spec-kitty-implement

name	spec-kitty.implement
description	Execute a work package implementation
user-invocable	true

Startup Upgrade Check

Run this at most once per active agent session before the first Spec Kitty command workflow. If you already ran spec-kitty upgrade --agent-check --json in this session, reuse that result and skip this block. Do not run or announce an upgrade check again for later Spec Kitty commands in the same session. Otherwise, before continuing, run:

spec-kitty upgrade --agent-check --json

If JSON action is none, continue. If action is auto_upgrade, run upgrade_command before continuing. If it fails, tell the user and continue with the current Spec Kitty version. If action is guidance, show upgrade_note briefly, then continue. If action is prompt, ask the user with the host-native question UI when available:

Spec Kitty {latest_version} is available. You are on {installed_version}. Upgrade now?

Use these choices:

1. Upgrade now (recommended) - record upgrade_now, run upgrade_command, then continue.
2. Always keep me up to date - record always, run upgrade_command, then continue.
3. Not now - record not_now, then continue.
4. Never ask again - record never_ask, then continue.

Record the selected choice before continuing:

spec-kitty upgrade --agent-choice <upgrade_now|always|not_now|never_ask> --agent-latest <latest_version> --json

If no host-native question UI is available, present the same four choices in plain text and wait for the user. In non-interactive hosts, choose not_now and continue.

/spec-kitty.implement - Execute Work Package Implementation

Version: 0.12.0+

Purpose

Execute the implementation of a work package according to its prompt file. Follow TDD practices, respect file ownership boundaries, and apply safety guardrails for bulk operations.

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Working Directory

IMPORTANT: This step works inside the execution workspace (worktree) allocated by spec-kitty agent action implement WPxx --agent <name>. Prefer to stay within your owned_files boundaries. If a small, well-justified change to a file outside the map is genuinely needed to deliver the WP (e.g. a one-line prerequisite or a stale assertion that pins a now-deleted internal), make it and record a one-line rationale in the commit message — that is better than a convoluted in-bounds workaround or a duplicated local re-implementation. The finalize ownership-overlap gate remains the guard against parallel WPs colliding on the same file.

In repos with multiple missions, always pass --mission <handle> to every spec-kitty command. The <handle> can be the mission's mission_id (ULID), mid8 (first 8 chars of the ULID), or mission_slug. The resolver disambiguates by mission_id and returns a structured MISSION_AMBIGUOUS_SELECTOR error on ambiguity — there is no silent fallback.

User Input

The content of the user's message that invoked this skill (everything after the skill invocation token, e.g. after /spec-kitty.<command> or $spec-kitty.<command>) is the User Input referenced elsewhere in these instructions.

You MUST consider this user input before proceeding (if not empty).

Governance Payload Contract

The prompt produced by spec-kitty agent action implement is guaranteed to carry the following surfaces. Trust the prompt; do not consult external governance sources unless explicitly cited by a fetch command + when-doing rule in the prompt.

Guaranteed bodies (verbatim in the prompt when under the token budget; the resolver substitutes a spec-kitty charter context --include section:<slug> fetch + when-doing stanza only when the budget would otherwise be exceeded):

• Terminology Canon — from .kittify/charter/charter.md — governs every identifier rename or new term you introduce.
• Code Review Checklist — from .kittify/charter/charter.md — enumerates the gates the reviewer will measure your diff against.
• Regression Vigilance — from .kittify/charter/charter.md — the project's explicit guard against terminology and structural drift.
• Any additional action-critical sections the mission declares are appended automatically.

Guaranteed citations (catalog IDs always present in the prompt when the WP frontmatter selects an agent_profile):

• Every DIRECTIVE_NNN declared in the loaded agent profile's directive-references list (for example, python-pedro cites DIRECTIVE_010 — Specification Fidelity Requirement, DIRECTIVE_024 — Locality of Change, DIRECTIVE_030 — Test and Typecheck Quality Gate).
• Every tactic-id declared in the loaded agent profile's tactic-references list.

Guaranteed authority pointers (path + when-doing conditional):

• glossary/contexts/ — canonical terminology. Consult when you encounter a domain term in the diff or are about to introduce a new one.
• architecture/3.x/adr/ — architectural intent. Consult when you change a structural boundary (package layout, public API surface, dependency edges).
• Any additional paths declared in the charter's authority_paths: block are emitted alongside these defaults.

