diff --git a/.development/index.js b/.development/index.js
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..410fd7d
--- /dev/null
+++ b/.development/index.js
@@ -0,0 +1,199 @@
+import chalk from "chalk";
+import { createInterface } from "readline";
+import { executeCommands } from "../src/executor.js";
+import { printCommand, printError, printFinished, sep } from "../src/ui.js";
+
+// ── action definitions ────────────────────────────────────────────────
+// Each entry mirrors the shape of an AI response so the real executor
+// path is exercised end-to-end with no mocking.
+
+const ACTIONS = [
+  {
+    id: 1,
+    label: "folder creation",
+    description: "Creating folder: new-folder",
+    category: "directory_creation",
+    commands: ["mkdir new-folder"],
+  },
+  {
+    id: 2,
+    label: "navigate within folder",
+    description: "Creating open-folder and navigating inside it",
+    category: "directory_creation",
+    commands: ["mkdir open-folder", "cd open-folder"],
+  },
+  {
+    id: 3,
+    label: "nodejs project init",
+    description: "Initialising Node.js project: server",
+    category: "node_init",
+    commands: ["mkdir server", "cd server", "npm init -y"],
+  },
+  {
+    id: 4,
+    label: "package installation",
+    description: "Installing: dotenv, express",
+    category: "package_install",
+    commands: ["npm install dotenv express"],
+  },
+  {
+    id: 5,
+    label: "package uninstallation",
+    description: "Removing: express",
+    category: "package_install",
+    commands: ["npm uninstall express"],
+  },
+  {
+    id: 6,
+    label: "react + vite setup",
+    description: "Scaffolding Vite React app: todo-app",
+    category: "npx_command",
+    commands: [
+      "npx create-vite@latest todo-app --template react",
+      "cd todo-app",
+      "npm install",
+    ],
+  },
+  {
+    id: 7,
+    label: "nextjs setup",
+    description: "Scaffolding Next.js app: next-todo-app",
+    category: "npx_command",
+    commands: ["npx create-next-app@latest next-todo-app"],
+  },
+  {
+    id: 8,
+    label: "nextjs + mui setup",
+    description: "Scaffolding Next.js + MUI app: todo-mui",
+    category: "next_mui_project",
+    commands: [
+      "npx create-next-mui@latest todo-mui",
+      "cd todo-mui",
+      "npm install",
+    ],
+  },
+  {
+    id: 9,
+    label: "run dev server",
+    description: "Starting dev server (npm run dev)",
+    category: "script_execution",
+    commands: ["npm run dev"],
+  },
+];
+
+// ── helpers ───────────────────────────────────────────────────────────
+
+const preview = (cmds) => {
+  const joined = cmds.join("  →  ");
+  return joined.length > 52 ? joined.slice(0, 49) + "…" : joined;
+};
+
+const pad = (str, n) => str + " ".repeat(Math.max(0, n - str.length));
+
+// ── menu renderer ─────────────────────────────────────────────────────
+
+function printMenu() {
+  const labelWidth = Math.max(...ACTIONS.map((a) => a.label.length)) + 2;
+
+  console.log();
+  sep();
+  console.log(
+    `  ${chalk.white(">")} ${chalk.bold.white("NOVA")} ${chalk.gray("— development mode")}`,
+  );
+  sep();
+  console.log();
+
+  for (const a of ACTIONS) {
+    const num = chalk.cyan(`[${a.id}]`);
+    const label = chalk.white(pad(a.label, labelWidth));
+    const hint = chalk.gray(preview(a.commands));
+    console.log(`  ${num}  ${label}${hint}`);
+  }
+
+  console.log();
+}
+
+// ── run an action ─────────────────────────────────────────────────────
+
+async function runAction(action) {
+  console.log();
+  sep();
+  console.log(`  ${chalk.cyan("→")} ${chalk.gray(action.description)}`);
+  console.log(`  ${chalk.gray("category:")} ${chalk.white(action.category)}`);
+
+  const start = Date.now();
+
+  try {
+    await executeCommands(action.commands, (cmd) => printCommand(cmd));
+
+    const secs = ((Date.now() - start) / 1000).toFixed(1);
+    printFinished(secs);
+  } catch (err) {
+    console.log();
+    printError(err.message);
+    sep();
+  }
+}
+
+// ── prompt loop ───────────────────────────────────────────────────────
+
+export async function devMode() {
+  const rl = createInterface({ input: process.stdin, output: process.stdout });
+
+  rl.on("SIGINT", () => {
+    console.log(
+      `\n\n  ${chalk.gray(">")} ${chalk.gray("Exiting dev mode.")}\n`,
+    );
+    process.exit(0);
+  });
+
+  const ask = () => {
+    printMenu();
+
+    rl.question(
+      `  ${chalk.white(">")} ${chalk.gray("pick action [1-9] or exit: ")}`,
+      async (raw) => {
+        const input = raw.trim().toLowerCase();
+
+        if (!input) {
+          ask();
+          return;
+        }
+
+        if (input === "exit" || input === "quit") {
+          console.log(
+            `\n  ${chalk.gray(">")} ${chalk.gray("Exiting dev mode.")}\n`,
+          );
+          rl.close();
+          process.exit(0);
+        }
+
+        const num = parseInt(input, 10);
+        const action = ACTIONS.find((a) => a.id === num);
+
+        if (!action) {
+          console.log(
+            `\n  ${chalk.red("✗")} ${chalk.red(`"${input}" is not valid — enter 1–9 or exit.`)}`,
+          );
+          ask();
+          return;
+        }
+
+        // ── hand stdin back to the child process ──────────────────────
+        // readline holds process.stdin and keeps it in line-buffered mode.
