/test-updates

name: test-updates
description: Updates, generates, and validates tests using git-workspace context and TDD/BDD methodology. Use when code changes require new or updated test coverage.
alwaysApply: false
category: testing-automation
tags:
- tdd
- bdd
- testing
- quality-assurance
- test-generation
- pytest
dependencies:
- superpowers:test-driven-development
- git-workspace-review
tools: []
usage_patterns:
- test-maintenance
- test-generation
- test-enhancement
- quality-validation
complexity: intermediate
estimated_tokens: 1500
modules:
- modules/bdd-patterns.md
- modules/content-test-discovery.md
- modules/quality-validation.md
- modules/structure-mapping.md
- modules/tdd-workflow.md
- modules/test-discovery.md
- modules/test-enhancement.md
- modules/test-generation.md

Test Updates and Maintenance

Overview

detailed test management system that applies TDD/BDD principles to maintain, generate, and enhance tests across codebases. This skill practices what it preaches - it uses TDD principles for its own development and serves as a living example of best practices.

Core Philosophy

• **RED-GREEN-REFACTOR**: Strict adherence to TDD cycle
• **Behavior-First**: BDD patterns that describe what code should do
• **Invariant-Encoding**: Tests guard design decisions, not just behavior
• **Meta Dogfooding**: The skill's own tests demonstrate the principles it teaches
• **Quality Gates**: detailed validation before considering tests complete

What It Is

A modular test management system that:

• Discovers what needs testing or updating
• Generates tests following TDD principles
• Enhances existing tests with BDD patterns
• Validate test quality through multiple lenses

Quick Start

Quick Checklist for First Time Use

• [ ] validate pytest is installed (`pip install pytest`)
• [ ] Have your source code in `src/` or similar directory
• [ ] Create a `tests/` directory if it doesn't exist
• [ ] Run `Skill(sanctum:git-workspace-review)` first to understand changes
• [ ] Start with `Skill(test-updates) --target <specific-module>` for focused updates

detailed Test Update

# Run full test update workflow
Skill(test-updates)

**Verification:** Run `pytest -v` to verify tests pass.

Targeted Test Updates

# Update tests for specific paths
Skill(test-updates) --target src/sanctum/agents
Skill(test-updates) --target tests/test_commit_messages.py

**Verification:** Run `pytest -v` to verify tests pass.

TDD for New Features

# Apply TDD to new code
Skill(test-updates) --tdd-only --target new_feature.py

**Verification:** Run `pytest -v` to verify tests pass.

Using the Scripts Directly

**Human-Readable Output:**

# Analyze test coverage gaps
python plugins/sanctum/scripts/test_analyzer.py --scan src/

# Generate test scaffolding
python plugins/sanctum/scripts/test_generator.py \
    --source src/my_module.py --style pytest_bdd

# Check test quality
python plugins/sanctum/scripts/quality_checker.py \
    --validate tests/test_my_module.py

**Verification:** Run `pytest -v` to verify tests pass.

**Programmatic Output (for Claude Code):**

# Get JSON output for programmatic parsing - test_analyzer
python plugins/sanctum/scripts/test_analyzer.py \
    --scan src/ --output-json

# Returns:
# {
#   "success": true,
#   "data": {
#     "source_files": ["src/module.py", ...],
#     "test_files": ["tests/test_module.py", ...],
#     "uncovered_files": ["module_without_tests", ...],
#     "coverage_gaps": [{"file": "...", "reason": "..."}]
#   }
# }

# Get JSON output - test_generator
python plugins/sanctum/scripts/test_generator.py \
    --source src/my_module.py --output-json

# Returns:
# {
#   "success": true,
#   "data": {
#     "test_file": "path/to/test_my_module.py",
#     "source_file": "src/my_module.py",
#     "style": "pytest_bdd",
#     "fixtures_included": true,
#     "edge_cases_included": true,
#     "error_cases_included": true
#   }
# }

# Get JSON output - quality_checker
python plugins/sanctum/scripts/quality_checker.py \
    --validate tests/test_my_module.py --output-json

# Returns:
# {
#   "success": true,
#   "data": {
#     "static_analysis": {...},
#     "dynamic_validation": {...},
#     "metrics": {...},
#     "quality_score": 85,
#     "quality_level": "QualityLevel.GOOD",
#     "recommendations": [...]
#   }
# }

**Verification:** Run `pytest -v` to verify tests pass.

When To Use It

**Use this skill when you need to:**

• Update tests after code changes
• Generate tests for new features
• Improve existing test quality
• validate detailed test coverage

**Perfect for:**

• Pre-commit test validation
• CI/CD pipeline integration
• Refactoring with test safety
• Onboarding new developers

When NOT To Use

• Auditing

test suites - use pensive:test-review

• Writing production code
• focus on implementation first
• Auditing

test suites - use pensive:test-review

• Writing production code
• focus on implementation first

Workflow Integration

Phase 1: Discovery

1. Scan codebase for test gaps 2. Analyze recent changes 3. Identify broken or outdated tests

See `modules/test-discovery.md` for detection patterns.

Phase 2: Strategy

1. Choose appropriate BDD style (see `modules/bdd-patterns.md`) 2. Plan test structure 3. Define quality criteria 4. Identify design invariants to encode as tests

Phase 2.5: Invariant-Encoding Tests

Before writing behavioral tests, identify the design invariants that the code relies on and write tests that would break if those invariants were violated.

**What to encode:**

• Module boundary constraints (A never imports from B)
• Data flow direction (events flow publisher-to-subscriber,

never the reverse)

• API contract shapes (public interfaces don't change

without versioning)

• Data structure choices (if a map was chosen over a list,

test the properties that justify that choice)

• Error handling strategies (fail-fast boundaries, recovery

zo