| name | accelint-onboard-openspec |
| description | Interactively onboard a project to OpenSpec by running a structured interview and generating a complete QRSPI-configured openspec/config.yaml. Use this skill whenever a user mentions "openspec config", "config.yaml for openspec", "set up openspec", "onboard to openspec", "generate openspec config", "QRSPI config", or asks how to configure OpenSpec for their project — even if they just say "help me set up openspec" or "I want to use openspec". Always prefer this skill over ad-hoc config generation. |
| license | Apache-2.0 |
| metadata | {"author":"accelint","version":"1.3.0"} |
Onboard OpenSpec
Guide the user through a conversational interview to produce a complete,
project-specific openspec/config.yaml configured for the QRSPI methodology.
NEVER Do When Onboarding OpenSpec
- NEVER run codebase inference serially when subagents are available — Phase 3 spawns parallel subagents for different discovery domains. Serial scanning wastes time on codebases with many config files spread across directories. Spawn all 4 discovery agents simultaneously.
Companion Skill
This skill produces the project DNA layer of the agent instruction stack:
structural facts about what the project is. It is the companion to the
accelint-onboard-agents skill, which produces the behavior layer (AGENTS.md /
CLAUDE.md): how the agent acts, communicates, and makes decisions.
If during this interview the user volunteers behavioral content (commit
conventions, workflow steps, decision heuristics, tool preferences), acknowledge
it and redirect: "That's behavioral — it belongs in AGENTS.md. I'll note it
here for reference, but the accelint-onboard-agents skill is the right place to
capture it." Do not write behavioral content into config.yaml.
AGENTS.md / CLAUDE.md → accelint-onboard-agents skill → HOW the agent behaves
openspec/config.yaml → this skill → WHAT the project is
Mental Model
The config has two jobs:
context: — Objective facts about the codebase injected into every AI
artifact. Think of it as the "DNA" that makes AI suggestions feel native to
the project. Facts only, no opinions.
rules: — Per-artifact checkpoints (proposal / design / tasks / spec)
that encode the team's quality bar.
Phases
Phase 0 — File State Detection
Before any interview question is asked, check whether openspec/config.yaml
exists and assess its state. Never silently pick a mode — always announce the
detected mode to the user and confirm before proceeding.
Step 1 — Check for Related Documents
Before detecting config.yaml state, check for related onboarding documents:
- Check for ARCHITECTURE.md
- If exists: Read it to understand deployment and infrastructure
- Use it to pre-fill answers for Turn 2 (infrastructure/deployment questions)
- Note its existence for the "Related Documentation" section
- Announce: "Found ARCHITECTURE.md — I'll use it to avoid asking questions
about deployment that are already documented."
Note: AGENTS.md and README.md should NOT influence config.yml generation since
they contain behavioral/usage info, not project DNA.
Step 2 — Detect Config State
After checking related documents, assess the config file state:
Does openspec/config.yaml exist?
│
├── No → MODE 1: Create
│ Full interview from scratch.
│
└── Yes → Read the file, then assess:
│
├── Empty or near-blank (schema: line only, no context/rules)?
│ → MODE 1: Create (with overwrite confirmation)
│ Ask: "config.yaml exists but appears empty — should I
│ populate it from scratch, or preserve any current content?"
│
├── Contains recognised fields?
│ (context: block present, rules: block with known artifact keys)
│ → MODE 3: Refresh
│ Abbreviated interview covering only detected drift and
│ unresolved # TODO: fill in markers.
│
└── Contains real content in an unrecognised shape?
→ MODE 2: Import
Present three options (A / B / C) before proceeding.
Recognised shape = file is valid YAML with at least a context: key
whose value is a non-empty string, or a rules: key with at least one
of the known artifact IDs (proposal, specs, design, tasks).
Mode 1: Create
Run the full Phase 1 → Phase 2 → Phase 3 → Phase 4 interview. This is the
happy path for a fresh repo.
Mode 2: Import
The file has real content that was not generated by this skill. Present the
user with three options before touching anything:
"This config.yaml has existing content with a structure I don't
recognise. How would you like to proceed?
