How does the Red-Green-Refactor cycle work here?

Claude first writes a minimal failing test (Red), implements the simplest code to pass (Green), and finally cleans up the code while staying passing (Refactor).

Does this skill help with bug fixing?

Yes, it requires reproducing every bug with a failing test before applying a fix, ensuring the bug is truly resolved and won't return.

What is the core principle of the TDD skill?

The core principle is the 'Iron Law': no production code is written without first having a failing test that describes the desired behavior.

Can I bypass TDD for small changes?

TDD is recommended for all behavior changes; exceptions like throwaway prototypes or generated code require explicit human approval to bypass.

TDD Engineering Excellence

Name: TDD Engineering Excellence
Author: tjboudreaux

bytjboudreaux

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Security & Testing

Enforces a disciplined Red-Green-Refactor cycle to ensure every line of production code is validated by a failing test.

The TDD Engineering Excellence skill implements a rigorous Test-Driven Development workflow within Claude Code, mandating that no production code is written without a preceding failing test. By guiding the AI through the Red-Green-Refactor cycle, it ensures that every behavior is verified, edge cases are covered, and refactoring is performed safely. This skill is essential for developers who prioritize high-quality, maintainable codebases and want to eliminate technical debt caused by untested features or logic.

Key Features

01Automated bug reproduction through failing tests

02Verification checklist for TDD compliance

03Strict Red-Green-Refactor cycle enforcement

04Elimination of untested 'ghost' production code

051 GitHub stars

06Refactoring guidance while maintaining green status

Use Cases

01Implementing new features with guaranteed test coverage

02Fixing production bugs by first creating a reproducible test case

03Safely refactoring complex logic while ensuring no regression

What are Skills?·How to Install

Install with 🐟 Skill.Fish

npx skillfish add tjboudreaux/cc-plugin-engineering-excellence eng-tdd

For use in Claude.ai and ChatGPT

Download Skill