gstack/ship/sections/tests.md

Step 4: Test Framework Bootstrap

Test Framework Bootstrap

Read the project's CLAUDE.md (and TESTING.md if present) FIRST. If it documents a test command, the project already told you: no detection, no bootstrap. Skip the rest of bootstrap and use that command in Step 5.

Otherwise gather markers. Every marker below is EVIDENCE for the question you ask — never a command to run blind. A marker tells you which ecosystem you're in and which command to OFFER. It does not tell you the command works. Do not execute a candidate test command to "check" it: a probe on a project that never had that runner fails loudly and teaches you nothing, and installing a second framework over a working one is worse.

setopt +o nomatch 2>/dev/null || true  # zsh compat
# Definitive ecosystem markers (presence = ecosystem, NOT a command to run)
[ -f manage.py ] && echo "RUNTIME:python FRAMEWORK:django MARKER:manage.py"
{ [ -f pyproject.toml ] || [ -f pytest.ini ] || [ -f tox.ini ] || [ -f setup.cfg ] || [ -f requirements.txt ]; } && echo "RUNTIME:python"
[ -f Gemfile ] || [ -f Rakefile ] || [ -f .rspec ] && echo "RUNTIME:ruby"
[ -f package.json ] && echo "RUNTIME:node"
[ -f go.mod ] && echo "RUNTIME:go"
[ -f Cargo.toml ] && echo "RUNTIME:rust"
[ -f composer.json ] && echo "RUNTIME:php"
[ -f mix.exs ] && echo "RUNTIME:elixir"
[ -f pom.xml ] && echo "RUNTIME:jvm BUILD:maven"
{ [ -f build.gradle ] || [ -f build.gradle.kts ]; } && echo "RUNTIME:jvm BUILD:gradle"
# Detect sub-frameworks
[ -f Gemfile ] && grep -q "rails" Gemfile 2>/dev/null && echo "FRAMEWORK:rails"
[ -f package.json ] && grep -q '"next"' package.json 2>/dev/null && echo "FRAMEWORK:nextjs"
# Existing test path — config files, declared scripts, AND test FILES.
# A project with real tests and no config file is the common miss.
ls jest.config.* vitest.config.* playwright.config.* .rspec pytest.ini tox.ini phpunit.xml* 2>/dev/null
[ -f package.json ] && grep -q '"test"[[:space:]]*:' package.json && echo "SCRIPT:package.json test"
[ -f Makefile ] && grep -qE '^(test|check):' Makefile && echo "TARGET:make test"
[ -f pyproject.toml ] && grep -q "pytest" pyproject.toml && echo "CONFIG:pyproject pytest"
git ls-files | grep -cE '(^|/)(tests?|spec|__tests__)/|(^|/)tests?\.py$|(^|/)test_[^/]+\.py$|_test\.(go|py|rb|ts|js|exs)$|\.(test|spec)\.[jt]sx?$|_spec\.rb$|Test\.(java|kt)$' | sed 's/^/TESTFILES:/'
# Rust keeps unit tests inside src/, so file names alone miss them
[ -f Cargo.toml ] && git grep -lF '#[test]' -- 'src' >/dev/null 2>&1 && echo "TESTS:rust in-source"
# Check opt-out marker
[ -f .gstack/no-test-bootstrap ] && echo "BOOTSTRAP_DECLINED"

Map the markers to the command you will OFFER — never to one you run on a guess:

Marker	Ecosystem	Candidate command to offer
manage.py	Django	python manage.py test (or pytest when pytest-django is in the deps)
pytest.ini / tox.ini / pytest in pyproject.toml / test_*.py	Python	pytest
go.mod (+ any *_test.go)	Go	go test ./...
Cargo.toml	Rust	cargo test
pom.xml	JVM (Maven)	mvn test
build.gradle / build.gradle.kts	JVM (Gradle)	./gradlew test
Gemfile / Rakefile / .rspec	Ruby	bundle exec rspec, bin/rails test, or rake test
mix.exs	Elixir	mix test
composer.json	PHP	composer test or ./vendor/bin/phpunit
package.json with a test script	Node	that script, run with the package manager the lockfile names
Makefile with a test: target	any	make test

