.NET Advanced Testing Skills Overview

Source: kevintsengtw/​dotnet-testing-agent-skills (MIT). Ported into dotnet-agent-harness.

.NET Advanced Testing Skills Overview

---

🤖 AI Agent Important Notes

When you (AI Agent) are loaded with this advanced entry skill, please read the following guidelines first:

📋 Positioning of This Skill

This file is an "advanced testing navigation center" used to help find the correct advanced sub-skills.

Your Tasks Are

1. ✅ Match corresponding advanced sub-skills based on user needs
2. ✅ Use the Skill tool to load specific sub-skills
3. ✅ Let sub-skills provide professional integration testing guidance

Prohibited Behaviors

• ❌ Do not provide integration test code directly in this entry skill
• ❌ Do not start implementing tests without loading sub-skills
• ❌ Do not skip sub-skills to provide "general" integration testing advice

---

🎯 Quick Skill Reference Table (AI Agent Must Read)

Keywords mentioned by users → Advanced sub-skills to load

Integration Testing Skills

Containerized Testing Skills

Microservice Testing Skills

Framework Upgrade Skills

---

⚠️ Usage Flow Examples

✅ Correct Flow

User: Please help me create API integration tests for ProductsController

AI: I notice you need API integration testing. According to the quick reference table,
    I should load the dotnet-testing-advanced-aspnet-integration-testing skill.

    [Use Skill tool to load sub-skill]

AI: Now following the ASP.NET Core Integration Testing skill guidelines to create tests for you...
```text

### ❌ Incorrect Flow

