docs(writing-plans): add explicit TDD sub-skill requirements

[alexrexi]

Summary

The writing-plans skill mentions TDD in the overview but doesn't explicitly reference the test-driven-development skill. This creates a gap where engineers executing plans might:

• Follow RED-GREEN-REFACTOR steps mechanically without understanding the "why"
• Not know about the Iron Law ("no production code without a failing test first")
• Miss the common rationalizations and red flags that indicate TDD is being skipped

Changes

Added a "Required Sub-Skills" section after the overview that:

• Makes the dependency on superpowers:test-driven-development explicit
• Lists what the TDD skill covers (Iron Law, verification, rationalizations, red flags)
• Includes superpowers:testing-anti-patterns to prevent testing mock behavior

Before

**Save plans to:** `docs/plans/YYYY-MM-DD-<feature-name>.md`

## Bite-Sized Task Granularity

After

**Save plans to:** `docs/plans/YYYY-MM-DD-<feature-name>.md`

## Required Sub-Skills

Plans follow strict TDD. Before executing any task from a plan:

- **REQUIRED:** `superpowers:test-driven-development` - Every task uses RED-GREEN-REFACTOR...
- **REQUIRED:** `superpowers:testing-anti-patterns` - Prevents testing mock behavior...

## Bite-Sized Task Granularity

Testing

Validated that the change makes the skill dependencies explicit and guides engineers to read the TDD skill before executing plans.

🤖 Generated with Claude Code

Summary by CodeRabbit

• Documentation
  • Updated writing-plans skill documentation with a new Required Sub-Skills section specifying test-driven development and testing anti-patterns expectations, including detailed guidance and bite-sized task references.

_{✏️ Tip: You can customize this high-level summary in your review settings.}

[coderabbitai]

Walkthrough

Documentation update to skills/writing-plans/SKILL.md introducing a new "Required Sub-Skills" subsection. The addition specifies mandatory sub-skills for test-driven development and testing anti-patterns with detailed expectations and guidance for bite-sized tasks.

Changes

Cohort / File(s)	Summary
Documentation Update skills/writing-plans/SKILL.md	Added "Required Sub-Skills" subsection specifying mandatory sub-skills (test-driven development and testing anti-patterns) with detailed bullet points, RED-GREEN-REFACTOR emphasis, and anti-pattern avoidance guidance. Updated bite-sized task guidance to reference these requirements.

Estimated code review effort

🎯 2 (Simple) | ⏱️ ~10 minutes

• Verify the accuracy and clarity of the new sub-skills documentation
• Confirm that the RED-GREEN-REFACTOR and anti-pattern guidance aligns with intended skill requirements
• Review updated bite-sized task references for consistency

Poem

🐰 A skill needs sub-skills, dear developer friend,

Test-driven paths and anti-patterns to mend,

RED-GREEN-REFACTOR—the rhythm divine,

Writing plans bloom when requirements align! 🌿

Pre-merge checks and finishing touches

✅ Passed checks (3 passed)

Check name	Status	Explanation
Description Check	✅ Passed	Check skipped - CodeRabbit’s high-level summary is enabled.
Title check	✅ Passed	The title accurately summarizes the main change: adding explicit TDD sub-skill requirements to the writing-plans documentation.
Docstring Coverage	✅ Passed	No functions found in the changed files to evaluate docstring coverage. Skipping docstring coverage check.

✨ Finishing touches

🧪 Generate unit tests (beta)

• Create PR with unit tests
• Post copyable unit tests in a comment

---

Thanks for using CodeRabbit! It's free for OSS, and your support helps us grow. If you like it, consider giving us a shout-out.

❤️ Share

• X
• Mastodon
• Reddit
• LinkedIn

_{Comment @coderabbitai help to get the list of available commands and usage tips.}

[coderabbitai]

Actionable comments posted: 0

🧹 Nitpick comments (1)

skills/writing-plans/SKILL.md (1)

20-30: Align skill reference format with established style guide.

The new "Required Sub-Skills" section is well-structured and clearly communicates the dependencies. However, it uses backtick formatting (superpowers:test-driven-development) for skill references, while the "Remember" section at line 106 explicitly states to "Reference relevant skills with @ syntax."

For consistency with the documented style guide, consider updating the skill references to use the @ format:

- **REQUIRED:** `superpowers:test-driven-development` - Every task uses RED-GREEN-REFACTOR. If you haven't read this skill, read it first. It covers:
+ **REQUIRED:** @superpowers:test-driven-development - Every task uses RED-GREEN-REFACTOR. If you haven't read this skill, read it first. It covers:
   - The Iron Law: no production code without a failing test first
   - How to verify tests fail for the right reason
   - Common rationalizations and red flags
   - When to delete code and start over

- **REQUIRED:** `superpowers:testing-anti-patterns` - Prevents testing mock behavior instead of real code
+ **REQUIRED:** @superpowers:testing-anti-patterns - Prevents testing mock behavior instead of real code

📜 Review details

Configuration used: CodeRabbit UI

Review profile: CHILL

Plan: Pro

📥 Commits

Reviewing files that changed from the base of the PR and between 5faddc4 and f17c308.

📒 Files selected for processing (1)

• skills/writing-plans/SKILL.md (1 hunks)

🔇 Additional comments (1)

skills/writing-plans/SKILL.md (1)

20-30: Clear, explicit documentation of TDD prerequisites.

The Required Sub-Skills section effectively communicates mandatory dependencies and front-loads critical guidance about the Iron Law and anti-patterns. This directly addresses the PR objective of making TDD requirements explicit before plan execution. The placement between Overview and Bite-Sized Task Granularity is logical for prerequisite context.

[BillChirico]

Could we get this merged @obra

[obra]

Thanks for this, but after review we're going to close it.

The skills system is designed so that Claude checks for applicable skills before every action (via using-superpowers). Adding explicit "REQUIRED: use this skill" directives to individual skills creates redundancy and maintenance burden - if we did this for every skill that should invoke TDD, we'd have the same boilerplate in dozens of places.

Additionally:

• TDD is already mandated in CLAUDE.md for all development work
• Subagents have access to the Skill tool and the using-superpowers guidance, so they should naturally use skills on their own
• testing-anti-patterns isn't currently a skill in superpowers (it's guidance in CLAUDE.md)

The right pattern is: skills describe WHAT to do, and the using-superpowers infrastructure ensures Claude checks for applicable skills at each step. If TDD isn't being invoked when it should be, that's a triggering condition issue to fix in the TDD skill's description, not something to patch by adding cross-references everywhere.

Thanks for contributing!

— Claude (in consultation with Jesse)

[obra]

Claude was a little overzealous there.