Fetch commands (the prompt may substitute these for bodies that exceed the token budget; whenever a fetch command appears, the accompanying "When you , run this and apply" line specifies the trigger):

• spec-kitty charter context --include directive:DIRECTIVE_NNN
• spec-kitty charter context --include tactic:<id>
• spec-kitty charter context --include section:<slug>

Execution Steps

1. Setup

Run:

spec-kitty agent context resolve --action implement --mission <handle> --json

Then execute the returned check_prerequisites command and capture feature_dir. All paths must be absolute.

The output of spec-kitty agent action implement ... is the authoritative work package prompt and execution context. Do not separately call spec-kitty charter context or rummage through unrelated files looking for a "newer" prompt unless the command output tells you to. The Governance Payload Contract section above documents what the prompt is guaranteed to carry.

2. Load Work Package Prompt

Read the WP prompt file from feature_dir/tasks/WPxx-slug.md. Parse frontmatter for:

• owned_files -- prefer to modify files matching these globs; out-of-map edits are allowed when small and well-justified (record a one-line rationale)
• authoritative_surface -- primary directory for this WP
• execution_mode -- code_change or planning_artifact
• subtasks -- ordered list of subtask IDs
• dependencies -- WPs that must be done first
• agent_profile -- agent profile identifier to load (e.g., implementer-ivan)
• role -- role within the profile (e.g., implementer)
• agent -- CLI agent/tool identifier (e.g., claude, codex)
• model -- optional model override (e.g., claude-sonnet-4-6)

2a. Load Agent Profile

Before proceeding, load the agent profile from the WP frontmatter using the /ad-hoc-profile-load skill (or spec-kitty agent profile list to find user-defined profiles). Apply the profile's guidance for the rest of this implementation session.

If agent_profile is empty, run spec-kitty agent profile list and select the best available profile for the WP's task_type and authoritative_surface.

3. Verify Dependencies

Confirm all dependency WPs are in approved or done status before proceeding. If any are not approved or done, stop and report which dependencies are blocking.

4. Implement Subtasks

Work through each subtask in order:

1. Read the subtask guidance from the WP prompt
2. Write tests first (TDD) when the subtask involves code changes
3. Implement the code to pass the tests
4. Verify tests pass before moving to the next subtask

5. Self-Check

After all subtasks are complete:

• All tests pass
• Any files modified outside owned_files are small, justified, and have a one-line rationale in the commit message
• Code follows project conventions (run linter if configured)
• Diff-scoped ruff sweep (MANDATORY before moving to for_review) — catches lint regressions before they reach the cycle-1 reviewer. The WP06 cycle-1 textwrap F401 in tests/specify_cli/doctrine/test_missing_pack_policy.py would have been caught by this step. Scope is the diff only so the implementer does not drown in pre-existing warnings owned by other WPs.

  CHANGED_PY=$(git diff --name-only --diff-filter=AMR HEAD | grep -E '[.]py$' || true)
  if [ -n "$CHANGED_PY" ]; then
    .venv/bin/ruff check $CHANGED_PY
  fi
  

  • The command MUST exit 0. If it does not, fix or ruff check --fix and re-run.
  • Paste the final command + exit code into your handoff note (e.g. "ruff diff-scoped check: 0 issues, exit 0").
  • On cycle-N re-implementation, diff against the WP's planning base instead of HEAD: git diff --name-only $(git merge-base HEAD main).

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Bulk Edit Occurrence Classification

If this mission has change_mode: bulk_edit in its meta.json, an occurrence classification artifact is required before implementation can begin.

What to check:

1. Read meta.json in the feature directory — look for "change_mode": "bulk_edit"
2. If present, verify occurrence_map.yaml exists in the same directory
3. The occurrence map classifies the target term by semantic category with per-category actions: rename, manual_review, do_not_change, rename_if_user_visible

During implementation:

• Consult the occurrence map before modifying any file
• Respect category actions: do NOT modify occurrences in categories marked do_not_change
• For manual_review categories, document your decision in the WP review notes
• For rename_if_user_visible, only change user-facing text (docs, UI, error messages)
• Check the exceptions section for files/patterns with overriding rules

If the gate blocks you: The system will refuse to start implementation if the occurrence map is missing or incomplete. Create occurrence_map.yaml following the schema with target, categories (3+ with actions), and optionally exceptions. Re-run the implement command.

