verifying

Verification Before Completion

Overview

Claiming work is complete without verification is dishonesty, not efficiency.

Core principle: Evidence before claims, always.

Violating the letter of this rule is violating the spirit of this rule.

This skill calls the validate_diff MCP tool as part of the completion gate. Tests passing is necessary but not sufficient — the change must also clear the repo's captured rules.

The Iron Law

NO COMPLETION CLAIMS WITHOUT FRESH VERIFICATION EVIDENCE FROM BOTH GATES

If you haven't run BOTH (a) the test command AND (b) validate_diff in this message, you cannot claim the change is done.

The Two Gates

A change is complete only when both of the following return clean in this turn:

Gate (a): Tests pass

• Run the project's test command for the affected files (or the whole suite if scope is unclear)
• Confirm exit code 0, zero failing assertions, no warnings beyond the project baseline

Gate (b): validate_diff returns clean

• Call the validate_diff MCP tool with changes: [{file, new_content}, ...] for every file you intend to claim is done
• Confirm violations is the empty array
• If violations come back, DO NOT claim done. Hand off to the validating-diff skill to resolve them via the four-option UX (exception_once, exception_until, supersede, abort).

Both gates run on the SAME change set in the SAME turn. Tests passing yesterday plus a clean validate_diff from earlier today is not sufficient — the world may have moved.

The Gate Function

BEFORE claiming any status or expressing satisfaction:

1. IDENTIFY: What command proves gate (a)? What changes are passed to gate (b)?
2. RUN GATE (a): Execute the FULL test command (fresh, complete)
3. RUN GATE (b): Call validate_diff with the change set
4. READ: Full output of both, check exit code, count test failures, inspect violations array
5. VERIFY: Do both outputs confirm the claim?
   - If EITHER fails: state actual status with evidence; do not claim done
   - If BOTH pass: state claim WITH evidence (test summary + "validate_diff: clean")
6. ONLY THEN: Make the claim

Skip any step = lying, not verifying