Post-Change Verification Protocol

This skill defines the mandatory verification steps that Go agents must perform after modifying code files.

When to Use

Use this skill ALWAYS when:

• Creating new code files
• Modifying existing code files
• Refactoring code
• Generating code

Do NOT use when:

• Only reading/analyzing code (no modifications)
• Generating documentation only
• Running diagnostics or audits

Protocol Steps

After completing code changes, agents MUST execute these steps IN ORDER:

Step 1: Format Code

make fmt
# or if Makefile not available:
go fmt ./...

Purpose: Ensure consistent code formatting using Go's official formatter.

Step 2: Run Linter

make lint
# or if Makefile not available:
golangci-lint run

Purpose: Detect code quality issues, potential bugs, and style violations.

Step 3: Build (Type Check)

make build
# or if Makefile not available:
go build ./...

Purpose: Verify code compiles without errors. Go's compiler performs type checking.

Step 4: Run Related Tests

make test
# or if Makefile not available:
go test ./path/to/modified/...
# or run all tests:
go test ./...

Purpose: Verify code changes do not break existing functionality.

Step 5: Verify Zero Issues

TARGET: All steps must complete with ZERO errors and ZERO warnings.

If any step reports errors or warnings, proceed to Exception Handling.

Exception Handling

When verification finds issues, follow this decision tree:

Issue Found During Verification
            |
            v
    Was this issue caused
    by current changes?
            |
     +------+------+
     |             |
    YES           NO
     |             |
     v             v
  Fix it      Is it in a file
  now         you modified?
                   |
            +------+------+
            |             |
           YES           NO
            |             |
            v             v
      Is it a         Document and
      small fix?      report only
      (< 10 lines)         |
            |              |
     +------+------+       v
     |             |    DONE
    YES           NO    (proceed with
     |             |     task)
    v             v
  Fix it      Document,
  now         report,
              recommend
              separate task

Decision Rules

1. Issue caused by your changes: Fix immediately before completing task
2. Pre-existing issue in modified file, small fix (< 10 lines): Fix as part of current work
3. Pre-existing issue in modified file, large fix (>= 10 lines): Document and report, recommend separate cleanup task
4. Pre-existing issue in unmodified file: Document and report only, do not fix

Example Scenarios

Scenario 1: You add a new function and the linter reports an unused variable in your new code.

• Action: Fix it immediately (issue caused by your changes)

Scenario 2: You modify a file and discover a pre-existing lint warning (3 lines to fix) in a function you touched.

• Action: Fix it as part of your work (small fix in modified file)

Scenario 3: You modify a file and discover 50+ lines of lint warnings throughout the file.

• Action: Document the issues, complete your task, recommend separate cleanup task

Scenario 4: Lint reports warnings in a file you did not modify.

• Action: Document the issues in output, proceed with task completion

Verification Output Format

Report verification results using this consistent format:

=== POST-CHANGE VERIFICATION ===

Format:     [PASSED | FAILED | SKIPPED (reason)]
Lint:       [PASSED | FAILED] ([X] errors, [Y] warnings)
Build:      [PASSED | FAILED] ([X] errors)
Tests:      [PASSED | FAILED] ([X]/[Y] passed)

Pre-existing issues: [NONE | count listed below]
[If issues exist, list them here]

=== [TASK COMPLETE | VERIFICATION FAILED] ===

Example: All Checks Passed

=== POST-CHANGE VERIFICATION ===

Format:     PASSED
Lint:       PASSED (0 errors, 0 warnings)
Build:      PASSED (0 errors)
Tests:      PASSED (24/24)

Pre-existing issues: NONE

=== TASK COMPLETE ===

Example: Pre-existing Issues Found

=== POST-CHANGE VERIFICATION ===

Format:     PASSED
Lint:       FAILED (0 errors caused by this change)
Build:      PASSED (0 errors)
Tests:      PASSED (24/24)

Pre-existing issues (not caused by this change):
- internal/legacy/handler.go: Line 45 - exported function without comment
- pkg/utils/strings.go: Lines 78-92 - ineffective assignment

These issues require structural changes beyond the scope of this task.
Recommend creating a separate cleanup task.

=== TASK COMPLETE ===

Example: Issues Caused by Changes

=== POST-CHANGE VERIFICATION ===

Format:     PASSED
Lint:       FAILED (2 errors, 1 warning)
Build:      FAILED (1 error)
Tests:      FAILED (22/24)

Issues to fix:
- cmd/server/main.go: Line 23 - undefined: Config
- internal/service/user.go: Line 45 - unused variable 'temp'
- internal/service/user.go: Line 67 - missing error check

=== VERIFICATION FAILED - FIX ISSUES BEFORE COMPLETING ===

Graceful Degradation

Handle missing or failing commands gracefully:

Example: Missing Linter

=== POST-CHANGE VERIFICATION ===

Format:     PASSED
Lint:       SKIPPED (command not found - golangci-lint not installed)
Build:      PASSED (0 errors)
Tests:      PASSED (24/24)

Pre-existing issues: NONE

Note: Consider installing golangci-lint for full quality verification.

=== TASK COMPLETE ===

Makefile Integration

Go projects MUST use Makefile for build operations. Ensure these targets exist:

.PHONY: fmt lint build test

fmt:
	go fmt ./...

lint:
	golangci-lint run

build:
	go build -o ./bin/app ./cmd/app

test:
	go test -v ./...

# Combined verification target
verify: fmt lint build test

If Makefile targets are missing, fall back to direct commands but note in output.

Best Practices

1. Run all steps in order - Each step may reveal different issues
2. Fix your own issues first - Never leave broken code from your changes
3. Document pre-existing issues clearly - Help future cleanup efforts
4. Use the 10-line rule consistently - Small fixes improve code health, large fixes need dedicated tasks
5. Report honestly - Verification results are informational, not judgmental
6. Use Makefile targets - Always prefer make fmt over go fmt ./...

Code Review Checklist

Before completing any code-modifying task:

• Format check passed (make fmt)
• Lint check passed (or pre-existing issues documented)
• Build check passed (or pre-existing issues documented)
• Tests passed (or pre-existing issues documented)
• All issues caused by changes are fixed
• Pre-existing issues clearly documented
• Verification output included in task completion