
Tui Validate
Validate TUI output with semantic LLM-based screenshot testing
What You Can Do
You can validate Terminal User Interface applications by capturing their output as high-fidelity screenshots and using Claude as a semantic judge to verify layout, content, and visual hierarchy. Instead of relying on fragile string matching, this skill understands context—checking that UI components render correctly, states display as expected, and visual regression doesn't occur, even when minor formatting changes happen.
Features
generates SVG/PNG snapshots of terminal output with syntax highlighting and styling preserved
Claude evaluates UI layout, content presence, and visual hierarchy instead of brittle regex matching
validate files, live commands, tmux sessions, or raw ANSI text
predefined checks for common TUI patterns (forms, tables, menus, status displays)
write your own semantic validation rules tailored to your application
detect when TUI output changes unexpectedly without breaking on minor formatting
generate validated screenshots suitable for manuals and guides
get clear pass/fail results with Claude's reasoning about what succeeded or failed
Example Output
Example 1: Validating a form TUI
Input: command:./my-app --form
Criteria: "Form contains all required fields (name, email, submit button) in correct order"
Output:
✓ PASS: Form validation successful
- Name field present and visible
- Email field present below name
- Submit button present and accessible
- Form layout matches expected hierarchy
Example 2: Regression testing a dashboard
Input: tmux:dashboard-session
Criteria: "Dashboard displays metrics, status indicators green, and no error messages"
Output:
✗ FAIL: Dashboard validation failed
- Metrics panel present ✓
- Status indicators present but YELLOW (expected GREEN)
- No error messages ✓
Recommendation: Check status indicator logic
What's Included
- `tui-validate.md` skill instruction file:
- Template criteria definitions for common TUI patterns (forms, tables, lists, status displays):
- Example validation prompts for screenshot capture and semantic checking:
- Freeze configuration snippets for different output formats (SVG, PNG):
- Troubleshooting checklist for capture and validation failures:
Who It's For
- DevOps engineers — validating CLI tools and terminal dashboards in CI/CD pipelines
- Terminal application developers — testing TUI rendering and state changes
- QA engineers — running visual regression tests on command-line interfaces
- Documentation writers — capturing and validating TUI screenshots for guides and manuals
- Systems engineers — verifying monitoring tools and status dashboards display correctly
Best For
- Visual regression testing for terminal applications without brittle string assertions
- Semantic validation of CLI tool output, forms, and interactive menus
- Screenshot capture and validation for technical documentation
- Verifying TUI state and layout after code changes or configuration updates
- End-to-end testing of terminal-based dashboards and monitoring tools






