Writing Tests

If the current repo has its own rules/skills covering this topic (check .claude/rules/ and repo CLAUDE.md), those take precedence — apply this skill only where they're silent.

Writing Tests

Core principle: Test user-observable behavior with real dependencies. Tests should survive refactoring.

"The more your tests resemble the way your software is used, the more confidence they can give you." — Kent C. Dodds

Why this matters: Tests exist to give you confidence. The Testing Trophy prioritizes integration tests because they test real behavior across real modules — giving maximum confidence per test written. Unit tests in isolation often just test mocks, not your actual system.

Testing Trophy Model

Mocking Guidelines

Default: Don't mock. Use real dependencies.

Only mock:

• External HTTP/API calls
• Time/randomness
• Third-party services (payments, email)

Never mock:

• Internal modules
• Database queries (use test DB)
• Business logic
• Your own code calling your own code

Before mocking, ask: "What side effects does this have? Does my test need those?" If unsure, run with real implementation first, then add minimal mocking only where needed.

Test Type Decision

Copy code
Complete user workflow? → E2E test
Pure function (no side effects)? → Unit test
Everything else → Integration test

Assertion Strategy

Anti-Patterns

Quality Checklist

• Happy path covered
• Error conditions handled
• Real dependencies used (minimal mocking)
• Tests survive refactoring
• Test names describe behavior

Language-Specific Patterns

• JavaScript/Typescript/React: See references/typescript-react.md
• Python: See references/python.md
• Go: See references/go.md

Async Waiting

Wait for the actual condition, not a guess about how long it takes.

typescriptCopy code
// Bad: arbitrary delay
await new Promise(r => setTimeout(r, 2000));
expect(element).toBeVisible();

// Good: poll for condition
await waitFor(() => expect(element).toBeVisible());

Prefer framework built-ins:

• Testing Library: findBy queries, waitFor
• Playwright: auto-waiting, expect(locator).toBeVisible()
• pytest: asyncio.wait_for, tenacity

Language-specific waiting patterns:

• TypeScript: See references/waiting-typescript.md
• Python: See references/waiting-python.md

Remember: Behavior over implementation. Real over mocked. Outputs over internals.