---

name: test-cli-application locale: caveman-ultra source_locale: en source_commit: 82c77053 fence_basis_commit: 82c77053 translator: "Julius Brussee homage — caveman" translation_date: "2026-05-03" description: > Integration tests for Node.js CLI app via built-in node:test. exec helper, output assertions, fs state verify, cleanup hooks, JSON parsing, err cases, state restoration after destructive. Use → add tests to existing CLI, test new cmd, verify adapter behavior across frameworks, setup CI. license: MIT allowed-tools: Read Write Edit Bash Grep Glob metadata: author: Philipp Thoss version: "1.0" domain: cli complexity: intermediate language: TypeScript tags: - cli - testing - nodejs - node-test - integration

Test CLI App

Integration tests via built-in node:test + execSync.

Use When

• Add tests to existing CLI
• Test new cmd
• Verify adapter/plugin behavior across frameworks
• Setup CI validating CLI correctness
• Catch regressions after CLI internal refactor

In

• Required: Path to CLI entry (cli/index.js)
• Required: Cmds to test
• Optional: Framework adapters to test (dry-run)
• Optional: Cleanup reqs (files/symlinks created)

Do

Step 1: Setup Test Infra

import { describe, it, before, after } from 'node:test';
import assert from 'node:assert/strict';
import { execSync } from 'child_process';
import { existsSync, rmSync } from 'fs';
import { resolve } from 'path';

const CLI = 'node cli/index.js';
const ROOT = process.cwd();

function run(args) {
  return execSync(`${CLI} ${args}`, {
    cwd: ROOT,
    encoding: 'utf8',
    timeout: 10000,
  });
}

Design decisions:

• node:test built-in — no test runner dep
• execSync runs CLI as subprocess → tests actual binary, not internals
• 10s timeout prevents hanging on prompts
• encoding: 'utf8' → strings for regex
• All paths relative to ROOT for reproducibility

Got: Test file imports from node:test, working run() helper.

If err: node:test not avail → Node < 18. Upgrade | polyfill.

Step 2: Smoke Tests

Verify CLI starts, parses args, expected output shapes:

describe('meta', () => {
  it('shows version', () => {
    const out = run('--version');
    assert.match(out, /\d+\.\d+\.\d+/);
  });

  it('shows help with all commands', () => {
    const out = run('--help');
    assert.match(out, /install/);
    assert.match(out, /list/);
    assert.match(out, /detect/);
  });
});

describe('registry', () => {
  it('list shows expected counts', () => {
    const out = run('list --domains');
    assert.match(out, /\d+ domains/);
  });

  it('search finds known items', () => {
    const out = run('search "docker"');
    assert.match(out, /result\(s\) for "docker"/);
  });

  it('search returns 0 for nonsense', () => {
    const out = run('search "xyzzy-nonexistent"');
    assert.match(out, /0 result/);
  });
});

Smoke patterns:

• --version + --help always work
• Registry loading validates data integrity
• Search w/ known + unknown terms

Got: Smoke tests confirm CLI functional, data loaded.

If err: Registry counts change often → use \d+ not hardcoded #s.

Step 3: Lifecycle Tests

Create → verify → delete sequences w/ cleanup:

describe('install', () => {
  const testPath = resolve(ROOT, '.agents/skills/commit-changes');

  after(() => {
    // Always clean up, even if tests fail
    try { rmSync(testPath); } catch {}
    try { rmSync(resolve(ROOT, '.agents/skills'), { recursive: true }); } catch {}
    try { rmSync(resolve(ROOT, '.agents'), { recursive: true }); } catch {}
  });

  it('dry-run does not create files', () => {
    const out = run('install commit-changes --dry-run');
    assert.match(out, /DRY RUN/);
    assert.ok(!existsSync(testPath));
  });

  it('installs creates the target', () => {
    run('install commit-changes');
    assert.ok(existsSync(testPath));
  });

  it('skips already installed', () => {
    const out = run('install commit-changes');
    assert.match(out, /skipped/);
  });

  it('uninstall removes the target', () => {
    run('uninstall commit-changes');
    assert.ok(!existsSync(testPath));
  });
});

Cleanup rules:

• Use after() not afterEach() — lifecycle tests build on each other
• Wrap cleanup in try/catch — must not fail suite
• Clean leaf → root (file → parent → grandparent)
• Modifies shared state (symlinks, configs) → restore

Got: Tests run in sequence within describe, cleanup runs even on fail.

If err: Tests run parallel (non-default in node:test) → force sequential w/ { concurrency: 1 }.