+        // Interactive tools like create-next-app need raw TTY access for
+        // arrow keys and keyboard navigation.  pause() releases that hold
+        // so the spawned process gets full control of the terminal.
+        rl.pause();
+
+        await runAction(action);
+
+        // ── reclaim stdin for the next menu prompt ────────────────────
+        rl.resume();
+        ask();
+      },
+    );
+  };
+
+  ask();
+}
diff --git a/.github/workflows/testing.yml b/.github/workflows/testing.yml
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..db76449
--- /dev/null
+++ b/.github/workflows/testing.yml
@@ -0,0 +1,213 @@
+# ─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────
+# NOVA — Development Action Tests
+#
+# BRANCH STRATEGY
+#   This file lives ONLY on the `development` branch.
+#   main         → clean production code  (no dev.js, no workflow)
+#   development  → owns dev.js + this workflow
+#
+# TRIGGERS
+#   • Push to `development`         — test every dev commit
+#   • Push to `feat/**` / `fix/**`  — test feature/fix branches
+#     (those branches must be created from `development` so this file exists)
+#   • Pull request → `main`         — gate before any code reaches production
+#   • Pull request → `development`  — gate before merging into dev
+#
+# COVERAGE
+#   One job per action in dev.js so failures are pinpointed by action name.
+#   Action 9 (run dev server) is excluded — it is a long-running process
+#   and has no deterministic exit condition suitable for CI.
+#
+#   npx scaffolding commands receive --yes to skip interactive prompts.
+#   No build commands (npm run build / npm run dev) are added after
+#   scaffolding — the test validates the scaffold succeeded, nothing more.
+# ─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────
+
+name: NOVA
+
+on:
+  push:
+    branches:
+      - development
+      - "feat/**"
+      - "fix/**"
+  pull_request:
+    branches:
+      - main
+      - development
+
+env:
+  NODE_VERSION: "20"
+
+# ── Action 1 ─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────
+
+jobs:
+  action-folder-creation:
+    name: "[1] folder creation"
+    runs-on: ubuntu-latest
+    steps:
+      - name: "mkdir new-folder"
+        run: mkdir new-folder
+
+      - name: "verify folder exists"
+        run: test -d new-folder && echo "✓ new-folder created"
+
+  # ── Action 2 ─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────
+
+  action-navigate-within-folder:
+    name: "[2] navigate within folder"
+    runs-on: ubuntu-latest
+    steps:
+      - name: "mkdir open-folder"
+        run: mkdir open-folder
+
+      - name: "cd open-folder"
+        working-directory: open-folder
+        run: |
+          echo "✓ navigated into $(pwd)"
+
+  # ── Action 3 ─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────
+
+  action-nodejs-init:
+    name: "[3] nodejs project init"
+    runs-on: ubuntu-latest
+    steps:
+      - uses: actions/setup-node@v4
+        with:
+          node-version: ${{ env.NODE_VERSION }}
+
+      - name: "mkdir server"
+        run: mkdir server
+
+      - name: "npm init -y"
+        working-directory: server
+        run: npm init -y
+
+      - name: "verify package.json created"
+        working-directory: server
+        run: test -f package.json && echo "✓ package.json present"
+
+  # ── Action 4 ─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────
+
+  action-package-install:
+    name: "[4] package installation"
+    runs-on: ubuntu-latest
+    steps:
+      - uses: actions/setup-node@v4
+        with:
+          node-version: ${{ env.NODE_VERSION }}
+
+      - name: "setup — npm init -y"
+        run: npm init -y
+
+      - name: "npm install dotenv express"
+        run: npm install dotenv express
+
+      - name: "verify packages installed"
+        run: |
+          test -d node_modules/dotenv  && echo "✓ dotenv installed"
