improve(qa): rewrite as lean explore+report skill

[baleen37]

Summary

Rewrite /qa skill from a 398-line monolithic explore+fix flow to a lean 65-line explore+report skill with on-demand references. 71% token reduction per invocation while maintaining 88-100% agent compliance across 5 autoresearch experiments.

Changes

• SKILL.md (398 → 65 lines): Remove fix loop, browser tool, test framework bootstrap, tiers/modes/parameters. Add 3-phase flow (Analyze → Explore+Report → Transition) with skill delegation for fixes
• exploration-guide.md (new): Project-type exploration checklists extracted from SKILL.md, numbered list format for LLM clarity
• issue-taxonomy.md: Remove Exploration Checklists section (moved to exploration-guide.md)
• qa-report-template.md: Remove fix/regression sections, simplified to report-only format
• Reference paths: qa/references/ → references/ to match other skills' convention

Tests

• 5 autoresearch experiments with subagent compliance testing
• Agents consistently follow all 3 phases, produce evidence, write reports, offer transition
• Real bugs found in each test run (7 issues avg per run)

Summary by CodeRabbit

• Documentation
  • Updated QA skill with narrowed scope: exploration and reporting only, no built-in fixing.
  • Redesigned workflow into three phases: Analyze project characteristics, Explore and report issues, then choose fix delegation method.
  • Simplified report template and baseline tracking.
  • Removed browser automation guidance; users directed to alternative tools.
  • Added project-type-specific exploration reference guides.

[coderabbitai]

Caution

Review failed

The pull request is closed.

ℹ️ Recent review info

⚙️ Run configuration

Configuration used: defaults

Review profile: CHILL

Plan: Pro

Run ID: 988e7c96-22d9-4c50-bfe8-c7764def25b9

📥 Commits

Reviewing files that changed from the base of the PR and between f42b20c and d37089a.

📒 Files selected for processing (6)

• docs/superpowers/plans/2026-04-13-qa-skill-redesign.md
• docs/superpowers/specs/2026-04-13-qa-skill-redesign.md
• plugins/me/skills/qa/SKILL.md
• plugins/me/skills/qa/references/exploration-guide.md
• plugins/me/skills/qa/references/issue-taxonomy.md
• plugins/me/skills/qa/templates/qa-report-template.md

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📝 Walkthrough

Walkthrough

A QA skill redesign shifts scope from iterative fix-and-test cycles to a streamlined analyze-and-report model. The changes include a new exploration guide, simplified report template, trimmed issue taxonomy, and rewritten skill definition spanning three phases: analyze project characteristics, explore per strategy while recording issues, and transition to fix options or completion.

Changes

Cohort / File(s)	Summary
Planning & Specification docs/superpowers/plans/2026-04-13-qa-skill-redesign.md, docs/superpowers/specs/2026-04-13-qa-skill-redesign.md	Added implementation plan and formal specification for QA skill redesign, defining task steps, verification commands, and architectural transitions from fix-loop to explore+report focus.
Core Skill Definition plugins/me/skills/qa/SKILL.md	Replaced multi-phase fix-loop workflow with lean 3-phase design (Analyze → Explore+Report → Transition); removed browser automation, regression testing, tiered modes, and fix procedures; added transition prompts to invoke subskills.
Exploration Guidance plugins/me/skills/qa/references/exploration-guide.md	New reference document providing QA exploration checklists segmented by project type (Web, CLI, API, Library) with specific testing areas and edge-case guidance.
References & Templates plugins/me/skills/qa/references/issue-taxonomy.md, plugins/me/skills/qa/templates/qa-report-template.md	Removed exploration checklists section from issue-taxonomy (moved to exploration-guide); simplified report template by removing fix-related fields, regression/before-after sections, and tidying metadata placeholders.

Sequence Diagram

sequenceDiagram
    participant User
    participant Analyzer
    participant Explorer
    participant Reporter
    participant Transition
    participant Subskill

    User->>Analyzer: Invoke QA skill
    Analyzer->>Analyzer: Analyze project structure,<br/>entry points, test presence
    Analyzer->>Analyzer: Establish QA strategy<br/>from characteristics
    Analyzer-->>Explorer: Strategy determined

    Explorer->>Explorer: Iterate through<br/>exploration checklist
    Note over Explorer: Per project type:<br/>(Web/CLI/API/Library)
    Explorer->>Explorer: Reproduce each issue<br/>with evidence
    Explorer->>Reporter: Collected issues & evidence

    Reporter->>Reporter: Generate qa-report-{date}.md<br/>with evidence links
    Reporter->>Reporter: Compute health score<br/>& write baseline.json
    Reporter-->>Transition: Report ready

    Transition->>User: Prompt: Proceed with fixes?
    User->>Transition: Choose option:<br/>Subagent-driven OR<br/>Inline execution OR End
    alt Proceed with fixes
        Transition->>Subskill: Invoke subagent-driven-development<br/>OR executing-plans
        Subskill-->>User: Fixes applied
    else End
        Transition-->>User: QA complete, no fixes
    end

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Estimated code review effort

🎯 3 (Moderate) | ⏱️ ~25 minutes

Possibly related PRs

• feat(qa): generalize skill from web-only to universal 5-phase flow #581: Modifies the same QA skill files (SKILL.md, issue-taxonomy.md, qa-report-template.md) but implements a divergent 5-phase flow with embedded fix loops and checklists, whereas this PR refactors to a lean 3-phase explore+report architecture with extracted guidance.

Poem

🐰 A skill so spry, now lean and trim,
No tangled loops nor fixtures grim!
Explore, report, then hand it off—
Let other skills take on the scoff. ✨

✨ Finishing Touches

🧪 Generate unit tests (beta)

• Create PR with unit tests
• Commit unit tests in branch worktree/jiggly-churning-hare

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