(a) Restructure — I'll import your existing content, map it onto the
context: / rules: schema, flag any material that belongs in AGENTS.md
instead (workflow steps, commit conventions, tool preferences), run a
targeted interview to fill gaps, and produce a merged file ready to replace
the current one.
(b) Append — I'll run the full interview and add the skill's context:
and rules: sections alongside your existing content without modifying
what's already there.
(c) Dry run — I'll run the full interview and show you exactly what I
would have generated, with no changes to the filesystem. Use this to
evaluate fit before committing."
If option (a) is chosen:
- Read the file in full.
- Map existing content onto
context: sub-sections and rules: artifact
keys where possible.
- Flag any content that violates the separation-of-concerns boundary
(e.g., commit conventions, workflow steps, tool preferences, agent
decision heuristics) — these belong in
AGENTS.md. For each violation,
ask: "This looks behavioral — it belongs in AGENTS.md. Should I move it
there and remove it from config.yaml?"
- Run a targeted interview covering only the gaps (context sub-sections
with no existing coverage; artifact keys with no rules).
- Show a merged preview before writing. Existing content is labelled
# from existing file; new content is labelled # new.
If option (b) is chosen:
Run the full Phase 1 → Phase 4 interview and write the generated context:
and rules: blocks alongside existing content. Add a comment at the top:
# Sections below added by accelint-onboard-openspec skill.
If option (c) is chosen:
Run the full Phase 1 → Phase 4 interview and present the output in the
conversation. Explicitly state: "No files were changed." Offer to re-run
as (a) or (b) if the user is satisfied.
Mode 3: Refresh
The file matches the skill's expected schema — it was likely produced by a
previous run. Run an abbreviated interview covering only:
-
Drift detection — scan the codebase for changes since the file was
last updated:
| Signal | Where to look |
|---|
| Runtime / Node version changed | .nvmrc, .node-version, Dockerfile |
| New packages / frameworks added | package.json deps, workspace roots |
| TypeScript config tightened | tsconfig.json — new strict* flags |
| New packages in monorepo | pnpm-workspace.yaml, turbo.json |
| Build tooling changed | vite.config.*, tsup.config.* |
| CI/CD workflows added | .github/workflows/ |
| New domain concepts | New top-level directories, new entity types in source |
| Anti-patterns deprecated | @deprecated tags, // TODO: replace comments added |
-
Unresolved TODOs — find all # TODO: fill in markers left from the
previous run and surface them as targeted questions.
-
Announce findings before asking anything:
"I found [N] context sections that may have drifted and [M] unresolved
TODOs. I'll only ask about those — the rest looks current."
-
After the targeted interview, show only the changed sections in the
preview before writing. Do not re-emit unchanged sections.
Phase 1 — Discovery Interview
Run the interview conversationally. Don't dump all questions at once. Group them
into natural topic turns. If the user mentions a stack, infer related tooling and
confirm rather than asking again.
Turn 1 — Project Identity
- What is the project name and its primary purpose?
- Monorepo, single package, or something else? If monorepo, what workspaces?
- Build system / task orchestration? (Turbo, Nx, Make, npm scripts, Makefile…)
- Package manager and any private registries? (npm, pnpm, yarn, bun…)
Turn 2 — Tech Stack (ask as a grouped block, not one by one)
- Runtime and version (Node.js 20, Bun 1.x, Python 3.12, etc.)
- Language + config (TypeScript strict?
exactOptionalPropertyTypes? Python type
hints?)
- Framework(s) and version (React 18, Next.js 14, Express, FastAPI, etc.)
- Key domain libraries (Deck.gl, Apache Arrow, Prisma, SQLAlchemy, etc.)
- Data layer (Postgres, MongoDB, DynamoDB, ORM/query builder, data formats)
- Testing setup (Vitest, Jest, Pytest, testing-library, Playwright, etc.)
- Linting / formatting (ESLint, Biome, Prettier, Black, Ruff, etc.)
- Build tools (Vite, tsup, esbuild, Webpack, etc.)
- CI/CD (GitHub Actions, CircleCI, etc.)
- Versioning approach (Changesets, standard-version, conventional commits, etc.)
Turn 3 — Architecture
- How is the codebase organised? (feature-based, layer-based, domain-driven?)
- Where does shared/utility code live?
