Specification Writing

Follow writing-voice for prose sections. Follow notebook-explanation for mental models, ownership diagrams, flow diagrams, and compressed rules.

A specification gives an agent or maintainer the context they need to implement a feature autonomously. The goal is not to describe everything exhaustively. The goal is to make the current truth easy to find, show enough evidence that the direction is credible, and give the implementer a concrete launch point.

Note: This guide uses [PLACEHOLDER] markers for content you must fill in. Code blocks show templates; replace all bracketed content with your feature's details.

When to Apply This Skill

Use this pattern when you need to:

• Plan a feature with a spec that enables autonomous implementation.
• Document research findings, trade-offs, and design rationale.
• Define phased implementation tasks with trackable checkboxes.
• Capture open questions and recommendations without over-prescribing.
• Lay out architecture with tables/diagrams instead of wall-of-prose plans.