work

STV Work — Implementation + Trace Verify Loop

STV Phase 3: trace.md → GREEN implementation + Trace Verify Write code that passes contract tests, then verify implementation matches the trace document.

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Phase 1: Context Loading

1. Read trace: Read trace.md at the specified path
   • If trace doesn't exist → guide user to run stv:trace first
2. Read spec: Read the spec.md referenced in trace.md
3. Check RED tests: Read contract test files and check current state
   • Verify all tests are RED (FAIL)
   • Warn if any test is not RED
4. Determine implementation order: Scenario order in trace = implementation order
   • If dependencies exist, implement dependencies first

Phase 2: Implementation Loop (GREEN)

Repeat for each scenario:

for each scenario in trace.md:
  1. Re-read the scenario's trace
  2. Implement code based on the trace's 7 sections
     - Follow Layer Flow parameter transformation rules exactly
     - Follow Side Effects exactly
     - Follow Error Paths exactly
  3. Run contract tests for this scenario
  4. if GREEN → next scenario
  5. if RED → fix based on trace, re-run (fix against trace)

Implementation Rules

1. Trace is the Source of Truth

   • If trace says "Step 2: ValidatePartner(entity)", implement with exactly that name/signature
   • Do not add behavior not specified in trace
   • If you have a reason to implement differently → update trace first (see Artifact Backtrack below)

2. GREEN one scenario at a time

   • Do not implement everything at once
   • Scenario 1 GREEN → Scenario 2 GREEN → ...
   • If a previous scenario breaks, fix immediately

3. Side-Effect accuracy

   • DB INSERT/UPDATE only the fields specified in trace
   • If saving fields not in trace → fix trace or fix code

Test Portfolio Strategy

┌─────────────────────────────────────────────┐
│          Primary Gate (fast and stable)      │
│                                             │
│  Trace-Driven Contract/Component Tests      │
│  - Happy path, Sad path, Side-effect,       │
│    Contract (parameter transformation) tests │
│  - Execution time: seconds to minutes       │
│  - Stability: high (minimal external deps)  │
│  - PR merge blocking criterion              │
│                                             │
├─────────────────────────────────────────────┤
│          Secondary Gate (minimal count)      │
│                                             │
│  E2E Tests                                  │
│  - Only test what can only be verified in   │
│    deployment env (network, permissions,     │
│    deployment config, etc.)                  │
│  - Execution time: minutes to tens of mins  │
│  - Stability: low (potentially flaky)       │
│  - Pre-deployment check, not merge blocking │
│                                             │
└─────────────────────────────────────────────┘

Why Contract Tests are the primary gate: E2E tests are slow, fragile, flaky, and require dedicated environments. Contract Tests are fast, stable, and run locally.

Phase 3: Trace Conformance Verify + Gap Detection

After all scenarios are GREEN, verify alignment between trace document and actual implementation.

Gap Self-Check (Before Trace Verify)

Before detailed trace verification, run a quick gap detection pass against the original spec:

1. Re-read spec.md — what was ACTUALLY requested?
2. List every feature implemented — does each trace back to a spec requirement?
3. Check for 5 gap types:
   • assumption_injection: Added behavior not in spec?
   • scope_creep: Features beyond what spec asked for?
   • direction_drift: Overall approach diverges from spec intent?
   • missing_core: Any spec requirement not implemented?
   • over_engineering: Abstraction disproportionate to the problem?

If gap detected:

• Log gap type, description, and correction instruction
• Fix implementation to align with spec (1st attempt — autonomous)
• If gap persists after fix → ask the user before proceeding
• Re-run affected tests after gap correction

Trace Conformance Checklist

Verify each scenario in trace.md against the 7-section criteria:

### Scenario {N} Verify: {title}

**Section 1 — API Entry:**
- [ ] HTTP method + route match
- [ ] Auth/authz method matches

**Section 2 — Input:**
- [ ] Request payload fields match
- [ ] Validation rules implemented

**Section 3 — Layer Flow:**
- [ ] Controller: Request → Command transformation rules match
- [ ] Service: Command → Entity transformation rules match
  - Domain decision logic matches trace
  - Derived values (ID generation, timestamps, etc.) follow trace rules
- [ ] Repository/DB: Entity → Row mapping matches
  - Transaction boundaries match trace
  - Constraints (FK, UNIQUE, etc.) exist in schema
- [ ] Parameter transformation arrow end-to-end verification
  - Request.X → Command.Y → Entity.Z → table.col chain matches

**Section 4 — Side Effects:**
- [ ] All INSERT/UPDATE/DELETE specified in trace exist in code
- [ ] No unexpected DB changes beyond trace
- [ ] Event publishing/cache changes match trace

**Section 5 — Error Paths:**
- [ ] Each error condition → exception type matches
- [ ] Exception → HTTP status mapping matches
- [ ] DB rollback/no-change guaranteed on error

**Section 6 — Output:**
- [ ] Success status code matches
- [ ] Response DTO fields match

**Section 7 — Observability (if applicable):**
- [ ] Log fields included
- [ ] Span naming matches

Mismatch Handling Protocol

When a mismatch is found, follow this protocol:

Mismatch found →
  1. If trace is wrong (implementation is better):
     → Update trace.md → Update related tests → Re-verify
  2. If code is wrong (trace is correct):
     → Fix code → Re-run tests → Re-verify
  3. If judgment is difficult:
     → Ask the user

★ Either way, trace and code must always be synchronized.
★ Record modification history in the Trace Deviations section of trace.md.

