testing-skills-with-subagents

# Testing Skills With Subagents

## Overview

**Testing skills is just TDD applied to process documentation.**

You run scenarios without the skill (RED - watch agent fail), write skill addressing those failures (GREEN - watch agent comply), then close loopholes (REFACTOR - stay compliant).

**Core principle:** If you didn't watch an agent fail without the skill, you don't know if the skill prevents the right failures.

**REQUIRED BACKGROUND:** You MUST understand superpowers:test-driven-development before using this skill. That skill defines the fundamental RED-GREEN-REFACTOR cycle. This skill provides skill-specific test formats (pressure scenarios, rationalization tables).

**Complete worked example:** See examples/CLAUDE_MD_TESTING.md for a full test campaign testing CLAUDE.md documentation variants.

## When to Use

Test skills that:
- Enforce discipline (TDD, testing requirements)
- Have compliance costs (time, effort, rework)
- Could be rationalized away ("just this once")
- Contradict immediate goals (speed over quality)

Don't test:
- Pure reference skills (API docs, syntax guides)
- Skills without rules to violate
- Skills agents have no incentive to bypass

## TDD Mapping for Skill Testing

| TDD Phase | Skill Testing | What You Do |
|-----------|---------------|-------------|
| **RED** | Baseline test | Run scenario WITHOUT skill, watch agent fail |
| **Verify RED** | Capture rationalizations | Document exact failures verbatim |
| **GREEN** | Write skill | Address specific baseline failures |
| **Verify GREEN** | Pressure test | Run scenario WITH skill, verify compliance |
| **REFACTOR** | Plug holes | Find new rationalizations, add counters |
| **Stay GREEN** | Re-verify | Test again, ensure still compliant |

Same cycle as code TDD, different test format.

## RED Phase: Baseline Testing (Watch It Fail)

**Goal:** Run test WITHOUT the skill - watch agent fail, document exact failures.

This is identical to TDD's "write failing test first" - you MUST see