test-fixing
npx machina-cli add skill mhattingpete/claude-skills-marketplace/test-fixing --openclawTest Fixing
Systematically identify and fix all failing tests using smart grouping strategies.
When to Use
- Explicitly asks to fix tests ("fix these tests", "make tests pass")
- Reports test failures ("tests are failing", "test suite is broken")
- Completes implementation and wants tests passing
- Mentions CI/CD failures due to tests
Systematic Approach
1. Initial Test Run
Run make test to identify all failing tests.
Analyze output for:
- Total number of failures
- Error types and patterns
- Affected modules/files
2. Smart Error Grouping
Group similar failures by:
- Error type: ImportError, AttributeError, AssertionError, etc.
- Module/file: Same file causing multiple test failures
- Root cause: Missing dependencies, API changes, refactoring impacts
Prioritize groups by:
- Number of affected tests (highest impact first)
- Dependency order (fix infrastructure before functionality)
3. Systematic Fixing Process
For each group (starting with highest impact):
-
Identify root cause
- Read relevant code
- Check recent changes with
git diff - Understand the error pattern
-
Implement fix
- Use Edit tool for code changes
- Follow project conventions (see CLAUDE.md)
- Make minimal, focused changes
-
Verify fix
- Run subset of tests for this group
- Use pytest markers or file patterns:
uv run pytest tests/path/to/test_file.py -v uv run pytest -k "pattern" -v - Ensure group passes before moving on
-
Move to next group
4. Fix Order Strategy
Infrastructure first:
- Import errors
- Missing dependencies
- Configuration issues
Then API changes:
- Function signature changes
- Module reorganization
- Renamed variables/functions
Finally, logic issues:
- Assertion failures
- Business logic bugs
- Edge case handling
5. Final Verification
After all groups fixed:
- Run complete test suite:
make test - Verify no regressions
- Check test coverage remains intact
Best Practices
- Fix one group at a time
- Run focused tests after each fix
- Use
git diffto understand recent changes - Look for patterns in failures
- Don't move to next group until current passes
- Keep changes minimal and focused
Example Workflow
User: "The tests are failing after my refactor"
- Run
make test→ 15 failures identified - Group errors:
- 8 ImportErrors (module renamed)
- 5 AttributeErrors (function signature changed)
- 2 AssertionErrors (logic bugs)
- Fix ImportErrors first → Run subset → Verify
- Fix AttributeErrors → Run subset → Verify
- Fix AssertionErrors → Run subset → Verify
- Run full suite → All pass ✓
Source
git clone https://github.com/mhattingpete/claude-skills-marketplace/blob/main/engineering-workflow-plugin/skills/test-fixing/SKILL.mdView on GitHub Overview
Test Fixing provides a disciplined approach to identifying and repairing failing tests using intelligent grouping. It prioritizes failures by error type, module, and root cause, guiding fixes from infrastructure issues to logic bugs to stabilize the test suite.
How This Skill Works
Run make test to surface failures, then group them by error type, module, and root cause. Tackle each group in order of impact, applying minimal, focused fixes, and verify with targeted tests before moving on.
When to Use It
- Explicitly asks to fix tests (e.g., 'fix these tests', 'make tests pass')
- Reports test failures ('tests are failing', 'test suite is broken')
- Completes implementation and wants tests passing
- Mentions CI/CD failures due to tests
- Tests are failing after a refactor or major change
Quick Start
- Step 1: Run make test to surface failures
- Step 2: Group failures by error type, module, and root cause
- Step 3: For each group, fix root causes, run focused tests, and verify before proceeding
Best Practices
- Fix one group at a time
- Run focused tests after each fix
- Use git diff to understand recent changes
- Look for patterns in failures
- Don't move to next group until current passes
Example Use Cases
- User reports tests failing after a refactor; 15 failures across modules; group by ImportError, then fix, verify
- CI pipeline shows missing dependencies; fix environment setup and re-run subset
- API changes caused function signature mismatches; update call sites and mocks
- Module renamed causing ImportError; restore correct imports and re-run tests
- Flaky tests causing intermittent failures; apply markers and stabilize via grouping