If ANY existing-test evidence appears (a config file, a declared test script or make target, a nonzero TESTFILES: count, or TESTS:rust in-source): the project has tests. Do NOT bootstrap. Print "Existing tests detected: {the evidence}." Then get the command the same way Step 5 does — CLAUDE.md/TESTING.md if documented, otherwise AskUserQuestion offering the candidates from the table above plus "Other", and persist the answer to CLAUDE.md's ## Testing section so it is never asked again. When the ecosystem ships a runner (Django, Go, Rust, Elixir, Maven/Gradle), that runner is the candidate — never install a second framework beside a working one. Read 2-3 existing test files to learn conventions (naming, imports, assertion style, setup patterns). Store conventions as prose context for use in Phase 8e.5 or Step 7. Skip the rest of bootstrap.

Absent config files and absent tests/ directories are NOT evidence of "no tests": Django keeps tests in <app>/tests.py, Go in *_test.go beside the source, Rust in #[test] blocks inside src/. A green python manage.py test with no pytest.ini is a tested project, not a bootstrap candidate.

If BOOTSTRAP_DECLINED appears: Print "Test bootstrap previously declined — skipping." Skip the rest of bootstrap.

If NO ecosystem marker matched: Use AskUserQuestion: "I couldn't detect your project's language. What runtime are you using?" Options: A) Node.js/TypeScript B) Ruby/Rails C) Python D) Go E) Rust F) PHP G) Elixir H) This project doesn't need tests. If the runtime you need isn't listed, offer "Other" and take the runtime plus the test command as free text. If user picks H → write .gstack/no-test-bootstrap and continue without tests.

If an ecosystem matched but there is no existing-test evidence at all — bootstrap:

B2. Research best practices

Use WebSearch to find current best practices for the detected runtime:

• "[runtime] best test framework 2025 2026"
• "[framework A] vs [framework B] comparison"

If WebSearch is unavailable, use this built-in knowledge table:

Runtime	Primary recommendation	Alternative
Ruby/Rails	minitest + fixtures + capybara	rspec + factory_bot + shoulda-matchers
Node.js	vitest + @testing-library	jest + @testing-library
Next.js	vitest + @testing-library/react + playwright	jest + cypress
Python	pytest + pytest-cov	unittest
Django	pytest + pytest-django	Django's built-in manage.py test (unittest)
Go	stdlib testing + testify	stdlib only
JVM (Maven/Gradle)	JUnit 5 + AssertJ	JUnit 5 only
Rust	cargo test (built-in) + mockall	—
PHP	phpunit + mockery	pest
Elixir	ExUnit (built-in) + ex_machina	—

B3. Framework selection

Use AskUserQuestion: "I detected this is a [Runtime/Framework] project with no test framework. I researched current best practices. Here are the options: A) [Primary] — [rationale]. Includes: [packages]. Supports: unit, integration, smoke, e2e B) [Alternative] — [rationale]. Includes: [packages] C) Skip — don't set up testing right now RECOMMENDATION: Choose A because [reason based on project context]"

If user picks C → write .gstack/no-test-bootstrap. Tell user: "If you change your mind later, delete .gstack/no-test-bootstrap and re-run." Continue without tests.

If multiple runtimes detected (monorepo) → ask which runtime to set up first, with option to do both sequentially.

B4. Install and configure

1. Install the chosen packages (npm/bun/gem/pip/etc.)
2. Create minimal config file
3. Create directory structure (test/, spec/, etc.)
4. Create one example test matching the project's code to verify setup works

If package installation fails → debug once. If still failing → revert with git checkout -- package.json package-lock.json (or equivalent for the runtime). Warn user and continue without tests.

