test-anti-patterns

Audits test files in any language for anti-patterns and produces a severity-ranked quality report.

1|Updated Jul 27, 2026
One-click install
npx skills add https://github.com/FittyAr/Cardscape --skill test-anti-patterns-fittyar
Or copy as Structured Prompt for Agent▼
Please help me install this Agent Skill.
Skill: test-anti-patterns
Source: https://github.com/FittyAr/Cardscape/tree/main/.agents/skills/test-anti-patterns
Command: npx skills add https://github.com/FittyAr/Cardscape --skill test-anti-patterns-fittyar

SYSTEM DOCUMENTATION & REQUIREMENTS

What problem does it solve? Test suites often contain tests that pass but verify nothing, flaky tests that erode trust, and duplicated or poorly named tests that are hard to maintain. This Skill reviews existing test code and pinpoints exactly which tests give false confidence or cause maintenance pain, with concrete fixes. ## Core Features & Use Cases - Severity-ranked audit: Classifies findings as Critical, High, Medium, or Low, covering missing assertions, swallowed exceptions, tautological assertions, flakiness indicators (Thread.Sleep, DateTime.Now, unseeded randomness), order-dependent shared state, over-mocking, magic values, and duplicate tests. - Multi-language support: Works with .NET (xUnit/NUnit/MSTest), Python/pytest, TypeScript/Jest, Java/JUnit, Go, Ruby/RSpec, Rust, C++, and PowerShell/Pester via language-specific extension guidance. - Honest calibration: Distinguishes real anti-patterns from idiomatic patterns (Go table-driven tests, pytest bare asserts) and leads with positive observations when tests are well written. - Use Case: Point it at a flaky CI suite and receive a report showing which tests use wall-clock sleeps or shared static state, with before/after fixes for each Critical finding. ## Quick Start Ask the AI to audit the tests in your project for anti-patterns and report the most critical issues with fixes.

Frequently Asked Questions about test-anti-patterns

High-intent search queries and answers about installing and using this skill.

FAQPage Schema
How do I find anti-patterns in my test suite?▼

Provide the test files or point to a test directory and request an audit. The review scans for missing assertions, swallowed exceptions, flakiness indicators, shared state, and duplicates, then reports findings ranked by severity with concrete fixes.

What test frameworks does test anti-pattern detection support?▼

It supports xUnit, NUnit, and MSTest for .NET, pytest for Python, Jest for TypeScript, JUnit for Java, Go testing, RSpec for Ruby, Rust, Catch2/GoogleTest for C++, and Pester for PowerShell. Language-specific markers are loaded from extension guidance files.

Why do my tests pass but still not verify anything?▼

Tests pass without verifying behavior when they lack assertions, assert a value against itself, swallow exceptions in empty catch blocks, or call async assertions without awaiting them. These are flagged as Critical because they give false confidence.

Can this skill write or fix my tests automatically?▼

No, it is a diagnostic review tool only. It reports findings with suggested before/after fixes, but writing new tests or applying edits is delegated to dedicated test-writing skills.

Does it flag Go table-driven tests or pytest bare asserts as problems?▼

No. Go and Rust table-driven subtests, pytest bare assert statements, and Go's if got != want pattern are recognized as idiomatic and explicitly excluded from findings to avoid false positives.