+          test -d node_modules/express && echo "✓ express installed"
+
+  # ── Action 5 ─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────
+
+  action-package-uninstall:
+    name: "[5] package uninstallation"
+    runs-on: ubuntu-latest
+    steps:
+      - uses: actions/setup-node@v4
+        with:
+          node-version: ${{ env.NODE_VERSION }}
+
+      - name: "setup — npm init -y && npm install express"
+        run: |
+          npm init -y
+          npm install express
+
+      - name: "npm uninstall express"
+        run: npm uninstall express
+
+      - name: "verify express removed"
+        run: |
+          if [ -d node_modules/express ]; then
+            echo "✗ express still present" && exit 1
+          else
+            echo "✓ express uninstalled"
+          fi
+
+  # ── Action 6 ─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────
+
+  action-vite-react:
+    name: "[6] react + vite setup"
+    runs-on: ubuntu-latest
+    steps:
+      - uses: actions/setup-node@v4
+        with:
+          node-version: ${{ env.NODE_VERSION }}
+
+      - name: "npx create-vite@latest todo-app --template react"
+        # create-vite is non-interactive when --template is provided
+        run: npx create-vite@latest todo-app --template react
+
+      - name: "npm install"
+        # runs inside todo-app — mirrors the cd + npm install in dev.js
+        working-directory: todo-app
+        run: npm install
+
+      - name: "verify scaffold structure"
+        working-directory: todo-app
+        run: |
+          test -f package.json   && echo "✓ package.json"
+          test -f index.html     && echo "✓ index.html"
+          test -d src            && echo "✓ src/"
+          test -d node_modules   && echo "✓ node_modules/"
+
+  # ── Action 7 ─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────
+
+  action-nextjs:
+    name: "[7] nextjs setup"
+    runs-on: ubuntu-latest
+    steps:
+      - uses: actions/setup-node@v4
+        with:
+          node-version: ${{ env.NODE_VERSION }}
+
+      - name: "npx create-next-app@latest next-todo-app"
+        # --yes accepts all defaults (TypeScript, ESLint, App Router, etc.)
+        # Required in CI — create-next-app is interactive by default
+        run: npx create-next-app@latest next-todo-app --yes
+
+      - name: "verify scaffold structure"
+        working-directory: next-todo-app
+        run: |
+          test -f package.json     && echo "✓ package.json"
+          test -f next.config.ts   && echo "✓ next.config.ts"
+          test -d app              && echo "✓ app/"
+          test -d node_modules     && echo "✓ node_modules/"
+
+  # ── Action 8 ─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────
+
+  action-nextjs-mui:
+    name: "[8] nextjs + mui setup"
+    runs-on: ubuntu-latest
+    steps:
+      - uses: actions/setup-node@v4
+        with:
+          node-version: ${{ env.NODE_VERSION }}
+
+      - name: "npx create-next-mui@latest todo-mui"
+        run: npx create-next-mui@latest todo-mui --yes
+
+      - name: "npm install"
+        # runs inside todo-mui — mirrors the cd + npm install in dev.js
+        working-directory: todo-mui
+        run: npm install
+
+      - name: "verify scaffold structure"
+        working-directory: todo-mui
+        run: |
+          test -f package.json   && echo "✓ package.json"
+          test -d node_modules   && echo "✓ node_modules/"
+
+# ── Action 9 — excluded ───────────────────────────────────────────────────────
+# run dev server (npm run dev) is a long-running process with no deterministic
+# exit. It cannot be validated in CI without a timeout hack. Tested manually.
diff --git a/.gitignore b/.gitignore
index 576ed7c..5c7a797 100644
--- a/.gitignore
+++ b/.gitignore
@@ -1,3 +1,3 @@
-node_modules
+# ignore
 
-.development
+node_modules
\ No newline at end of file