B4.5. First real tests

Generate 3-5 real tests for existing code:

1. Find recently changed files: git log --since=30.days --name-only --format="" | sort | uniq -c | sort -rn | head -10
2. Prioritize by risk: Error handlers > business logic with conditionals > API endpoints > pure functions
3. For each file: Write one test that tests real behavior with meaningful assertions. Never expect(x).toBeDefined() — test what the code DOES.
4. Run each test. Passes → keep. Fails → fix once. Still fails → delete silently.
5. Generate at least 1 test, cap at 5.

Never import secrets, API keys, or credentials in test files. Use environment variables or test fixtures.

B5. Verify

# Run the full test suite to confirm everything works
{detected test command}

If tests fail → debug once. If still failing → revert all bootstrap changes and warn user.

B5.5. CI/CD pipeline

# Check CI provider
ls -d .github/ 2>/dev/null && echo "CI:github"
ls .gitlab-ci.yml .circleci/ bitrise.yml 2>/dev/null

If .github/ exists (or no CI detected — default to GitHub Actions): Create .github/workflows/test.yml with:

• runs-on: ubuntu-latest
• Appropriate setup action for the runtime (setup-node, setup-ruby, setup-python, etc.)
• The same test command verified in B5
• Trigger: push + pull_request

If non-GitHub CI detected → skip CI generation with note: "Detected {provider} — CI pipeline generation supports GitHub Actions only. Add test step to your existing pipeline manually."

B6. Create TESTING.md

First check: If TESTING.md already exists → read it and update/append rather than overwriting. Never destroy existing content.

Write TESTING.md with:

• Philosophy: "100% test coverage is the key to great vibe coding. Tests let you move fast, trust your instincts, and ship with confidence — without them, vibe coding is just yolo coding. With tests, it's a superpower."
• Framework name and version
• How to run tests (the verified command from B5)
• Test layers: Unit tests (what, where, when), Integration tests, Smoke tests, E2E tests
• Conventions: file naming, assertion style, setup/teardown patterns

B7. Update CLAUDE.md

First check: If CLAUDE.md already has a ## Testing section → skip. Don't duplicate.

Append a ## Testing section:

• Run command and test directory
• Reference to TESTING.md
• Test expectations:
  • 100% test coverage is the goal — tests make vibe coding safe
  • When writing new functions, write a corresponding test
  • When fixing a bug, write a regression test
  • When adding error handling, write a test that triggers the error
  • When adding a conditional (if/else, switch), write tests for BOTH paths
  • Never commit code that makes existing tests fail

B8. Commit

git status --porcelain

Only commit if there are changes. Stage all bootstrap files (config, test directory, TESTING.md, CLAUDE.md, .github/workflows/test.yml if created): git commit -m "chore: bootstrap test framework ({framework name})"

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Step 5: Run tests (on merged code)

Do NOT run RAILS_ENV=test bin/rails db:migrate — bin/test-lane already calls db:test:prepare internally, which loads the schema into the correct lane database. Running bare test migrations without INSTANCE hits an orphan DB and corrupts structure.sql.

Run both test suites in parallel, each wrapped in the evidence ledger. The wrapper is transparent (streams output live, exit code passes through) and records {command, exit, working-tree fingerprint, log path} to ~/.gstack/projects/<slug>/<branch>-evidence.jsonl — Step 16 cites this record instead of re-running when the content hasn't changed:

~/.claude/skills/gstack/bin/gstack-evidence run --label tests -- 'bin/test-lane 2>&1' &
~/.claude/skills/gstack/bin/gstack-evidence run --label vitest -- 'npm run test 2>&1' &
wait

After both complete, check the gstack-evidence: recorded label=... exit=... log=... summary lines — each carries the lane's exit code and a per-run log file (no shared /tmp collisions between concurrent ships). Read the log files for failure detail.

