spec

name	spec
description	Spec document conventions for writing and reviewing specification documents. Apply when creating or modifying specifications, workflows, API docs, or terminology definitions.

Spec Document Conventions

Directory Structure

docs/spec/
├── terminology.md        # Canonical definitions (single source of truth)
├── storage.md            # .mdvs/, parquet schemas, mdvs.toml, mdvs.lock
├── shared.md             # Shared output structs (DiscoveredField, etc.)
├── commands/             # One file per CLI command
│   ├── init.md
│   ├── build.md
│   ├── search.md
│   ├── check.md
│   ├── update.md
│   ├── clean.md
│   └── info.md
├── workflows/            # Cross-cutting logic shared across commands
│   ├── inference.md
│   ├── model-loading.md
│   └── model-mismatch.md
└── archive/              # Old specs, do not reference

Document Categories

• Terminology (terminology.md) — Canonical definitions, single source of truth for terms
• Storage (storage.md) — Parquet schemas, config file formats, directory layout
• Shared types (shared.md) — Output structs used by multiple commands
• Command specs (commands/*.md) — One per CLI command: inputs, behavior, output struct, errors
• Workflows (workflows/*.md) — Cross-cutting logic used by multiple commands

Writing a Spec

Header

Every spec starts with:

# <Title>

**Status: DRAFT** (or TODO, REVIEW, FINAL)

**See also:** [link1](path), [link2](path)

Command Spec Template

Command specs should include these sections:

# `mdvs <command>`

**Status: DRAFT**

## Synopsis
<usage line and flags>

## Behavior
<what the command does, step by step>

## Output
<output struct definition — every command collects results in a struct before display>

## Errors
<error conditions and messages>

## Examples
<CLI usage examples>

Workflow Spec Template

# Workflow: <Name>

**Status: DRAFT**

## Overview
<what this workflow does and which commands use it>

## Algorithm
<step-by-step logic>

## Edge Cases
<boundary conditions>

Rules

• Single source of truth: each term/struct/concept defined in ONE place only
• Cross-references: link, never duplicate definitions
• Output structs: every command must define its result as a struct, separate from display formatting
• Mermaid for diagrams — never ASCII art
• No stale references: do not link to anything in archive/