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analyze-spec

Spec analysis with ambiguity scoring — interactive locally, single-pass remotely via label

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a16z/jolt
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July 25, 2026 at 01:47
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name
analyze-spec
description
Spec analysis with ambiguity scoring — interactive locally, single-pass remotely via label
argument-hint
[spec file path]
<Purpose> Analyze a spec file using mathematical ambiguity scoring. The goal: ensure the spec is clear enough for a one-shot implementation with zero clarifying questions. This skill operates in two modes: - **Local mode** (invoked via `/analyze-spec` in Claude Code): Full interactive Socratic interview — one question at a time, iterative refinement with the spec author. - **Remote mode** (triggered externally via the `claude-spec-review-request` label): Single-pass analysis — all questions posted at once as a single PR comment. Reads prior PR comments as context to account for already-answered questions. Adapted from the Ouroboros-inspired deep interview methodology — specification quality is the primary bottleneck in AI-assisted development. </Purpose> <Execution_Policy> - Gather codebase facts via `explore` agent BEFORE asking about them - Cite repo evidence (file path, symbol, or pattern) instead of asking the spec author to rediscover it - Score ambiguity transparently - Do not approve until ambiguity ≤ threshold (default 0.2) - Allow early approval with a clear warning if ambiguity is still high </Execution_Policy> <Mode_Detection> Detect which mode to use: - **Remote mode**: Running in a remote Claude instance triggered by the `claude-spec-review-request` label. Indicators: environment is non-interactive (no TTY), or running inside a GitHub PR context. - **Local mode**: Running interactively in a terminal via `/analyze-spec`. When in doubt, default to local mode (interactive). </Mode_Detection> <Steps> ## Phase 1: Initialize 1. **Locate the spec**: - If a path is provided in `{{ARGUMENTS}}`, use that directly. - Otherwise, detect the PR number: - Run `gh pr view --json number --jq .number` to get the current branch's PR number. - If that fails, list specs: `ls specs/` and ask the user which one. - Look for `specs/<PR#>-*.md` matching the PR number. This is the spec for this PR. - If no match, fall back to finding any `specs/*.md` file that is NOT `TEMPLATE.md`. - If multiple specs match, prefer the one matching the PR number. If still ambiguous, ask the user. 2. **Read the spec** thoroughly — understand all sections (Summary, Intent, Evaluation, Design, Execution). 3. **Read `jolt-eval/README.md`** so you understand the invariant/objective framework for scoring Success Criteria and generating questions. 4. **Explore the codebase**: Run `explore` agent to map codebase areas relevant to the spec's intent. 5. **Read prior context (remote mode)**: Read all existing PR comments via `gh pr view --json comments` to identify questions already asked and answers already given. Account for these when scoring — don't re-ask answered questions. ## Phase 2: Analyze Score clarity across four dimensions (0.0–1.0 each): | Dimension | Weight | What to assess | |-----------|--------|---------------| | Goal Clarity | 0.35 | Is the primary objective unambiguous? Can you state it in one sentence? Are key entities and relationships clear? | | Constraint Clarity | 0.20 | Are boundaries, limitations, and non-goals clear? | | Success Criteria | 0.30 | Could you write a test that verifies success? Are acceptance criteria concrete? Are relevant `jolt-eval` invariants/objectives described? | | Context Clarity | 0.15 | Do we understand the existing system well enough to modify it safely? | **Calculate ambiguity:** `ambiguity = 1 - (goal × 0.35 + constraints × 0.20 + criteria × 0.30 + context × 0.15)` For each dimension below 0.9, generate a targeted question that would improve it: - Questions should expose ASSUMPTIONS, not gather feature lists - If the scope is conceptually fuzzy, ask an ontology-style question about what the thing fundamentally IS - Cite specific codebase context (files, types, patterns) when relevant ## Phase 3: Output (mode-dependent) - **Remote mode**: single-pass PR comment with all findings — follow `references/remote-mode.md` (in this skill's directory) for the comment template and label handling. - **Local mode**: interactive Socratic interview — follow `references/local-mode.md` for the round protocol, challenge modes, and stop conditions. </Steps> <Examples> <Good> Probing jolt-eval coverage: ``` The Intent → Invariants section says "streaming must produce the same commitments as the non-streaming path." That looks like a binary property — have you considered capturing it as a new `jolt-eval` invariant? The existing `split_eq_bind_low_high` in `jolt-eval/src/invariant/` is a close model (reference vs. optimized implementation comparison). If this is out of scope, the Invariants section should say so explicitly. ``` Why good: Names a concrete existing invariant as a model, leaves the N/A door open, doesn't force a fit. </Good> <Good> Citing codebase context: ``` I found that `DoryCommitmentScheme` in `crates/jolt-prover-legacy/src/poly/commitment/dory/` uses a two-tier structure (tier-1 chunks → tier-2 aggregation). The spec mentions "streaming commitments" but doesn't specify which tier is streamed. Is this streaming at tier-1 (chunk-level), tier-2 (aggregation), or both? ``` Why good: Explored first, cited specific types and files. </Good> </Examples> Task: Analyze the spec. {{ARGUMENTS}}
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