testing-best-practices

AI-generated tests can accidentally validate current wrong behavior instead of intended requirements, but an Oracle Guard prevents this by requiring you to state expected behavior up front before running tests to avoid circular validation.

To choose the right test level for unit, integration, and e2e testing, apply the Testing Trophy strategy to select the lowest possible test level that still provides meaningful confidence in your code changes.

Common testing anti-patterns include weak assertions, over-mocking, unrealistic fixtures, and conditional test bodies. You can detect them during test review by applying structured anti-pattern checks and disciplined mocking decision gates.

To structure reproducible tests and report concrete evidence, use a straight-line test structure without conditionals, then execute the tests and report the concrete command outputs and results to ensure the evidence is trustworthy.

The best way to plan, write, and review tests is to use mode-driven workflows. Start with plan mode to strategize, switch to write mode with mandatory Oracle Guard steps, then use review mode for anti-pattern checks before final reporting.

Mocking reduces test quality when overused, leading to unrealistic fixtures and weak assertions. Apply disciplined mocking decision gates during test creation to ensure mocks are only used where they genuinely improve test reliability without obscuring behavior.