test - Interactive Prompt Testing
The test command allows you to test prompts interactively, providing argument values and seeing the rendered output before using them with AI models.
Synopsis
swissarmyhammer test [OPTIONS] <PROMPT_ID>
Description
Test prompts interactively by providing arguments and viewing the rendered output. This is essential for debugging template issues, validating arguments, and refining prompts before deployment.
Arguments
PROMPT_ID- The ID of the prompt to test (required)
Options
Argument Specification
--arg KEY=VALUE- Provide argument values directly (can be used multiple times)--set KEY=VALUE- Set liquid template variables (can be used multiple times)
Output Control
--raw- Show raw template without rendering--copy- Copy rendered result to clipboard--save FILE- Save rendered result to file--debug- Show detailed debug information including variable resolution
Interactive Mode
When no --arg options are provided, the command enters interactive mode:
- Prompt Selection: If prompt ID is ambiguous, presents a fuzzy selector
- Argument Collection: Prompts for each required and optional argument
- Template Rendering: Shows the rendered output
- Actions: Offers to copy to clipboard or save to file
Examples
Interactive Testing
# Test a prompt interactively
swissarmyhammer test code-review
# The command will prompt for arguments:
# ? Enter value for 'code' (required): fn main() { println!("Hello"); }
# ? Enter value for 'language' (optional, default: auto-detect): rust
#
# [Rendered output shows here]
#
# ? What would you like to do?
# > View output
# Copy to clipboard
# Save to file
# Test with different arguments
# Exit
Non-Interactive Testing
# Test with predefined arguments
swissarmyhammer test code-review \
--arg code="fn main() { println!(\"Hello\"); }" \
--arg language="rust"
# Test and copy to clipboard
swissarmyhammer test debug-helper \
--arg error="compiler error" \
--copy
# Test and save output
swissarmyhammer test api-docs \
--arg code="$(cat src/api.rs)" \
--save generated-docs.md
Debug Mode
# Show debug information
swissarmyhammer test template-complex --debug
# Output includes:
# Variables resolved:
# user_input: "example text"
# timestamp: "2024-01-15T10:30:00Z"
#
# Template processing:
# Line 5: Variable 'user_input' resolved to "example text"
# Line 12: Filter 'capitalize' applied
# Line 18: Conditional block evaluated to true
#
# Final output:
# [rendered template]
Raw Template View
# View the raw template without rendering
swissarmyhammer test email-template --raw
# Shows:
# ---
# title: Email Template
# arguments:
# - name: recipient
# required: true
# ---
#
# Dear {{recipient | capitalize}},
#
# {% if urgent %}
# **URGENT:**
# {% endif %}
# {{message}}
Output Format
Default Output
Testing prompt: code-review
Arguments:
code: "fn main() { println!(\"Hello\"); }"
language: "rust" (default: auto-detect)
Rendered Output:
┌─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐
│ # Code Review │
│ │
│ Please review the following rust code: │
│ │
│ ```rust │
│ fn main() { println!("Hello"); } │
│ ``` │
│ │
│ Focus on: │
│ - Code quality and readability │
│ - Potential bugs or security issues │
│ - Performance considerations │
│ - Best practices adherence │
└─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┘
✓ Template rendered successfully (247 characters)
Debug Output
Testing prompt: code-review (debug mode)
Prompt loaded from: ~/.swissarmyhammer/prompts/review/code.md
Arguments defined: 2 (1 required, 1 optional)
Argument Resolution:
✓ code: "fn main() { println!(\"Hello\"); }" [user provided]
✓ language: "rust" [user provided, overrides default "auto-detect"]
Template Processing:
→ Line 8: Variable 'language' resolved and capitalized
→ Line 12-14: Code block with 'code' variable substitution
→ Line 16-20: Static bullet list rendered
Filters Applied:
- capitalize: "rust" → "Rust"
Rendered Output:
[... same as above ...]
Performance:
- Template parsing: 2ms
- Variable resolution: 1ms
- Rendering: 3ms
- Total: 6ms
Error Handling
The test command provides helpful error messages for common issues:
Missing Arguments
$ swissarmyhammer test code-review
Error: Missing required argument 'code'
Available arguments:
code (required) - The code to review
language (optional) - Programming language (default: auto-detect)
Use --arg KEY=VALUE to provide arguments, or run without --arg for interactive mode.
Template Errors
$ swissarmyhammer test broken-template --arg data="test"
Error: Template rendering failed at line 15
13 | {% for item in items %}
14 | - {{item.name}}
> 15 | - {{item.invalid_field | unknown_filter}}
| ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
16 | {% endfor %}
Unknown filter: unknown_filter
Available filters: capitalize, lower, upper, truncate, ...
Fix the template and try again.
Integration with Development Workflow
Testing Before Deployment
# Test a prompt before adding to Claude Code
swissarmyhammer test new-prompt --debug
# Validate all prompts in a directory
for prompt in $(ls prompts/*.md); do
swissarmyhammer test "${prompt%.md}" --arg placeholder="test"
done
Clipboard Integration
# Test and copy for immediate use
swissarmyhammer test quick-note \
--arg content="Meeting notes" \
--copy
# Now paste into your editor or Claude Code
Script Integration
#!/bin/bash
# test-and-deploy.sh
PROMPT_ID="$1"
if swissarmyhammer test "$PROMPT_ID" --arg test="validation"; then
echo "✓ Prompt test passed, deploying..."
swissarmyhammer export "$PROMPT_ID" --format directory deployment/
else
echo "✗ Prompt test failed, fix issues before deploying"
exit 1
fi
Template Variables with –set
The --set parameter allows you to provide additional liquid template variables beyond the prompt’s defined arguments. This is useful for:
- Providing metadata like author names, versions, or timestamps
- Overriding default values with template-level variables
- Testing liquid template features without modifying the prompt definition
Variable Precedence
When both --arg and --set provide the same variable name, --set takes precedence. This allows you to override argument values using template variables.
Examples
# Basic usage with template variables
swissarmyhammer test code-review \
--arg code="main.rs" \
--set author="John Doe" \
--set version="1.0"
# Override an argument value with --set
swissarmyhammer test greeting \
--arg name="World" \
--set name="Universe" # This takes precedence, output will use "Universe"
# Use template variables in liquid templates
# If your template contains: {{author | default: "Anonymous"}}
swissarmyhammer test my-prompt --set author="Jane Smith"
# Combine with other features
swissarmyhammer test complex-prompt \
--arg input="data" \
--set debug="true" \
--set timestamp="2024-01-15" \
--debug \
--save output.md
Use in Templates
Template variables set with --set can be used in liquid templates just like arguments:
---
title: Example Prompt
arguments:
- name: content
required: true
---
# {{title | default: "Document"}}
Author: {{author | default: "Unknown"}}
Version: {{version | default: "1.0"}}
{{content}}
Running this with:
swissarmyhammer test example \
--arg content="Main content here" \
--set author="Alice" \
--set title="My Document"
Would produce:
# My Document
Author: Alice
Version: 1.0
Main content here
See Also
search- Find prompts to test- Template Variables - Template syntax reference
- Testing Guide - Advanced testing strategies
- Custom Filters - Available template filters