Test Trait Tagging

Workflow

Step 1: Detect the test framework

Examine project files and source code to determine the framework — see the exp-dotnet-test-frameworks skill for the complete detection table (package references, test markers, assertion APIs, and skip annotations).

Step 2: Scan existing traits

Check which tests already have trait attributes:

| Framework | Existing Attribute | Example | |-----------|--------------------|---------| | MSTest | [TestCategory("...")] | [TestCategory("positive")] | | xUnit | [Trait("Category", "...")] | [Trait("Category", "positive")] | | NUnit | [Category("...")] | [Category("positive")] |

Record which tests already have tags to avoid duplication.

Step 3: Classify each test method

For each test method without traits, analyze:

1. Method name -- names containing Invalid, Fail, Error, Throw, Reject, BadInput, Null, Negative suggest negative
2. Assertion type -- Assert.ThrowsException, Assert.Throws, Should().Throw() suggest negative
3. Input values -- null, "", 0, -1, int.MaxValue, int.MinValue, empty collections suggest boundary
4. Setup complexity -- minimal setup with basic assertions suggests smoke; external dependencies suggest integration
5. Comments and names -- references to issue numbers or "regression" / "bug" / "fix for #..." suggest regression
6. Timing assertions -- Stopwatch, BenchmarkDotNet, elapsed-time checks suggest performance
7. Feature centrality -- tests on primary public API entry points or critical user workflows suggest critical-path
8. Security patterns -- validates auth, checks permissions, sanitizes input, tests for injection, handles tokens/secrets suggest security
9. Parallel/async constructs -- Task.WhenAll, Parallel.ForEach, locks, SemaphoreSlim, ConcurrentDictionary, race condition names suggest concurrency
10. Fault injection -- simulates failures, tests retries, timeouts, or circuit breakers suggest resilience
11. State mutation -- deletes external records, drops resources, modifies shared/global state suggest destructive
12. Full-stack flow -- test spans entry point through data layer to final response, covering a complete user scenario suggest end-to-end
13. Config/settings -- loads configuration, tests missing keys, validates options, checks environment variables suggest configuration
14. Known instability -- test has [Ignore]/[Skip] comments about flakiness, or names contain "flaky"/"intermittent" suggest flaky
15. Default -- if the test verifies a normal success path, tag positive

When in doubt between positive and negative, read the assertion: if it asserts success -> positive; if it asserts failure -> negative.

Step 4: Apply trait attributes

Add the appropriate attribute to each test method. Place trait attributes on the line directly above or below the existing test attribute.

MSTest:

[TestMethod]
[TestCategory("negative")]
[TestCategory("boundary")]
public void Parse_NullInput_ThrowsArgumentNullException() { ... }

xUnit:

[Fact]
[Trait("Category", "positive")]
[Trait("Category", "critical-path")]
public void CreateOrder_ValidItems_ReturnsConfirmation() { ... }

NUnit:

[Test]
[Category("regression")]
[Category("negative")]
public void Calculate_OverflowInput_ReturnsError() // Fix for #1234
{ ... }

Step 5: Generate trait summary

After tagging, produce a summary table:

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