Match Evidence to Surface

TEST-MATCH-EVIDENCE-TO-SURFACE

Summary

Validate the actual changed surface, such as rendered docs, API behavior, or byte output. The narrowest relevant proof is more persuasive than unrelated broad test success.

Rule

Match validation evidence to the changed surface.

Why

A change to rendered docs, terminal layout, parser output, public API, or performance needs evidence from that surface. A unit test may prove local logic while failing to show that the actual user-facing page, screen, byte output, or API still works.

Helps

Makes validation persuasive because the proof matches what changed.

Limits

Do not run every possible surface check for every edit. Pick the narrowest evidence that would catch the likely failure.

Agent Instruction

Match validation evidence to the changed surface because a change to rendered docs, terminal layout,
parser output, public API, or performance needs evidence from that surface.

Mechanisms

Supported by doctests, snapshots, screenshots, integration tests, byte-level assertions, benchmark output, rendered docs, and command-output fixtures.