SpecFirst

"If you can't specify it, you can't test it. If you can't test it, you can't trust it."

Works for any project: PAI skills, CLI tools, web apps, libraries, or any codebase.

Core Philosophy

• Flexible on spec tooling: Choose OpenSpec, lightweight markdown, or custom
• Strict on release process: File inventory, validation gates, manual review

AI tools make development easy—and make it easy to leak data or create bloated PRs. The release process must be more controlled than development.

SpecFirst vs OpenSpec

SpecFirst	OpenSpec
Process discipline	Spec format
Release workflow, git ops	Requirement structure
File inventory	Change proposals
Pre-release checklist	Spec deltas, archive

They're complementary: OpenSpec for tracking specs, SpecFirst for releasing safely.

---

Workflow Routing

Workflow	Trigger	File
Develop	"develop feature", "create skill", "set up branches", "start development"	workflows/Develop.md
ProposeChange	"propose change", "new feature", "change proposal"	workflows/ProposeChange.md
Release	"prepare release", "deploy", "create PR", "contribute upstream"	workflows/Release.md
ValidateSpec	"validate specs", "check compliance", "run tests"	workflows/ValidateSpec.md

---

Slash Commands

OpenSpec Commands (Spec Workflow)

Command	Purpose	When
/openspec-proposal	Create change folder with specs	Starting new feature
/openspec-apply	Implement from approved specs	After spec review
/openspec-archive	Merge specs, update CHANGELOG	After tests pass

SpecFirst Commands (Release Workflow)

Command	Purpose	When
/specfirst-propose	Quick change proposal	Simple changes
/specfirst-release	Prepare release with file inventory	Before tagging
/specfirst-validate	Run validation checks	Before release

---

Command Reference

/openspec-proposal

Creates a change proposal with spec structure.

Usage:

/openspec-proposal
> What feature or change? add-name-flag
> Which skill/project? Context

Creates:

openspec/changes/add-name-flag/
├── proposal.md     ← Summary, impact, rationale
├── tasks.md        ← Implementation checklist
└── specs/
    └── feature.md  ← SHALL/MUST requirements

Output: Presents files for human review. Waits for approval before proceeding.

---

/openspec-apply

Implements from approved specs.

Usage:

/openspec-apply
> Which change? add-name-flag

Process:

1. Reads proposal.md and specs/*.md
2. Lists requirements to implement
3. Writes tests for each requirement (tests fail initially)
4. Implements code to make tests pass
5. Updates tasks.md as items complete

Output: Reports test results and task completion.

---

/openspec-archive

Merges completed specs and updates CHANGELOG.

Usage:

/openspec-archive
> Which change? add-name-flag

Process:

1. Verifies all tasks complete
2. Merges spec deltas → openspec/specs/
3. Updates CHANGELOG.md (adds entry)
4. Moves folder → openspec/archive/YYYY-MM-DD-add-name-flag/

Output: Confirms merge, shows CHANGELOG entry.

---

/specfirst-release

Prepares release with file inventory.

Usage:

/specfirst-release
> Version? v1.0.0
> Skill? SpecFirst

Creates: RELEASE-v1.0.0.md with:

• File inventory (include list)
• Exclude list (what NOT to commit)
• Pre-release checklist
• Human approval gates

Output: Walks through release workflow step by step.

---

/specfirst-validate

Runs validation checks.

Usage:

/specfirst-validate
> What to validate? specs

Checks:

• Spec format (SHALL/MUST language)
• File existence (all referenced files exist)
• Cross-references (links work)
• Test coverage (specs have tests)

Output: Validation report with pass/fail per check.

---

Quick Reference

The Spec-First Flow (with Commands)

/openspec-proposal          ← 1. SPECIFY: Define requirements (SHALL/MUST)
        │
        ▼  [Human reviews specs]
        │
/openspec-apply             ← 2. TEST: Write tests that validate spec
        │                     3. IMPLEMENT: Code that makes tests pass
        ▼
/openspec-archive           ← 4. ARCHIVE: Merge specs, update CHANGELOG
        │
        ▼
/specfirst-release          ← 5. RELEASE: File inventory, validation, PR

CLI Tool (Optional)

# Install OpenSpec CLI globally
npm install -g @fission-ai/openspec@latest

# Initialize in project
openspec init

# List active changes
openspec list

# Interactive dashboard
openspec view

# Validate spec format
openspec validate <change-name>

# Archive completed change
openspec archive <change-name>

Release Discipline (Strict)

Before any PR:

• Explicit file inventory (what's included/excluded)
• Change proposal reviewed
• Pre-release checklist passed
• Sanitization check (no PII, no secrets)

---

Extended Context

For detailed workflows, read:

• workflows/Develop.md - Branch setup, standard & PAI contribution flows
• workflows/ProposeChange.md - Change proposal process
• workflows/Release.md - Versioning, tagging, release discipline
• workflows/ValidateSpec.md - Test pyramid, validation

Templates:

• templates/RELEASE-FRAMEWORK.md - Release methodology (copy to your skill)
• templates/RELEASE-vX.Y.Z.md - Release plan template (per release)
• templates/Requirement.md - SHALL/MUST format

Reference docs:

• docs/WorkedExample.md - Full walkthrough: developing a JIRA skill
• docs/TestPyramid.md - 4-layer test approach
• docs/ToolingArchitecture.md - Framework vs specs separation
• docs/Approaches.md - OpenSpec vs lightweight comparison

---

Examples

Example 1: Starting development (with specs)

User: "I want to develop a new feature"

1. /openspec-proposal
   → Creates openspec/changes/my-feature/
   → Defines requirements (SHALL/MUST)
   → Human reviews specs

2. /openspec-apply
   → Writes tests for requirements
   → Implements code
   → Tests pass

3. /openspec-archive
   → Merges specs to openspec/specs/
   → Updates CHANGELOG.md

Example 2: Preparing a PAI contribution

User: "Prepare the Context skill for upstream contribution"

1. /specfirst-release
   → Create RELEASE-v1.0.0.md with file inventory
   → Run tests with --release v1.0.0
   → Complete checklist
   → Tag v1.0.0 (marks tested code)
   → Cherry-pick from tag to contrib branch
   → Push to fork for PR

Example 3: Adding a feature (full flow)

User: "Add --name flag to ingest direct"

1. /openspec-proposal
   → Creates openspec/changes/add-name-flag/
   → Spec: "The system SHALL allow filename override via --name"
   → Human approves spec

2. /openspec-apply
   → Write test: TEST-CLI-014
   → Implement in process.ts
   → Tests pass

3. /openspec-archive
   → Merges spec delta to openspec/specs/ingest-direct.md
   → Updates CHANGELOG.md

4. /specfirst-release (when ready for contribution)

---

Related Documents

• Claude Code Architecture: Understanding skills vs agents
• PAI Principles: Foundation for spec-first thinking
• Discussion #187: Community input on methodology