acda481472
Adds SPEC_DRIVEN_DEVELOPMENT.md (8-step workflow, before/after issue, persona review example, agent-prompt example, maintenance rules, cheatsheet) and points CLAUDE.md, COLLABORATING.md, and CONTRIBUTING.md at the new .specify/ workflow without altering the existing cycle. Co-Authored-By: Claude Opus 4.8 <noreply@anthropic.com>
158 lines
9.1 KiB
Markdown
158 lines
9.1 KiB
Markdown
# Spec-Driven Development (SDD)
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How we turn a feature idea into merged, traceable code in this repo. SDD layers a uniform,
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machine-readable front-end onto the workflow we already run (Gitea issues → branch/PR →
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multi-persona review → red/green TDD). It does not replace any of that — see
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[ADR-041](./docs/adr/041-sdd-adoption.md) for the why.
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- **The rules** live in [`.specify/constitution.md`](./.specify/constitution.md) (humans) and
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[`.specify/AGENTS.md`](./.specify/AGENTS.md) (AI agents, every invocation).
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- **The templates** live in [`.specify/templates/`](./.specify/templates/).
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- **The worked example** is [`.specify/features/_example/`](./.specify/features/_example/) — read it first.
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---
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## 1. The workflow in 8 steps
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| # | Step | Who | Artifacts created / touched |
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|---|---|---|---|
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| 1 | **Idea → Gitea issue** using the Feature template | author | Gitea issue (labels `spec-required`, `needs-review`) from `.gitea/ISSUE_TEMPLATE/feature.md` |
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| 2 | **Write the spec** — Context, User Journey, EARS `REQ-NNN` requirements, measurable acceptance criteria, Out of Scope | author | issue body **and** `.specify/features/<name>/spec.md` |
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| 3 | **Add design artifacts** as needed | author | `design.md`; `api-contract.yaml` (any new endpoint); `threat-model.md` (uploads / new mutating endpoint / AI tool); feature-local `adr-NNN-*.md` or a `docs/adr/` entry for project-wide decisions |
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| 4 | **Persona spec review** — the six checklists gate the spec | RE, Developer, Security, DevOps, UI/UX, Architect | `checklist-results.md` + the `## Persona Review Results` table; findings folded into the spec |
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| 5 | **Resolve Open Questions & blocking FAILs** — spec does not proceed while any remain | author | spec updated; `Open Questions` emptied |
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| 6 | **Decompose into tasks** in red/green order; seed the RTM | author | `tasks.md`; rows added to [`.specify/rtm.md`](./.specify/rtm.md) (`Status: Planned`) |
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| 7 | **Implement** in a worktree, TDD per task (failing test → green → refactor → commit); agent reads `AGENTS.md` + `spec.md` + `api-contract.yaml` | implementer (often an AI agent) | code + tests; `npm run generate:api` after backend changes; RTM `Status` → `Done` |
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| 8 | **PR → multi-persona PR review → merge**; archive the feature | reviewers | PR (`Closes #n`); on merge, move the feature dir under `.specify/features/_archive/<name>/` (or tag it shipped) |
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The personas at step 4 review the **spec**; the same personas at step 8 (via the existing
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`review-pr` / `deliver-issue` skills) review the **code**. Step 4 catches at spec time what
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used to surface only at step 8.
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## 2. How a Gitea issue becomes a spec
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**Before (free-form issue):**
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> **Title:** Add profile pictures
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> Users should be able to upload a picture for their profile. Make sure it's not too big and
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> only admins can remove other people's. Show initials if there's no picture.
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Ambiguous: how big? which formats? what status code on rejection? what about unauthenticated
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callers? No identifiers to trace, no measurable criteria.
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**After (SDD-structured issue — excerpt):**
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> **Title:** As a user I want to upload a profile picture so other family members recognise me
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>
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> **## Requirements**
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> - **REQ-002** (Event-driven) — When an authenticated user sends `POST /api/users/me/avatar`
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> with a valid image, the user service shall store it and return a profile view with a
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> non-null `avatarUrl`.
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> - **REQ-008** (Unwanted-behavior) — If the uploaded file exceeds 2 MB, then the user service
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> shall return `400 ErrorCode.AVATAR_TOO_LARGE` and store nothing.
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> - **REQ-009** (Unwanted-behavior) — If a caller without `Permission.ADMIN_USER` targets
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> another user's avatar, then the system shall return `403 ErrorCode.FORBIDDEN`.
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>
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> **## Acceptance Criteria**
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> - **REQ-008** — a 2.1 MB PNG returns `400 AVATAR_TOO_LARGE`; bucket object count unchanged.
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Every behavior is now a uniquely-identified, testable, EARS-formed requirement with a
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measurable acceptance criterion. See the full version in
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[`.specify/features/_example/spec.md`](./.specify/features/_example/spec.md).
