Field note
Golden files when locale shifts mid-test
2026-02-18 · Jonah Hale
Golden tests are only as stable as the assumptions you freeze. Our suite assumed a static locale, but CI runners occasionally inherited a TW region default that changed line breaks in CJK placeholders.
We wrapped captures with explicit `Localizations` and `MediaQuery` overrides, then stored a tiny JSON sidecar describing the harness. Reviewers could see whether a diff was visual drift or harness drift.
Teaching this early prevents students from blaming Flutter for what is actually environmental entropy.