tdd
Drive a change through a red-green-refactor loop - failing test first, minimal code to pass, then clean up. Use when implementing a feature or fixing a bug where correctness matters and a test can pin the behavior. Says "TDD", "test first", "red green refactor", "write the test first".
- Installs
- 110
- Last 24h
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- Trending rank
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- Security
- Not audited
Install
Works with every agent the skills CLI supports.
npx skills add https://github.com/rohitg00/pro-workflow --skill tdd- 01
Install
Run the command in your project. The CLI asks which agents to install for.
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Describe the task
Ask your agent for something this skill covers. It loads tdd automatically when relevant.
- 03
Review the result
The agent follows the SKILL.md steps, scripts and references bundled with the skill.
SKILL.md
The instructions your agent reads when the skill is triggered.
tdd
The agent codes better with a tight feedback loop than with a long specification. A failing test is the tightest loop there is: it states the target, and the target either goes green or it does not.
The loop
- Red. Write one failing test that states the next slice of behavior. Run it. Confirm it fails for the right reason - a test that passes before you write the code is testing nothing. If it errors instead of failing on the assertion, fix the test setup first.
- Green. Write the least code that makes the test pass. Not the general solution, not the abstraction - the minimal move. Run the test. Green.
- Refactor. Now clean up with the test as a net: remove duplication, name things, simplify. Re-run after every edit. Behavior is frozen; only the shape changes.
- Repeat for the next slice. Small slices. The rate of feedback is the speed limit - never take on a step too big to hold a single test.
What makes a test worth writing
- Tests behavior, not implementation. Assert on the observable result, not on which private method got called. A test that breaks on every refactor is a liability.
- One reason to fail. Each test pins one behavior. When it goes red you should know what broke without reading the body.
- Real seams, minimal mocks. Mock at the system boundary (network, clock, filesystem), not internal collaborators. A test that mocks the thing under test asserts nothing.
- No tautologies. A test that restates the implementation (
expect(x).toBe(x)after settingx) verifies nothing. Assert the value the behavior should produce.
When to reach for it
Reach for TDD when the behavior is specifiable and a test can pin it: business logic, parsers, state machines, bug fixes (write the failing case first, then fix). Skip it for pure exploration, throwaway spikes, and layout-only UI where a test asserts nothing a human would not eyeball.
Output contract
Show each red-green transition, not just the final green. If a test is hard to write, say what the difficulty reveals about the design - untestable code is usually badly-seamed code, and that is a finding, not an obstacle.
FAQ
What does the tdd skill do?
Drive a change through a red-green-refactor loop - failing test first, minimal code to pass, then clean up. Use when implementing a feature or fixing a bug where correctness matters and a test can pin the behavior. Says "TDD", "test first", "red green refactor", "write the test first".
How do I install tdd?
Run npx skills add https://github.com/rohitg00/pro-workflow --skill tdd in your project. The skills CLI detects the agents you use and copies the skill into the right folder. For Claude Code you can also place the skill folder at ~/.claude/skills/tdd/ (personal) or .claude/skills/tdd/ (project).
Which AI agents can use tdd?
Any agent that supports the open Agent Skills format (a folder with a SKILL.md file), including Claude Code, Codex, Cursor, GitHub Copilot, Gemini CLI, Windsurf, Cline, OpenCode and more.
Is tdd safe to install?
No partner security audit is available yet. Skills can run commands and scripts, so read the SKILL.md and any bundled files before installing.
Who maintains tdd?
It is published by rohitg00 in rohitg00/pro-workflow. It has 110 recorded installs.
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