Use this skill when writing new features, fixing bugs, or refactoring code. Enforces test-driven development with 80%+ coverage including unit, integration, and E2E tests.
61
43%
Does it follow best practices?
Impact
89%
1.07xAverage score across 3 eval scenarios
Passed
No known issues
Optimize this skill with Tessl
npx tessl skill review --optimize ./skills/tdd-workflow/SKILL.mdQuality
Discovery
59%Based on the skill's description, can an agent find and select it at the right time? Clear, specific descriptions lead to better discovery.
The description has good structural completeness with an explicit 'Use when' clause and a clear 'what' statement about TDD enforcement. However, its major weakness is that the trigger conditions are so broad (writing features, fixing bugs, refactoring) that it would conflict with nearly any coding-related skill. The description also uses second person voice ('Use this skill') which is borderline but acceptable as trigger guidance rather than addressing the user directly.
Suggestions
Narrow the trigger conditions to be more specific — instead of 'writing new features, fixing bugs, or refactoring code' (which covers all development), specify when TDD enforcement is specifically needed, e.g., 'Use when the user requests test-driven development, asks for high test coverage, or wants tests written alongside code changes.'
Add more distinctive trigger terms related to the skill's unique value: 'TDD', 'test coverage', 'write tests first', 'test-driven', 'coverage requirements', '80% coverage'.
Rewrite in third person voice: 'Enforces test-driven development with 80%+ coverage...' rather than 'Use this skill when...' as the opening.
| Dimension | Reasoning | Score |
|---|---|---|
Specificity | Names the domain (coding) and some actions ('writing new features, fixing bugs, refactoring code') plus mentions TDD and test types, but the actions are fairly generic software development activities rather than concrete, specific capabilities unique to this skill. | 2 / 3 |
Completeness | Explicitly answers both 'what' (enforces test-driven development with 80%+ coverage including unit, integration, and E2E tests) and 'when' ('Use this skill when writing new features, fixing bugs, or refactoring code') with a clear 'Use when' clause. | 3 / 3 |
Trigger Term Quality | Includes some natural keywords like 'features', 'bugs', 'refactoring', 'test-driven development', 'unit', 'integration', 'E2E tests', but these are extremely broad terms that apply to almost any coding task. Missing more specific trigger terms that would help distinguish when this skill should be selected. | 2 / 3 |
Distinctiveness Conflict Risk | The triggers 'writing new features, fixing bugs, or refactoring code' are extremely generic and would match virtually any coding-related request, creating high conflict risk with other coding skills. Almost any development task involves one of these activities. | 1 / 3 |
Total | 8 / 12 Passed |
Implementation
27%Reviews the quality of instructions and guidance provided to agents. Good implementation is clear, handles edge cases, and produces reliable results.
This skill is comprehensive in coverage but severely bloated, explaining many concepts Claude already knows (TDD basics, test isolation, AAA pattern) while inlining content that should be in separate reference files. The code examples are a strength but several are incomplete stubs. The workflow is reasonably clear but lacks error recovery feedback loops.
Suggestions
Cut the content by at least 50%: remove 'Core Principles' explanations of test types, 'Best Practices' list, 'Common Testing Mistakes' section, and 'Success Metrics' — these are generic testing knowledge Claude already has.
Split mocking patterns, E2E test patterns, and CI/CD configuration into separate referenced files (e.g., MOCKING.md, E2E_PATTERNS.md) to improve progressive disclosure.
Complete the stub code examples — Step 4's implementation and the database error test case should have actual executable code, not placeholder comments.
Add explicit feedback loops to the workflow: 'If coverage < 80%, run coverage report to identify gaps → add tests for uncovered paths → re-run coverage check.'
| Dimension | Reasoning | Score |
|---|---|---|
Conciseness | Extremely verbose at ~300+ lines. Explains basic TDD concepts Claude already knows (what unit/integration/E2E tests are, Arrange-Act-Assert, test isolation). The 'Best Practices' and 'Common Testing Mistakes' sections are generic testing knowledge. The 'When to Activate' section restates the obvious. Much of this could be cut by 60%+ without losing actionable value. | 1 / 3 |
Actionability | Provides concrete, executable code examples for unit tests, integration tests, E2E tests, and mocking patterns, which is good. However, many examples are incomplete (e.g., Step 4's implementation is just a stub with '// Implementation here', the database error test has '// Test error handling' placeholder). The workflow steps mix concrete commands with vague instructions like 'Write minimal code to make tests pass.' | 2 / 3 |
Workflow Clarity | The 7-step TDD workflow is clearly sequenced and includes a validation checkpoint (Step 7: verify coverage). However, there's no feedback loop for when coverage falls below 80% — no explicit 'if coverage < 80%, identify gaps and add tests' step. The workflow also lacks validation between steps (e.g., what to do when tests fail unexpectedly in Step 5). | 2 / 3 |
Progressive Disclosure | This is a monolithic wall of text with no references to external files. All content — mocking patterns, E2E patterns, CI/CD config, best practices, file organization — is inlined in a single massive document. The mocking examples, testing patterns, and CI/CD integration could easily be split into separate reference files with links from the main skill. | 1 / 3 |
Total | 6 / 12 Passed |
Validation
90%Checks the skill against the spec for correct structure and formatting. All validation checks must pass before discovery and implementation can be scored.
Validation — 10 / 11 Passed
Validation for skill structure
| Criteria | Description | Result |
|---|---|---|
frontmatter_unknown_keys | Unknown frontmatter key(s) found; consider removing or moving to metadata | Warning |
Total | 10 / 11 Passed | |
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Table of Contents
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