Testing Anti-Patterns Guard FAQs

Question 1

Is this skill language-specific?

Accepted Answer

While the documentation uses Rust examples, the principles and gate functions are language-agnostic and apply to any software development environment using unit or integration tests.

Question 2

What are the '3 Iron Laws' of testing enforced by this skill?

Accepted Answer

The laws are: Never test mock behavior (test real component behavior), never add test-only methods to production (use test utilities instead), and never mock without understanding the underlying dependencies.

Question 3

Why shouldn't I test mock behavior?

Accepted Answer

Testing a mock only verifies that the mock exists or works as configured; it provides no validation that your actual production logic is correct, leading to false confidence and brittle tests.

Question 4

When should I use the Gate Functions included in this skill?

Accepted Answer

Gate functions should be applied before asserting on any mock, before adding a new method to a production class, and before deciding to mock a method to ensure the test still validates real behavior.

Question 5

How does this skill prevent production code pollution?

Accepted Answer

It uses gate functions to identify methods only used by tests, such as reset() or cleanup(), and mandates that they be moved to dedicated test utility files rather than staying in production classes.

Testing Anti-Patterns Guard

Testing Anti-Patterns Guard

Key Features

Use Cases

Key Features

Use Cases