go-testing_skill

Overview

This skill documents practical Go testing patterns used in Gentleman.Dots, with focused guidance for Bubbletea TUI testing, teatest integration, and golden file comparisons. It collects decision rules, concrete patterns, and file organization tips to make tests reliable and maintainable. Use it to standardize how you write unit, integration, and visual tests for Go TUI code.

How this skill works

The skill describes proven test idioms: table-driven tests for pure logic, direct Model.Update() assertions for Bubbletea state transitions, teatest-based interactive flows for end-to-end TUI behavior, and golden file comparisons for verifying rendered output. It also provides a decision tree to choose the right approach and examples for cursor navigation, screen transitions, mocking system info, and trainer validation. Commands and test file layout show how to run and organize tests.

When to use it

• Writing Go unit tests for pure functions and logic
• Testing Bubbletea Model state changes and key handling
• Creating integration tests for interactive TUI flows with teatest
• Verifying visual output with golden file testing
• Adding test coverage for system interactions or file operations

Best practices

• Prefer table-driven tests for multiple input/output cases to reduce duplication
• Test Bubbletea models by calling Update() and inspecting resulting Model state
• Use teatest.NewTestModel() to simulate key sequences and wait for completion
• Keep golden files under testdata/ and provide an --update flag to refresh them
• Mock external system dependencies via interfaces and use t.TempDir() for filesystem isolation
• Use go test -short to skip slow integration tests in CI or local quick runs

Example use cases

• Validate cursor movement and boundary conditions using parameterized table tests
• Assert screen transitions by sending tea.KeyMsg actions and checking Model.Screen
• Exercise a full interactive installer flow with teatest, sending keys and verifying final model
• Compare rendered views for a given screen size against stored golden files
• Test installer steps by injecting a mocked SystemInfo and verifying generated steps