Standalone Mode
If invoked directly (not via the orchestrator), you must first:
- Read
../codeprobe/shared-preamble.md for the output contract, execution modes, and constraints. - Load applicable reference files from
../codeprobe/references/ based on the project's tech stack. - Default to
full mode unless the user specifies otherwise.
Test Quality & Coverage Auditor
Domain Scope
This sub-skill detects test quality and coverage issues across six categories:
- Missing Tests — Public methods without corresponding tests, critical business logic untested.
- Test Smells — Tests with no assertions, testing implementation details, brittle tests.
- Test Structure — Missing Arrange-Act-Assert separation, poor naming, testing too many things.
- Mock Abuse — Mocking the system under test, mock returning mocks, over-mocking.
- Coverage Gaps — No tests for error paths, authorization logic, edge cases.
- Test Data — Hardcoded IDs, fragile fixtures, environment-dependent tests.
What It Does NOT Flag
- Missing tests for trivial getters/setters or pure DTOs — these add testing overhead without meaningful coverage.
- Framework-generated test stubs that are empty but clearly scaffolded (e.g., Laravel's
ExampleTest.php, Create React App's App.test.js) — these are starting points, not abandoned tests. - Integration/E2E test suites that intentionally don't follow unit test conventions — different test levels have different design constraints.
- Test execution speed — this sub-skill assesses test design quality, not runtime performance.
- Tests in
vendor/, node_modules/, or other dependency directories.
Detection Instructions
Severity Ceiling
No finding from this sub-skill should ever be classified as Critical. Missing tests, even for critical business logic, are a maintainability and risk issue (Major), not a confirmed production defect. The highest severity this sub-skill may assign is Major. Follow the severity column in each detection table exactly — do not escalate beyond it.
Missing Tests
| ID Prefix | What to Detect | How to Detect | Severity |
|---|
TEST | Public methods with no corresponding test | Scan source directories for public class methods. For each, check if a corresponding test file/method exists. Use test file naming conventions: test_, _test., .test., Test[A-Z], spec_, _spec., .spec. (matching file_stats.py patterns). | Major |
TEST | Critical business logic untested | Identify classes/methods handling payments, authentication, authorization, order processing, or data mutations. Check whether these have dedicated test coverage. | Major |
TEST | Edge cases unaddressed | When tests exist for a method, check whether they cover: null/empty inputs, boundary values (0, -1, max), error cases, and the happy path. Flag methods with only happy-path tests. | Minor |
Test Smells
| ID Prefix | What to Detect | How to Detect | Severity |
|---|
TEST | Tests with no assertions | Search test methods for assertion calls (assert, expect, should, verify). Flag test methods that execute code but never assert on the outcome — they only verify "no exception thrown." | Major |
TEST | Tests testing implementation details | Tests that mock every dependency and only verify call order/counts rather than outcomes. Tests that break when internal implementation changes but behavior stays the same. Look for excessive ->expects()->method()->with() chains or toHaveBeenCalledWith without checking return values. | Minor |
TEST | Brittle tests coupled to external state | Tests that depend on database state not set up in the test, file system paths, network calls, or system time without mocking. Look for raw SQL in tests, file_exists() checks, HTTP calls without mocking. | Minor |
TEST | Tests dependent on execution order | Tests that pass individually but fail when run together (or vice versa). Look for shared mutable state between test methods: class-level properties modified in tests, database records not cleaned up. | Major |
Test Structure
| ID Prefix | What to Detect | How to Detect | Severity |
|---|
TEST | Missing Arrange-Act-Assert separation | Test methods where setup, execution, and assertion are interleaved rather than clearly separated. Multiple act+assert cycles in one test. | Minor |
TEST | Test names that don't describe the scenario | Test methods named test1, testFunction, it_works, or using generic names that don't describe the input condition and expected outcome. Good: test_empty_cart_returns_zero_total. Bad: testCalculate. | Minor |
TEST | Single test testing too many things | Test methods with 5+ assertions on unrelated outcomes, or that test multiple scenarios in sequence. Should be split into focused tests. | Minor |
Mock Abuse
| ID Prefix | What to Detect | How to Detect | Severity |
|---|
TEST | Mocking the system under test | Test creates a mock/partial mock of the class being tested. The test is testing the mock, not the actual code. Look for $this->createPartialMock(ClassName::class) or jest.spyOn(sut, 'method') where sut is the class being tested. | Major |
TEST | Mock returning mocks | Mock objects configured to return other mock objects, creating deep mock chains. $mock->method('getUser')->willReturn($userMock) where $userMock->method('getProfile')->willReturn($profileMock). | Major |
TEST | Over-mocking making tests pass regardless | Tests where every dependency is mocked and the mocks return exactly what the code expects, making the test a tautology. If you change the implementation logic, the test still passes because the mocks drive the result. | Minor |
Coverage Gaps
| ID Prefix | What to Detect | How to Detect | Severity |
|---|
TEST | No tests for error/exception paths | Methods with try/catch blocks or error handling where tests only cover the success path. No test triggers the catch/error branch. | Minor |
TEST | No tests for authorization logic | Permission checks, policy methods, gate definitions, middleware authorization — code that controls access but has no dedicated tests. | Major |
TEST | No edge case tests | Functions handling arrays/collections without tests for empty input. Numeric functions without tests for zero, negative, or boundary values. String functions without tests for empty string, unicode, or very long input. | Minor |
Test Data
| ID Prefix | What to Detect | How to Detect | Severity |
|---|
TEST | Hardcoded IDs that may collide | Tests using hardcoded numeric IDs ($userId = 42, id: 1) instead of factory-generated values. These collide in parallel test runs or with seeded data. | Minor |
TEST | Fragile factory/fixture setup | Tests with complex inline data setup that duplicates across multiple tests instead of using factories/fixtures/builders. | Minor |
TEST | Tests relying on specific database state | Tests that assume certain records exist in the database without creating them in the test setup. Depends on seeders or previous test execution. | Minor |
ID Prefix & Fix Prompt Examples
All findings use the TEST- prefix, numbered sequentially: TEST-001, TEST-002, etc.
Fix Prompt Examples
- "Write a test for
OrderService@calculateTotal that covers: empty cart (expect 0), single item, multiple items, and item with discount. Use OrderFactory for test data. Place in tests/Unit/Services/OrderServiceTest.php." - "The test
test_user_can_login at tests/Feature/AuthTest.php:25 has no assertions — it only calls the login endpoint. Add assertStatus(200), assertAuthenticated(), and assertJsonStructure(['token']) assertions." - "In
tests/Unit/PaymentServiceTest.php:40, the mock chain is mocking too deeply. Create a concrete FakePaymentGateway that implements the gateway interface and returns predictable responses instead of nested mock returns." - "Replace the hardcoded user ID
42 in tests/Feature/OrderTest.php:15 with User::factory()->create()->id to prevent test collisions in parallel test runs."
