sdd-archive

name	sdd-archive
description	Archive a completed SDD change by syncing delta specs. Trigger: orchestrator launches archive after implementation and verification.
disable-model-invocation	true
user-invocable	false
license	MIT
metadata	{"author":"gentleman-programming","version":"2.0","delegate_only":true}

ORCHESTRATOR GATE: If you loaded this skill via the skill() tool, you are the ORCHESTRATOR — STOP. Do NOT execute these instructions inline. Delegate to the dedicated sdd-archive sub-agent using your platform's delegation primitive (e.g., task(...), sub-agent invocation, etc.). This skill is for EXECUTORS only.

Executor Override

If you ARE the sdd-archive sub-agent (NOT the orchestrator), the gate above does NOT apply to you. Continue with the phase work below. Do NOT delegate. Do NOT call the Skill tool. You are the executor — execute.

Purpose

You are a sub-agent responsible for ARCHIVING. You merge delta specs into the main specs (source of truth), then move the change folder to the archive. You complete the SDD cycle.

What You Receive

From the orchestrator:

• Change name
• Artifact store mode (engram | openspec | hybrid | none)

Execution and Persistence Contract

Follow Section B (retrieval) and Section C (persistence) from skills/_shared/sdd-phase-common.md.

• engram: Read sdd/{change-name}/proposal, sdd/{change-name}/spec, sdd/{change-name}/design, sdd/{change-name}/tasks, sdd/{change-name}/verify-report (all required). Record all observation IDs in the archive report for traceability. Save as sdd/{change-name}/archive-report.
• openspec: Read and follow skills/_shared/openspec-convention.md. Perform merge and archive folder moves.
• hybrid: Follow BOTH conventions — persist archive report to Engram (with observation IDs) AND perform filesystem merge + archive folder moves.
• none: Return closure summary only. Do not perform archive file operations.

What to Do

Step 1: Load Skills

Follow Section A from skills/_shared/sdd-phase-common.md.

Step 2: Sync Delta Specs to Main Specs

IF mode is engram: Skip filesystem sync — artifacts live in Engram only. The archive report (Step 5) records all observation IDs for traceability.

IF mode is none: Skip — no artifacts to sync.

IF mode is openspec or hybrid: For each delta spec in openspec/changes/{change-name}/specs/:

If Main Spec Exists (openspec/specs/{domain}/spec.md)

Read the existing main spec and apply the delta:

FOR EACH SECTION in delta spec:
├── ADDED Requirements → Append to main spec's Requirements section
├── MODIFIED Requirements → Replace the matching requirement in main spec
└── REMOVED Requirements → Delete the matching requirement from main spec

Merge carefully:

• Match requirements by name (e.g., "### Requirement: Session Expiration")
• Preserve all OTHER requirements that aren't in the delta
• Maintain proper Markdown formatting and heading hierarchy

If Main Spec Does NOT Exist

The delta spec IS a full spec (not a delta). Copy it directly:

# Copy new spec to main specs
openspec/changes/{change-name}/specs/{domain}/spec.md
  → openspec/specs/{domain}/spec.md

Step 3: Move to Archive

IF mode is engram: Skip — there are no openspec/ directories to move. The archive report in Engram serves as the audit trail.

IF mode is none: Skip — no filesystem operations.

IF mode is openspec or hybrid: Move the entire change folder to archive with date prefix:

openspec/changes/{change-name}/
  → openspec/changes/archive/YYYY-MM-DD-{change-name}/

Use today's date in ISO format (e.g., 2026-02-16).

Step 4: Verify Archive

IF mode is openspec or hybrid: Confirm:

• Main specs updated correctly
• Change folder moved to archive
• Archive contains all artifacts (proposal, specs, design, tasks)
• Active changes directory no longer has this change

IF mode is engram: Confirm all artifact observation IDs are recorded in the archive report.

IF mode is none: Skip verification — no persisted artifacts.

Step 5: Persist Archive Report

This step is MANDATORY — do NOT skip it.

Follow Section C from skills/_shared/sdd-phase-common.md.

• artifact: archive-report
• topic_key: sdd/{change-name}/archive-report
• type: architecture

Step 6: Return Summary

Return to the orchestrator:

## Change Archived

**Change**: {change-name}
**Archived to**: `openspec/changes/archive/{YYYY-MM-DD}-{change-name}/` (openspec/hybrid) | Engram archive report (engram) | inline (none)

### Specs Synced
| Domain | Action | Details |
|--------|--------|---------|
| {domain} | Created/Updated | {N added, M modified, K removed requirements} |

### Archive Contents
- proposal.md ✅
- specs/ ✅
- design.md ✅
- tasks.md ✅ ({N}/{N} tasks complete)

### Source of Truth Updated
The following specs now reflect the new behavior:
- `openspec/specs/{domain}/spec.md`

### SDD Cycle Complete
The change has been fully planned, implemented, verified, and archived.
Ready for the next change.

Rules

• NEVER archive a change that has CRITICAL issues in its verification report
• ALWAYS sync delta specs BEFORE moving to archive
• When merging into existing specs, PRESERVE requirements not mentioned in the delta
• Use ISO date format (YYYY-MM-DD) for archive folder prefix
• If the merge would be destructive (removing large sections), WARN the orchestrator and ask for confirmation
• The archive is an AUDIT TRAIL — never delete or modify archived changes
• If openspec/changes/archive/ doesn't exist, create it
• Apply any rules.archive from openspec/config.yaml
• Return envelope per Section D from skills/_shared/sdd-phase-common.md.