test-driven-development
Drives development with tests using the red-green-refactor loop
by addyosmaniFree
Description
test-driven-development is an agent skill from Addy Osmani's agent-skills collection that drives development with tests using the red-green-refactor loop. The rule is to write a failing test before writing the code that makes it pass. For a bug fix, the bug is reproduced with a test before any fix is attempted. The skill's view is that tests are proof, and that seems right is not the same as done. It argues that a codebase with good tests is a strength for an AI agent, and one without tests is a liability. The skill applies when implementing any new logic or behavior, fixing any bug, which it calls the Prove-It pattern, modifying existing functionality, adding edge case handling, and making any change that could break existing behavior. It does not apply to pure configuration, documentation or static content changes with no behavioral impact. It begins by discovering the project's testing stack. For browser-based changes, it points to combining test-driven work with runtime checks through Chrome DevTools MCP. The skill is listed on skills.sh, with its security audit results shown there. It suits developers and agents who want changes proven by tests before they are trusted.…
Highlights
- Red-green-refactor loop
- Prove-It pattern for bug fixes
- Discovers the project's test stack first
- Links to browser verification for UI changes
Ratings & Reviews
No ratings yet
Be the first to rate test-driven-development.
People also visit
test-driven-development FAQ
What does the test-driven-development skill do?
It has an agent write a failing test before the code that makes it pass, and reproduce bugs with a test before fixing them.
How do I install it?
Run: npx skills add https://github.com/addyosmani/agent-skills --skill test-driven-development
What is the Prove-It pattern?
For a bug fix, the bug is reproduced with a test first, and the fix is made only after the test shows the failure.
When should I not use it?
For pure configuration, documentation or static content changes with no behavioral impact.
What security checks has it passed?
skills.sh lists three audits: Gen Agent Trust Hub Pass, Socket Pass and Snyk Pass.
What are the best test-driven-development alternatives?
Popular alternatives to test-driven-development include tdd, django-tdd and golang-testing. See all test-driven-development alternatives