Step 4: Dry-Run Tests Per Adapter

Test each adapter's target path w/o changes:

describe('adapter: cursor (dry-run)', () => {
  it('targets .cursor/skills/ path', () => {
    const out = run('install commit-changes --framework cursor --dry-run');
    assert.match(out, /\.cursor\/skills/i);
  });
});

describe('adapter: copilot (dry-run)', () => {
  it('targets .github/ path', () => {
    const out = run('install commit-changes --framework copilot --dry-run');
    assert.match(out, /\.github/i);
  });
});

Pattern scales to any adapters. Each test:

• --framework bypasses auto-detection
• --dry-run → no files created
• Asserts target path appears in output

Got: 1 describe per adapter, each w/ ≥ path assertion.

If err: Adapter doesn't exist in proj → fails w/ "Unknown framework". Correct — adapter tests should only exist for implemented.

Step 5: Err Case Tests

describe('errors', () => {
  it('rejects unknown items', () => {
    assert.throws(
      () => run('install nonexistent-skill-xyz'),
      /No matching items|Unknown/,
    );
  });

  it('rejects unknown framework', () => {
    assert.throws(
      () => run('install commit-changes --framework nonexistent'),
      /Unknown framework/,
    );
  });

  it('handles missing state gracefully', () => {
    assert.throws(
      () => run('scatter nonexistent-team'),
      /not burning|Unknown/,
    );
  });
});

Err testing patterns:

• assert.throws catches non-zero exits from execSync
• Regex match on err msg (captured from stderr)
• Test "item not found" + "invalid option" errs
• Verify err msgs suggest corrective actions

Got: All err paths → non-zero exits + helpful msgs.

If err: execSync throws on non-zero. Err's stderr | stdout has msg. Check error.stdout if regex doesn't match.

Step 6: JSON Output Tests

describe('json output', () => {
  it('campfire --json outputs valid JSON', () => {
    const out = run('campfire --json');
    const data = JSON.parse(out);
    assert.ok(typeof data.totalTeams === 'number');
    assert.ok(Array.isArray(data.fires));
  });

  it('gather --dry-run --json outputs structured data', () => {
    const out = run('gather tending --dry-run --json');
    // JSON may follow a DRY RUN header — extract from first '{'
    const jsonStart = out.indexOf('{');
    assert.ok(jsonStart >= 0, 'Should contain JSON');
    const data = JSON.parse(out.slice(jsonStart));
    assert.equal(data.team, 'tending');
  });
});

JSON testing gotchas:

• Some cmds prefix JSON w/ human text (DRY RUN header)
• Extract JSON by first {
• Validate structure (key presence, types), not exact values
• Counts may change as content added

Got: JSON output parseable + contains expected keys.

If err: JSON.parse fails → cmd may mix human text + JSON. Fix cmd → pure JSON in --json mode | extract substring.

Step 7: Cleanup + State Restoration

describe('stateful commands', () => {
  const stateDir = resolve(ROOT, '.agent-almanac');

  after(() => {
    // Remove state file created by tests
    try { rmSync(stateDir, { recursive: true }); } catch {}
  });

  // Tests that create/modify state...
});

// Restore symlinks that destructive tests may remove
describe('destructive tests', () => {
  after(() => {
    // Restore symlinks that scatter/uninstall removed
    const skills = ['heal', 'meditate', 'remote-viewing'];
    for (const skill of skills) {
      const link = resolve(ROOT, `.claude/skills/${skill}`);
      if (!existsSync(link)) {
        try {
          execSync(`ln -s ../../skills/${skill} ${link}`, { cwd: ROOT });
        } catch {}
      }
    }
  });
});

State restoration rules:

• State files (.agent-almanac/state.json) → cleaned after tests
• Symlinks removed by scatter/uninstall → restored
• Manifest (agent-almanac.yml) created by init → removed
• Order: after() runs reverse declaration order → declare restore hooks last

Got: Suite leaves proj in same state found.

If err: CI reports leftover files → add cleanup to after(). Use git status after to detect leaked state.

Check

• Test file runs node --test cli/test/cli.test.js
• All pass (0 fails)
• Smoke tests cover --version, --help, registry loading
• Lifecycle: create → verify → delete w/ cleanup
• ≥1 adapter dry-run test per implemented adapter
• Err cases test non-zero exits w/ msg matching
• JSON tests parse actual output (not mocked)
• After hooks restore all modified state

Traps

• Hardcoded counts: Registry totals change. Use \d+ regex | read dynamic vs 329 skills.
• Tests dep on order: node:test runs suites in declaration order default, but within suite may not. Lifecycle suites (create → verify → delete) within single describe for guarantee.
• Missing cleanup on fail: Test fails mid-lifecycle → after() still runs. Throw in before() → subsequent + after() may not. Keep before() minimal.
• Interactive prompts hang: Confirmation prompts hang execSync. Pipe echo y | | ensure --yes always passed.
• Real installs in CI: Tests creating in .claude/skills/ | .agents/skills/ modify working tree. CI may fail on "dirty WD" checks. Always clean.

→

• scaffold-cli-command — build cmds these tests verify
• build-cli-plugin — build adapters tested in Step 4
• design-cli-output — output patterns tests assert against