```text
User: Please help me create API integration tests for ProductsController

AI: Okay, let me write the integration tests... (start writing code directly without loading sub-skills)
```text

---

## 📚 Complete Skill List

To view the complete list of 8 advanced skills, detailed decision trees, and learning path recommendations, please continue reading the subsequent content of this file.

**Human Developer Reference**: For quick lookup, please check [SKILLS_QUICK_INDEX.md](/SKILLS_QUICK_INDEX.md)

---

## Applicable Scenarios

When you need the following advanced testing capabilities, I will help you find the correct skills:

- Test complete Web API endpoints and HTTP flows
- Use real databases in tests (containerized)
- Test NoSQL databases (MongoDB, Redis, etc.)
- Test microservice architectures and distributed systems
- Upgrade test framework versions (xUnit 2.x → 3.x)
- Migrate to new test frameworks (TUnit)
- Create end-to-end integration tests

## Quick Decision Tree

Quickly find corresponding advanced sub-skills based on testing scenarios (API testing, real database, microservices, framework migration). Covers 4 major scenarios and multiple option branches.

> 📖 For details, please refer to [references/​decision-tree.md](references/decision-tree.md)

---

## Skill Classification Map

8 advanced skills divided into three categories: Integration Testing (4), Microservice Testing (1), Framework Migration (3), including each skill's core value, suitable scenarios, learning difficulty, and prerequisite skills.

> 📖 For details, please refer to [references/​skill-classification-map.md](references/skill-classification-map.md)

---

## Common Task Mapping Table

Complete mapping of 7 common tasks, including scenario descriptions, recommended skills, implementation steps, prompt examples, and expected code structures.

> 📖 For details, please refer to [references/​task-mapping-table.md](references/task-mapping-table.md)

---

## Integration Testing Level Mapping

Choose appropriate testing strategies based on project complexity:

### Level 1: Simple WebApi Project

**Project Characteristics**:
- Simple CRUD API
- No external dependencies or use in-memory implementations
- Simple business logic

**Recommended Skills**:
- `dotnet-testing-advanced-aspnet-integration-testing`

**Testing Focus**:
- Route validation
- Model binding
- HTTP responses
- Basic business logic

**Sample Projects**:
- TodoList API
- Simple product catalog

---

### Level 2: WebApi Project with Service Dependencies

**Project Characteristics**:
- Has business logic layer (Services)
- Depends on external services (can be Mocked)
- Medium complexity

**Recommended Skill Combination**:
1. `dotnet-testing-advanced-aspnet-integration-testing` (fundamentals)
2. `dotnet-testing-nsubstitute-mocking` (mocking dependencies)

**Testing Strategy**:
- Use NSubstitute to create Service stubs
- Test Controller and Service interactions
- Validate error handling

**Sample Projects**:
- E-commerce API (with inventory, order services)
- CMS system

---

### Level 3: Complete WebApi Project

**Project Characteristics**:
- Complex business logic
- Needs real database
- May have external API integrations
- Complete error handling

**Recommended Skill Combination**:
1. `dotnet-testing-advanced-webapi-integration-testing` (complete flow)
2. `dotnet-testing-advanced-testcontainers-database` (real database)
3. `dotnet-testing-advanced-testcontainers-nosql` (if using NoSQL)

**Testing Strategy**:
- Use Testcontainers to create real databases
- Complete end-to-end testing
- Test data preparation and cleanup
- Validate all error scenarios

**Sample Projects**:
- Large e-commerce platform
- Enterprise management system
- SaaS application

---

## Learning Path Recommendations

Contains complete learning plans for integration testing entry (1 week), microservice testing specialization (3-5 days), and framework migration paths, including daily learning focuses.

> 📖 For details, please refer to [references/​learning-paths.md](references/learning-paths.md)

---

## Skill Combination Recommendations

Based on different project needs, the following skill combinations are recommended:

### Combination 1: Complete API Testing Project

**Suitable**: Creating complete test suites for production projects

**Skill Combination**:
1. `dotnet-testing-advanced-aspnet-integration-testing` (fundamentals)
2. `dotnet-testing-advanced-testcontainers-database` (real database)
3. `dotnet-testing-advanced-webapi-integration-testing` (complete flow)

**Learning Order**:
1. Learn aspnet-integration-testing for fundamentals first
2. Then learn testcontainers-database to master database testing
3. Finally learn webapi-integration-testing for integrated application

**Expected Results**:
- Can create complete tests for Web API projects
- Use real databases to validate behavior
- Test all CRUD endpoints and error handling

---

### Combination 2: Microservice Testing Solution

**Suitable**: Microservice architectures, distributed systems

**Skill Combination**:
1. `dotnet-testing-advanced-aspire-testing` (core)
2. `dotnet-testing-advanced-testcontainers-database` (database)
3. `dotnet-testing-advanced-testcontainers-nosql` (NoSQL)

**Learning Order**:
1. Learn testcontainers first (database testing fundamentals)
2. Then learn aspire-testing (microservice testing)

**Expected Results**:
- Test .NET Aspire projects
- Validate inter-service communication
- Use containerized environments for testing

---

### Combination 3: Framework Modernization

**Suitable**: Test framework upgrades or migrations

#### Option A: xUnit Upgrade
**Skills**:
- `dotnet-testing-advanced-xunit-upgrade-guide`

**Suitable**:
- Existing projects using xUnit 2.x
- Want to upgrade to latest version

---

#### Option B: TUnit Migration
**Skill Combination**:
1. `dotnet-testing-advanced-tunit-fundamentals` (fundamentals)
2. `dotnet-testing-advanced-tunit-advanced` (advanced)

**Suitable**:
- New projects choosing test frameworks
- Considering migration from xUnit

**Learning Order**:
1. Learn fundamentals first to understand basics
2. Then learn advanced to master advanced features

---

## Prerequisite Skills Requirements

Before learning advanced skills, it is recommended to master the following fundamental skills (from `dotnet-testing` fundamental skill set):

### Required Skills

#### 1. dotnet-testing-unit-test-fundamentals
**Why Required**:
- Integration tests also follow 3A Pattern
- FIRST principles equally apply
- Need to understand testing fundamentals concepts

---

#### 2. dotnet-testing-xunit-project-setup
**Why Required**:
- Need to create test projects
- Understand project structure
- Understand package management

---

#### 3. dotnet-testing-awesome-assertions-guide
**Why Required**:
- Integration tests need to validate HTTP responses
- FluentAssertions.Web provides powerful API assertions
- Improve test readability

---

### Recommended Skills

#### 1. dotnet-testing-nsubstitute-mocking
**Why Recommended**:
- May need to Mock external services in integration tests
- WebApplicationFactory needs to replace services

---

#### 2. dotnet-testing-autofixture-basics
**Why Recommended**:
- Quickly generate test data
- Reduce integration test boilerplate code

---

## Guided Conversation Examples

4 complete conversation examples showing how AI guides selection of correct skills: API testing, microservice testing, framework upgrade, TUnit evaluation.

> 📖 For details, please refer to [references/​conversation-examples.md](references/conversation-examples.md)

---

## Relationship with Fundamental Skills

Advanced skills build upon fundamental skills:

**Fundamental Testing Capabilities** → `dotnet-testing` (Fundamental Skill Set)
- Unit test fundamentals
- Test data generation
- Assertions and mocking
- Special scenario handling

### ↓ Advanced Applications

**Advanced Integration Testing** → `dotnet-testing-advanced` (This Skill Set)
- Web API integration testing
- Containerized testing
- Microservice testing
- Framework upgrades

**Learning Recommendation**:
Complete the core skills of `dotnet-testing` fundamental skill set first, then enter this advanced skill set.

---

## Related Resources

### Original Data Sources

- **iThome Ironman Competition Series**: [Old School Software Engineer's Testing Practice - 30 Day Challenge](https://ithelp.ithome.com.tw/users/20066083/ironman/8276)
  🏆 2025 iThome Ironman Competition Software Development Group Champion

- **Complete Sample Code**: [30Days_in_Testing_Samples](https://github.com/kevintsengtw/30Days_in_Testing_Samples)
  Contains executable code for all sample projects

### Technical Requirements

**Integration Testing Skills**:
- .NET 8+
- Docker Desktop
- WSL2 (Windows environment)

**Aspire Testing Skills**:
- .NET 8+
- .NET Aspire Workload
- Docker Desktop

---

## Next Steps

Choose the advanced skill that matches your needs to start learning, or tell me your specific situation and I will recommend the most suitable learning path!

**Quick Start**:
- Want to test APIs → Start with `dotnet-testing-advanced-aspnet-integration-testing`
- Need real database → Start with `dotnet-testing-advanced-testcontainers-database`
- Microservice project → Use `dotnet-testing-advanced-aspire-testing`
- Framework upgrade → Use corresponding upgrade guide
- Unsure → Tell me your project situation and I will help you analyze