Discovering and implementing Spector coverage gaps for the Azure C# emitter

Overview

This skill discovers which Spector scenarios the Azure C# emitter (@azure-tools/typespec-csharp) does not yet cover, then implements the missing test(s). Spector scenarios are defined in two packages:

• Standard specs: @typespec/http-specs — general HTTP client scenarios
• Azure specs: @azure-tools/azure-http-specs — Azure-specific scenarios (core, LRO, paging, resource-manager, etc.)

Two coverage dashboards exist:

Tip: Comparing the two dashboards reveals Standard scenarios where the Azure emitter lags behind (or ahead of) the core TypeSpec C# emitter in microsoft/typespec.

Note: {PKG} refers to <repo-root>/eng/packages/http-client-csharp throughout this document.

Inputs

You may receive one of:

• "Find coverage gaps" — discover all missing scenarios and present them.
• "Compare Azure vs Standard dashboards" — identify Standard scenarios covered on typespec.io but not on the Azure dashboard (or vice versa).
• Spector spec link — a link to a specific spec under packages/http-specs/specs/... or packages/azure-http-specs/specs/....
• Spec name — e.g., http/encode/duration, http/azure/core/lro/standard, http/type/union/discriminated.

Output

• A report of coverage gaps (when discovering).
• A comparison table of Standard vs Azure dashboard coverage (when comparing).
• New or updated C# NUnit test file(s) under {PKG}/generator/TestProjects/Spector.Tests/Http/.
• Updated {PKG}/generator/TestProjects/Spector.Tests/TestProjects.Spector.Tests.csproj if a new project reference is needed.
• Regenerated client code (via Generate.ps1).

Workflow

• Ensure prerequisites are met (npm ci, npm run build)
• Discover coverage gaps or identify the target spec
• Verify the spec is not in the failing specs list
• Generate the C# client for the target spec (unstubbed, or use Test-Spector.ps1)
• Read the generated client to understand the API surface
• Read the TypeSpec scenario file to understand expected behavior
• Find or create the test file
• Implement the test(s) following existing conventions
• Run the tests using Test-Spector.ps1 -filter "<spec-path>"
• Validate all tests pass

Prerequisites — Environment setup

Before starting, ensure the build environment is ready.

1. Install dependencies (from {PKG}):

   cd {PKG}
   npm ci

2. Build the package:

   npm run build

⚠️ Do NOT run pnpm install or pnpm build at the repo root — only the http-client-csharp package build is needed.

Step 1 — Discover coverage gaps

How specs are organized

The Azure C# emitter tests specs from two sources:

1. Standard HTTP specs (@typespec/http-specs): Located at {PKG}/node_modules/@typespec/http-specs/specs/
2. Azure HTTP specs (@azure-tools/azure-http-specs): Located at {PKG}/node_modules/@azure-tools/azure-http-specs/specs/

How specs are filtered

The file {PKG}/eng/scripts/Spector-Helper.psm1 defines which specs are included/excluded.

Failing/excluded specs are defined in the $failingSpecs array. Always check that file for the current list — do not hardcode specs here.

Current exclusions fall into three categories:

1. Standard spec issues: streaming/jsonl, response/status-code-range (namespace conflict with Azure.Response), type/file
2. Azure specs not yet buildable: azure/client-generator-core/alternate-type, azure/client-generator-core/deserialize-empty-string-as-null
3. Delegated to management generator: All azure/resource-manager/* specs (common-properties, non-resource, operation-templates, resources, large-header, method-subscription-id, multi-service variants)

Discovering gaps programmatically

Compare available specs against existing tests. Run this from {PKG}:

Import-Module "{PKG}/eng/scripts/Spector-Helper.psm1" -DisableNameChecking -Force

# Get all valid specs
$specs = Get-Sorted-Specs | ForEach-Object { Get-SubPath $_ }

# Get all test files
$testFiles = Get-ChildItem -Path "{PKG}/generator/TestProjects/Spector.Tests/Http" -Recurse -Filter "*Tests.cs" |
    ForEach-Object { $_.FullName }

