Test Idea Rewriting

Transform passive 'Verify X' test descriptions into active, observable test actions. Use when test ideas lack specificity, use vague language, or fail quality validation. Converts to action-verb format for clearer, more testable descriptions.

proffesor-for-testing Updated Sep 9, 2026

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Last audited Sep 25, 2026 · commit f917583

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Works with: Claude Code Claude.ai OpenAI Codex +

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Test Idea Rewriting

Success Criteria: /<td>Verify\s/gi returns 0 matches

Quick Reference Card

Transformation Pattern

[ACTION VERB] [specific trigger]; [OUTCOME VERB] [observable result]

Action Verb Quick Reference

Category	Verbs	Use When
Interaction	Click, Type, Submit, Navigate, Scroll	UI actions
Trigger	Send, Inject, Force, Simulate, Load	API/system actions
Measurement	Measure, Time, Count, Profile	Performance checks
State	Set, Configure, Enable, Disable, Toggle	Setup actions
Observation	Confirm, Assert, Check, Observe	Outcome verification

Common Transformations

Before	After
Verify login works	Submit valid credentials; confirm session created
Verify API returns 200	Send GET request; assert 200 response within 500ms
Verify error displays	Trigger validation error; observe error message
Verify data saves	Insert record; query database; confirm fields match
Verify performance	Execute 100 requests; measure p99 < 200ms

Transformation Rules

Pattern Detection

/<td>Verify\s/gi     // HTML table cells
/^Verify\s/gim       // Line starts
/"Verify\s[^"]+"/gi  // Quoted strings

Transformation Categories

API/Network Tests

Input Pattern	Output Pattern
Verify API returns X	Send [METHOD] request; assert [STATUS] response
Verify endpoint accepts Y	Post [PAYLOAD] to endpoint; confirm [RESPONSE]
Verify webhook fires	Trigger [EVENT]; observe webhook received

UI/UX Tests

Input Pattern	Output Pattern
Verify button works	Click [BUTTON]; observe [EFFECT]
Verify form submits	Fill [FIELDS]; submit form; confirm [RESULT]
Verify navigation works	Click [LINK]; observe [PAGE] loads

Data Tests

Input Pattern	Output Pattern
Verify data saves	Insert [RECORD]; query; confirm [MATCH]
Verify validation works	Enter [INVALID]; observe [ERROR]
Verify format accepted	Submit [FORMAT]; confirm [PROCESSED]

Performance Tests

Input Pattern	Output Pattern
Verify performance is good	Execute [LOAD]; measure [METRIC] < [THRESHOLD]
Verify scalability	Increase [USERS] to [N]; monitor [RESOURCE]
Verify timeout works	Inject [DELAY]; confirm timeout after [TIME]

Action Verb Reference

Interaction Verbs

Verb	When to Use	Example
Click	UI element interaction	Click "Submit" button
Type	Text entry	Type "user@example.com"
Submit	Form completion	Submit registration form
Navigate	Page changes	Navigate to /settings
Scroll	Viewport movement	Scroll to page bottom
Drag	Drag-and-drop	Drag file to upload zone
Hover	Mouse positioning	Hover over tooltip trigger
Select	Dropdown/checkbox	Select "Admin" from role dropdown

Trigger Verbs

Verb	When to Use	Example
Send	HTTP requests	Send POST to /api/orders
Inject	Fault injection	Inject 500ms latency
Force	State manipulation	Force offline mode
Simulate	Event generation	Simulate device rotation
Load	Resource loading	Load 50MB test file
Execute	Script/command	Execute database migration
Invoke	Function/webhook	Invoke payment callback
Trigger	Event firing	Trigger scheduled job

Measurement Verbs

Verb	When to Use	Example
Measure	Quantitative check	Measure response time
Time	Duration tracking	Time page render
Count	Quantity check	Count search results
Profile	Resource analysis	Profile CPU usage
Benchmark	Comparison	Benchmark against v1.0
Capture	State recording	Capture network traffic
Monitor	Ongoing observation	Monitor memory for 5 minutes

Observation Verbs

Verb	When to Use	Example
Confirm	Boolean check	Confirm user is logged in
Assert	Value comparison	Assert total equals $99.99
Check	State verification	Check cart has 3 items
Observe	Behavior watching	Observe spinner appears
Validate	Rule compliance	Validate email format
Expect	Predicted outcome	Expect redirect to /home
Verify (avoid)	Use alternatives	Use confirm/assert instead