If an inference warning fires: The system may warn that spec content looks like a bulk edit even without change_mode set. Either set change_mode: "bulk_edit" in meta.json, or re-run with --acknowledge-not-bulk-edit.

---

Bulk Edit Safety

WHEN THIS APPLIES: Any work package that performs bulk renaming, terminology cutover, or mass find-and-replace across multiple files. If your WP does NOT involve bulk text replacement, skip this section.

Pre-Edit: Occurrence Classification

Before performing bulk renames or term replacements:

1. Search the codebase for ALL occurrences of the target term:

   grep -rn "target_term" src/ tests/ docs/ --include="*.py" --include="*.md" --include="*.yaml" --include="*.json"
   

2. Classify each occurrence into one of these categories:

   Category	Example Pattern	Typical Action
   import_path	from module.old_name import	RENAME
   class_name	class OldName:	RENAME
   function_name	def old_name():	RENAME
   variable	old_name = ...	RENAME
   dict_key	"old_name": value	RENAME
   file_path	src/old_name/	RENAME (with filesystem move)
   config_value	setting: old_name	RENAME
   log_message	log("Processing old_name")	UPDATE (human-readable)
   comment	# old_name does X	UPDATE
   documentation	The old_name module...	UPDATE
   test_fixture	test_old_name_works	RENAME
   external_ref	URL or external API name	PRESERVE

3. Produce a classification report as a markdown table in the WP implementation notes. Example:

   File	Line	Occurrence	Category	Action
   src/foo.py	12	from old_name import	import_path	RENAME
   docs/api.md	45	The old_name module	documentation	UPDATE
   src/config.yaml	8	endpoint: https://api.old_name.com	external_ref	PRESERVE

4. Get classification confirmed before proceeding with edits.

5. Apply edits category by category, verifying each category independently.

Post-Edit: Verification

After completing bulk renames:

1. Search for remaining occurrences of the old term:

   grep -rn "old_term" src/ tests/ docs/ --include="*.py" --include="*.md" --include="*.yaml" --include="*.json"
   

2. For each remaining occurrence, classify it:

   • Intentional preservation: Document why it was kept (e.g., external API name, backward compat)
   • Missed rename: Fix it
   • New occurrence: Introduced by parallel work -- rename if appropriate

3. Search command template and agent directories explicitly:

   grep -rn "old_term" src/specify_cli/missions/*/command-templates/
   grep -rn "old_term" .claude/commands/ .agents/skills/ .opencode/command/
   grep -rn "old_term" .github/prompts/ .gemini/commands/ .cursor/commands/
   grep -rn "old_term" .qwen/commands/ .kilocode/workflows/ .windsurf/workflows/
   grep -rn "old_term" .augment/commands/ .roo/commands/ .amazonq/prompts/
   

4. Produce a verification report:

   • Total occurrences found: N
   • Intentionally preserved: M (with reasons for each)
   • Missed renames fixed: K
   • Template directories checked: yes/no
   • Agent directories checked: yes/no
   • Doc directories checked: yes/no

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6. Prepare for Review Hand-off

Before moving this WP to for_review, update the agent_profile field in the WP prompt frontmatter to a reviewer profile so the reviewing agent loads the correct persona automatically.

1. Identify the appropriate reviewer profile:

   spec-kitty agent profile list --json | grep reviewer
   

   The default reviewer profile is reviewer-renata. Use it unless the mission or charter specifies a different reviewer.

2. Update the WP frontmatter:

   agent_profile: "reviewer-renata"
   role: "reviewer"
   

3. Commit the updated frontmatter together with your implementation changes before running spec-kitty agent tasks move-task WPxx --to for_review.

GitHub Actions Workflow Changes

If this WP adds or modifies .github/workflows/*, use a draft PR before review hand-off:

1. Push the WP branch.
2. Open a draft PR so the workflow runs on a real GitHub Actions runner.
3. Iterate on the draft PR until the changed workflow has a successful run.
4. Record the successful run ID or Actions URL in kitty-specs/<mission>/workflow-evidence.md.
5. Only then move the WP to for_review.

The reviewer will then use /ad-hoc-profile-load with the reviewer profile and apply its self-review gates automatically.

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Output

After completing implementation:

• All subtasks done with passing tests
• Bulk edit classification and verification reports (if applicable)
• Commit changes with a descriptive message

Next step: spec-kitty next --agent <name> will advance to review.