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testland/desktop-test-strategy-reference

Reference catalog of desktop GUI test strategies across Windows, macOS, and Linux. Defines the three accessibility-tree backends (Microsoft UI Automation on Windows, Apple Accessibility / XCTest on macOS, AT-SPI on Linux), the wrapper-tools that drive each backend, the cross-toolkit Electron + Qt paths, the project-marker detection table plus one-driver-per-app decision table (FlaUI / WinAppDriver / electron-playwright / QtTest / XCUITest / AT-SPI), an accessibility-first locator strategy, and a desktop test-review hazard checklist (screen-object encapsulation, locator stability, explicit waits, STA / foreground-lock / elevation). Deep operational detail (per-OS async-wait hierarchies, parallel-test policy, UAC / TCC / AT-SPI elevation hazards, the high-DPI matrix) lives in references/. Use when choosing how to test or automate a desktop GUI application on Windows, macOS, or Linux, or when reviewing an existing desktop UI test suite - the strategic reference ahead of the per-tool implementation skills.

68

Quality

86%

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Overview
Quality
Evals
Security
Files

Quality

Content

78%Weight 40%Scale 1-5

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

A strong reference-catalog body: concrete decision tables, locator rules, and a review checklist make it highly actionable, and the two-reference bundle is correctly structured with one-level-deep, well-signaled files. The main cost is token efficiency - an unnecessary Electron architecture primer, two overlapping driver tables, and padding block quotes that could be trimmed to citations.

Suggestions

Conciseness: merge the per-OS/per-toolkit decision matrix (| App type | Windows driver | macOS driver | Linux driver |) into the app-type recommendation table - the same driver recommendations (e.g. WinAppDriver for Qt out-of-process on Windows) are stated twice in adjacent sections.

Conciseness: cut the Electron architecture primer ('Electron apps are Chromium + Node.js wrapped in a native window. They expose two parallel surfaces: Renderer process... Main process...') and keep only the testing-relevant consequence - a packaged Electron app's entry point is the binary, not a URL, so browser-only Playwright cannot drive it.

Conciseness: trim block quotes from external docs to one-line citations where the quoted prose is not load-bearing (e.g. the 'UI Automation is designed for experienced C/C++ developers' quote adds nothing to the testing recommendation that follows it).

DimensionReasoningScore

Conciseness

The body is mostly tight, table-driven reference material, but it explains concepts Claude already knows ("Electron apps are Chromium + Node.js wrapped in a native window... They expose two parallel surfaces: Renderer process... Main process..."), duplicates the same driver recommendations in two tables (the per-OS/per-toolkit decision matrix and the app-type recommendation table), and carries block quotes that are not load-bearing ("UI Automation is designed for experienced C/C++ developers. In general, developers need a moderate level of understanding about Component Object Model (COM) objects and interfaces..."). This goes beyond the 'minor instances' of anchor 4 and fits anchor 3: mostly efficient but includes some unnecessary explanation or could be tightened.

3 / 5

Actionability

As an instruction-only strategy skill it is maximally concrete: exact project-file markers ("*.csproj containing <UseWPF>true</UseWPF>", "package.json with 'electron' in dependencies"), per-backend stable-locator rules ("AutomationId (preferred - locale-independent)", "accessibilityIdentifier, role-based queries"), exact replacement primitives ("FlaUI Retry.WhileNull / WhileFalse... XCTest waitForExistence(timeout:), AT-SPI polling helper"), and a hard-reject review criterion ("every element lookup is by Name or index (zero AutomationId / accessibilityIdentifier usage)"). Per the rubric's scoring note, absence of code is not penalized when guidance is this actionable; the decision tables cover every common OS x toolkit case, matching anchor 5.

5 / 5

Workflow Clarity

Both workflows are clearly sequenced: a numbered how-to ("1. Pick OS + toolkit... 2. Choose stable locators... 3. Apply the matching async-wait primitive... 4. Pre-handle the OS elevation hazard (UAC / TCC / AT-SPI) before it blocks the run") and a driver-selection procedure with an explicit guard ("first infer the app type from the project file - never from a bare directory name or README"), plus checkpoints such as "Verify with Accessibility Insights for Windows before writing tests" and the hard-reject signal. It sits at anchor 4 rather than 5 only because no validate-then-fix error-recovery feedback loops are present; it is above anchor 3 because checkpoints are explicit, not missing.

4 / 5

Progressive Disclosure

Verified against the actual bundle: the description promises "Deep operational detail... lives in references/" and the body delivers - both cited files (references/async-waits-and-concurrency.md, references/platform-hazards-and-dpi.md) exist, are one level deep (external URL citations only, no nested bundle references), and are signaled at point of need ("see [references/async-waits-and-concurrency.md]..."), in a dedicated "Operating the tests - deep references" section, and again under References. The strategic overview / operational depth split is appropriate, matching anchor 5.

5 / 5

Total

17

/

20

Passed

Description

88%Weight 40%Scale 1-5

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 high-quality description: it comprehensively and concretely states what the skill contains, gives an explicit 'Use when...' clause with natural trigger phrasing, and positions itself relative to sibling per-tool skills. Its only deductions are jargon-heavy middle sections that most users would not say verbatim and naming of sibling tools that creates minor overlap risk.

DimensionReasoningScore

Specificity

The description comprehensively enumerates the skill's concrete contents: "Defines the three accessibility-tree backends (Microsoft UI Automation on Windows, Apple Accessibility / XCTest on macOS, AT-SPI on Linux)", "the project-marker detection table plus one-driver-per-app decision table (FlaUI / WinAppDriver / electron-playwright / QtTest / XCUITest / AT-SPI)", "an accessibility-first locator strategy, and a desktop test-review hazard checklist (screen-object encapsulation, locator stability, explicit waits, STA / foreground-lock / elevation)". Coverage is comprehensive with named tools, matching anchor 5 rather than 4, where minor gaps would remain.

5 / 5

Completeness

Both slots are answered explicitly: what - "Reference catalog of desktop GUI test strategies across Windows, macOS, and Linux. Defines the three accessibility-tree backends... locator strategy... hazard checklist"; when - "Use when choosing how to test or automate a desktop GUI application on Windows, macOS, or Linux, or when reviewing an existing desktop UI test suite". This is an exact match for anchor 5 (explicit what AND when with concrete trigger phrases), and it uses third-person voice throughout, so no voice penalty applies.

5 / 5

Trigger Term Quality

Good natural trigger phrasing is present: "choosing how to test or automate a desktop GUI application on Windows, macOS, or Linux", "reviewing an existing desktop UI test suite", plus tool names users actually say (Electron, Qt, WinAppDriver, FlaUI). It falls short of anchor 5 because the middle of the description leans on specialist jargon users would not naturally say (AT-SPI, TCC, UAC, "high-DPI matrix", STA) and omits common variations like "UI automation testing" or "E2E"; it is above anchor 3 because the natural trigger phrases that matter are all present.

4 / 5

Distinctiveness Conflict Risk

The niche is clearly carved and explicitly positioned against siblings: "the strategic reference ahead of the per-tool implementation skills", with triggers (choosing a stack, auditing a suite) distinct from implementation help. It is not anchor 5 because the description names the sibling skills' tools (FlaUI / WinAppDriver / electron-playwright / QtTest / XCUITest), so a user asking for per-tool implementation help could plausibly trigger this skill first - anchor 4's "minor overlap risk with closely related skills".

4 / 5

Total

18

/

20

Passed

Validation

93%

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

CriteriaDescriptionResult

referenced_paths_exist

Referenced path issues: 6 missing

Warning

Total

15

/

16

Passed

Reviewed

Table of Contents