# For each spec, check if a corresponding test directory/file exists
foreach ($spec in $specs) {
    $specParts = $spec -replace '/', '\' -split '\\'
    $testPath = "{PKG}/generator/TestProjects/Spector.Tests/Http"
    # ... check if test exists
}

Comparing Azure vs Standard dashboards

The two dashboards report coverage for different scopes:

• Standard dashboard (typespec.io): Shows coverage for @typespec/http-specs scenarios only, reported by the base @typespec/http-client-csharp emitter in the microsoft/typespec repo.
• Azure dashboard (azure.github.io/typespec-azure): Shows coverage for both @typespec/http-specs and @azure-tools/azure-http-specs scenarios, reported by the @azure-tools/typespec-csharp emitter in this repo.

To find gaps between the two dashboards:

1. Open both dashboards side-by-side.
2. For each Standard scenario shown as ✅ on typespec.io but ❌/missing on the Azure dashboard, that is a regression or missing port from the base emitter.
3. For each Standard scenario shown as ❌ on typespec.io but ✅ on the Azure dashboard, that is an Azure-only enhancement.
4. Azure-specific scenarios (azure/*) only appear on the Azure dashboard.

Common causes of Standard coverage gaps in Azure:

• The base emitter in microsoft/typespec added a test that hasn't been ported here yet.
• The Azure emitter excludes a spec (check $failingSpecs in Spector-Helper.psm1).
• Namespace or build conflicts specific to the Azure generator (e.g., Response vs Azure.Response).

Existing test coverage

Standard spec test directories (under Spector.Tests/Http/):

Authentication/   (ApiKey, Http/Custom, OAuth2, Union)
Client/           (ClientNamespace, Naming, Overload, Structure/*)
Encode/           (Array, Bytes, DateTime, Duration, Numeric)
Parameters/       (Basic, BodyOptionality, CollectionFormat, Path, Query, Spread)
Payload/          (ContentNegotiation, JsonMergePatch, MediaType, MultiPart, Pageable, Xml)
Resiliency/       (SrvDriven/V1, SrvDriven/V2)
Routes/
Serialization/    (EncodedName/Json)
Server/           (Endpoint/NotDefined, Path/Multiple, Path/Single, Versions/*)
Service/
SpecialHeaders/   (ConditionalRequest, Repeatability)
SpecialWords/
Versioning/       (Added, MadeOptional, Removed, RenamedFrom, ReturnTypeChangedFrom, TypeChangedFrom)
_Type/            (Array, Dictionary, Enum/*, Model/*, Property/*, Scalar, Union)

Azure spec test directories (under Spector.Tests/Http/Azure/):

ClientGeneratorCore/  (Access, ApiVersion/*, ClientInitialization/*, ClientLocation/*, HierarchyBuilding, Override, Usage)
Core/                 (Basic, Lro/Rpc, Lro/Standard, Model, Page, Scalar, Traits)
Encode/               (Duration)
Example/              (Basic)
Payload/              (Pageable)
SpecialHeaders/       (ClientRequestId)
Versioning/           (PreviewVersion/V1, PreviewVersion/V2)

Accurate gap detection

The naive approach of matching spec paths to test directory names can produce false positives because:

• C# reserved words get underscore-prefixed in test dirs (e.g., type/ → _Type/, array → _Array, enum → _Enum)
• kebab-case gets converted to PascalCase (e.g., content-negotiation → ContentNegotiation)
• Some test files cover a parent spec but not sub-specs (e.g., UnionTests.cs covers type/union but NOT type/union/discriminated)

To find real gaps, verify each candidate by checking whether a test directory exists for the spec's exact path, including sub-paths. A test file at a parent level does NOT cover child specs.

Important: The gap list evolves over time. Always re-run the comparison to get current gaps. All committed Spector libraries are stubbed — [SpectorTest] will auto-skip tests unless you regenerate with -Stubbed $false or use Test-Spector.ps1.