Verify Loop

while (unverified scenarios exist):
  1. Select next unverified scenario
  2. Read code and compare against trace using 7-section criteria
  3. Mismatch → apply Mismatch Handling Protocol
  4. After fixes, re-run related tests
  5. GREEN + trace aligned → mark as Verified

File Map Verification (after scenario verify loop)

After all scenarios pass the 7-section verify:

1. Extract all file paths from Section 3c (Persisted files) and Section 4 (Side Effects) across all scenarios
2. Check each file against git diff --name-only to confirm modification
3. For any unmodified file:
   • Read the scenario(s) that reference it
   • Determine required change from trace
   • Implement and re-run tests
4. Report File Map coverage in Phase 4 completion report

★ Tests are a subset of the spec. File Map is the full modification surface.

Phase 4: Completion Report

After all scenarios are GREEN + Verified:

trace.md Update

## Implementation Status
| Scenario | Trace | Tests | Verify | Status |
|----------|-------|-------|--------|--------|
| 1. {title} | done | GREEN | Verified | Complete |
| 2. {title} | done | GREEN | Verified | Complete |

## Trace Deviations
{Parts that deviated from trace during implementation and reasons. "None" if empty}

## Verified At
{date} — All {N} scenarios GREEN + Verified

Report to user

## STV Work Complete: {feature}

{N}/{N} scenarios GREEN
{N}/{N} scenarios Trace Verified
{N} trace deviations (documented in trace.md)

### Test Results
- Total: {N} tests
- Passed: {N}
- Failed: 0

### Files Modified
{modified file list}

### File Map Coverage
- Trace File Map: {N} files
- Modified: {N}/{N}
- Unmodified: {list or "none"}

### Next Steps
- [ ] Code review
- [ ] Commit & PR

Phase 3 Checklist

• Gap self-check passed (no drift from spec)
• All Contract Tests are GREEN
• Trace Conformance verification complete (0 mismatches)
• Trace document and code are synchronized
• If trace or code was modified due to mismatches, modification history recorded in Trace Deviations
• All files listed in Section 3c and Section 4 of trace are modified (File Map 100%)
• Integration/wiring code verified beyond test coverage (spec acceptance criteria cross-check)

Actions, Not Phases — Artifact Backtrack Protocol

During implementation, you may discover that the trace or spec contains errors, missing scenarios, or wrong assumptions. Going back is not failure — it is the Feedback Loop invariant in action.

When to Backtrack

During implementation, if:
  1. A spec assumption is wrong (business rule doesn't hold)
     → Backtrack to SPEC: re-invoke stv:spec in update mode
  2. A trace section is wrong (transformation logic incorrect, missing error path)
     → Backtrack to TRACE: update trace.md in-place + apply Delta Protocol
  3. A new scenario is discovered (not in trace)
     → Backtrack to TRACE: add scenario via Delta Protocol (ADDED)
  4. The entire approach is wrong (architecture mismatch)
     → Backtrack to SPEC: Update vs New decision tree applies

Backtrack Decision Tree

Is the issue in trace only (implementation detail)?
├── YES → Fix trace.md in-place
│   ├── Apply Delta Protocol (MODIFIED)
│   ├── Update contract tests
│   └── Continue implementation
└── NO → Issue is in spec (requirement/architecture level)
    ├── Is it a small correction (switching cost < medium)?
    │   ├── YES → Fix spec.md + trace.md in-place
    │   └── Continue implementation
    └── Is it a fundamental change (switching cost >= medium)?
        ├── Apply Update vs New decision tree
        ├── If UPDATE → re-invoke stv:spec, then stv:trace
        └── If NEW → stop current work, start new spec

Backtrack Rules

1. Always update upstream artifacts first — fix spec before trace, trace before code
2. Record every backtrack in Trace Deviations — with reason and what changed
3. Re-run affected contract tests after any artifact change
4. Never silently diverge — if code differs from trace, either update trace or fix code. Never leave them out of sync.

NEVER

• Add features not in trace as "improvements"
• Modify tests to make them GREEN (fix the implementation instead)
• Declare "complete" without verify
• Ignore mismatches and move on
• Leave trace and code out of sync
• Skip gap self-check before trace verify
• Ignore detected gaps — gap correction takes priority over all other fixes
• Declare "complete" with unmodified File Map files
• Treat test coverage as equivalent to spec coverage