Quality Validation

Pre-Transform Checks

Count "Verify" patterns in input
Identify context for each pattern
Map to appropriate action verb category

Post-Transform Checks

Regex validation: zero "Verify" matches
Every test idea starts with action verb
Each test includes observable outcome
All metadata preserved unchanged

Validation Regex

// Must return 0 matches for success
const verifyPattern = /<td>Verify\s/gi;
const matches = content.match(verifyPattern);
if (matches && matches.length > 0) {
  throw new Error(`${matches.length} "Verify" patterns remain`);
}

Agent Integration

// Single file transformation
await Task("Rewrite Test Ideas", {
  inputFile: "assessment.html",
  outputFile: "assessment-rewritten.html",
  preserveFormatting: true
}, "qe-test-idea-rewriter");

// Batch transformation
await Task("Batch Rewrite", {
  inputDir: "./assessments/",
  outputDir: "./assessments-clean/",
  pattern: "*.html"
}, "qe-test-idea-rewriter");

Memory Namespace

aqe/rewriting/
├── transformations/*  - Transformation logs
├── patterns/*         - Learned patterns
└── vocabulary/*       - Custom verb mappings

Related Skills

sfdipot-product-factors - Assessment generation
test-design-techniques - Proper test structuring
brutal-honesty-review - Quality validation

Remember

Every test idea should be actionable. "Verify X works" tells you nothing about HOW to test. "[Action] X; [Observe] Y" gives clear steps and expected outcomes. Transform passive descriptions into active, observable tests.

