T-8DQQ-start-task-tests-in-quality-checks

Status: closed/obsoleted · Impact: medium · Complexity: small

Auto-generated from a /sdlc:task-work post-mortem. Review and promote to open/ready before picking up.

Goal

plugin/skills/task-work/test_start_task.py covers the script that landed in T-VFGF-extract-start-task-script (the extracted Step 5b orchestration). It is not currently part of sdlc.yaml’s quality_checks: list, which means a regression in start_task.py will not surface in the standard pre-PR quality- checks gate — only a contributor invoking the test directly will catch it. The other co-located skill test runners (plugin/skills/<skill>/tests/run_evals.py) are listed; this one should be too.

Today

“plugin/skills/task-work/test_start_task.py is not currently listed in sdlc.yaml’s quality_checks: — it only runs if a contributor invokes it directly. The other co-located skill tests (plugin/skills/*/tests/run_evals.py) are listed.”

sdlc.yaml declares (as of 2026-05-21):

quality_checks:
  - plugin/scripts/audit_entities.py
  - plugin/skills/entities-audit/tests/run_evals.py
  - plugin/skills/entities-migrate/tests/run_evals.py
  - plugin/skills/import-planning/tests/run_evals.py
  - plugin/skills/orchestrate/tests/run_evals.py
  - plugin/skills/task-ensure-ready/tests/run_evals.py

plugin/skills/task-work/test_start_task.py is absent. The existing entries point at tests/run_evals.py files — single entry points for each skill’s full eval/test suite — which test_start_task.py does not match. Either promote the test into a tests/run_evals.py shape or add test_start_task.py directly to the list.

Proposed

sdlc.yaml’s quality_checks: list contains an entry that runs plugin/skills/task-work/test_start_task.py on every quality-check invocation. A regression in start_task.py fails the gate and blocks PRs.

Approach

1. Decide on layout — direct entry (cheapest, one line) vs. restructure into plugin/skills/task-work/tests/run_evals.py (matches the existing convention). Direct entry is the minimum change; restructure is a style call.
2. Edit sdlc.yaml to add the entry.
3. Run plugin/scripts/run_quality_checks.py --config sdlc.yaml --line and confirm the new entry passes.

Files to touch

Location	Kind	Change
sdlc.yaml	modify	add one quality_checks: entry.
Optionally: plugin/skills/task-work/tests/run_evals.py“	new	<migrated from v2 — no note recorded>

Acceptance criteria

• AC-1: sdlc.yaml’s quality_checks: list includes an entry that, when run, executes plugin/skills/task-work/test_start_task.py (directly or via a run_evals.py wrapper).
• AC-2: plugin/scripts/run_quality_checks.py --config sdlc.yaml --line reports OK N/N with the new entry present.
• AC-3: Deliberately breaking start_task.py (e.g. raising in start_task.main) causes the executor to print FAIL and exit non-zero, confirming the gate actually wires the test.

Out of scope

• Promoting start_task.py into a shared script under plugin/scripts/ — co-location with task-work is correct per plugin/skills/CLAUDE.md until a second skill needs it.

Dependencies

• none

Discovery context

Spawned by /sdlc:task-work post-mortem of T-VFGF-extract-start-task-script on 2026-05-21.

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