Subskill: Test Scaffolder
This subskill establishes the safety net of existing and new visual/functional tests before any codebase modifications occur, ensuring that no rendering or logical regressions are introduced during modernization.
1. Test Verification Lifecycle
Verify Existing Tests:
- Inspect the corresponding unit test file (e.g.,
IndexedDBViews.test.tsforIndexedDBViews.ts) under the target folder ortest/unittests/. - Check for logic tests (verifying presenter interactions and view function callbacks).
- Check for screenshot or interaction tests (under
test/interactions/ortest/goldens/) matching the visual component to verify layout and styling.
- Inspect the corresponding unit test file (e.g.,
Detect Sub-component Testing Gaps (Hybrid Files):
- Identify if the existing test suite only covers one class of a hybrid
file while missing another class being migrated (e.g., tests exist for
IDBDatabaseViewbut are scarce/missing forIDBDataView).
- Identify if the existing test suite only covers one class of a hybrid
file while missing another class being migrated (e.g., tests exist for
Scaffold Missing Tests:
- If logic tests are missing, draft tests verifying that callbacks trigger the expected state updates or model interactions.
- If rendering/screenshot tests are missing or inadequate for the legacy class being migrated, draft a basic Mocha/Chai rendering test.
- Verify that the component compiles and mounts successfully inside a synthetic DOM helper or unit-test container.
- Screenshot Tests: Create screenshot tests to establish visual baselines before refactoring. Follow the pattern seen in
CategorizedBreakpointsSidebarPane.test.ts:First run the test having
renderElementIntoDOMwith{includeCommonStyles: true}to ensure styles are applied.The first run will generate the screenshot.
Now try removing
{includeCommonStyles: true}to see if class is adding the styles itself. If the test pass, keep the version without{includeCommonStyles: true}. Otherwise, bring it back.Screenshot tests are unittests that render either the full widget (if not migrated to the MVP architecture) or its view function (if already in MVP shape).
When testing view-separated components, prefer testing the View function (e.g.,
DEFAULT_VIEW) directly by passing mock state and callbacks.Use
assertScreenshotto capture and verify the visual output.Example structure:
it('renders the view', async () => { const target = document.createElement('div'); renderElementIntoDOM(target, {includeCommonStyles: true}); MyComponent.DEFAULT_VIEW(mockViewInput, undefined, target); await assertScreenshot('my_component/base.png'); });
Wait for confirmation:
- Wait for an explicit confirmation from the user (or Parent Orchestrator Agent) before proceeding to the next step.
2. Environment Detection & Test Execution Guide
Always detect the execution environment first to run tests successfully:
Scenario A: Google-Internal Cog/Cider Workspaces (PRIMARY PATH for Google Workspaces)
Detection: Triggered if the workspace path starts with
/google/cog/or/google/src/.Why it is required: Raw commands like
npm run testorautoninjafail because they lack Google cloudtop/virtualization wrapper configurations.Resolution Steps:
Do not run
npm run testor standardautoninjadirectly.Leverage the Google-specific Cider testing script to compile and run tests in the cloud workspace:
python3 internal/infra/scripts/cider/init_workspace.py test /google/cog/cloud/username/workspace_name --test_filter=front_end/panels/application/IndexedDBViews.test.ts
Scenario B: Standard Chromium Environment (Fallback)
Detection: Triggered if in an open-source or local standard Chromium checkout without Cog paths.
Troubleshooting vpython3 / depot_tools errors:
Symptom: Command fails with
vpython3: command not foundorpython3_bin_reldir.txt not found.Resolution Steps:
Export
depot_toolspath:export PATH=$PATH:/path/to/depot_toolsInitialize the depot_tools binaries by running update/gclient help once from the checkout root:
update_depot_toolsExecute the tests:
npm run test -- front_end/panels/application/IndexedDBViews.test.ts
Scenario C: ESLint TS Module Resolution Failure (ERR_UNKNOWN_FILE_EXTENSION)
Symptom: Running lint checks fails with:
TypeError [ERR_UNKNOWN_FILE_EXTENSION]: Unknown file extension ".ts" for scripts/eslint_rules/...Resolution Steps:
Compile the custom eslint rules and build assets first so that Node can parse the rules:
npm run build
Scenario D: Screenshot Test Fails (Visual Diffs > 0%)
- Symptom: The test runs but fails with a percentage difference in visual regression.
- Resolution Steps:
- Do NOT ask the user to accept the new screenshot yet.
- Inspect the failure log to see if it is a layout shift or a missing style.
- If it's a layout shift, check if you replaced a block element with an inline element (e.g.
div->span). - If styles are missing, verify if the test wrapper needs
{includeCommonStyles: true}.
🔍 Mental Audit (Internal Self-Correction)
Before reporting back or committing, re-read the instructions and verify:
- ❓ Coverage: Did I cover all classes in the file, or only the main one?
- ❓ Stability: Can the tests run repeatedly without flakiness?
- ❓ Integrations: Did I verify that the component mounts correctly?