If any test fails: Do NOT immediately stop. Apply the Test Failure Ownership Triage:

Test Failure Ownership Triage

When tests fail, do NOT immediately stop. First, determine ownership:

Step T1: Classify each failure

For each failing test:

1. Get the files changed on this branch:

   git diff origin/<base>...HEAD --name-only
   

2. Classify the failure:

   • In-branch if: the failing test file itself was modified on this branch, OR the test output references code that was changed on this branch, OR you can trace the failure to a change in the branch diff.
   • Likely pre-existing if: neither the test file nor the code it tests was modified on this branch, AND the failure is unrelated to any branch change you can identify.
   • When ambiguous, default to in-branch. It is safer to stop the developer than to let a broken test ship. Only classify as pre-existing when you are confident.

   This classification is heuristic — use your judgment reading the diff and the test output. You do not have a programmatic dependency graph.

Step T2: Handle in-branch failures

STOP. These are your failures. Show them and do not proceed. The developer must fix their own broken tests before shipping.

Step T3: Handle pre-existing failures

Check REPO_MODE from the preamble output.

If REPO_MODE is solo:

Use AskUserQuestion:

These test failures appear pre-existing (not caused by your branch changes):

[list each failure with file:line and brief error description]

Since this is a solo repo, you're the only one who will fix these.

RECOMMENDATION: Choose A — fix now while the context is fresh. Completeness: 9/10. A) Investigate and fix now (human: ~2-4h / CC: ~15min) — Completeness: 10/10 B) Add as P0 TODO — fix after this branch lands — Completeness: 7/10 C) Skip — I know about this, ship anyway — Completeness: 3/10

If REPO_MODE is collaborative or unknown:

Use AskUserQuestion:

These test failures appear pre-existing (not caused by your branch changes):

[list each failure with file:line and brief error description]

This is a collaborative repo — these may be someone else's responsibility.

RECOMMENDATION: Choose B — assign it to whoever broke it so the right person fixes it. Completeness: 9/10. A) Investigate and fix now anyway — Completeness: 10/10 B) Blame + assign GitHub issue to the author — Completeness: 9/10 C) Add as P0 TODO — Completeness: 7/10 D) Skip — ship anyway — Completeness: 3/10

Step T4: Execute the chosen action

If "Investigate and fix now":

• Switch to /investigate mindset: root cause first, then minimal fix.
• Fix the pre-existing failure.
• Commit the fix separately from the branch's changes: git commit -m "fix: pre-existing test failure in <test-file>"
• Continue with the workflow.

If "Add as P0 TODO":

• If TODOS.md exists, add the entry following the format in review/TODOS-format.md (or .claude/skills/review/TODOS-format.md).
• If TODOS.md does not exist, create it with the standard header and add the entry.
• Entry should include: title, the error output, which branch it was noticed on, and priority P0.
• Continue with the workflow — treat the pre-existing failure as non-blocking.

If "Blame + assign GitHub issue" (collaborative only):

• Find who likely broke it. Check BOTH the test file AND the production code it tests:

  # Who last touched the failing test?
  git log --format="%an (%ae)" -1 -- <failing-test-file>
  # Who last touched the production code the test covers? (often the actual breaker)
  git log --format="%an (%ae)" -1 -- <source-file-under-test>
  

  If these are different people, prefer the production code author — they likely introduced the regression.
• Create an issue assigned to that person (use the platform detected in Step 0):
  • If GitHub:

    gh issue create \
      --title "Pre-existing test failure: <test-name>" \
      --body "Found failing on branch <current-branch>. Failure is pre-existing.\n\n**Error:**\n```\n<first 10 lines>\n```\n\n**Last modified by:** <author>\n**Noticed by:** gstack /ship on <date>" \
      --assignee "<github-username>"
    

  • If GitLab:

    glab issue create \
      -t "Pre-existing test failure: <test-name>" \
      -d "Found failing on branch <current-branch>. Failure is pre-existing.\n\n**Error:**\n```\n<first 10 lines>\n```\n\n**Last modified by:** <author>\n**Noticed by:** gstack /ship on <date>" \
      -a "<gitlab-username>"
    

• If neither CLI is available or --assignee/-a fails (user not in org, etc.), create the issue without assignee and note who should look at it in the body.
• Continue with the workflow.