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## 3. How to run a persona review
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Each persona reads the spec, walks its checklist in `.specify/personas/<persona>.md`, and
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posts a Gitea comment (or fills `checklist-results.md`) with **PASS / FAIL / QUESTION** per
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item and a verdict. A `FAIL` from Security or Architect is a hard block. Concrete example:
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> ### Security — Spec Review
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>
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> | # | Item | Status | Note |
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> |---|---|---|---|
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> | 1 | All mutating endpoints have authn + authz `If` clauses | PASS | REQ-006 (401), REQ-009 (403) |
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> | 3 | Audit fields server-set, forbidden in body | **FAIL** | `avatarObjectKey` is bound from the request body → mass-assignment (CWE-639). Make it server-set in `UserService`. |
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> | 6 | Upload type allow-list + size | PASS | REQ-007 / REQ-008 |
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> | 9 | threat-model.md present & STRIDE-complete | **QUESTION** | Is the avatar URL public or proxied? If public S3, that's information disclosure. |
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>
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> **Verdict: CHANGES REQUESTED** — blocking FAIL: #3. Resolve #9 in the threat model.
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The author folds the fix into the spec (here: server-set key + authenticated proxy URL),
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empties the finding, and the persona re-reviews until `APPROVE`. This mirrors the existing
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`review-issue` skill — the persona checklists just make the spec pass/fail explicit.
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## 4. How the AI agent uses the spec
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Once the spec is `APPROVE`d and tasks are seeded, the implementer points the agent at the
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artifacts. Example prompt:
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> Implement `.specify/features/profile-picture-upload/`. Read `.specify/AGENTS.md` and obey
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> the constitution it references. The contract is `spec.md` (REQ-001…REQ-009) and
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> `api-contract.yaml`. Work through `tasks.md` in order, red/green TDD — write the failing
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> test named in each task first, confirm it fails, then make it pass. After backend model
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> changes run `npm run generate:api`. Each REQ has a test in the Traceability table; do not
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> mark a task done until its test is green. Update `.specify/rtm.md` Status as you go.
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The agent now has: the rules (`AGENTS.md` → constitution), the exact requirements with ids,
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the API shape, and a test-first task list — so its output is bounded and verifiable.
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## 5. Maintenance rules
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- **Constitution** ([`.specify/constitution.md`](./.specify/constitution.md)) — change it only
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when a project-wide rule genuinely changes. Bump the semantic version (MAJOR = rule
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removed/weakened, MINOR = rule added/tightened, PATCH = wording), run the §6 Sync Impact
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review, and let the `constitution-diff` CI job list the files to reconcile. Record the bump
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in ADR-041's revision log (or a superseding ADR for MAJOR).
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- **AGENTS.md** — keep it under 200 lines. It cross-references the constitution; it must never
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duplicate or contradict it.
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- **ADRs** — project-wide decisions go in [`docs/adr/`](./docs/adr/) (next free `NNN`, verify
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on disk). Immutable once `Accepted`; supersede, don't edit. Feature-local decisions stay
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beside the feature spec.
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- **Feature specs** — archive on merge: move `.specify/features/<name>/` to
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`.specify/features/_archive/<name>/`. The spec stays as the record of what shipped.
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- **RTM** ([`.specify/rtm.md`](./.specify/rtm.md)) — append rows when a spec is approved;
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flip `Status` as tests go green; never delete a shipped requirement's row. CI warns on drift.
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- **Personas** — update `.specify/personas/*.md` checklists when a recurring blind spot
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appears; keep them aligned with the richer `.claude/personas/`.
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## 6. Quick-start cheatsheet
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**EARS patterns** (every requirement is one of these + a `REQ-NNN` id):
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| Pattern | Shape |
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| Ubiquitous | `The <system> shall <behavior>.` |
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| Event-driven | `When <trigger>, the <system> shall <behavior>.` |
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| State-driven | `While <state>, the <system> shall <behavior>.` |
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| Optional-feature | `Where <feature/permission present>, the <system> shall <behavior>.` |
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| Unwanted-behavior | `If <undesired condition>, then the <system> shall <response>.` |
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**File locations:**
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| What | Where |
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| Non-negotiable rules | `.specify/constitution.md` |
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| Agent rules (read every time) | `.specify/AGENTS.md` |
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| Templates | `.specify/templates/{feature-spec,adr,threat-model,api-contract-stub}.md` |
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| Persona checklists | `.specify/personas/*.md` |
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| In-flight feature | `.specify/features/<name>/{spec,design,tasks,checklist-results}.md` + `api-contract.yaml` + `threat-model.md` |
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| Worked example | `.specify/features/_example/` |
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| Traceability matrix | `.specify/rtm.md` |
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| ADR archive | `docs/adr/NNN-*.md` |
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| Issue templates | `.gitea/ISSUE_TEMPLATE/{feature,bug}.md` |
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| CI gate | `.gitea/workflows/sdd-gate.yml` |
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**Before you mark a feature done:** every `REQ-NNN` has a green test, the RTM Status is
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`Done`, all six personas APPROVE, `npm run lint` and the targeted tests pass, and
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`npm run generate:api` has been run if the backend model changed.
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**Commands:**
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```bash
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# validate a contract locally (same as CI)
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npx @stoplight/spectral-cli lint .specify/features/<name>/api-contract.yaml
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# regenerate the TS client after a backend model/endpoint change
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cd frontend && npm run generate:api # backend must run with --spring.profiles.active=dev
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```
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