name	plugin-testing
description	Run automated stability tests, pluginval validation, and DAW testing for audio plugins. Invoke when user mentions test, validate, validation, pluginval, stability, automated tests, run tests, check plugin, or quality assurance
allowed-tools	Read, Bash, Task
preconditions	Plugin must exist, Plugin status must NOT be 💡 (must have implementation)

plugin-testing Skill

Purpose: Catch crashes, parameter issues, and state bugs in 2 minutes with automated tests.

Workflow Overview

This skill provides three test modes:

Automated Testing (~2 min) - Quick C++ unit tests for stability
Build + Pluginval (~5-10 min) - Industry-standard validation (50+ tests) ⭐ RECOMMENDED
Manual DAW Testing (~30-60 min) - Real-world testing with guided checklist

Phase 1: Detect Plugin and Mode Selection

**You MUST complete ALL steps before presenting mode selection:**

Parse plugin name from user input (extract from /test [Name] or natural language)
Read PLUGINS.md and verify plugin exists
Verify plugin status is NOT 💡 (implementation must exist)
Check for Tests/ directory existence: test -d "plugins/$PLUGIN_NAME/Tests/"

Once validation complete, you MUST present mode selection menu (see assets/decision-menu-templates.md#mode-selection)

You MUST NOT proceed to Phase 2 until user selects a mode (1-4)

Parse shorthand commands:

/test [PluginName] build → Jump to Mode 2
/test [PluginName] quick → Jump to Mode 1
/test [PluginName] manual → Jump to Mode 3

Phase 2: Execute Test Mode

Mode 1: Automated Testing

**You MUST execute these steps in exact order:** **Step 1: Read Test Specifications**

You MUST read references/test-specifications.md for detailed test implementations before proceeding.

**Step 2: Check for Tests/ Directory**

You MUST verify Tests/ directory exists:

test -d "plugins/$PLUGIN_NAME/Tests/"

If missing: You MUST inform user that automated tests require test infrastructure and suggest Mode 2 (pluginval) as recommended alternative. Present decision menu from assets/decision-menu-templates.md#missing-tests.

**Step 3: Build and Execute Tests**

You MUST build and run tests (see references/test-specifications.md#execution).

**Step 4: Parse Test Results**

You MUST parse test output and generate report using template from assets/report-templates.md#mode1-results.

**Step 5: Present Results**

You MUST present test results and post-test decision menu (see assets/decision-menu-templates.md#post-test-mode1). WAIT for user selection.

Mode 2: Build + Pluginval

**You MUST execute these steps in exact order:** **Step 1: Prerequisites Check**

You MUST read references/pluginval-guide.md#installation-check for implementation details.

Check for pluginval installation using script from reference file.

If pluginval not found: You MUST present installation decision menu (see assets/decision-menu-templates.md#pluginval-install) and WAIT for user response. BLOCK execution until resolved.

**Step 2: Build Release Binaries**

You MUST build in Release mode (see references/pluginval-guide.md#build-process):

Locate binaries:

VST3_PATH="build/plugins/$PLUGIN_NAME/${PLUGIN_NAME}_artefacts/Release/VST3/${PRODUCT_NAME}.vst3"
AU_PATH="build/plugins/$PLUGIN_NAME/${PLUGIN_NAME}_artefacts/Release/AU/${PRODUCT_NAME}.component"

**Step 3: Run Pluginval**

You MUST validate both formats at strictness level 10 (see references/pluginval-guide.md#execution).

**Step 4: Parse Results**

You MUST parse pluginval output (see references/pluginval-guide.md#parsing-output) and generate report using template from assets/report-templates.md#mode2-results.

**Step 5: Present Results and Next Steps**

You MUST present post-test decision menu (see assets/decision-menu-templates.md#post-test-mode2) and WAIT for user selection.

Mode 3: Manual DAW Testing

**You MUST execute these steps in exact order:** **Step 1: Read DAW Testing Guide**

You MUST read references/manual-testing-guide.md for complete manual testing procedures.

