using-scratch-pads

name	using-scratch-pads
description	Using scratch/ for temporary files. Triggers on creating temp files, notes, scripts.

Using Scratch Pads

Purpose

Use scratch/ for:

• Throwaway scripts
• Debug output
• External LLM review captures
• Temporary implementation notes

NOT for specs

Technical specs do NOT go in scratch/. Use the spec-homing skill — specs live at /Users/mike/shared-workspace/{project}/specs/{specname}.md.

In the spec-first workflow:

• Scratch can hold temporary brainstorming notes only.
• Final spec decisions must be promoted to the canonical shared spec file.
• Implementation agents must treat the canonical spec file as source of truth, not scratch files.

Rules

• NEVER COMMIT ANYTHING IN scratch/
• If something needs versioning, move it to a tracked location first
• Clean up scratch files when done with a task
• Do not hand off scratch notes as authoritative spec artifacts

Naming Convention

scratch/
├── review-2026-01-10.txt      # External LLM review output
├── debug-auth-flow.md          # Debug notes
├── test-script.swift           # Throwaway script
└── keyboard-fix-iterations.md  # Implementation exploration