tdd
The test-first gate. Routed to by /feature (after the spec is approved), /fix, and /refactor before any implementation code is written. Six gated phases — obligation scan, red, green, obligation verify, coverage, lint. No feature code exists before Phase 1 clears; nothing reaches commit-gate until all six are green.
npx skills add arbiterForge/codeArbiter --skill tdd --agent claude-code
Same command for any agent — swap --agent for codex, cursor, copilot.
Weekly change comes from our own snapshots, not the repository page — it measures attention, not adoption.
# tdd Test-first, or it does not ship. Routed to by `/feature` (after spec approval), `/fix`, and `/refactor`. ## Pre-flight Read these, or STOP and surface the gap — never guess a command or a threshold: - `{{PROJECT_DIR}}/.codearbiter/CONTEXT.md` — the `stage:` frontmatter (the maturity value) and project context. - `{{PROJECT_DIR}}/.codearbiter/tech-stack.md` — test, coverage, and lint invocations; file layout; mock patterns. - `{{PROJECT_DIR}}/.codearbiter/coding-standards.md` — style, structure, naming. Required for Phase 3. - `{{PROJECT_DIR}}/.codearbiter/specs/<slug>.md` — the approved spec, when `/feature` produced one. It is the primary obligation source. - `{{PROJECT_DIR}}/.codearbiter/security-controls.md` — only when the change touches a security boundary (auth, crypto, secrets, a trust boundary). Optional; absent on most changes. - `{{PROJECT_DIR}}/.codearbiter/code-map.md` — if present, a coarse concern→path→role map to orient before writing tests and code. Absent is fine — it is read-on-demand, populated by context-creation or commit-gate heal. ## Phase 1 — Obligation scan · gate: BLOCK An **obligation** is one verifiable claim about the change: (a) a unique ID, (b)
- Pre-flight
- Phase 1 — Obligation scan · gate: BLOCK
- Phase 2 — Red · gate: BLOCK
- Phase 3 — Green · gate: BLOCK
- Phase 4 — Obligation verify · gate: BLOCK
- Phase 5 — Coverage · gate: BLOCK
- Phase 6 — Lint · gate: BLOCK
- Hard rules
What does the tdd skill do?
The test-first gate. Routed to by /feature (after the spec is approved), /fix, and /refactor before any implementation code is written. Six gated phases — obligation scan, red, green, obligation verify, coverage, lint. No feature code exists before Phase 1 clears; nothing reaches commit-gate until all six are green.
How do I install it?
Run `npx skills add arbiterForge/codeArbiter --skill tdd --agent claude-code` — it drops the skill into your project so the agent can pick it up. Swap the --agent value for codex, cursor or copilot if you use one of those.
Where does this skill come from?
From arbiterForge/codeArbiter, a repository with 138 stars. We read it straight from the repository tree rather than a submitted listing, so what you see here is what is actually published.
Is a popular skill a good skill?
Not necessarily. Stars measure attention, not adoption — a repository can trend for a week and be abandoned. That is why we show the weekly change from our own snapshots next to the total, instead of a single flattering number.