---
name: "spectre-cli-help-assertions"
description: "Write resilient assertions for Spectre.Console.Cli help output"
domain: "testing"
confidence: "high"
source: "observed"
---

## Context
Use this when testing CLI help output generated by Spectre.Console.Cli. The framework controls wrapping, spacing, and inline default-value formatting, so exact string matches are brittle across versions and environments.

## Patterns
- Reproduce the real help output first by invoking the compiled CLI with no arguments or `--help`.
- Assert the behavior contract, not the formatter details:
  - exit code is `0`
  - usage matches with whitespace-tolerant regex
  - expected sections such as `ARGUMENTS:` and `OPTIONS:` are present
  - one or more product-specific option names are present
- Avoid asserting whole rendered lines when the same information can be checked semantically.

## Examples
- `result.Output.Should().MatchRegex(@"USAGE:\s+refitter\s+\[URL or input file\]\s+\[OPTIONS\]");`
- `result.Output.Should().Contain("ARGUMENTS:");`
- `result.Output.Should().Contain("--generate-authentication-header");`

## Anti-Patterns
- Matching the full usage/help block with exact spaces or line breaks.
- Treating formatter-driven whitespace differences as product regressions.