# Testing Discipline -- 20 Rules

## Execution Discipline

1. **45-minute cap** -- Write to disk after each phase, carry only summaries
2. **ONE BUG = ONE REPORT** -- Never combine
3. **Evidence for every bug** -- Screenshot + context
4. **Real-time logging** -- Append to session-log.md continuously
5. **Snapshot before every interaction** -- Always know the page state. `--depth=3` or
   `snapshot <ref>` by default; a full tree goes to `snapshots/` (phase 3 policy)

## Quality Thinking

6. **Business first** -- Every bug must explain business impact
7. **Risk-proportional time** -- P0 features get 40% of time, not equal time per page
8. **Test the NEGATIVE SPACE** -- What's missing matters as much as what's broken
9. **Data integrity is mandatory** -- Verify numbers, consistency, audit trails
10. **Follow the thread** -- When you spot an inconsistency, investigate it fully
11. **Cross-feature verification** -- After every action, check related pages

## Adaptive Testing

12. **Adapt mid-session** -- If a heuristic isn't finding anything in 5 minutes, switch
13. **Log WHY, not just WHAT** -- "I'm testing this because I noticed validation is inconsistent"
14. **Learn-test-adapt loop** -- After every significant action: What did I learn? Where next?
15. **Don't mark "PASS" too quickly** -- "It didn't crash" is not the same as "it works correctly"

## Avoiding AI Biases

16. **Don't stick to happy paths** -- Explicitly allocate time for Saboteur/Bad Neighborhood
17. **Don't apply heuristics as checklists** -- Choose the 3 most relevant, not all 7
18. **Don't test technology, test the BUSINESS** -- "Does the math add up?" not "Does the button click?"
19. **Ask "What would a real user care about?"** -- At least once per phase
20. **Challenge your own findings** -- Before reporting a bug, ask "Is this really a problem for users?"