pytest-skill — Claude Code skill: Python pytest tests
An agent skill that writes pytest tests for Python: fixtures, parametrize, markers, mocking and conftest patterns. Useful when you need test coverage without writing boilerplate by hand.
npx skills add LambdaTest/agent-skills --skill pytest-skill -a claude-codeWhat pytest-skill does
The skill hands your agent ready pytest patterns: basic tests, fixtures with teardown after yield, @pytest.mark.parametrize, skip/skipif/xfail markers, mocking through mocker and unittest.mock. An anti-pattern table explains why assert x == y beats self.assertEqual() and why state belongs in fixtures rather than __init__. There is a command cheat sheet too: pytest -m slow, pytest -k "login and not invalid", pytest --lf, pytest --cov=myapp --cov-report=html.
Configuration lives in pyproject.toml — testpaths, marker list, addopts. Deeper material sits in reference/playbook.md: async tests with pytest-asyncio, fixture factories, tmp_path, a GitHub Actions matrix with coverage gates, and a table of 10 common problems with fixes. Parallel runs via pytest -n auto need pytest-xdist installed, otherwise the flag does nothing.
One npx skills add command installs it, and it works across Claude, Codex, Cursor, GitHub Copilot, Gemini CLI and OpenCode. Mention pytest or conftest in a prompt and the agent picks up the templates.
What it helps with
- write a fixture with proper teardown after yield
- split one oversized test into focused cases
- mock an external HTTP call with mocker.patch
- tag slow tests with a marker and run only those
- configure markers and coverage in pyproject.toml
Example prompts for the agent
- Write pytest tests for myapp/calculator.py with fixtures
- Add parametrize cases for the validate_email function
- Mock requests.get in myapp/service.py and assert the response handling
How to install pytest-skill
1Skills CLI (Vercel)
npx skills add LambdaTest/agent-skills --skill pytest-skill -a claude-code2Manually: put the files in place
~/.claude/skills/pytest-skill/SKILL.mdCopy the whole skill folder; for one project use .claude/skills/pytest-skill/
1Skills CLI (Vercel)
npx skills add LambdaTest/agent-skills --skill pytest-skill -a codex2Manually: put the files in place
.agents/skills/pytest-skill/SKILL.mdFor all projects use ~/.agents/skills/
1Skills CLI (Vercel)
npx skills add LambdaTest/agent-skills --skill pytest-skill -a cursor2Manually: put the files in place
.cursor/skills/pytest-skill/SKILL.mdCursor also reads .agents/skills/ and .claude/skills/
1GitHub CLI
gh skill install LambdaTest/agent-skills pytest-skill2Manually: put the files in place
.github/skills/pytest-skill/SKILL.md1Skills CLI (Vercel)
npx skills add LambdaTest/agent-skills --skill pytest-skill -a gemini-cli2Platform CLI
gemini skills install https://github.com/LambdaTest/agent-skills --path pytest-skillManually: put the files in place
.devin/skills/pytest-skill/SKILL.mdThe legacy .windsurf/skills/ path still works
Skills CLI (Vercel)
npx skills add LambdaTest/agent-skills --skill pytest-skill -a opencodeClaude.ai
Zip the folder and upload it in Settings → Capabilities → Skills
Step by step, with commands for each platform: How to install skills in Claude Code: five ways
Questions about pytest-skill
How do I install pytest-skill in Claude?
Run npx skills add LambdaTest/agent-skills --skill pytest-skill -a claude-code. The skill lands in ~/.claude/skills/pytest-skill/SKILL.md.
What does pytest-skill do?
It generates pytest tests: fixtures, parametrize, markers, mocking and conftest patterns. The agent applies them when a prompt mentions pytest, conftest or Python test.
Which plugins are needed for parallel and async tests?
pytest -n auto requires pytest-xdist, and async tests need pytest-asyncio. Both are covered in the skill's playbook.
Source text
SKILL.md · MIT
---
name: pytest-skill
description: >
Generates production-grade pytest tests in Python with fixtures, parametrize,
markers, mocking, and conftest patterns. Use when user mentions "pytest",
"conftest", "@pytest.fixture", "@pytest.mark", "Python test". Triggers on:
"pytest", "conftest", "Python test", "parametrize", "Python unit test".