Understanding stubbed vs unstubbed generation

All Spector libraries committed to the repository are stubbed. Generate.ps1 defaults to $Stubbed = $true, which causes the emitter to use AzureStubGenerator instead of AzureClientGenerator. Stubbed clients use expression-bodied constructors (=>) instead of block bodies ({ }), and the [SpectorTest] attribute automatically skips tests for stubbed clients.

To generate unstubbed code (for local testing), pass -Stubbed $false:

pwsh eng/scripts/Generate.ps1 -filter "<spec-path>" -Stubbed $false

However, the recommended way to test is via Test-Spector.ps1 (see Step 7), which handles the unstubbed regeneration, test execution, and directory restoration automatically.

Step 2 — Read the spec to understand expected behavior

Spec files live in:

• Standard: {PKG}/node_modules/@typespec/http-specs/specs/
• Azure: {PKG}/node_modules/@azure-tools/azure-http-specs/specs/

If node_modules is not installed, specs can also be found in the upstream repos:

• https://github.com/microsoft/typespec/tree/main/packages/http-specs/specs
• https://github.com/Azure/typespec-azure/tree/main/packages/azure-http-specs/specs

Each spec contains:

• main.tsp — the TypeSpec definition with @scenario and @scenarioDoc decorators
• client.tsp (optional) — client-level customizations; takes priority over main.tsp during generation
• tspconfig.yaml (optional in the Spector test project) — C#-specific generation options

Read the @scenarioDoc decorators to understand:

• The HTTP method, path, and expected parameters
• The expected request body shape
• The expected response status code and body
• Any special behavior (e.g., "should return 204", "should send header X")

Step 3 — Generate the C# client for the target spec

Use Generate.ps1 with a filter to generate only the specific spec:

cd {PKG}
# Generate unstubbed (for local testing/development)
pwsh eng/scripts/Generate.ps1 -filter "<spec-path>" -Stubbed $false

# Generate stubbed (default, matches what is committed to repo)
pwsh eng/scripts/Generate.ps1 -filter "<spec-path>"

Examples:

# Standard spec (unstubbed for testing)
pwsh eng/scripts/Generate.ps1 -filter "http/encode/duration" -Stubbed $false

# Azure spec
pwsh eng/scripts/Generate.ps1 -filter "http/azure/core/lro" -Stubbed $false

# Versioning spec (generates v1 + v2 automatically)
pwsh eng/scripts/Generate.ps1 -filter "http/versioning/added" -Stubbed $false

The generated code lands in {PKG}/generator/TestProjects/Spector/<spec-path>/src/Generated/.

Verify generation succeeded

# Check that client code was generated
Get-ChildItem "{PKG}/generator/TestProjects/Spector/<spec-path>/src/Generated/" -Filter "*Client.cs"

Note: All committed Spector libraries are stubbed. The [SpectorTest] attribute automatically skips tests for stubbed clients. Use Test-Spector.ps1 (Step 7) to regenerate unstubbed, run tests, and restore automatically.

Step 4 — Read the generated client API surface

Browse the generated code to understand:

1. Client class(es): *Client.cs — the entry point(s)
2. Sub-clients: accessed via Get*Client() methods
3. Operations: async methods like GetAsync(), PutAsync(body), SendAsync()
4. Models: under Models/ — request/response shapes
5. Constructor signature: new XClient(Uri endpoint, XClientOptions options) or new XClient(Uri endpoint, KeyCredential credential, XClientOptions options)

Pay attention to:

• Method names (they map to TypeSpec operation names)
• Parameter types (models, primitives, BinaryData, RequestContent)
• Return types (ClientResult, ClientResult<T>, AsyncPageable<T>)
• Azure-specific patterns: RequestContent usage, Azure.Core types, internal vs public visibility

Step 5 — Create or extend the test file

Directory and namespace conventions

The test directory structure mirrors the spec path with these transformations:

• http/ → Http/
• kebab-case → PascalCase (e.g., content-negotiation → ContentNegotiation)
• type/ → _Type/ (leading underscore because Type is a C# keyword)
• array → _Array (same reason)
• enum → _Enum (same reason)
• azure/ → Azure/ (Azure specs get their own top-level test directory)