--- name: test-idea-rewriting description: "Transform passive 'Verify X' test descriptions into active, observable test actions. Use when test ideas lack specificity, use vague language, or fail quality validation. Converts to action-verb format for clearer, more testable descriptions." category: test-design priority: medium tokenEstimate: 800 agents: [qe-test-idea-rewriter] implementation_status: optimized optimization_version: 1.0 last_optimized: 2026-01-17 dependencies: [] quick_reference_card: true tags: [test-ideas, rewriting, action-verbs, quality, transformation] --- # Test Idea Rewriting <default_to_action> When transforming test ideas: 1. DETECT all "Verify X" patterns via regex 2. IDENTIFY appropriate action verb category 3. TRANSFORM to "[ACTION] [trigger]; [OBSERVE] [result]" pattern 4. PRESERVE all metadata (IDs, priorities, automation types) 5. VALIDATE zero "Verify" patterns remain 6. OUTPUT in same format as input **Success Criteria:** `/<td>Verify\s/gi` returns 0 matches </default_to_action> ## Quick Reference Card ### Transformation Pattern ``` [ACTION VERB] [specific trigger]; [OUTCOME VERB] [observable result] ``` ### Action Verb Quick Reference | Category | Verbs | Use When | |----------|-------|----------| | **Interaction** | Click, Type, Submit, Navigate, Scroll | UI actions | | **Trigger** | Send, Inject, Force, Simulate, Load | API/system actions | | **Measurement** | Measure, Time, Count, Profile | Performance checks | | **State** | Set, Configure, Enable, Disable, Toggle | Setup actions | | **Observation** | Confirm, Assert, Check, Observe | Outcome verification | ### Common Transformations | Before | After | |--------|-------| | Verify login works | Submit valid credentials; confirm session created | | Verify API returns 200 | Send GET request; assert 200 response within 500ms | | Verify error displays | Trigger validation error; observe error message | | Verify data saves | Insert record; query database; confirm fields match | | Verify performance | Execute 100 requests; measure p99 < 200ms | --- ## Transformation Rules ### Pattern Detection ```regex /<td>Verify\s/gi // HTML table cells /^Verify\s/gim // Line starts /"Verify\s[^"]+"/gi // Quoted strings ``` ### Transformation Categories #### API/Network Tests | Input Pattern | Output Pattern | |---------------|----------------| | Verify API returns X | Send [METHOD] request; assert [STATUS] response | | Verify endpoint accepts Y | Post [PAYLOAD] to endpoint; confirm [RESPONSE] | | Verify webhook fires | Trigger [EVENT]; observe webhook received | #### UI/UX Tests | Input Pattern | Output Pattern | |---------------|----------------| | Verify button works | Click [BUTTON]; observe [EFFECT] | | Verify form submits | Fill [FIELDS]; submit form; confirm [RESULT] | | Verify navigation works | Click [LINK]; observe [PAGE] loads | #### Data Tests | Input Pattern | Output Pattern | |---------------|----------------| | Verify data saves | Insert [RECORD]; query; confirm [MATCH] | | Verify validation works | Enter [INVALID]; observe [ERROR] | | Verify format accepted | Submit [FORMAT]; confirm [PROCESSED] | #### Performance Tests | Input Pattern | Output Pattern | |---------------|----------------| | Verify performance is good | Execute [LOAD]; measure [METRIC] < [THRESHOLD] | | Verify scalability | Increase [USERS] to [N]; monitor [RESOURCE] | | Verify timeout works | Inject [DELAY]; confirm timeout after [TIME] | --- ## Action Verb Reference ### Interaction Verbs | Verb | When to Use | Example | |------|-------------|---------| | Click | UI element interaction | Click "Submit" button | | Type | Text entry | Type "user@example.com" | | Submit | Form completion | Submit registration form | | Navigate | Page changes | Navigate to /settings | | Scroll | Viewport movement | Scroll to page bottom | | Drag | Drag-and-drop | Drag file to upload zone | | Hover | Mouse positioning | Hover over tooltip trigger | | Select | Dropdown/checkbox | Select "Admin" from role dropdown | ### Trigger Verbs | Verb | When to Use | Example | |------|-------------|---------| | Send | HTTP requests | Send POST to /api/orders | | Inject | Fault injection | Inject 500ms latency | | Force | State manipulation | Force offline mode | | Simulate | Event generation | Simulate device rotation | | Load | Resource loading | Load 50MB test file | | Execute | Script/command | Execute database migration | | Invoke | Function/webhook | Invoke payment callback | | Trigger | Event firing | Trigger scheduled job | ### Measurement Verbs | Verb | When to Use | Example | |------|-------------|---------| | Measure | Quantitative check | Measure response time | | Time | Duration tracking | Time page render | | Count | Quantity check | Count search results | | Profile | Resource analysis | Profile CPU usage | | Benchmark | Comparison | Benchmark against v1.0 | | Capture | State recording | Capture network traffic | | Monitor | Ongoing observation | Monitor memory for 5 minutes | ### Observation Verbs | Verb | When to Use | Example | |------|-------------|---------| | Confirm | Boolean check | Confirm user is logged in | | Assert | Value comparison | Assert total equals $99.99 | | Check | State verification | Check cart has 3 items | | Observe | Behavior watching | Observe spinner appears | | Validate | Rule compliance | Validate email format | | Expect | Predicted outcome | Expect redirect to /home | | Verify (avoid) | Use alternatives | Use confirm/assert instead | --- ## Quality Validation ### Pre-Transform Checks 1. Count "Verify" patterns in input 2. Identify context for each pattern 3. Map to appropriate action verb category ### Post-Transform Checks 1. Regex validation: zero "Verify" matches 2. Every test idea starts with action verb 3. Each test includes observable outcome 4. All metadata preserved unchanged ### Validation Regex ```javascript // Must return 0 matches for success const verifyPattern = /<td>Verify\s/gi; const matches = content.match(verifyPattern); if (matches && matches.length > 0) { throw new Error(`${matches.length} "Verify" patterns remain`); } ``` --- ## Agent Integration ```typescript // Single file transformation await Task("Rewrite Test Ideas", { inputFile: "assessment.html", outputFile: "assessment-rewritten.html", preserveFormatting: true }, "qe-test-idea-rewriter"); // Batch transformation await Task("Batch Rewrite", { inputDir: "./assessments/", outputDir: "./assessments-clean/", pattern: "*.html" }, "qe-test-idea-rewriter"); ``` --- ## Memory Namespace ``` aqe/rewriting/ ├── transformations/* - Transformation logs ├── patterns/* - Learned patterns └── vocabulary/* - Custom verb mappings ``` --- ## Related Skills - [sfdipot-product-factors](../sfdipot-product-factors/) - Assessment generation - [test-design-techniques](../test-design-techniques/) - Proper test structuring - [brutal-honesty-review](../brutal-honesty-review/) - Quality validation --- ## Remember **Every test idea should be actionable.** "Verify X works" tells you nothing about HOW to test. "[Action] X; [Observe] Y" gives clear steps and expected outcomes. Transform passive descriptions into active, observable tests.

proffesor-for-testing/agentic-qe/tree/main/assets/skills/test-idea-rewriting commit f917583596

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npx skillmds@latest add proffesor-for-testing/test-idea-rewriting