- Any path aliases? (
@/, ~/, src/, #lib/, etc.)
- Design patterns commonly in use? (factory, repository, observer, CQRS, etc.)
Turn 4 — Domain Concepts
- What are the 3–5 most important domain entities?
Example prompt: "For a mapping app this might be Layer, Source, Viewport,
Feature, Style."
- Any domain-specific terminology the AI should know?
- Any specialised concepts with non-obvious meanings in this codebase?
Example: "orchestration" means something specific to us — it's the runtime
layer that merges style with data, not a general workflow term.
Turn 5 — Performance
- Any concrete performance targets? (p95 < 200 ms, 60 fps, < 50 MB heap, etc.)
- Known hot paths or performance-critical areas?
- Memory or bundle-size constraints?
Turn 6 — Code Patterns
- Export style: named exports, default exports, or mixed?
- Naming conventions: files, variables, functions, constants?
Example: "kebab-case files, camelCase vars, SCREAMING_SNAKE_CASE for
constants, PascalCase for types."
- Error handling: throw,
Result<T,E>, error boundaries, something else?
- Testing structure:
describe/it, test/expect, AAA pattern?
- Test file location: co-located with source or a separate
__tests__/ tree?
- Fixture / factory approach for test data?
Note: Commit message convention is a workflow procedure — it belongs in
AGENTS.md, not here. If the user raises it now, capture it mentally and
surface it in the accelint-onboard-agents skill. Do not add it to config.yaml.
Turn 7 — Anti-Patterns
- Any patterns explicitly banned in code review?
- Deprecated patterns still in the codebase that new code should NOT emulate?
- Known performance traps specific to this stack?
Turn 8 — Proposal Rules
What does YOUR team require in a proposal? Good prompts:
- "Do you need proposals to call out database migration impact?"
- "Do you need proposals to flag API breaking changes?"
- "Any security review checklist items?"
Turn 9 — Design Rules
Project-specific design concerns to encode? Good prompts:
- "Docker / Kubernetes resource changes to document?"
- "Performance implications section required?"
- "Specific architecture diagram style (ASCII, Mermaid)?"
Turn 10 — Task Rules
- How do you tag tasks by package or module?
Example:
[PKG:auth], [MODULE:pipeline], GitHub labels…
- Rollback plan required for database changes?
- Deployment-specific test gates (smoke tests, canary checks)?
Phase 2 — Smart Defaults
After each stack answer, surface relevant conventions to confirm. Use these
examples as a pattern; extend to other stacks as appropriate.
Next.js + TypeScript + Tailwind → suggest confirming:
- App Router vs Pages Router and which patterns apply
- Server Component vs Client Component boundary rules
"use client" directive placement convention
- API route organisation (
app/api/ vs pages/api/)
React + Vitest + testing-library → suggest confirming:
userEvent over fireEvent preference
screen query priority (role > label > testid)
render wrapper for providers
Python + FastAPI → suggest confirming:
- Pydantic v1 vs v2 (different field-validator syntax)
- Dependency injection for DB sessions (
Depends)
- Alembic migration workflow
lifespan vs startup/shutdown event hooks
Node.js + Prisma → suggest confirming:
prisma.$transaction patterns
- Soft-delete vs hard-delete convention
- Migration naming convention
Phase 3 — Parallel Codebase Inference
After the interview, spawn parallel discovery subagents to fill remaining config
gaps. All config sections are load-bearing — a missing field degrades every
downstream AI artifact, so inference is always preferable to omission.
Spawn discovery subagents in parallel — don't scan serially. Each agent focuses
on one inference domain and returns structured findings. Wait for all agents to
complete, then merge results before Phase 4.
