speckit-00-constitution

name	speckit-00-constitution
description	Create or update project governance principles and constitution

Spec-Kit Constitution

Create or update the project constitution at .specify/memory/constitution.md. This file defines the governing principles, constraints, and governance rules for specification-driven development.

Scope - What Constitution Contains

MUST contain:

• Project governance principles (high-level, technology-agnostic)
• Non-negotiable development rules
• Quality standards and expectations
• Amendment procedures and versioning policy
• Compliance review expectations

MUST NOT contain:

• Technology stack (languages, frameworks, databases) - belongs in /speckit-03-plan
• Implementation details - belongs in /speckit-03-plan
• Specific tools or versions - belongs in /speckit-03-plan
• API designs or data models - belongs in /speckit-03-plan

The constitution defines the "laws" of the project. The plan defines how to implement features within those laws.

User Input

$ARGUMENTS

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

Prerequisites Check

1. Check if constitution template exists:

   cat .specify/memory/constitution.md 2>/dev/null || echo "NO_CONSTITUTION"
   

2. If file doesn't exist, copy from skill references:

   • Read the constitution template from this skill's references/constitution-template.md
   • Create .specify/memory/constitution.md with the template

Execution Flow

1. Load the existing constitution template at .specify/memory/constitution.md.

   • Identify every placeholder token of the form [ALL_CAPS_IDENTIFIER].
   • IMPORTANT: The user might require fewer or more principles than the template. Adapt accordingly.

2. Collect/derive values for placeholders:

   • If user input supplies a value, use it.
   • Otherwise infer from existing repo context (README, docs, prior constitution versions).
   • For governance dates:
     • RATIFICATION_DATE is the original adoption date (if unknown, ask or mark TODO)
     • LAST_AMENDED_DATE is today if changes are made
   • CONSTITUTION_VERSION must increment according to semantic versioning:
     • MAJOR: Backward incompatible governance/principle removals or redefinitions
     • MINOR: New principle/section added or materially expanded guidance
     • PATCH: Clarifications, wording, typo fixes, non-semantic refinements

3. Draft the updated constitution content:

   • Replace every placeholder with concrete text (no bracketed tokens left)
   • Preserve heading hierarchy
   • Ensure each Principle section has: succinct name, paragraph or bullet list capturing non-negotiable rules, explicit rationale
   • Ensure Governance section lists amendment procedure, versioning policy, and compliance review expectations

4. Consistency propagation (validate against templates if they exist):

   • Check .specify/templates/plan-template.md for constitution alignment
   • Check .specify/templates/spec-template.md for scope/requirements alignment
   • Check .specify/templates/tasks-template.md for task categorization alignment

5. Produce a Sync Impact Report (prepend as HTML comment at top of constitution file):

   • Version change: old -> new
   • List of modified principles
   • Added/removed sections
   • Templates requiring updates
   • Follow-up TODOs if any placeholders deferred

6. Validation before final output:

   • No remaining unexplained bracket tokens

Formatting Requirements

• Use Markdown headings exactly as in the template
• Wrap long rationale lines for readability (<100 chars)
• Keep a single blank line between sections
• Avoid trailing whitespace

Next Steps

After creating the constitution, you can:

• Run /speckit-01-specify to create a feature specification

The constitution will be loaded and validated by all other speckit skills.