test-guide-from-code

Manual Test Guide Generation

Automatically generate a structured manual test guide from code changes, enabling testers to precisely verify changed functionality.

Input formats, output templates, and examples: see reference.md.

Triggers

• "generate test guide" "test guide" "manual test guide" "test instructions" (generate test guide / manual test guide)
• 「test guide」
• "generate test from code" "generate test guide from code" (generate test from code)
• "generate test guide from MR" "generate test guide from PR" (test guide from MR / from PR)
• Supports arguments: "generate test guide:https://gitlab.example.com/merge_requests/123」

When to Use

• After an MR/PR is submitted, provide a verification guide for testers
• Before a release, outline manual regression testing scope based on code changes
• For feature delivery acceptance, derive testable user behaviors from code changes

Execution Flow

Step 1: Obtain Changes

1. Detect input type (see input format table in reference.md), choose the appropriate retrieval method
2. If URL: try CLI to get diff; if fails, prompt user to paste
3. If no input: git diff (working tree) or git diff HEAD~1 (latest commit)
4. Confirm a valid diff was obtained

Step 2: Change Analysis

1. Changed file inventory: grouped by functional module
2. Change type classification: 🆕 Added / 🔄 Modified / 🐛 Fixed / ⚙️ Config / 🗑️ Removed
3. User-perceivable behavior changes: infer impact on user/system behavior
4. Implicit change identification: config files, dependency upgrades, database migrations, API contract changes

Step 3: Generate Test Guide

Each test item includes: test objective, prerequisites, test steps (non-developer friendly), expected results, priority.

Priority: P0 core business/data writes/security → P1 auxiliary features/UI/performance → P2 styling/copy/internal refactoring

Change type → Test strategy:

• 🆕 → Happy path + boundary/edge cases
• 🔄 → Verify changed points + regression of existing functionality
• 🐛 → Bug scenario verification + regression of related features
• ⚙️ → Config effectiveness + regression of affected features
• 🗑️ → Confirm removal + verify related features are unaffected

Step 4: Supplement Regression Verification

Derive related modules from changed modules, list functional points requiring regression and verification methods.

Step 5: Output

Generate the test guide using the template format in reference.md, saving as a markdown file to the current working directory by default.

File naming: <feature>_manual_test_guide_<YYYY-MM-DD>.md (naming rules and examples: see reference.md "File Naming Rules")

User override: User can specify a custom path or filename at trigger time; save as specified.

Conversation output: Do not repeat full content — only output a brief summary: save path, test item statistics (by P0/P1/P2 distribution), 3–5 core change points, regression scope. Full test items are always written to file only (strategy: see reference.md "Conversation Output Strategy").

Red Flags

• ❌ Skipping implicit change identification, only analyzing business code
• ❌ Test steps using developer jargon ("call API", "returns 200")
• ❌ Missing the original bug scenario for bug fixes
• ❌ Mixing automated tests into the manual test guide
• ❌ Ignoring regression verification scope
• ❌ Generating test items from nothing when no diff was obtained
• ❌ Writing files without confirming the current working directory, causing files to land in the wrong location
• ❌ Filename containing spaces or special filesystem characters (/ \ : * ? " < > |)
• ❌ Not reporting the full save path in the conversation after generating the file