Spawn these agents simultaneously:
Agent A — Stack & Build Tooling
- Runtime / Node version:
.nvmrc, .node-version, package.json#engines, Dockerfile
- TypeScript config:
tsconfig.json (compilerOptions flags, paths aliases)
- Package manager:
package-lock.json, yarn.lock, pnpm-lock.yaml, bun.lockb
- Monorepo workspaces:
package.json#workspaces, pnpm-workspace.yaml, turbo.json, nx.json
- Build tools:
vite.config.*, webpack.config.*, tsup.config.*, esbuild scripts
- Return: runtime version, TS config flags, package manager, workspace list, build tools
Agent B — Testing & Code Quality
- Test framework:
vitest.config.*, jest.config.*, pytest.ini, pyproject.toml#tool.pytest
- Linting / formatting:
.eslintrc*, biome.json, .prettierrc*, ruff.toml
- Test structure: Sample test files — describe/it nesting depth, file location relative to source
- Test file type checking: CI scripts, package.json — check if
tsc --noEmit runs on *.test.ts files
- Property-based testing: Check for
fast-check in dependencies
- Vitest mock cleanup:
vitest.config.ts — check for clearMocks, mockReset, restoreMocks
- Return: test framework, code quality tools, test structure patterns, type checking config
Agent C — Architecture & Code Patterns
- Architecture organisation: Directory tree of
src/ or workspace roots — infer feature-based vs layer-based
- Path aliases:
tsconfig.json#compilerOptions.paths, vite.config#resolve.alias
- Design patterns: Sample source files — look for factory functions, repository objects, observer hooks
- Export style: Sample 3–5 source files; tally named vs default exports
- Naming conventions: Sample file names, exported identifiers; describe what you observe
- Error handling: Grep for
throw, Result, Either, tryCatch, error boundary components
- TypeScript baseline patterns: If
tsconfig.json exists, flag that TS/JS baseline patterns should be included
- Return: architecture style, path aliases, design patterns, export conventions, naming patterns, error handling approach
Agent D — CI/CD & Versioning
- CI/CD:
.github/workflows/, .circleci/, Jenkinsfile
- Versioning:
.changeset/, CHANGELOG.md, commitlint.config.*, .releaserc*
- Anti-patterns:
eslint rule overrides marked off or warn, comments like // TODO: replace, @deprecated
- Return: CI/CD platform, versioning approach, documented anti-patterns
After all agents complete: merge their findings into a unified inference map.
Tag each field as INFERRED [source] or UNKNOWN. Fields tagged UNKNOWN
should be marked as # TODO: fill in in the config preview.
For each field resolved via inference, note the source in the preview with a
trailing comment, e.g.:
- Runtime: Node.js 20 LTS
- Language: TypeScript 5.4, strict, exactOptionalPropertyTypes
If a field genuinely cannot be inferred (e.g., performance targets, domain
concepts, team-specific rules), mark it with # TODO: fill in rather than
omitting it. The user can resolve these after reviewing the preview. Do not
silently drop a section — an explicit TODO is a prompt to act; an absent section
is an invisible gap.
Phase 4 — Generation
- Show a labeled preview of the full config before writing anything.
Inferred values carry their source comment; unresolved fields carry
# TODO: fill in. This gives the user a complete picture of confidence level
across every field.
- Ask: "Does this look right? Any sections to correct or expand before I write
the file?"
- After confirmation, write to
openspec/config.yaml (create directory if
needed), stripping the inference source comments — they are for review
only, not the final file. For the Related Documentation section: only include
links to files that actually exist in the repository. Check for each file
(ARCHITECTURE.md, AGENTS.md/CLAUDE.md, README.md) before including its link.
- Validate the generated YAML — after writing, read the file back and verify:
- No tabs (YAML requires spaces for indentation)
- Values with special characters are properly quoted
- No syntax errors (unmatched brackets, quotes, etc.)
- The file can be conceptually parsed as valid YAML
If validation reveals issues, fix them immediately and rewrite the file.
- Print a brief summary of what was configured, what was inferred vs answered
directly, and which
# TODO fields still need human input.
YAML Generation Safety Rules
CRITICAL: YAML syntax is strict about special characters. Follow these rules when generating config.yaml to avoid syntax errors:
Quoting Requirements
Rule: Values that start with special YAML characters need quoting.
Special characters: |, >, ", ', (, ), [, ], {, }, *, &, !, %, @, `
Examples:
❌ description: (internal) auth module
✅ description: "(internal) auth module"
❌ tag: [PKG:auth]
✅ tag: "[PKG:auth]"
❌ pattern: some|other
✅ pattern: "some|other"
❌ note: Time: 5pm
✅ note: "Time: 5pm"
✅ command: 'npm run "test:unit"'
✅ command: "npm run 'test:unit'"
Multi-line String Handling
Use block scalar indicators for multi-line content:
context: |
Line 1
Line 2
Line 3
description: >
This is a long
description that
flows together.
