ss-modify

name	ss-modify
effort	low
description	Modify features with impact analysis and compatibility checks. Triggers on modify/change/update/refactor intent.
allowed-tools	AskUserQuestion, SlashCommand
hooks	[{"event":"PreToolUse","tool":"SlashCommand","handler":"ensure-impact-analysis","description":"Ensures impact analysis is completed before modification commands"},{"event":"PostToolUse","tool":"SlashCommand","handler":"track-modification-progress","description":"Tracks modification progress and breaking change detection"}]

SpecSwarm Modify Workflow

Provides natural language access to /ss:modify command.

When to Invoke

Trigger this skill when the user mentions:

• Modifying, changing, or updating existing feature behavior
• Enhancing or extending working features
• Altering how something works (that currently works)
• Making features work differently than they do now
• Refactoring code for quality improvement (without changing behavior)
• Deprecating or sunsetting features

Examples:

• "Change authentication from session to JWT"
• "Add pagination to the user list API"
• "Update search to use full-text search"
• "Modify the dashboard to show real-time data"
• "Extend the API to support filtering"
• "Refactor this module to reduce complexity" → uses --refactor
• "Deprecate the v1 API" → uses --deprecate
• "What's the impact of changing the user model?" → uses --analyze-only

NOT for this skill:

• Fixing bugs (use ss-fix)
• Building new features (use ss-build)

Instructions

Skill-Based Routing:

1. Detect that user mentioned modifying/changing existing functionality

2. Extract the modification description from their message

3. Route based on intent clarity:

   Clear intent - Execute directly:

   • Clear modification requests: "Change authentication from session to JWT", "Add pagination to user list API", "Update search algorithm to use full-text search"
   • Clear refactor requests: "Refactor this module to reduce complexity", "Clean up the utils to reduce duplication"
   • Clear deprecation requests: "Deprecate the v1 API", "Sunset the legacy auth system"
   • Action: Immediately run the appropriate command:
     • Standard modify: /ss:modify "modification description"
     • Refactor: /ss:modify "target" --refactor
     • Deprecate: /ss:modify "target" --deprecate
     • Impact analysis only: /ss:modify "target" --analyze-only

   Ambiguous intent - Ask for confirmation:

   • Less specific: "Update the authentication", "Make the feature better"
   • Action: Use AskUserQuestion tool with two options:
     • Option 1 (label: "Run /ss:modify"): Use SpecSwarm's workflow
     • Option 2 (label: "Process normally"): Handle as regular Claude Code request

4. If user selects Option 2, process normally without SpecSwarm

5. After command completes, STOP - do not continue with ship/merge

What the Modify Command Does

/ss:modify runs complete workflow:

• Analyzes impact and backward compatibility
• Identifies breaking changes
• Creates migration plan if needed
• Updates specification and plan
• Generates modification tasks
• Implements changes
• Validates against regression tests

Stops after modification is complete - does NOT merge/ship/deploy.

Semantic Understanding

This skill should trigger not just on exact keywords, but semantic equivalents:

Modify equivalents: modify, change, update, adjust, enhance, extend, alter, revise, adapt, transform, convert Refactor equivalents: refactor, clean up, reorganize, simplify, reduce complexity, eliminate duplication, improve naming, optimize structure Deprecate equivalents: deprecate, sunset, retire, phase out, remove feature, end-of-life Impact analysis equivalents: what's the impact, analyze impact, dependency analysis, blast radius Target terms: feature, functionality, behavior, workflow, process, mechanism, system, module, component

Distinguish from:

• Fix (broken/not working things): "fix", "repair", "resolve", "debug"
• Build (new things): "build", "create", "add", "implement new"

Example

User: "Change authentication from session to JWT"

Claude: 🎯 Running /ss:modify... (press Ctrl+C within 3s to cancel)

[Executes /ss:modify "Change authentication from session to JWT"]

User: "Refactor the utils module to reduce complexity"

Claude: 🎯 Running /ss:modify --refactor... (press Ctrl+C within 3s to cancel)

[Executes /ss:modify "utils module" --refactor]

User: "Deprecate the v1 API"

Claude: 🎯 Running /ss:modify --deprecate... (press Ctrl+C within 3s to cancel)

[Executes /ss:modify "v1 API" --deprecate]

User: "What would be the impact of changing the user model?"

Claude: 🎯 Running /ss:modify --analyze-only...

[Executes /ss:modify "user model" --analyze-only]

User: "Update the authentication"

Claude: [Shows AskUserQuestion]
1. Run /ss:modify - Use SpecSwarm's workflow
2. Process normally - Handle as regular Claude Code request

User selects Option 1