openlore: Write Tests

When to use this skill

Trigger this skill when the user wants to write real tests for a function, module, or spec scenario, with phrasings like:

• "write tests for X"
• "add test coverage for Y"
• "what spec scenarios are untested?"
• "implement the test for this scenario"
• explicit command /openlore-write-tests

The rule: read the implementation and spec contract before writing a single assertion. No expect(true).toBe(true), no stubs, no placeholders.

Prerequisite: openlore analysis must exist (openlore analyze has been run). If orient returns "error": "no cache" → run openlore analyze first, then retry.

Step 1 — Identify target + detect framework

Ask the user:

1. Target — a function name, file path, spec scenario, or domain to test. If unsure, skip to Step 1b.
2. $PROJECT_ROOT — project root directory.

Step 1b — Find untested scenarios (if no target given)

Call the openlore MCP tool get_test_coverage with {"directory": "$PROJECT_ROOT"}.

Present the top 5 uncovered scenarios to the user, ranked by spec importance. Ask which to implement first.

Step 1c — Detect test framework

Scan the project root for framework config files:

Store as $TEST_RUNNER. If ambiguous, ask the user.

Step 2 — Orient

Call the openlore MCP tool orient with:

{
  "directory": "$PROJECT_ROOT",
  "task": "write tests for $TARGET",
  "limit": 5
}

Extract:

• $TARGET_FILE — the file containing the function(s) to test
• $EXISTING_TEST_FILE — nearby test file, if any (e.g. foo.test.ts, test_foo.py, foo_test.go)
• $SPEC_DOMAIN — the spec domain associated with the target

Step 3 — Read implementation + spec contract

This step is mandatory. Do not write any test before completing it.

3a — Read the function body

Call the openlore MCP tool get_function_body with:

{
  "directory": "$PROJECT_ROOT",
  "symbol": "$TARGET_FUNCTION",
  "filePath": "$TARGET_FILE"
}

Identify:

• What the function takes as input, what it returns
• What external dependencies it calls (filesystem, network, DB, LLM, subprocess)
• What invariants are visible (guards, throws, early returns)

3b — Find the spec contract (if specs exist)

Call the openlore MCP tool search_specs with:

{
  "directory": "$PROJECT_ROOT",
  "query": "$TARGET — expected behaviour",
  "limit": 5
}

For each matching spec scenario, note:

• The GIVEN / WHEN / THEN clauses — these become the test body
• The scenario name — this becomes the it() / def test_ / TEST() description

If no specs exist, infer the contract from the function signature, docstring, and call sites. Document the inferred contract explicitly before writing any test.

3c — Absorb local test conventions

If $EXISTING_TEST_FILE exists, read it. Extract:

• Mock setup pattern (vi.mock, unittest.mock.patch, gmock, etc.)
• Fixture or factory helpers
• Import path style (relative vs absolute)
• Describe/class/suite structure

If no test file exists nearby, find the closest test file in the project tree and read that instead.

Step 4 — Write tests

Write (or append to) $EXISTING_TEST_FILE (or create <name>.test.ts / test_<name>.py / <name>_test.go next to the source file).

Rules — enforced without exception

1. No placeholder assertions — expect(true).toBe(true), assert True, EXPECT_TRUE(true), self.assertTrue(True) are forbidden. Every assertion must test real return values or side effects.

2. One test = one scenario — each it() / def test_ / TEST() maps to one GIVEN/WHEN/THEN clause. Use the spec scenario name (or a descriptive contract statement) as the test description.

3. Annotation tag (mandatory) — place a coverage tag on the line immediately above each describe / class / suite block so openlore test --coverage can track it:

   • TypeScript/JS: // openlore: {"domain":"$DOMAIN","requirement":"$REQ","scenario":"$SCENARIO","specFile":"openspec/specs/$DOMAIN/spec.md"}
   • Python: # openlore: {"domain":"$DOMAIN","requirement":"$REQ","scenario":"$SCENARIO"}
   • C++/Go: // openlore: {"domain":"$DOMAIN","requirement":"$REQ","scenario":"$SCENARIO"}

   If no spec scenario exists (contract inferred), omit the tag.

4. Mock only system boundaries — mock filesystem, network, LLM API, DB connections, and external processes. Do not mock the function under test, its pure helpers, or in-memory logic.

5. One suite per function — describe / class / suite named after the function. Use nested blocks for distinct concerns (happy path, error path, edge cases).

6. At least one edge case — empty input, null/None/nullptr, maximum value, or an error path must be included for every function tested.

7. Small model constraint — if the test file exceeds 200 lines, split into multiple files grouped by concern. Each file must be independently runnable.

Structure reference (adapt to the detected framework)

// TypeScript / Vitest
import { describe, it, expect, vi, beforeEach } from 'vitest';
import { $TARGET_FUNCTION } from '../$TARGET_FILE';

vi.mock('../$DEPENDENCY', () => ({ ... }));

// openlore: {"domain":"$DOMAIN","requirement":"$REQUIREMENT","scenario":"$SCENARIO","specFile":"openspec/specs/$DOMAIN/spec.md"}
describe('$TARGET_FUNCTION', () => {
  beforeEach(() => { vi.resetAllMocks(); });

  describe('$SCENARIO_NAME', () => {
    it('should $EXPECTED_BEHAVIOUR when $CONDITION', () => {
      // GIVEN
      // WHEN
      const result = $TARGET_FUNCTION($INPUT);
      // THEN
      expect(result).toEqual($EXPECTED);
    });
  });
});

# Python / pytest
import pytest
from unittest.mock import patch, MagicMock
from $MODULE import $TARGET_FUNCTION

# openlore: {"domain":"$DOMAIN","requirement":"$REQUIREMENT","scenario":"$SCENARIO"}
class Test$TargetFunction:
    def test_$scenario_name_when_$condition(self):
        # GIVEN / WHEN / THEN
        result = $target_function($input)
        assert result == $expected

Step 5 — Run and fix

Run the test file with $TEST_RUNNER. Iterate until all tests pass.

Do not weaken assertions to make tests pass. A test that masks a bug is worse than no test.

Step 6 — Coverage check

Call the openlore MCP tool get_test_coverage with {"directory": "$PROJECT_ROOT"}.

Report:

• Which spec scenarios are now covered (new)
• Which scenarios remain uncovered in $SPEC_DOMAIN
• Whether any hub functions in $SPEC_DOMAIN are still untested (high-value next targets)

Absolute constraints

• Never write expect(true).toBe(true), assert True, or equivalent placeholder assertions
• Never skip Step 3 — the implementation read and spec contract are the test source of truth
• Never mock the function under test itself
• Never weaken an assertion to make a test pass — fix the implementation or the expectation
• If get_test_coverage shows the scenario is already covered, report it and stop
• Do not refactor the implementation as part of this skill — open a separate task

Source: clay-good/OpenLore — distributed by TomeVault.