If "Skip":

• Continue with the workflow.
• Note in output: "Pre-existing test failure skipped: "

After triage: If any in-branch failures remain unfixed, STOP. Do not proceed. If all failures were pre-existing and handled (fixed, TODOed, assigned, or skipped), continue to Step 6.

If all pass: Continue silently — just note the counts briefly.

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Step 6: Eval Suites (conditional)

Evals are mandatory when prompt-related files change. Skip this step entirely if no prompt files are in the diff.

1. Check if the diff touches prompt-related files:

git diff origin/<base> --name-only

Match against these patterns (from CLAUDE.md):

• app/services/*_prompt_builder.rb
• app/services/*_generation_service.rb, *_writer_service.rb, *_designer_service.rb
• app/services/*_evaluator.rb, *_scorer.rb, *_classifier_service.rb, *_analyzer.rb
• app/services/concerns/*voice*.rb, *writing*.rb, *prompt*.rb, *token*.rb
• app/services/chat_tools/*.rb, app/services/x_thread_tools/*.rb
• config/system_prompts/*.txt
• test/evals/**/* (eval infrastructure changes affect all suites)

If no matches: Print "No prompt-related files changed — skipping evals." and continue to Step 9.

2. Identify affected eval suites:

Each eval runner (test/evals/*_eval_runner.rb) declares PROMPT_SOURCE_FILES listing which source files affect it. Grep these to find which suites match the changed files:

grep -l "changed_file_basename" test/evals/*_eval_runner.rb

Map runner → test file: post_generation_eval_runner.rb → post_generation_eval_test.rb.

Special cases:

• Changes to test/evals/judges/*.rb, test/evals/support/*.rb, or test/evals/fixtures/ affect ALL suites that use those judges/support files. Check imports in the eval test files to determine which.
• Changes to config/system_prompts/*.txt — grep eval runners for the prompt filename to find affected suites.
• If unsure which suites are affected, run ALL suites that could plausibly be impacted. Over-testing is better than missing a regression.

3. Run affected suites at EVAL_JUDGE_TIER=full:

/ship is a pre-merge gate, so always use full tier (Sonnet structural + Opus persona judges).

EVAL_JUDGE_TIER=full EVAL_VERBOSE=1 bin/test-lane --eval test/evals/<suite>_eval_test.rb 2>&1 | tee /tmp/ship_evals.txt

If multiple suites need to run, run them sequentially (each needs a test lane). If the first suite fails, stop immediately — don't burn API cost on remaining suites.

Long eval suites (30+ min): launch detached so a turn boundary can't kill them. A plain backgrounded eval lives in the harness's process group and dies to a SIGTERM ("polite quit") on a turn boundary, a stopped monitor, or an interruption (observed mid-/ship: script terminated by signal SIGTERM). Run it through ~/.claude/skills/gstack/bin/gstack-detach instead — it survives in its own session, serializes against other worktrees via a machine lock (no API saturation), and writes a guaranteed ### gstack-detach EXIT=<code> ### sentinel:

~/.claude/skills/gstack/bin/gstack-detach --label ship-evals --lock gstack-evals --timeout 5400 -- <project eval command>

Then poll the printed log path; break on the EXIT= sentinel (covers both pass and crash — silence is never success). The detached run survives even if your poller is reaped.

4. Check results:

• If any eval fails: Show the failures, the cost dashboard, and STOP. Do not proceed.
• If all pass: Note pass counts and cost. Continue to Step 9.

5. Save eval output — include eval results and cost dashboard in the PR body (Step 19).

Tier reference (for context — /ship always uses full):

Tier	When	Speed (cached)	Cost
fast (Haiku)	Dev iteration, smoke tests	~5s (14x faster)	~$0.07/run
standard (Sonnet)	Default dev, bin/test-lane --eval	~17s (4x faster)	~$0.37/run
full (Opus persona)	/ship and pre-merge	~72s (baseline)	~$1.27/run

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