**Step 2: Generate Customized Checklist**

You MUST generate customized checklist from parameter-spec.md tailored to plugin's specific parameters and features.

**Step 3: Present Checklist**

You MUST present checklist to user with instructions for manual testing in their DAW.

Inform user to report back with results (pass/fail per item).

**Step 4: Collect Results**

WAIT for user to complete manual testing and provide results.

You MUST parse user's feedback and generate completion report.

**Step 5: Present Next Steps**

You MUST present post-test decision menu (see assets/decision-menu-templates.md#post-test-mode3) and WAIT for user selection.

Phase 3: Failure Investigation (Option 1)

**When user chooses "Investigate failures":** 1. You MUST read `references/troubleshooting.md` for each failed test 2. Provide initial fix recommendations from troubleshooting docs 3. Offer code inspection option

For non-trivial issues (not documented in troubleshooting.md):
You MUST delegate to `deep-research` skill via Task tool:
```
Task: "Investigate [test_name] failure in [PluginName]

Context:
- Test failed: [specific failure message]
- Plugin type: [from creative-brief.md]
- Relevant code: [file paths from investigation]

Goal: Find root cause and provide specific fix"
```
WAIT for deep-research completion before presenting results to user.

NEVER attempt to fix complex issues without delegation to deep-research.

Phase 4: Log Test Results

**After completing ANY test mode (1, 2, or 3), you MUST:** **Requirement 1: Save Test Log**

You MUST save detailed test log to: logs/[PluginName]/test_[timestamp].log

Use format from assets/report-templates.md#test-log-format

**Requirement 2: Update .continue-here.md**

You MUST update .continue-here.md:

Set current_stage: "testing_complete"
Set next_step based on test results (Stage 6 if passed, investigation if failed)
Record test_date: [timestamp]
Record test_mode: [1/2/3]

**Requirement 3: Update PLUGINS.md**

You MUST update PLUGINS.md for {PLUGIN_NAME}:

Set test_status: "✅ passed" or "❌ failed"
Record last_tested: [date]
Record test_mode_used: [Mode 1/2/3]

You MUST complete ALL three requirements before proceeding to decision menu.

VERIFY both state files updated before presenting next steps.

Success Criteria

Testing is successful when:

✅ Tests run without crashes (even if some fail, process completes)
✅ All tests pass OR failures are documented with clear explanations
✅ User understands what failed and why (no mystery errors)
✅ Logs saved for future reference (logs/[PluginName]/)
✅ User knows next step (install, fix issues, continue workflow)
✅ Test results stored in PLUGINS.md (test date, pass/fail, mode used)

NOT required for success:

100% pass rate (failures are learning opportunities)
Fixing all issues immediately (user can defer fixes)
Running all 3 test modes (one mode is sufficient for validation)

Integration Points

Invoked by:

/test [PluginName] command
/test [PluginName] build → Direct to mode 2
/test [PluginName] quick → Direct to mode 1
/test [PluginName] manual → Direct to mode 3
plugin-workflow skill → After Stages 4, 5, 6
plugin-improve skill → After implementing changes
Natural language: "Test [PluginName]", "Run validation on [PluginName]"

Invokes (future):

deep-research skill (Phase 7) → When user chooses "Investigate failures"

Creates:

Test logs in logs/[PluginName]/test_[timestamp].log
Build artifacts in build/plugins/[PluginName]/

Updates:

.continue-here.md → Testing checkpoint
PLUGINS.md → Test status

Blocks:

Installation (/install-plugin) → Recommends testing first if not done recently

Reference Documentation

Test specifications: references/test-specifications.md - Detailed implementation of 5 automated tests
Pluginval guide: references/pluginval-guide.md - Industry-standard validation details
Manual testing guide: references/manual-testing-guide.md - DAW testing methodology
Troubleshooting: references/troubleshooting.md - Common issues and fixes

Template Assets

Manual testing checklist: assets/manual-testing-checklist.md - DAW testing template

plugin-testing

Install Skill

SKILL.md