Software Practices

Prove Command Construction and Display

TEST-PROVE-COMMAND-CONSTRUCTION-AND-DISPLAY

TestingToolingVerification
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Summary

Test both executable command shape and displayed command text when users rely on them. Quoting, redaction, ordering, and platform formatting can fail even when a local happy path works.

Rule

Prove command construction and display behavior in tests.

Why

Command-building code can be wrong in quoting, argument order, display redaction, environment handling, or platform formatting while still invoking a happy path locally. Tests should prove both the executed shape and the displayed shape when users or logs rely on them.

Helps

  • Prevents shell, display, redaction, and platform bugs in command-facing code.

Limits

Do not assert incidental formatting that callers do not see. Test the command fields, display string, or redaction contract that matters.

Agent Instruction

Prove command construction and display behavior in tests because command-building code can be wrong
in quoting, argument order, display redaction, environment handling, or platform formatting while
still invoking a happy path locally.

Mechanisms

Supported by structured command assertions, golden display output, platform-specific cases, redaction tests, and no-shell argument-vector tests.

References