Automate Unit Testing & Code Reviews Standards

Step 1: Gather Project Standards and Set Up Environment

Provide me with your project's programming language, framework, and any coding or testing standards you follow, as well as a link or path to your code repository.

Goal

Clearly communicate the environment, language, and relevant standards to ensure automated reviews or tests apply correctly.

Example

Our project uses JavaScript (ES6), React, and Jest for testing. We follow Airbnb's JavaScript style guide. The repo is at github.com/myorg/webapp.

Variations

• "We use Python 3.10, Django, pytest, following PEP8 standards. Repo: bitbucket.org/agency/client-site."
• "Here's the codebase: local folder /Users/me/projects/clientA/. Tech stack is PHP/Laravel, testing with PHPUnit, PSR-2 coding standards."

Troubleshooting

• Not sure which standards to provide: Ask your lead developer or reference your project documentation.
• Don't have repository access yet: Request permissions or share a code sample as a file/text instead.

Step 2: Specify Unit Test or Code Review Requirements

Describe whether you want to automate unit testing, code reviews, or both. Share which files/folders or parts of the codebase to target and any priority checks (security, performance, style, etc.).

Goal

Define the precise scope and focus for automated testing or code review efforts.

Example

I want to automate code reviews for all pull requests, focusing on code style and security issues in the src/components/ folder. Also automate running Jest unit tests on PRs.

Variations

• "Run only unit tests on the services/ directory with pytest coverage checks."
• "Automate code reviews that flag outdated dependencies and complex functions (over 50 lines)."
• "Review only new features, ignore documentation-only commits."

Troubleshooting

• Not sure what to prioritize: Start broad, then refine after initial feedback from stakeholders or teammates.
• Unclear about codebase structure: Request assistance or share a file tree listing.

Step 3: Generate or Validate Test and Review Automation Scripts

Based on the information above, generate automation scripts (e.g., GitHub Actions, GitLab CI, custom scripts) for running unit tests and performing code reviews based on the provided standards.

Goal

Create or check scripts that automatically enforce testing and code standards on each code update or pull request.

Example

Here's a GitHub Actions workflow YAML to run Jest tests and the eslint linter with Airbnb config on each PR:

name: Test and Lint\non: [pull_request]\njobs:\n build:\n runs-on: ubuntu-latest\n steps:\n - uses: actions/checkout@v2\n - uses: actions/setup-node@v2\n with: node-version: '16'\n - run: npm ci\n - run: npm run lint -- --config .eslintrc-airbnb\n - run: npm test

Variations

• "Generate a GitLab CI pipeline for Python unit tests."
• "Suggest a shell script to automatically check PSR-2 coding style in app/ before commit."

Troubleshooting

• Error running scripts: Double-check dependency versions and environment setup.
• Script not triggering as expected: Verify the configuration matches your version control provider's documentation.

Step 4: Integrate Automation with Your Development Workflow

Guide me through connecting these scripts/pipelines to our repository, configuring triggers (e.g., PR, push), and setting up notifications or required status checks.

Goal

Ensure automated testing and code review execute reliably as part of your team's day-to-day development flow.

Example

Connect the generated GitHub Action to main and develop branches, trigger on push and pull request events, and require checks to pass before merging.

Variations

• "Send Slack notifications when tests fail or reviews flag issues."
• "Set specific reviewers or teams as code owners for auto-assignment."

Troubleshooting

• Notifications not received: Re-examine integration settings for webhooks or third-party services.
• Reviews delaying merges due to false positives: Refine scripts or add suppression rules for common safe patterns.

Step 5: Test, Iterate, and Monitor Automation Reliability

Ask for a checklist or guidelines to test and validate automation performance, and for advice on adjusting rules based on real feedback or edge cases.

Goal

Confirm the automation works as intended and remains aligned with evolving project and team needs.

Example

Run several test PRs with deliberately failing tests and style violations, check that automation blocks merges, then gather team feedback for further tuning.

Variations

• "Request a monitoring dashboard or log summary for automation runs."
• "Ask for a guide to update scripts if standards change in the future."

Troubleshooting

• Flaky or inconsistent results: Review logging, increase timeout thresholds, or escalate to platform support as needed.
• Team pushback on process changes: Share clear documentation and training resources; collect suggestions for continuous improvement.