Indentation Rules
- Use spaces only — never tabs
- Consistent indent — typically 2 spaces per level
- Block scalars — content inside
| or > must be indented relative to the key
Rules for List Values
rules:
proposal:
- Keep proposals under 100 lines
- Include scope boundaries
rules:
tasks:
- "Tag with [PKG:name] format"
- 'Use "Test:" prefix for validation'
Validation Checklist
After generating the config, mentally verify:
- No bare
(, ), |, ", ' immediately after colons (unless using | or > for multiline)
- No tab characters anywhere in the file
- Consistent 2-space indentation throughout
- All list items (
-) aligned at the same indent level within their parent
- Quoted strings use matching quote types
If any of these rules are violated, the YAML will fail to parse.
Config Template
Use this exact structure. Fill every [placeholder] with content from the
interview or codebase inference. If a field cannot be resolved by either means,
replace its placeholder with # TODO: fill in — never omit the field. Every
section is load-bearing for downstream AI artifact quality.
schema: spec-driven
context: |
# ═══════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════
# STACK FACTS
# ═══════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════
[project name and one-sentence purpose]
[repo structure: monorepo / single-package / workspaces list]
[build system and task orchestration]
[package manager + registries]
- Runtime: [e.g., Node.js 20 LTS]
- Language: [e.g., TypeScript 5.4, strict mode, exactOptionalPropertyTypes]
- Framework: [e.g., Next.js 14 App Router]
- Key Libraries: [domain-specific dependencies with versions]
- Data Layer: [databases, ORMs, data formats, query builders]
- Testing: [framework, utilities, coverage tooling]
- Linting/Formatting: [tools and config files in use]
- Build Tools: [bundlers, compilers, transpilers]
- CI/CD: [platform and key workflow names]
- Versioning: [release strategy and changelog tooling]
- Organisation: [feature-based / layer-based / domain-driven / other]
- Shared code: [path to shared utilities / packages]
- Path aliases: [list of aliases and their resolved paths]
- Key patterns: [design patterns in common use]
- [Entity or concept]: [one-line definition]
- [Entity or concept]: [one-line definition]
- [Entity or concept]: [one-line definition]
- [metric]: [target value and context]
- Hot paths: [functions executed >1000 times per interaction or >100 times/sec]
- Frame budget: [for real-time systems: 60fps = 16.67ms, 120fps = 8.33ms]
- Constraints: Bounded iteration (explicit limits on loops/queues), O(n) or better algorithmic complexity
- Exports: [named / default / mixed — and when each applies]
- Naming: [files, variables, functions, constants, types]
- Error handling: [throw / Result<T,E> / boundaries / other]
- Validation: [approach and library]
- Constants: Use `as const` objects, never `enum`
- Classes: Prefer functions over classes unless state management required or extending existing class
- Return values: Return zero values (empty array, empty string, 0) instead of null/undefined
- Type safety: Avoid `any` (use `unknown` or generics); avoid `enum` (use `as const` objects); use `type` over `interface`
- Immutability: Prefer `const`, immutable data structures, pure functions
- Documentation: Comprehensive JSDoc for all exported code (@param, @returns, @template, @example)
- Order: Internal functions, variables and types should be defined before they are used (internal/export types -> internal/export constants -> internal/export functions)
- Parameter order: Data-last ordering — place the data being operated on as the final parameter. Enables partial application and composition.
- Composition: Use curried functions when the same first parameter(s) recur across call sites.
