/testing-patterns

internal
Category:
Internal Skills

What it is

Red-Green-Refactor TDD cycle, Arrange-Act-Assert unit test structure, integration test isolation patterns, and test doubles (stub, mock, spy, fake). This is the primary source of the TDD methodology used by /gaia-dev-story.

Called by

What it does

Defines the TDD cycle: write a failing test (Red), write minimum code to pass (Green), improve code while keeping tests green (Refactor).

Documents the test pyramid: 70% unit tests, 20% integration tests, 10% E2E tests.

Provides Arrange-Act-Assert structure for unit tests and integration test isolation patterns.

Defines test double types and when to use each: stubs for simple returns, mocks for behavior verification, spies for call tracking, fakes for complex simulations.

When you will see it surface

  • When /gaia-dev-story runs the TDD phases (Red, Green, Refactor), it follows the cycle defined here.

Technical notes

  • Never write production code without a failing test.
  • Write only enough test to fail, only enough code to pass.
  • Refactor only when all tests are green.