bi-agents/_bmad/tea/workflows/testarch/bmad-testarch-test-design/steps-c/step-05-generate-output.md

name, description, outputFile, progressFile

name	description	outputFile	progressFile
step-05-generate-output	Generate output documents with adaptive orchestration (agent-team, subagent, or sequential)	{test_artifacts}/test-design-epic-{epic_num}.md	{test_artifacts}/test-design-progress.md

Step 5: Generate Outputs & Validate

STEP GOAL

Write the final test-design document(s) using the correct template(s), then validate against the checklist.

MANDATORY EXECUTION RULES

• 📖 Read the entire step file before acting
• ✅ Speak in {communication_language}
• ✅ Use the provided templates and output paths
• ✅ Resolve execution mode from explicit user request first, then config
• ✅ Apply fallback rules deterministically when requested mode is unsupported

---

EXECUTION PROTOCOLS:

• 🎯 Follow the MANDATORY SEQUENCE exactly
• 💾 Record outputs before proceeding
• 📖 Load the next step only when instructed

CONTEXT BOUNDARIES:

• Available context: config, loaded artifacts, and knowledge fragments
• Focus: this step's goal only
• Limits: do not execute future steps
• Dependencies: prior steps' outputs (if any)

MANDATORY SEQUENCE

CRITICAL: Follow this sequence exactly. Do not skip, reorder, or improvise.

0. Resolve Execution Mode (User Override First)

const orchestrationContext = {
  config: {
    execution_mode: config.tea_execution_mode || 'auto', // "auto" | "subagent" | "agent-team" | "sequential"
    capability_probe: config.tea_capability_probe !== false, // true by default
  },
  timestamp: new Date().toISOString().replace(/[:.]/g, '-'),
};

const normalizeUserExecutionMode = (mode) => {
  if (typeof mode !== 'string') return null;
  const normalized = mode.trim().toLowerCase().replace(/[-_]/g, ' ').replace(/\s+/g, ' ');

  if (normalized === 'auto') return 'auto';
  if (normalized === 'sequential') return 'sequential';
  if (normalized === 'subagent' || normalized === 'sub agent' || normalized === 'subagents' || normalized === 'sub agents') {
    return 'subagent';
  }
  if (normalized === 'agent team' || normalized === 'agent teams' || normalized === 'agentteam') {
    return 'agent-team';
  }

  return null;
};

const normalizeConfigExecutionMode = (mode) => {
  if (mode === 'subagent') return 'subagent';
  if (mode === 'auto' || mode === 'sequential' || mode === 'subagent' || mode === 'agent-team') {
    return mode;
  }
  return null;
};

// Explicit user instruction in the active run takes priority over config.
const explicitModeFromUser = normalizeUserExecutionMode(runtime.getExplicitExecutionModeHint?.() || null);

const requestedMode = explicitModeFromUser || normalizeConfigExecutionMode(orchestrationContext.config.execution_mode) || 'auto';
const probeEnabled = orchestrationContext.config.capability_probe;

const supports = { subagent: false, agentTeam: false };
if (probeEnabled) {
  supports.subagent = runtime.canLaunchSubagents?.() === true;
  supports.agentTeam = runtime.canLaunchAgentTeams?.() === true;
}

let resolvedMode = requestedMode;
if (requestedMode === 'auto') {
  if (supports.agentTeam) resolvedMode = 'agent-team';
  else if (supports.subagent) resolvedMode = 'subagent';
  else resolvedMode = 'sequential';
} else if (probeEnabled && requestedMode === 'agent-team' && !supports.agentTeam) {
  resolvedMode = supports.subagent ? 'subagent' : 'sequential';
} else if (probeEnabled && requestedMode === 'subagent' && !supports.subagent) {
  resolvedMode = 'sequential';
}

Resolution precedence:

1. Explicit user request in this run (agent team => agent-team; subagent => subagent; sequential; auto)
2. tea_execution_mode from config
3. Runtime capability fallback (when probing enabled)

1. Select Output Template(s)

System-Level Mode (Phase 3)

Generate two documents:

• {test_artifacts}/test-design-architecture.md using test-design-architecture-template.md
• {test_artifacts}/test-design-qa.md using test-design-qa-template.md

If resolvedMode is agent-team or subagent, these two documents can be generated in parallel as independent workers, then reconciled for consistency.

Epic-Level Mode (Phase 4)

Generate one document:

• {outputFile} using test-design-template.md
• If epic_num is unclear, ask the user

Epic-level mode remains single-worker by default (one output artifact).

---

2. Populate Templates

Ensure the outputs include:

• Risk assessment matrix
• Coverage matrix and priorities
• Execution strategy
• Resource estimates (ranges)
• Quality gate criteria
• Any mode-specific sections required by the template

---

3. Validation

Validate the output(s) against:

• checklist.md in this workflow folder
• CLI sessions cleaned up (no orphaned browsers)
• Temp artifacts stored in {test_artifacts}/ not random locations

If any checklist criteria are missing, fix before completion.

---

4. Generate BMAD Handoff Document (System-Level Mode Only)

If this is a system-level test design (not component/feature level):

1. Copy test-design-handoff-template.md to {test_artifacts}/test-design/{project_name}-handoff.md
2. Populate all sections from the test design output:
   • Fill TEA Artifacts Inventory with actual paths
   • Extract P0/P1 risks into Epic-Level guidance
   • Map critical test scenarios to Story-Level guidance
   • Build risk-to-story mapping table from risk register
3. Save alongside the test design document

Note

: The handoff document is designed for consumption by BMAD's create-epics-and-stories workflow. It is only generated for system-level test designs where epic/story decomposition is relevant.

---

5. Polish Output

Before finalizing, review the complete output document for quality:

1. Remove duplication: Progressive-append workflow may have created repeated sections — consolidate
2. Verify consistency: Ensure terminology, risk scores, and references are consistent throughout
3. Check completeness: All template sections should be populated or explicitly marked N/A
4. Format cleanup: Ensure markdown formatting is clean (tables aligned, headers consistent, no orphaned references)

---

6. Completion Report

Summarize:

• Mode used
• Output file paths
• Key risks and gate thresholds
• Any open assumptions

---

7. Save Progress

Save this step's accumulated work to {progressFile}.

• If {progressFile} does not exist (first save), create it with YAML frontmatter:

  ---
  stepsCompleted: ['step-05-generate-output']
  lastStep: 'step-05-generate-output'
  lastSaved: '{date}'
  ---
  

  Then write this step's output below the frontmatter.

• If {progressFile} already exists, update:

  • Add 'step-05-generate-output' to stepsCompleted array (only if not already present)
  • Set lastStep: 'step-05-generate-output'
  • Set lastSaved: '{date}'
  • Append this step's output to the appropriate section of the document.

🚨 SYSTEM SUCCESS/FAILURE METRICS:

✅ SUCCESS:

• Step completed in full with required outputs

❌ SYSTEM FAILURE:

• Skipped sequence steps or missing outputs Master Rule: Skipping steps is FORBIDDEN.