qa-state-persistence

QA test skill for verifying UI state persistence across navigation. Tests that state changes (likes, bookmarks, cart additions, form inputs) survive scrolling away and returning. Uses the dual-driver architecture (CDP + agent-device).

What It Tests

Test	Method	Assertion
Navigate to feed	CDP navigation	Route is on feed screen
Record item identity	CDP feed data query	Item ID and initial state captured
Verify initial state	CDP property query	State property is in expected initial value
Mutate state	CDP data mutation	Property flips (e.g., isLiked: false → true)
Scroll away (N items)	CDP scroll or agent-device swipe	Feed index advances
Scroll back	CDP scrollToIndex(0)	Feed index returns to 0
State persisted	CDP property query	KEY ASSERTION: property still has mutated value
Cleanup	CDP data mutation	Restore original state
Final route check	CDP cdp_get_route	Still on feed screen

Configuration

Set your app-specific values in qa.config.sh:

# What property to test
export STATE_PROPERTY="isLiked"              # Property name to toggle
export STATE_COUNTER_PROPERTY="likesCount"   # Associated counter (optional)
export STATE_SCROLL_COUNT=5                   # How many items to scroll past

# Feed screen
export SCREEN_EXPLORE="ExploreScreen"        # Your feed screen name

# Feed debug hook (set up in your app's dev build)
export GLOBAL_FEED_VAR="__qaFeedState"       # Global variable name

Setting Up the Feed Debug Hook

In your app's feed component (dev builds only), expose:

// In your feed component (e.g., ExploreFeed.tsx):
if (__DEV__) {
  globalThis.__qaFeedState = {
    currentIndex: currentIndex,
    scrollToNext: () => flatListRef.current?.scrollToIndex({ index: currentIndex + 1 }),
    scrollToIndex: (i) => flatListRef.current?.scrollToIndex({ index: i }),
    getData: () => feedData,        // Return the full data array
    getItem: (i) => feedData[i],    // Return item at index
    dataLength: feedData.length,
  };
}

Architecture

CDP (Hermes Runtime)              agent-device (Simulator)
┌──────────────────────┐          ┌──────────────────────┐
│ navigate to tab      │          │ screenshot capture    │
│ install state hook   │          │ tap fallback (if CDP  │
│ query item property  │          │   mutation fails)     │
│ mutate item property │          │ swipe fallback (if    │
│ scrollToNext()       │          │   scroll hook absent) │
│ scrollToIndex(0)     │          │                       │
│ read feed data       │          │                       │
└──────────────────────┘          └──────────────────────┘

Usage

Run the example test

bash .pi/skills/qa-automation/qa-state-persistence/run.sh

View results

• Screenshots: /tmp/qa-tests/screenshots/<test-name>/
• Report JSON: /tmp/qa-tests/<test-name>-report.json

Test Flow Diagram

┌─────────────────┐
│ Navigate to      │
│ Feed Screen      │
└────────┬────────┘
         │
┌────────▼────────┐
│ Record item #0   │
│ (state=initial)  │
└────────┬────────┘
         │
┌────────▼────────┐
│ Mutate state     │
│ (state=changed)  │
└────────┬────────┘
         │
┌────────▼────────┐
│ Scroll away Nx   │
│ (index → N)      │
└────────┬────────┘
         │
┌────────▼────────┐
│ Scroll back to 0 │
│ (index → 0)      │
└────────┬────────┘
         │
┌────────▼────────┐
│ ★ VERIFY: state  │
│   persisted!      │
└────────┬────────┘
         │
┌────────▼────────┐
│ Cleanup (restore │
│ original state)   │
└─────────────────┘

File Structure

qa-state-persistence/
├── SKILL.md                          # This file
├── lib/
│   └── state-helpers.sh              # State query, mutation, scroll-to-index
├── flows/
│   └── example-state-test.sh         # Example test (customize for your app)
└── run.sh                            # Runner with JSON report output

Troubleshooting

"Feed hook not available"

The __qaFeedState global isn't set. Ensure:

• Your feed component sets it up in __DEV__ mode
• The feed screen is mounted (navigate to it first)
• The hook name matches GLOBAL_FEED_VAR in config

"Could not read feed data"

getData() or getItem() failed. Possible causes:

• Component hasn't fully mounted yet (increase settle time)
• Feed data structure changed
• Hook was set up before data loaded

"scrollToIndex not available"

The hook doesn't expose scrollToIndex. The test falls back to repeated swipe-down gestures.

"State lost after scroll"

This is the real failure the test catches. If state doesn't persist, investigate:

• List item recycling (FlatList/FlashList virtualization)
• State management (local vs global state)
• Cache invalidation during scroll
• Component unmount/remount cycles