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054-design-tdd

Use when Java implementation work should be guided by Test-Driven Development, including maintaining a test list, choosing the next behavior, writing a failing test first, implementing only enough production code to pass, and refactoring while keeping tests green. This should trigger for requests such as Apply TDD; Use test-driven development; Drive this Java change with tests; Write the failing test first; Red-green-refactor this feature. Part of Plinth Toolkit

63

Quality

Does it follow best practices?

Impact

No eval scenarios have been run

SecuritybySnyk

Passed

No known issues

SKILL.md
Quality
Evals
Security

Quality

Content

62%

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

A well-structured TDD methodology skill with a clear, validated six-step workflow. It is held back by conceptual prose Claude already knows, the absence of worked examples, and a reference file that largely duplicates the body rather than adding depth.

Suggestions

Trim TDD philosophy Claude already knows (e.g. the 'design tool as well as a verification signal' passage) so every remaining token earns its place.

Add one or two worked examples — a short sample test list and a sample failing test with its minimal passing implementation — to make the guidance concrete and copy-paste ready.

Differentiate the reference file from the body so it adds a distinct layer of depth (e.g. move extended examples, edge-case patterns, or anti-patterns into references/054-design-tdd.md) instead of restating the same six-step workflow.

DimensionReasoningScore

Conciseness

The body is mostly disciplined and structured with MUST/MUST NOT constraints, but includes TDD philosophy Claude already knows (e.g. "The failing test is a design tool as well as a verification signal. It lets the usage appear before the implementation hardens around an accidental shape.") that could be trimmed, so it is mostly efficient but not fully lean.

2 / 3

Actionability

The six steps with explicit MUST/MUST NOT constraints and a defined report format are concrete and specific, but the skill provides no worked examples (e.g. a sample test list or a sample failing test), stopping short of the copy-paste-ready, example-anchored guidance of a 3.

2 / 3

Workflow Clarity

A clearly sequenced six-step cycle with explicit validation checkpoints (confirm the test fails for the expected reason, run focused verification for green, keep tests green while refactoring), a feedback loop ("If a refactor changes behavior, return to the failing signal and restore correctness"), and a closing report checklist.

3 / 3

Progressive Disclosure

The body is well-sectioned and points to a single one-level-deep reference file that exists, but the SKILL.md body itself is long and detailed while the reference file substantially overlaps the same workflow, so the overview-to-detail split is not clean and the reference does not add a distinct layer.

2 / 3

Total

9

/

12

Passed

Description

85%

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 strong, specific description that clearly states both what it does and when to use it, with a distinct Java-TDD niche. Its main weakness is trigger-term naturalness: it lacks the common shorthand phrases (TDD, test-driven development, red-green-refactor) users actually say.

DimensionReasoningScore

Specificity

The description lists multiple concrete actions — "a selected failing test", "the smallest passing production code", and "refactoring while tests stay green" — matching the score-3 anchor of several specific concrete actions rather than vague language.

3 / 3

Completeness

It opens with an explicit "Use when..." clause giving the trigger (Java implementation work) and states what the skill does (drive by a failing test, minimal passing code, refactoring while green), so both what and when are explicitly present rather than missing or merely implied.

3 / 3

Trigger Term Quality

It includes relevant domain keywords ("failing test", "production code", "refactoring") but omits the most common natural variations a user would say ("TDD", "test-driven development", "red-green-refactor", "write the failing test first"), so it has some relevant keywords but missing common variations.

2 / 3

Distinctiveness Conflict Risk

The combination of Java-specific implementation work driven by the red-green-refactor cycle is a clear niche with distinct triggers, unlikely to fire for unrelated skills.

3 / 3

Total

11

/

12

Passed

Validation

100%

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

Validation16 / 16 Passed

Validation for skill structure

No warnings or errors.

Repository
jabrena/plinth
Reviewed

Table of Contents

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