- [pattern name]: [brief description of how it's used here]
- Pattern: AAA (Arrange, Act, Assert) with clear boundaries
- Property-based: (If available) Use `fast-check` for encode/decode pairs, validators, normalizers, pure functions
- Test scope: Never test library internals; never export internals to test them; never mock own pure functions
- Structure: [describe/it nesting convention]
- File location: [co-located / __tests__ / other]
- Test doubles: Hierarchy: real implementation > fakes > stubs > spies > mocks
- Fixtures: [factory functions / fixture files / inline data]
- Assertions: [preferred assertion style]
- Nesting: Max 2 levels of describe blocks — use descriptive test names instead
- Verification: MUST run `tsc --noEmit` on test files before marking complete
- Benchmarks: [approach if any]
- Using `any` instead of `unknown` or generics
- Using `enum` instead of `as const` objects
- Using `interface` when `type` works (prefer type)
- Returning `null`/`undefined` instead of zero values (empty arrays, empty strings, 0, false)
- Not validating external data with schemas
- Deep nesting instead of early returns
- [anti-pattern]: [why it's banned or deprecated]
- Chaining array methods (`.filter().map().reduce()`) — use single reduce pass
- Using `Array.includes()` for repeated lookups (use `Set.has()` for O(1) lookups)
- Recomputing constants inside loops (hoist invariants outside)
- Unbounded loops or queues (set explicit limits to prevent runaway resource consumption)
- Placing `try/catch` in hot paths (V8 cannot inline, 3-5x slowdown)
- [anti-pattern]: [why it's banned or deprecated]
- Testing library internals (e.g., verifying Array.prototype.map works)
- Exporting internal functions just to test them
- Loose assertions in tests (toBeTruthy, toBeDefined)
- Nested describe blocks >2 levels deep
- Testing implementation details instead of behavior
- [anti-pattern]: [why it's banned or deprecated]
- Missing JSDoc on exported functions/types
- Documenting HOW instead of WHAT/WHY in JSDoc
- Vague comment markers (`// TODO: fix this` instead of `// TODO: Replace with binary search for O(log n)`)
rules:
proposal:
- State the requirement or ticket driving this change
- Define scope boundaries — explicitly list what is OUT of scope
- Keep under 100 lines (tight and focused)
[user-specific proposal rules]
design:
- Start with "Current State": what the code does today, key files, entry
points, relevant data flows
- "Desired End State": what changes after this work, what stays the same
- "Patterns to Follow": ONLY if specific files/functions to reference exist
for this change's domain
- "Patterns to Avoid": ONLY if specific anti-patterns apply to this change
- "Open Questions": genuine uncertainties requiring human input. If none,
state explicitly "No unresolved questions."
- "Resolved Decisions": numbered (Decision 1, Decision 2…) with Choice,
Rationale, Alternatives Considered
- Use ASCII diagrams for data flows, state machines, architecture
- Call out performance implications where relevant
- Any new abstraction, interface, or dependency introduced must have its "Alternatives Considered" entry explicitly rule out stdlib, an existing project utility (per config.yaml), and an installed dependency.
[user-specific design rules]
- Keep under 250 lines total
tasks:
- Order as vertical slices — each task delivers a testable end-to-end path
- Do NOT group by architectural layer unless explicitly justified
- Horizontal (layer-by-layer) only for pure infrastructure; include
justification in the task description when used
- Each task MUST include an explicit "Test:" line describing what to verify
before proceeding to the next task
- Prefer 3–5 major slices; more than 5 suggests scope is too large
- Max 2 hours per task; break larger work into subtasks
[user-specific task tagging, e.g., [PKG:name] or [MODULE:name]]
- Call out inter-task dependencies explicitly
[user-specific rollback requirements]
[user-specific deployment test gates]
spec:
- Use Given/When/Then for behaviour specifications
- Include concrete example data relevant to the domain
- Document edge cases explicitly
[user-specific spec rules]
Interaction Principles
- Conversational, not interrogative. Bundle related questions into a single
turn. Use natural language, not bullet-dump forms.
- Infer and confirm. "You mentioned Vitest — I'll assume you're using
@testing-library/react for component tests; correct?" is better than asking
from scratch.
- Examples reduce ambiguity. When asking about naming conventions, give an
example first so the user can pattern-match.
- Iterative. Let the user amend answers. Don't lock them into the first
response.
- Preview before writing. Always show the full generated config and get
explicit confirmation before touching the filesystem.
- Infer before asking, ask before omitting. Always attempt codebase
inference for any unanswered field. If inference fails, surface a
# TODO
rather than dropping the section. A config with explicit TODOs is actionable;
a config with missing sections silently degrades every artifact it drives.