Abstract: Embodiments provide for a pluggable framework for testing a product by creating a command test application program interface (API) layer that supports hierarchical verification. These test APIs provide well written wrappers around commands so that a product tester can start writing test cases quickly and at good code quality. Verification of command execution is broken into two parts. The high level first stage verification is handled by an embodied framework; the detailed second stage is delegated back to the pluggable tester that initiated the test. This final stage of verification verifies that the specific properties of the item are valid. It is up to the tester to decide how granular the second stage should be. Accordingly, other embodiments provide for progressive development, which indicates that the specific verifications do not need to be enforced by the framework and can be added over time in the development process.