Namespace pattern: TestProjects.Spector.Tests.Http.<PascalCasePath>

Example mappings:

Test file template

// Copyright (c) Microsoft Corporation. All rights reserved.
// Licensed under the MIT License.

using System.Threading.Tasks;
using <GeneratedNamespace>;
using NUnit.Framework;

namespace TestProjects.Spector.Tests.Http.<Category>.<SubCategory>
{
    public class <Name>Tests : SpectorTestBase
    {
        [SpectorTest]
        public Task <ScenarioName>() => Test(async (host) =>
        {
            var response = await new <Client>(host, null).<Method>Async(<args>);
            Assert.AreEqual(<expectedStatusCode>, response.GetRawResponse().Status);
        });
    }
}

Common test patterns

Simple void operation (204 response):

[SpectorTest]
public Task SimpleOp() => Test(async (host) =>
{
    var response = await new MyClient(host, null).DoThingAsync();
    Assert.AreEqual(204, response.GetRawResponse().Status);
});

GET with typed response:

[SpectorTest]
public Task GetValue() => Test(async (host) =>
{
    var response = await new MyClient(host, null).GetValueAsync();
    Assert.AreEqual("expected", response.Value);
});

Azure RequestContent pattern (common in Azure specs):

[SpectorTest]
public Task SendAction() => Test(async (host) =>
{
    var value = new { stringProperty = "text", intProperty = 42 };
    var response = await new MyClient(host, null)
        .ActionAsync("query", "header", RequestContent.Create(value));
    Assert.AreEqual(200, response.Status);
});

Round-trip (GET then PUT):

[SpectorTest]
public Task RoundTrip() => Test(async (host) =>
{
    var client = new MyClient(host, null);
    var getResult = await client.GetAsync();
    var response = await client.PutAsync(getResult.Value);
    Assert.AreEqual(204, response.GetRawResponse().Status);
});

Azure access/visibility test (using reflection for internal members):

[SpectorTest]
public Task InternalOp() => Test(async (host) =>
{
    var client = new MyClient(host, null);
    var internalClient = GetProperty(client, "InternalOpClient");
    var response = await InvokeMethodAsync(internalClient!, "InternalAsync");
    Assert.AreEqual(204, ((ClientResult)response!).GetRawResponse().Status);
});

Pagination:

[SpectorTest]
public Task ListItems() => Test(async (host) =>
{
    var items = new MyClient(host, null).GetItemsAsync();
    int count = 0;
    await foreach (var item in items)
    {
        count++;
    }
    Assert.Greater(count, 0);
});

Error assertion:

[SpectorTest]
public Task InvalidKey() => Test((host) =>
{
    var exception = Assert.ThrowsAsync<ClientResultException>(
        () => new MyClient(host, new ApiKeyCredential("invalid"), null).CallAsync());
    Assert.AreEqual(403, exception!.Status);
    return Task.CompletedTask;
});

Additional imports commonly needed

using System;
using System.ClientModel;           // ClientResult, ClientResultException, ApiKeyCredential
using System.IO;                     // For file/stream scenarios
using System.Text.Json.Nodes;       // For parsing raw JSON responses
using Azure.Core;                    // RequestContent (Azure specs)
using NUnit.Framework;               // Test framework

Step 6 — Update the .csproj if needed

If a new Spector test project directory was created (new spec), a project reference may be needed in TestProjects.Spector.Tests.csproj:

<ProjectReference Include="..\Spector\http\<spec-path>\src\<ProjectName>.csproj" />

Check existing references to match the pattern. The project name typically matches the package-name from tspconfig.yaml or is derived from the namespace.

Only add a project reference if one doesn't already exist for the spec.

