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cc-quality-practices

Testing & Quality
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Applies Code Complete's QA process design: selects defect-detection techniques by phase, sizes the test suite, and designs review and inspection processes. For QA planning and process design, not active bug investigation (use cc-debugging).

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Source SKILL.md: https://github.com/ryanthedev/code-foundations/blob/HEAD/skills/cc-quality-practices/SKILL.md

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cc-quality-practices

Improving quality reduces development cost. No single defect-detection technique exceeds ~75% effectiveness, so combine techniques — combining nearly doubles detection rates. Mature suites run about 5 dirty tests (error paths, bad data, edge cases) for every 1 clean test (happy path).

For active bug diagnosis (an actual failing test or repro to chase down), hand off: Skill(code-foundations:cc-debugging). This skill is for QA planning and process design.

Shared CC vocabulary and thresholds (cohesion spectrum, coupling, key metrics): Read(${CLAUDE_PLUGIN_ROOT}/references/cc-foundations.md).

External vs internal quality

  • External (users care): correctness, usability, efficiency, reliability, integrity, robustness.
  • Internal (developers care): maintainability, flexibility, portability, reusability, readability, testability.

Internal quality enables external quality: poor maintainability blocks fixing defects, which degrades reliability.

Defect-detection techniques (detection rate)

TechniqueRateNotes
Formal inspection45–70%Roles, checklists, preparation. Preparation finds ~90% of the defects; the meeting adds ~10% [Votta 1991].
Pair programming40–60%Real-time review during development.
Walk-through20–40%Author-led, less structured.
Code reading20–35%Individual review emphasizing preparation.
Unit testing15–50%Developer tests of individual components.

Modes

CHECKER

Execute the quality, review, and testing checklists against the code or process. Checklists:

  • Read(${CLAUDE_SKILL_DIR}/checklists/qa-and-testing.md) — QA plan, inspections, test cases, data-flow.
  • Read(${CLAUDE_SKILL_DIR}/checklists/debugging.md) — finding, fixing, brute-force, general approach.

Output one row per item: | Item | Status | Evidence | Location |, status ∈ VIOLATION (fails item) / WARNING (partial) / PASS.

APPLIER

Produce test cases, review procedures, and quality plans.

Test-case generation (output: test-case list):

  1. Identify requirements → one test per requirement.
  2. Compute minimum tests: 1 + count(if/while/for/and/or) + case branches (add 1 if no default case).
  3. Add data-flow tests covering all defined-used paths.
  4. Add boundary tests: below, at, above each boundary.
  5. Add dirty tests at ~5:1 — bad data, wrong size/kind, uninitialized.
  6. Add nominal tests: middle-of-road expected values.
  7. Run with a coverage monitor — compare actual vs believed coverage.

Choosing a review method

NeedMethod
Highest defect detection (45–70%)Formal inspection (default)
Team geographically dispersedCode reading (individual prep, async-friendly)
Schedule pressure + qualityPair programming
Diverse viewpoints, larger groupWalk-through

When advising a human team's review process

Inspection roles and meeting mechanics apply when designing a review process for a human team (not for solo or agent work):

  1. PLANNING — moderator distributes materials with line numbers + checklist.
  2. PREPARATION — each reviewer works alone using the checklist (where ~90% of defects are found).
  3. MEETING — reader paraphrases the code; scribe records defects.
  4. REPORT — moderator lists each defect with type and severity.
  5. REWORK — author fixes defects.
  6. FOLLOW-UP — moderator verifies all fixes complete.

Chain

AfterNext
Defect to fix foundSkill(code-foundations:cc-refactoring-guidance)
Design issues foundSkill(code-foundations:cc-routine-and-class-design)
Active bug to diagnoseSkill(code-foundations:cc-debugging)