Test Audit
- Authoring gates every new/changed test.
- Audits: remove low-value proof in coherent owner batches; never chase deletion counts.
- Whole-subsystem campaign: read CAMPAIGN.md first.
Authoring gate
Before adding test, answer:
- Protected observable behavior, invariant, or independent contract?
- Credible regression that makes it fail?
- Why existing proof misses it? Each contract: one primary owner at strongest boundary. Another layer needs distinct transport/lifecycle risk. Extend tables/shared fixtures; consolidate repeated setup.
- Export, flag, wrapper, injection hook with no production caller needed? Move proof to real boundary instead.
- Use boundary and cost guide.
- Regressions must fail pre-fix for intended reason, pass after repair; report unavailable baseline proof.
- One owner regression covers bug; never replay at every crossed layer.
- Behavior-preserving refactors should not break test.
Junk patterns
- Reject self-comparisons, copied inventories, source greps, implementation/call-shape assertions, duplicate contracts, test-only seams, subject-generated expected values, mocks supplying asserted behavior.
- Fixtures must not fabricate owner receipts/order or claim persistence path never writes.
- Negative controls must fail at intended guard; names must match exercised behavior.
- Auditing candidates: use full checklist.
Retention bar
- Keep independent API, SDK, protocol, config, migration, storage, security, platform, default, prompt-byte, generated-language, package, release, architecture, observable-ordering contracts. Static/slow ≠ disposable.
- Source inspection must survive identifier-only refactors and guard independent user-facing contract.
- Baseline failures may be bugs to repair, not tests to delete.
Audit and validation
- Before audit edit: read candidate evidence and workflow; inspect full owners/callers/history; record remaining proof before deletion.
- Delete obsolete production seams with tests; never optimize for deletion counts.
- Follow proof policy; preserve active Vitest checkouts; run owner/sibling proof + changed checks; then autoreview.
- Report causes, retained contracts, proof/cost, production versus test LOC, follow-ups. Commit/push/land only with task authority.