbidden Language

Never use these phrases without verification:

Forbidden	Why
"should work"	Implies uncertainty
"probably fixed"	Not verified
"seems to pass"	Didn't read output
"I think it's done"	Guessing
"Great!" (before checking)	Premature celebration
"Done!" (before verification)	Unverified claim

Replace With

Instead Say	After
"Tests pass"	Running tests, seeing 0 failures
"Build succeeds"	Running build, exit code 0
"Bug is fixed"	Reproducing bug, verifying fix

Anti-Patterns

Partial Verification

markdown

BAD: "I ran one test and it passed"
GOOD: "Full test suite passes (42/42)"

Relying on Prior Runs

markdown

BAD: "Tests passed earlier"
GOOD: "Tests pass now (just ran)"

Skipping Verification

markdown

BAD: "This is a small change, no need to verify"
GOOD: "Small change, but verified: tests pass, lint clean"

Trusting Without Checking

markdown

BAD: Agent said it's fixed, so it's fixed
GOOD: Agent said it's fixed, I verified by running tests

Verification Checklist Template

Use before claiming completion:

markdown

## Task: [Task Name]

### Verification Steps
- [ ] Tests run: `npm test`
  - Result: [X passing, Y failing]
- [ ] Lint passes: `npm run lint`
  - Result: [No errors]
- [ ] Build succeeds: `npm run build`
  - Result: [Exit code 0]
- [ ] Requirements met:
  - [ ] Requirement 1: [How verified]
  - [ ] Requirement 2: [How verified]

### Evidence
[Paste relevant output or screenshots]

### Conclusion
✓ Task complete, all verifications passed