
Test Specialist
Run a five-step systematic bug workflow—reproduce, isolate, root cause, fix with tests, validate—when failures block shipping.
Overview
test-specialist is an agent skill most often used in Ship (also Build backend, Operate errors) that applies a five-step bug analysis framework from reproduction through validated fix.
Install
npx skills add https://github.com/ailabs-393/ai-labs-claude-skills --skill test-specialistWhat is this skill?
- Five-step framework: reproduction, isolation, root cause analysis, fix implementation, validation
- Fix step mandates writing a failing test before implementing the change
- Isolation guidance includes minimal repro cases and binary search on code paths
- Root cause step ties git blame, git log, and assumption review together
- Validation explicitly requires regression checks and documentation updates when needed
- Five-step systematic bug analysis approach documented in the skill body
Adoption & trust: 744 installs on skills.sh; 399 GitHub stars; 3/3 security scanners passed (skills.sh audits).
What problem does it solve?
You hit a bug but jumps straight to patches without a minimal repro, root-cause trace, or regression-proof test.
Who is it for?
Solo builders shipping SaaS, APIs, or CLIs who want structured agent guidance when tests fail or production-like bugs appear.
Skip if: Pure feature greenfield work with no failing behavior, or teams that already enforce a formal incident runbook outside the agent.
When should I use this skill?
User reports a bug, failing tests, regression, or asks for structured debugging and root-cause analysis.
What do I get? / Deliverables
You get an isolated root cause, a failing test plus fix, full-suite validation, and documented edge-case coverage where needed.
- Minimal reproduction case and root-cause summary
- Failing test plus fix with validation notes
Recommended Skills
Journey fit
Spans multiple journey phases - primary shelf plus alternate fits below.
Ship/testing is the canonical shelf because the skill’s payoff is verified fixes and regression confidence before release, even though debugging starts earlier in implementation. Testing subphase matches failing-test-first fixes, full-suite validation, and edge-case checks called out in the validation step.
Where it fits
CI fails on an edge-case input and you need the agent to reproduce, isolate, and land a tested fix before merge.
An API integration regresses after a refactor and you binary-search the code path to a minimal failing unit.
A production error spike needs git-log-informed root cause analysis without shipping an unvalidated hotfix.
How it compares
Use instead of unstructured “fix this error” chat when you need reproduction and test-first discipline.
Common Questions / FAQ
Who is test-specialist for?
Indie developers and small teams using Claude-family agents who need a repeatable debugging ritual, not one-off stack traces.
When should I use test-specialist?
In Ship testing when CI or manual QA fails; in Build backend when integration bugs appear; in Operate errors when you are triaging production regressions.
Is test-specialist safe to install?
Check the Security Audits panel on this page; the skill implies git and test execution—review what shell access your agent grants.
SKILL.md
READMESKILL.md - Test Specialist
export default async function test_specialist(input) { console.log("🧠 Running skill: test-specialist"); // TODO: implement actual logic for this skill return { message: "Skill 'test-specialist' executed successfully!", input }; } { "name": "@ai-labs-claude-skills/test-specialist", "version": "1.0.0", "description": "Claude AI skill: test-specialist", "main": "index.js", "files": [ "." ], "license": "MIT", "author": "AI Labs" } # Bug Analysis and Debugging Framework ## Systematic Bug Analysis Approach ### 1. Reproduction First, reliably reproduce the bug: - Identify exact steps to trigger the issue - Determine required environment/state - Document inputs that cause the failure - Note expected vs actual behavior ### 2. Isolation Narrow down the problem: - Binary search through the code path - Remove unrelated code/dependencies - Create minimal reproduction case - Identify the smallest failing unit ### 3. Root Cause Analysis Determine the underlying cause: - Trace execution flow - Check assumptions and preconditions - Review recent changes (git blame, git log) - Look for similar patterns in codebase ### 4. Fix Implementation Implement the solution: - Write a failing test first - Implement the fix - Verify test passes - Check for similar issues elsewhere ### 5. Validation Ensure the fix is complete: - Run full test suite - Test edge cases - Verify no regressions - Update documentation if needed ## Bug Categories and Detection ### Logic Errors **Symptoms:** - Incorrect calculations - Wrong conditional branches taken - Unexpected state transitions - Data corruption **Detection Strategies:** ```typescript // Add assertions to verify invariants function transfer(from: Account, to: Account, amount: number) { const beforeTotal = from.balance + to.balance; from.balance -= amount; to.balance += amount; const afterTotal = from.balance + to.balance; console.assert(beforeTotal === afterTotal, 'Balance mismatch'); } // Unit tests for all branches test.each([ [100, 50, true], // Normal case [100, 100, true], // Exact balance [100, 101, false], // Insufficient funds [100, 0, false], // Zero amount [100, -50, false], // Negative amount ])('transfer validation', (balance, amount, shouldSucceed) => { // Test implementation }); ``` ### Race Conditions **Symptoms:** - Intermittent failures - Tests pass/fail randomly - Different behavior in production vs development - Issues under load **Detection Strategies:** ```typescript // Test concurrent operations test('handles concurrent updates correctly', async () => { const promises = Array.from({ length: 100 }, () => incrementCounter() ); await Promise.all(promises); expect(getCounter()).toBe(100); }); // Add delays to expose timing issues test('handles async race condition', async () => { const result1 = fetchData(); await new Promise(resolve => setTimeout(resolve, 10)); const result2 = fetchData(); await expect(Promise.all([result1, result2])).resolves.toBeTruthy(); }); ``` ### Memory Leaks **Symptoms:** - Increasing memory usage over time - Application slowdown - Out of memory errors - Event listeners not cleaned up **Detection Strategies:** ```typescript // Test for cleanup test('cleans up event listeners', () => { const component = new Component(); const listenerCount = getEventListenerCount(); component.mount(); expect(getEventListenerCount()).toBeGreaterThan(listenerCount); component.unmount(); expect(getEventListenerCount()).toBe(listenerCount); }); // Monitor memory in long-running tests test('does not leak memory', async () => { const initialMemory = process.memoryUsage().heapUsed; for (let i = 0; i < 1000; i++) { await performOperation(); } // Force garbage collection if available if (global.gc) global.gc(); const finalMemory = process.memoryUsage().heapUsed; const growth = finalMemory - initialMemory; // Allow some growth but not linear with ite