Quality Gate — Test + Verify + Ship Safe

Three checkpoints, one skill: Pre-deploy testing, evidence verification, frontend safety.

The Iron Laws

1. NO DEPLOY without passing

   test:gate

   .
2. NO CLAIMS without fresh verification output.
3. NO FRAGILE FRONTEND — safety tests are mandatory.

Phase 0: Infrastructure Setup

Goal: Identify the framework and install the correct testing dependencies.

1. Detect Stack: Check

   package.json

   for framework (React, Vue, Astro, etc.) and

   wrangler.json(c)

   .
2. Install Deps:

   npm install -D vitest jsdom acorn

3. Configure: Create

   vitest.config.ts

   or

   vite.config.ts

   with

   environment: 'jsdom'

   .
4. Wire Scripts:

   {
     "scripts": {
       "test:gate": "vitest run --reporter=verbose"
     }
   }
   

Phase 1: The 4 Core Test Layers

Do not combine these files. They form the "Quality Gate."

Layer 1: Frontend Safety (

test/frontend-safety.test.ts

)

Prevents white screens, template corruption, and syntax errors.

test('app.js does not contain catastrophic corruption', () => {
    const code = fs.readFileSync('public/static/app.js', 'utf-8');
    expect(code).not.toMatch(/=\s*'[^']*\$\{t\(/); // Bug #1
    expect(code).not.toMatch(/<\s+[a-zA-Z]/); // Bug #2
});

Layer 2: API Routes (

test/api-routes.test.ts

)

Ensures backend endpoints respond correctly.

Layer 3: Business Logic (

test/business-logic.test.ts

)

Tests pure functions, validations, and transformations.

Layer 4: i18n Synchronization (

test/i18n-sync.test.ts

)

Guarantees all language files have identical key counts.

Phase 2: Execution (The Gates)

Gate 1: Pre-Deploy Testing

ALWAYS run

npm run test:gate

Protocol

1. Check for skip override (explicit user words only):

   • ✅ "skip tests", "skip testing", "deploy without testing"
   • ❌ "deploy", "quick deploy", "just push it" (= tests required)

2. Run test gate:

   npm run test:gate
   

3. Parse results: total files, total tests, failures, duration

4. Gate decision:

   • 0 failures → proceed to deploy
   • Any failures → STOP. Fix first. Do NOT deploy.

Anti-Patterns

Gate 2: Evidence Before Claims

ALWAYS run the proving command before saying "fixed" or "done."

The Gate Function

1. IDENTIFY → What command proves this claim?
2. RUN → Execute the FULL command (fresh)
3. READ → Full output, check exit code
4. VERIFY → Does output confirm the claim?
5. ONLY THEN → Make the claim

Common Failures

Red Flags — STOP

• Using "should", "probably", "seems to"
• Expressing satisfaction before verification
• Trusting agent success reports
• ANY wording implying success without running verification

Gate 3: Frontend Integrity

Automated via Layer 1 above.

When

Setting up or enhancing test suites for projects with frontend JavaScript/TypeScript.

The 7 Layers

Setup

npm install -D vitest acorn

Layer 1: Syntax Check (Most Critical)

import { parse } from 'acorn';
import { readFileSync } from 'fs';

test('app.js has valid syntax', () => {
  const code = readFileSync('public/static/app.js', 'utf-8');
  expect(() => parse(code, { ecmaVersion: 2022, sourceType: 'script' })).not.toThrow();
});

This single test would have prevented the March 2026 white-screen incident.

Gate 4: Update Working Memory

After ALL gates pass, update

.cm/CONTINUITY.md

• Current Phase: Set to

  verified

  or

  ready-to-deploy

• Just Completed: Add

  ✅ Quality gate passed: [test count] tests, 0 failures

After ANY gate fails, FIRST run Memory Integrity Check:

1. List active learnings/decisions for the failing module
2. Ask: "Did AI follow a learning/decision that caused this failure?"
3. If YES → HEAL memory (invalidate/correct/scope-reduce) BEFORE recording new learning
4. Record meta-learning in

   .cm/meta-learnings.json

   if memory was the cause

Then update

.cm/CONTINUITY.md

• Active Blockers: Add the failing gate details
• Mistakes & Learnings: Record what failed with scope tag:
  • What Failed: [test/gate that failed]
  • How to Prevent: [fix pattern]
  • Scope:

    module:{failing-module}

    or

    global

    if systemic
  • Memory-caused: [yes/no — was existing memory the root cause?]

Token savings: Next session instantly knows if last run passed or failed without re-running the test suite just to check status.

Integration

cm-safe-deploy

cm-identity-guard

cm-tdd

cm-safe-i18n

cm-security-gate

Evidence Requirements for Production Deploy

npm run test:gate

npm run build

snyk test && aikido-api-client scan-release ...

The Bottom Line

Test before deploy. Scan before release. Evidence before claims. Safety before shipping. Non-negotiable.