universal-agent-bootstrap / rules

---
description: Require tests before behavioral implementation changes, with scoped exemptions for docs, config, and tiny covered fixes.
alwaysApply: true
---

# test-first

## Red-Green Cycle

For behavioral code changes, use a test-first loop:

1. Write or update the test before implementation code.
2. Run the focused test and confirm it fails for the expected reason.
3. Write the minimum implementation needed to pass.
4. Run the focused test and confirm it passes.
5. Run the relevant wider suite before committing.

## Applies To

- New product behavior or public APIs
- Bug fixes that change meaningful logic
- Refactors that may affect behavior
- Auth, security, persistence, orchestration, agent, or eval logic
- Cross-module contracts and shared utilities

## Does Not Apply To

- Planning, design docs, and review-only work
- Documentation-only edits
- Config-only or dependency metadata changes
- Formatting, generated files, and mechanical renames
- Tiny fixes already covered by existing tests
- Exploratory spikes that will be rewritten before merge

## Commit Rule

Keep tests and implementation in the same commit. If the test is hard to write,
pause and simplify the interface before adding more code.