Step 7 — Build and run the tests

Recommended: Use Test-Spector.ps1

The Test-Spector.ps1 script is the recommended way to test Spector specs. It automatically:

1. Regenerates the spec as unstubbed (so tests are not auto-skipped)
2. Runs the tests for that spec using namespace-based filtering
3. Restores the directory to its original stubbed state

cd {PKG}
# Test a specific spec
pwsh eng/scripts/Test-Spector.ps1 -filter "<spec-path>"

Examples:

# Standard spec
pwsh eng/scripts/Test-Spector.ps1 -filter "http/encode/duration"

# Azure spec
pwsh eng/scripts/Test-Spector.ps1 -filter "http/azure/core/basic"

Run full Spector test suite

pwsh eng/scripts/Get-Spector-Coverage.ps1

This regenerates ALL specs, runs the full test suite, and produces a coverage file at {PKG}/generator/artifacts/coverage/tsp-spector-coverage-azure.json.

Manual approach (if needed)

If you need more control, you can manually generate unstubbed, build, and run tests:

cd {PKG}

# Generate unstubbed
pwsh eng/scripts/Generate.ps1 -filter "<spec-path>" -Stubbed $false

# Build
dotnet build generator

# Run only your new tests
dotnet test generator/TestProjects/Spector.Tests/TestProjects.Spector.Tests.csproj `
    --filter "FullyQualifiedName~TestProjects.Spector.Tests.Http.<YourNamespace>"

# Restore the directory to stubbed state when done
git clean -xfd generator/TestProjects/Spector/<spec-path>
git restore generator/TestProjects/Spector/<spec-path>

Step 8 — Handle special cases

Versioning specs

Versioning specs generate two clients (v1 and v2). Tests go in separate subdirectories:

Http/Versioning/<Name>/V1/<Name>V1Tests.cs
Http/Versioning/<Name>/V2/<Name>V2Tests.cs

Generation is handled automatically by Generate.ps1 when the path contains versioning.

Srv-driven (resiliency) specs

Similar to versioning — generates v1 and v2 clients from old.tsp and main.tsp.

Specs with tspconfig.yaml

Some specs have a tspconfig.yaml in the Spector test project that overrides the package-name. Check {PKG}/generator/TestProjects/Spector/<spec-path>/tspconfig.yaml before importing the generated namespace.

Azure resource-manager specs

All azure/resource-manager/* specs are excluded from the data-plane generator and delegated to the management generator at eng/packages/http-client-csharp-mgmt. These are not expected to have tests in {PKG}.

Coverage data flow

Understanding how test results reach the dashboards:

1. Test execution: dotnet test runs against the Spector mock server (via @typespec/spector CLI)
2. Coverage file: The Spector server writes tsp-spector-coverage-azure.json to {PKG}/generator/artifacts/coverage/
3. CI upload: The Azure DevOps pipeline (archetype-typespec-emitter.yml) uploads coverage via:

   npx tsp-spector upload-coverage \
     --coverageFile tsp-spector-coverage-azure.json \
     --generatorName @azure-typespec/<SpectorName> \
     --storageAccountName typespec \
     --containerName coverages \
     --generatorMode azure

4. Dashboard rendering: Both dashboards read from Azure Storage to display per-scenario coverage

Notes

• Do not modify Spector-Helper.psm1 to remove items from the failing list unless you're sure the generator now supports them.
• All committed Spector libraries are stubbed — Generate.ps1 defaults to $Stubbed = $true. Use Test-Spector.ps1 to temporarily regenerate unstubbed and run tests.
• Tests auto-skip when the generated client is stubbed — it's safe to write tests for stubbed specs. They'll activate when Test-Spector.ps1 regenerates them unstubbed.
• Only commit: test files (.cs), .csproj changes, and tspconfig.yaml if needed.
• Follow existing test naming conventions: <Feature>Tests.cs in the matching directory.
• Use [SpectorTest] attribute (not [Test]) for all Spector tests — it enables auto-skip for stubbed implementations.
• All test classes must inherit from SpectorTestBase.
• Do not add change logs — the http-client-csharp instructions say they are not needed.
• Do not comment out or delete existing tests.
• The [SpectorTest] attribute uses Roslyn to detect stubbed implementations by checking constructor syntax.
• The SpectorTestBase class provides reflection helpers (InvokeMethodAsync, GetProperty, InvokeMethod) for testing internal/private members — this is especially useful for Azure specs that test access modifiers.