Name: running-unit-tests
Rating: 79.2 (1 reviews)
Author: dotnet

running-unit-tests

Guide for running MSBuild unit tests efficiently. Use when running, scoping, filtering, or speeding up unit tests in this repository, or when finalizing a change with a heavier validation pass. Covers xUnit v3 + Microsoft.Testing.Platform (MTP) specifics and which `dotnet test` flags do and don't apply.

Quality

100%

Does it follow best practices?

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Securityby

Passed

No findings from the security scan

Quality

Content

100%

Reviews the quality of instructions and guidance provided to agents. Good implementation is clear, handles edge cases, and produces reliable results.

A high-signal, repo-specific skill that delivers executable commands, a clear two-tier dev-vs-validation workflow with explicit checkpoints, and well-organized sections that defer deeper reference material to a sibling skill and repo docs. It assumes Claude's competence and concentrates on what is non-obvious about this repository's xUnit v3 / MTP test setup.

Dimension	Reasoning	Score
Conciseness	The body is dense with non-obvious, repo-specific knowledge Claude would not already know (MTP vs VSTest flag pitfalls, single-threaded runner config, unconditional coverage wiring, DOTNET_HOST_PATH) and avoids explaining generic unit-testing concepts. Not level 2 because nearly every token delivers repo-specific signal rather than padding Claude could infer.	3 / 3
Actionability	Provides copy-paste-ready executable commands throughout — `dotnet test ... -f net11.0 -- --filter-method`, direct test-exe invocation, `build.cmd -test -c Release`, and TRX flags — plus concrete TFM-specific paths. Not level 2 because the examples are complete and executable rather than pseudocode or abstract direction.	3 / 3
Workflow Clarity	A clear two-tier workflow (scoped dev loop then final validation pass) is sequenced with numbered steps and explicit checkpoints — 'Restore parallelism settings', 'Always check the `skipped` count', 'Switching TFM without rebuilding silently runs stale binaries', and the ~9-minute 'do not cancel' warning. Not level 2 because validation checkpoints are explicit rather than implicit or missing.	3 / 3
Progressive Disclosure	A single well-organized doc with clear ## sections, a quick-reference table, and a 'See also' that offloads deeper material to real references (the `run-tests` skill for the comprehensive MTP/VSTest flag reference and repo files for conventions). Not level 2 because navigation is clearly signaled and detail is appropriately pushed one level deep rather than inlined.	3 / 3
	Total	12 / 12 Passed

Description

100%

Based on the skill's description, can an agent find and select it at the right time? Clear, specific descriptions lead to better discovery.

A precise, third-person description that states concrete capabilities and provides an explicit 'Use when' trigger covering both iteration and final-validation scenarios. It is well-scoped to this repository's MSBuild/xUnit-v3/MTP setup with low conflict risk.

Dimension	Reasoning	Score
Specificity	Names multiple concrete actions — 'running, scoping, filtering, or speeding up unit tests' and 'finalizing a change with a heavier validation pass' — plus specifics on 'which `dotnet test` flags do and don't apply', matching the 'lists multiple specific concrete actions' anchor. Not level 2 because the actions are comprehensive rather than a partial listing.	3 / 3
Completeness	Explicitly answers both what ('Guide for running MSBuild unit tests efficiently') and when via an explicit 'Use when running, scoping, filtering, or speeding up unit tests ... or when finalizing a change with a heavier validation pass' clause. Not level 2 because the 'when' trigger is explicit rather than merely implied.	3 / 3
Trigger Term Quality	Uses natural terms a user would actually say — 'running unit tests', 'filtering', 'speeding up unit tests', 'finalizing a change', 'dotnet test flags' — with good coverage of common variations. Not level 2 because it covers the natural phrasings users reach for, not just a single technical label.	3 / 3
Distinctiveness Conflict Risk	Scoped to 'MSBuild unit tests' with 'xUnit v3 + Microsoft.Testing.Platform (MTP)' and repo-specific 'dotnet test flags', giving it a clear niche unlikely to trigger for unrelated skills. Not level 2 because the MSBuild/xUnit-v3/MTP framing makes overlap with generic test skills unlikely.	3 / 3
	Total	12 / 12 Passed

Validation

93%

Warnings & errors only

Checks the skill against the spec for correct structure and formatting. All validation checks must pass before discovery and implementation can be scored.

Validation — 15 / 16 Passed

Validation for skill structure

Criteria	Description	Result
frontmatter_unknown_keys	Unknown frontmatter key(s) found; consider removing or moving to metadata	Warning

	Total	15 / 16 Passed

Repository: dotnet/msbuild
Path: .github/skills/running-unit-tests/SKILL.md
Commit: c88db8e

Reviewed: 5 days ago

Table of Contents

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