| name | rfc-impl-generator |
| description | Generate RFC and IMPL documents from a user-provided feature/fix description. Use when the user says something like "I want to add a feature with codex", "Implement this", "Write an RFC for...", or provides a short idea that needs to be formalized into the ai-driven/rfc + ai-driven/impl pipeline. |
| allowed-tools | Read Grep Write Edit AskUserQuestion |
RFC/IMPL Document Generator
Convert a user's feature or fix idea into a paired RFC (design document for humans) and IMPL (implementation prompt for AI) in the ai-driven/ directory.
When to Use
- User says "I want to add X feature"
- User describes a bug fix or improvement
- User says "write an RFC for..."
- User gives a short idea that needs formalization before coding
Workflow
Step 1. Receive the User's Description
The user provides a short description of what they want. This could be a sentence, a paragraph, or a reference to a GitHub issue.
Step 2. Assess Information Completeness
Determine if the description is sufficient to write a meaningful RFC and IMPL. Ask yourself:
- Do I understand what problem this solves?
- Do I understand what the user expects to happen after the change?
- Do I understand when/where the user would use this?
- Do I know the scope (what's in, what's out)?
If any of these are unclear, proceed to Step 3. If all are clear, jump to Step 4.
Step 3. Ask Clarifying Questions (if needed)
Use AskUserQuestion to gather missing information. Focus on expected outcomes and user experience, NOT technical implementation details.
Good questions (ask these):
- "What should the user see or experience after this change?"
- "When would someone use this? Can you walk through a concrete scenario?"
- "What problem does this solve for you?"
- "How important is this compared to other features you're considering?"
Bad questions (avoid these):
- "Should this be a new parameter or a config option?"
- "Do you want to use threading or multiprocessing?"
- "What data structure should we use?"
- "Should we cache this in Redis or a file?"
Rules for asking:
- Ask 1-2 questions at a time
- After each answer, re-assess if you have enough information
- If still unclear, ask follow-up questions
- Stop once you can write a coherent RFC and IMPL
Step 4. Generate the Documents
Once you have sufficient information, generate both documents.
4.1 Determine the filename
Use the naming convention from .claude/rules/ai-driven-coding.md:
- If there's a GitHub issue:
{issue-number}-{short-name}.md
- If no issue:
{prefix}-{short-name}.md (prefix = feat-, fix-, refactor-, perf-, docs-)
short-name should be 2-4 English words, kebab-case.
Before writing, ask the user to confirm the filename if you're unsure about the issue number or prefix.
4.2 Write the RFC
Create ai-driven/rfc/{filename}. Read references/rfc-template.md for the exact structure and copy it as the starting scaffold.
RFC rules:
- Written in the user's natural language
- No concrete code (no diffs, no real implementation)
- No "future work" sections
- Focus on "what" and "why", not "how"
4.3 Write the IMPL
Create ai-driven/impl/{filename}. Read references/impl-template.md for the exact structure and copy it as the starting scaffold.
IMPL rules:
- Written in English (AI-facing)
- Pseudocode only, no real runnable code
- Use "suggested", "recommended", "consider" — leave room for AI judgment
- Must end with a Checking List
Step 5. Present to User
After generating both files:
- Show the user the two file paths
- Summarize what was written in 2-3 sentences
- Ask if they want to review or modify anything before handing off to a Coding Agent
Reference Files
| Name | Location | Description |
|---|
| RFC Template | references/rfc-template.md | Empty RFC scaffold to copy for new design docs |
| IMPL Template | references/impl-template.md | Empty IMPL scaffold to copy for new AI prompts |
| RFC Example | references/rfc-example.md | Filled RFC for issue #60 (exit-clear-unix) |
| IMPL Example | references/impl-example.md | Filled IMPL for issue #60 |
| Workflow Example | references/workflow-example.md | Full walkthrough from vague idea to RFC+IMPL pair |
