run-tdd

TDD implementation cycle for Stages F-H of the VibeFlow docs-first workflow.

Purpose

This skill guides the TDD cycle:

• Stage F (RED): Create stubs + write failing unit tests
• Stage G (GREEN): Implement minimal code to pass tests
• Stage H (REFACTOR): Write integration tests + refactor + quality validation

Workflow

Stage F: RED
    │
    ├── Create stubs from Feature Spec API Design
    ├── Write failing unit tests
    ├── Tests fail with NotImplementedError
    └── Checkpoint #3: Tests Complete
    │
    ▼
Stage G: GREEN
    │
    ├── Implement minimal code to pass tests
    ├── If contracts change → Stage G.1
    └── All unit tests pass
    │
    ▼
Stage H: REFACTOR
    │
    ├── Write integration tests for I/O
    ├── Pass integration tests
    ├── Refactor with tests green
    ├── Complete H.4 quality validation
    └── Checkpoint #4: Implementation Complete

Usage

Start TDD Cycle

/run-tdd start

Guides through the full TDD cycle starting with Stage F.

Stage F: RED Phase

/run-tdd red

1. Create implementation stubs from Feature Spec API Design
2. Write failing unit tests
3. Verify tests fail with "not implemented" errors

Stage G: GREEN Phase

/run-tdd green

1. Implement minimal code to pass unit tests
2. Check for contract changes (trigger G.1 if needed)
3. Verify all unit tests pass

Stage H: REFACTOR Phase

/run-tdd refactor

1. Write integration tests for I/O boundaries
2. Refactor code while keeping tests green
3. Complete H.4 quality validation

Validate Tests

/run-tdd validate

Runs test quality validation (Stage H.4 checklist).

Handle Design Changes

/run-tdd g1

Guides through Stage G.1 protocol when implementation reveals contract changes.

Stage G.1: Design Changes Protocol

If implementation reveals contract changes, STOP IMMEDIATELY and follow these steps:

1. Document the discovered issue
2. Update SPEC first (increment version)
3. Create/update ADR if non-trivial
4. Update Feature Spec API Design
5. Update tests to new contract
6. Resume implementation

Contract changes that trigger G.1:

• API/Interface signature changes
• Database schema changes
• Event format changes
• New external dependencies
• SLO changes

Changes that DON'T trigger G.1:

• Internal algorithms
• Private function names
• Error handling improvements (within taxonomy)
• Performance optimizations (within SLO)

Test Categorization

All tests must have categorization tags:

Speed/Scope (required):

• unit / fast — All dependencies mocked, runs in ms
• integration / medium — Uses test DB, mocked external APIs
• e2e / slow — Full workflow, multiple components
• real_api — Makes real external API calls

Module (required):

• Tag with module name (e.g., accounts, generation, api)

Stage H.4 Quality Validation

Before completing Stage H, validate:

Organization:

• File structure follows conventions
• Test names use test_<what>_<condition>_<expected>
• Related tests grouped

Usefulness:

• Tests based on acceptance criteria
• Happy path, edge cases, error cases tested
• Tests validate behavior, not implementation

Code Quality:

• External dependencies mocked in unit tests
• AAA pattern clear
• No skipped tests without justification

Categorization:

• All tests have speed/scope tags
• No real API calls in "unit" tests

Reliability:

• Unit tests < 1s each
• Integration tests < 5s each
• Tests pass consistently (no flaky tests)

Quality Gate:

• 0-2 violations: PASS
• 3-5 violations: CONDITIONAL
• 6+ violations OR 2+ major: FAIL

Validation

• scripts/validate_red.py — Validate Stage F (tests failing correctly)
• scripts/validate_green.py — Validate Stage G (tests passing)
• scripts/validate_refactor.py — Validate Stage H (integration + quality)
• scripts/check_coverage.py — Report test coverage

References

See references/:

• tdd-policy.md — TDD policy and requirements
• tdd-guide.md — TDD workflow guidance
• stage-g1-protocol.md — Design change handling protocol

Manifest Update

After completing each stage, update docs/workflow-state.yaml:

Stage F (RED):

• Set stage: F

Checkpoint #3 (after Stage F):

• Set checkpoint: 3 after passing validation
• Criteria: Stubs exist matching Feature Spec API Design, unit tests exist and fail with NotImplementedError

Stage G (GREEN):

• Set stage: G

Stage H (REFACTOR):

• Set stage: H

Checkpoint #4 (after Stage H):

• Set checkpoint: 4 after passing validation
• Criteria: All unit tests pass, integration tests pass, H.4 quality validation passes

To advance to the next stage: /manage-work advance <ID> To check readiness: /validate-checkpoint 3 (after RED) or /validate-checkpoint 4 (after REFACTOR)