spec-writer

Spec Writer

Create or refine planning artifacts when the change has moved beyond exploration.

Required Inputs

Read .spec-superflow.yaml (especially dp_0_decisions, dp_0_confirmed) and any existing planning artifacts. If dp_0_confirmed is not true, stop and route back to workflow-start for DP-0.

Config Check

Run: npx --yes --package [email protected] ssf runtime config --get artifacts.order — generate in configured order (default: proposal → specs → design → tasks). Run with artifacts.skip — skip any listed artifacts.

Artifact Roles

• proposal.md: why and scope
• specs/: required behavior (testable)
• design.md: architecture decisions and trade-offs (not line-by-line)
• tasks.md: dependency-aware implementation steps

Working Rules

Honor DP-0: Read dp_0_decisions, respect confirmed constraints, don't silently expand scope. Pause on unconfirmed decisions.

proposal.md

Must state: problem, what changes, capabilities affected, impact areas.

specs/

Every requirement must be testable. Use SHALL or MUST. Every requirement must have at least one #### Scenario: with WHEN/THEN. Group under ADDED/MODIFIED/REMOVED Requirements headers.

design.md

Must have: Context (current state, constraints, stakeholders), Goals, Decisions (Choice + Rationale + Alternatives considered), Risks And Trade-Offs.

tasks.md

Must include:

• File Structure: all files with one-sentence responsibility (Create/Modify)
• Interfaces: cross-batch Consumes/Produces with exact types
• Per-task: exact file paths, expanded TDD phases (5 steps), Interfaces block
• Granularity: each step 2-5 min, atomic
• Zero placeholders: no TBD, TODO, "figure out", "add appropriate"
• Dependency ordering: depends only on prior tasks, explicit "Depends on: Batch N"

Artifact Generation

Generate one at a time. Confirm each before next. This prevents scope drift — if proposal has errors, downstream artifacts are wrong.

1. proposal.md → present summary → wait for confirm
2. specs/ → present requirement list → wait for confirm
3. design.md → present key decisions → wait for confirm
4. tasks.md → present batch breakdown → wait for confirm

Validation Checklist

proposal.md

• ## Why > 50 chars, ## What Changes, ## Scope (In/Out), ## Impact, ## Capabilities, no TBD/TODO

specs/

• SHALL/MUST for required behavior, #### Scenario: with WHEN/THEN per requirement, grouped under delta headers, no contradictions

design.md

• ## Context, ## Goals, ## Decisions (≥1, with Choice+Rationale+Alternatives), ## Risks And Trade-Offs

tasks.md

• ## File Structure, ## Interfaces, numbered tasks, exact file paths, TDD phases, ≤5 min steps, no placeholders, every requirement mapped, explicit dependencies

If any artifact fails validation, fix before handing off to contract-builder.

DP-2: Artifact Review Gate

Present summary of all 4 artifacts (2-3 sentences each). Ask user for adjustments. After approval:

npx --yes --package [email protected] ssf state set <change-dir> dp_2_result "approved: <summary>"
npx --yes --package [email protected] ssf state set <change-dir> dp_2_timestamp $(date -u +%Y-%m-%dT%H:%M:%SZ)

Handoff Rule

Do not start implementation after writing planning artifacts. Once stable, validated, and DP-2 is recorded, hand off to contract-builder.

Exception Handling

• Parse failures: Report specific file/error; don't generate from corrupted templates
• Missing templates: Fall back to artifact structure defined in this skill
• User interruption: Artifacts on disk are the recovery checkpoint; resume from first missing/incomplete one
• Validation failure: Fix before handoff — do not hand off broken artifacts