Summary
Add a TDD skill to the forge pipeline — currently the biggest functional gap compared to peer skill collections.
Problem / Motivation
Forge has no skill for test-driven development workflows. When implementing features, forge-implement-issue says "test as you go" but doesn't enforce TDD discipline (red-green-refactor cycles, behavior-driven test design, or strategic mocking).
Inspired by mattpocock/skills TDD skill, which includes deep reference materials on testing philosophy and practical patterns.
Proposed Solution
Create forge-tdd with these core concepts:
Red-Green-Refactor with Vertical Slices
- One test at a time, then minimal code to pass — never write all tests first (horizontal slicing anti-pattern)
- Each RED-GREEN cycle is a thin vertical slice
- Only refactor when all tests are GREEN
Behavior-Based Testing
- Tests describe observable behavior through public interfaces, not implementation details
- A good test reads like a specification: "user can checkout with valid cart"
- Tests should survive internal refactors without changes
Mock at System Boundaries Only
- Mock: external APIs, databases, time/randomness, file system
- Don't mock: your own classes, internal collaborators
- Prefer SDK-style interfaces (specific functions per operation) over generic fetchers
Deep Modules (John Ousterhout)
- Small interface + deep implementation = good module design
- Design interfaces for testability: accept dependencies, return results
- Fewer methods = fewer tests = better design signal
Reference Files
Consider 5 supporting reference files:
references/tests.md — what makes a good test, behavior vs implementation
references/deep-modules.md — module depth concept and evaluation
references/interface-design.md — designing for testability
references/mocking.md — when and how to mock
references/refactoring.md — candidates and patterns for the refactor phase
Pipeline Fit
Sits after forge-create-issue as an alternative to forge-implement-issue for test-first workflows. Could also be invoked as a companion alongside implement-issue.
Acceptance Criteria
Summary
Add a TDD skill to the forge pipeline — currently the biggest functional gap compared to peer skill collections.
Problem / Motivation
Forge has no skill for test-driven development workflows. When implementing features,
forge-implement-issuesays "test as you go" but doesn't enforce TDD discipline (red-green-refactor cycles, behavior-driven test design, or strategic mocking).Inspired by mattpocock/skills TDD skill, which includes deep reference materials on testing philosophy and practical patterns.
Proposed Solution
Create
forge-tddwith these core concepts:Red-Green-Refactor with Vertical Slices
Behavior-Based Testing
Mock at System Boundaries Only
Deep Modules (John Ousterhout)
Reference Files
Consider 5 supporting reference files:
references/tests.md— what makes a good test, behavior vs implementationreferences/deep-modules.md— module depth concept and evaluationreferences/interface-design.md— designing for testabilityreferences/mocking.md— when and how to mockreferences/refactoring.md— candidates and patterns for the refactor phasePipeline Fit
Sits after
forge-create-issueas an alternative toforge-implement-issuefor test-first workflows. Could also be invoked as a companion alongside implement-issue.Acceptance Criteria