TYPO3 Testing Skill

A Report Becomes a Failing Test Before It Becomes a Fix

A bug report is a test that does not exist yet. Write it from the report's own input and expected output, run it, and see it fail for the reason the report gives. A test written after the fix proves only that the code does what it does.

Output produced through a template is not covered by a unit suite. The unit suite loads PHP classes and never renders a Fluid template, so an edit to a template leaves the suite green while the page is broken. Prove such a change by rendering it: a functional test that calls the rendering path and asserts the rendered string.

Read the rendered string, not the exit code. Fluid does not raise on an inline expression it cannot parse -- it emits the expression verbatim, so the markup reaches the browser with {f:if(...)} sitting inside the attribute it was written into, and a test asserting only that nothing threw will pass. When an inline expression would nest one call inside another, write it as a tag (<f:if>) or compute the value in PHP and pass it in.

Assessment-First Rule

When enhancing an existing test suite (not from scratch), run FIRST:

automated-assessment typo3-testing

Install typo3-conformance and enterprise-readiness for broader coverage.

Generates a gap report from 73+ checkpoints (PHPUnit, PHPStan, runTests.sh, architecture, mutation, CI matrix, coverage).

Use the report as the task list. Resolve mechanical failures before manual test writing.

Applies

• "enhance/improve/strengthen tests", "increase coverage/mutation"
• "enterprise grade", "A+ testing"

Does NOT Apply

• From scratch, writing a specific test, debugging a failure

Test Type Selection

runTests.sh - Mandatory

Build/Scripts/runTests.sh is mandatory: executable, with -s (suite) and -p (PHP version).

Git Hooks

Netresearch default: Build/captainhook.json (declared in composer.json extra.captainhook.config). Verify: ls Build/captainhook.json .git/hooks/pre-commit (see references/captainhook-setup.md).

Commands

# Setup (run in the extension root; paths are relative to this skill)
scripts/setup-testing.sh [-a]   # -a: Codeception acceptance setup
scripts/validate-setup.sh
scripts/generate-test.sh <Type> <Class>

# Run (always via runTests.sh)
Build/Scripts/runTests.sh -s unit|functional|phpstan|cgl|mutation|ci

Verify tests fail before fix, pass after. Bug fixes use the strict TDD loop in references/tdd-discipline.md — no "tested/verified" claims without pasted output.

Scoring Requirements

Unit tests required (70%+ coverage). Functional tests required for DB operations. phpat required for architecture points. PHPStan level 10.

References (in references/, .md implied)

unit-testing.md | functional-testing.md | functional-test-patterns.md | integration-testing.md | e2e-testing.md | accessibility-testing.md | ddev-testing.md | test-runners.md | architecture-testing.md | ci-debugging.md | ci-cd.md | quality-tools.md | mutation-testing.md | fuzz-testing.md | performance-testing.md | typo3-v14-final-classes.md | mock-validity.md | javascript-testing.md | captainhook-setup.md | enforcement-rules.md | event-dispatch-testing.md | crypto-testing.md | test-environment-guards.md | sonarcloud.md | typo3-ci-config-patterns.md | tdd-discipline.md | ci-workflows-meta-package.md | synthetic-secret-fixtures.md | release-workflow-validation.md | asset-templates-guide.md | backend-module-render-verification.md | backend-user-access-testing.md | framework-compat-gate.md | datahandler-silent-rewrites.md | live-instance-verification.md

Content Triggers

• CI failures across TYPO3 versions → ci-debugging.md
• Functional tests with TSFE context → functional-testing.md
• Mock failures across dependency versions → mock-validity.md
• Image/extension tests, Environment::initialize, NormalizedParams TypeError, backupGlobals → test-environment-guards.md
• Event dispatcher testing with try/catch → event-dispatch-testing.md
• Meta-package, typo3-ci-workflows, no-plugins → ci-workflows-meta-package.md
• Fake secrets, push-protection, cs-fixer concat → synthetic-secret-fixtures.md
• Burned tag, validate before tagging → release-workflow-validation.md
• Backend module 500 / wrong ViewHelper namespace / runaway canvas → backend-module-render-verification.md
• Non-admin BE-user access enforcement → backend-user-access-testing.md
• Code writing through the DataHandler (agent tools, importers, API endpoints), values dropped or rewritten without an error → datahandler-silent-rewrites.md
• Package will not install next to TYPO3 → framework-compat-gate.md
• Confirm a change on a running instance (backend module, content element preview, frontend page, acceptance screenshot), sudo-mode dialog, module content cut off in a screenshot → live-instance-verification.md
• Vitest with happy-dom, fast-check, legacy jQuery plugin tests, unit test or E2E spec → javascript-testing.md; Stryker → mutation-testing.md
• No Playwright / ad-hoc browser check of an EXT:form or JS-driven page → e2e-testing.md (CDP fallback)

Links

TYPO3 Testing Docs | Tea Extension | phpat | Infection