languages:
- Python
category: unit-testing
license: MIT
metadata:
author: TestMu AI
version: "1.0"
---
# Pytest Testing Skill
## Core Patterns
### Basic Test
```python
import pytest
def test_addition():
assert 2 + 3 == 5
def test_exception():
with pytest.raises(ValueError, match="invalid"):
int("not_a_number")
class TestCalculator:
def test_add(self):
calc = Calculator()
assert calc.add(2, 3) == 5
def test_divide_by_zero(self):
with pytest.raises(ZeroDivisionError):
Calculator().divide(10, 0)
```
### Fixtures
```python
@pytest.fixture
def calculator():
return Calculator()
@pytest.fixture
def db_connection():
conn = Database.connect("test_db")
yield conn # teardown after yield
conn.rollback()
conn.close()
@pytest.fixture(scope="module")
def api_client():
client = APIClient(base_url="http://localhost:8000")
yield client
client.logout()
# conftest.py - shared fixtures
@pytest.fixture(autouse=True)
def reset_state():
State.reset()
yield
State.cleanup()
# Usage
def test_add(calculator):
assert calculator.add(2, 3) == 5
```
### Parametrize
```python
@pytest.mark.parametrize("input,expected", [
("hello", 5), ("", 0), ("pytest", 6),
])
def test_string_length(input, expected):
assert len(input) == expected
@pytest.mark.parametrize("a,b,expected", [
(2, 3, 5), (-1, 1, 0), (0, 0, 0),
])
def test_add(calculator, a, b, expected):
assert calculator.add(a, b) == expected
```
### Markers
```python
@pytest.mark.slow
def test_large_dataset(): ...
@pytest.mark.skip(reason="Not implemented")
def test_future_feature(): ...
@pytest.mark.skipif(sys.platform == "win32", reason="Unix only")
def test_unix_permissions(): ...
@pytest.mark.xfail(reason="Known bug #123")
def test_known_bug(): ...
```
### Mocking
```python
from unittest.mock import patch, MagicMock
def test_send_email(mocker):
mock_smtp = mocker.patch("myapp.email.smtplib.SMTP")
send_welcome_email("[email protected]")
mock_smtp.return_value.sendmail.assert_called_once()
def test_api_call(mocker):
mock_response = mocker.Mock()
mock_response.status_code = 200
mock_response.json.return_value = {"users": [{"name": "Alice"}]}
mocker.patch("myapp.service.requests.get", return_value=mock_response)
users = get_users()
assert len(users) == 1
@patch("myapp.service.database")
def test_save_user(mock_db):
mock_db.save.return_value = True
assert save_user({"name": "Alice"}) is True
mock_db.save.assert_called_once()
```
### Assertions
```python
assert x == y
assert x != y
assert x in collection
assert isinstance(obj, MyClass)
assert 0.1 + 0.2 == pytest.approx(0.3)
with pytest.raises(ValueError) as exc_info:
raise ValueError("bad")
assert "bad" in str(exc_info.value)
```
### Anti-Patterns
| Bad | Good | Why |
|-----|------|-----|
| `self.assertEqual()` | `assert x == y` | pytest rewrites give better output |
| Setup in `__init__` | `@pytest.fixture` | Lifecycle management |
| Global state | Fixture with `yield` | Proper cleanup |
| Huge test functions | Small focused tests | Easier debugging |
## Quick Reference
| Task | Command |
|------|---------|
| Run all | `pytest` |
| Run file | `pytest tests/test_login.py` |
| Run specific | `pytest tests/test_login.py::test_login_success` |
| By marker | `pytest -m slow` |
| By keyword | `pytest -k "login and not invalid"` |
| Verbose | `pytest -v` |
| Stop first fail | `pytest -x` |
| Last failed | `pytest --lf` |
| Coverage | `pytest --cov=myapp --cov-report=html` |
| Parallel | `pytest -n auto` (pytest-xdist) |
## pyproject.toml
```toml
[tool.pytest.ini_options]
testpaths = ["tests"]
markers = ["slow: slow tests", "integration: integration tests"]
addopts = "-v --tb=short"
```
## Deep Patterns
For production-grade patterns, see `reference/playbook.md`:
| Section | What's Inside |
|---------|--------------|
| §1 Config | pytest.ini + pyproject.toml with markers, coverage |
| §2 Fixtures | Scoping, factories, teardown, autouse, tmp_path |
| §3 Parametrize | Basic, with IDs, cartesian, indirect |
| §4 Mocking | pytest-mock, monkeypatch, spies, env vars |
| §5 Async | pytest-asyncio, async fixtures, async client |
| §6 Exceptions | pytest.raises(match=), warnings |
| §7 Markers & Plugins | Custom markers, collection hooks |
| §8 Class-Based | Nested classes, autouse setup |
| §9 CI/CD | GitHub Actions matrix, coverage gates |
| §10 Debugging Table | 10 common problems with fixes |
| §11 Best Practices | 15-item production checklist |
© TestMu AI · MIT · LambdaTest/agent-skills