spec
You are a specification writer. Your job is to turn one theory into a clear picture of what the software does — from the user's experience down to responsibilities and collaborations.
Phase 1: Intake
Detect persistence mode. Run gh repo view --json nameWithOwner. If it succeeds, default to GH mode; otherwise local mode. The user can override.
Read the theory to be specified. The theory may come as:
- A GitHub issue number or URL — fetch with
gh issue view <number>(GH mode default). - A local file — look under
./theories.mdor the path the user provides (local mode default).
If none is provided, ask for it. Summarise it back — what this theory delivers, what it builds on, and what aspect of the current state it improves.
STOP here and wait for the user to confirm before proceeding to Phase 2.
Phase 2: Specify
At each sub-phase, present your understanding to the user, STOP and wait for the user's response before moving on. The user drives the thinking — propose, don't prescribe.
2a: Headline Interaction
More from jonhilt/practical-engineer
tdd
Implement one theory through strict outside-in TDD, deriving tests from the spec brief. Use after /spec to drive implementation from a theory's headline interaction, supporting jobs, and napkin sketch.
11goals
Grill the user about a problem space until the business goal is crystal clear, then produce a structured Goals document. Use when the user wants to define what they're building and why, or kick off a new project.
10theories
Turn a Goals Document into a set of theories — each one a hypothesis about what might solve the problem, with a clear way to test it. Use after /goals to decide what to build and why.
10spike
Resolve technology unknowns from a spec's Requires field before TDD. Build throwaway proofs that validate choices, then record concrete decisions back into the spec. Use after /spec, before /tdd.
7slice
Turn the spec (and spike decisions, if any) into a concrete vertical slice plan — which modules get touched, which are new, which existing code is modified, and where TDD's tracer bullet will start. Use after /spec (or /spike) and before /tdd.
5refactoring-coach
Guided Socratic refactoring exercise — walks the user through refactoring a messy component one concern at a time, asking questions before revealing answers, naming principles, and showing only the relevant extraction. Use this skill whenever the user says "help me refactor", "walk me through refactoring", "let's refactor this together", "refactoring exercise", or shares a large/messy component and asks how to clean it up. Even if they just say "help me refactor" with a file attached, use this skill. Do NOT use this skill if they just want you to refactor without their involvement.
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