Verification Before Completion

Overview

Sniper validates CODE QUALITY. Verification validates FUNCTIONAL RESOLUTION. Both are needed before closing any task.

Sniper catches linter errors, SOLID violations, and code style issues. Verification ensures the original request is actually fulfilled -- the right behavior, the right output, the right fix. A task can pass sniper with zero errors and still be functionally wrong.

Aspect Sniper Verification

Focus Code quality Functional correctness

Checks Linting, SOLID, style Acceptance criteria, regressions, side effects

Runs After any code change Before marking task as complete

Result Clean code Solved problem

Agent Workflow

When invoked, follow the 6-step verification process below before marking any task as completed.

6-Step Verification Process

Step 1: Re-read the original request Go back to the original issue, task description, or user message. Read it word by word. Do not rely on memory or assumptions.

Step 2: List ALL acceptance criteria Extract every explicit and implicit requirement from the original request. Number them. If the request is vague, list what a reasonable user would expect.

Step 3: Verify each criterion with evidence For each criterion, provide concrete evidence of resolution:

• Test output showing the expected behavior

• Log output confirming the fix

• Screenshot of the UI change

• Code diff showing the implementation

Step 4: Check for regressions Run the full test suite. Compare results before and after. No new failures, no new warnings.

Step 5: Check for side effects Review every modified file. Confirm no accidental changes to unrelated code. Verify dependencies and configuration are unchanged unless required.

Step 6: Confirm functional resolution State explicitly: "Original problem is FUNCTIONALLY resolved" with a summary of evidence, or list what remains unresolved.

Reference Guide

Resource Path Content

Checklist references/checklist.md

Full verification checklist with all categories

Common Misses references/common-misses.md

Frequently forgotten verification items

Integration with APEX

Verification runs between eLicit and eXamine in the APEX workflow:

Analyze -> Plan -> Execute -> eLicit -> [VERIFICATION] -> eXamine (sniper)

This ensures functional correctness is confirmed before code quality validation. A task is only complete when both verification and sniper pass.

Critical Rules

Rule Reason

Never skip re-reading the original request Prevents solving the wrong problem

Evidence required for every criterion "It works" is not evidence

Full test suite, not just new tests Catches regressions

Review ALL modified files Catches accidental side effects

Both verification AND sniper must pass Quality without correctness is useless