living-docs-navigator

name	living-docs-navigator
description	Navigate and load project living documentation for context from .specweave/docs/internal/. Use when implementing features and needing project context, referencing ADRs for design decisions, or accessing specs and architecture docs. Provides table of contents for all documentation types.

Living Docs Navigator

Access project knowledge stored in .specweave/docs/internal/.

Quick Navigation

When you need context, read relevant files from these locations:

📋 Specifications (Features & User Stories)

.specweave/docs/internal/specs/

• Feature specifications with user stories
• Acceptance criteria
• Implementation history

Find specs: ls .specweave/docs/internal/specs/

📐 Architecture Decisions (ADRs)

.specweave/docs/internal/architecture/adr/

• WHY decisions were made
• Trade-offs considered
• Context for design choices

Find ADRs: ls .specweave/docs/internal/architecture/adr/

🏗️ System Architecture

.specweave/docs/internal/architecture/

• High-level design (HLD)
• System diagrams
• Component architecture

Find architecture docs: ls .specweave/docs/internal/architecture/*.md

📊 Operations

.specweave/docs/internal/operations/

• Runbooks
• SLOs
• Incident procedures

💼 Strategy

.specweave/docs/internal/strategy/

• Business requirements
• Product vision
• PRDs

🛡️ Governance

.specweave/docs/internal/governance/

• Security policies
• Coding standards
• Compliance docs

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How to Use

Before Implementing a Feature

1. Check for related specs:

   grep -ril "keyword" .specweave/docs/internal/specs/
   

2. Read relevant ADRs:

   grep -l "topic" .specweave/docs/internal/architecture/adr/*.md
   

3. Load the context by reading the files found.

Before Making Design Decisions

1. Check existing ADRs to avoid contradicting past decisions
2. Read architecture docs to understand current patterns
3. Follow established conventions

Example Workflow

Task: "Implement user authentication"

1. Search for related docs:
   grep -ril "auth" .specweave/docs/internal/

2. Found:
   - .specweave/docs/internal/specs/backend/us-001-authentication.md
   - .specweave/docs/internal/architecture/adr/0001-jwt-vs-sessions.md
   - .specweave/docs/internal/architecture/auth-flow.md

3. Read each file for context before implementing.

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Progressive Disclosure Pattern

This skill follows progressive disclosure:

1. Metadata only (this SKILL.md) loads initially (~200 tokens)
2. You search for relevant docs using grep/ls
3. You read only the specific files you need
4. Result: Minimal tokens, maximum context

No RAG needed - Claude's native file reading is more accurate.

---

Integration with /sw:do

When executing /sw:do:

1. Extract topic keywords from spec.md
2. Search living docs for matches
3. Read relevant ADRs and architecture docs
4. Apply context during implementation

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Tips

• ADRs are critical - always check before design decisions
• Specs show history - see what was already built
• Use grep liberally - find docs by keyword, not guessing paths
• Cross-reference - related documents link to each other

---

Stakeholder Views

Living docs serve different audiences. Navigate by role:

For Business Stakeholders

Quick access to high-level, non-technical documentation:

.specweave/docs/internal/
├── strategy/                    # Business context
│   ├── executive-summary.md     # Project overview for leadership
│   ├── feature-dashboard.md     # Feature status tracking
│   ├── roadmap.md               # Product roadmap
│   └── business-impact/         # Per-feature impact statements
├── operations/                  # System health
│   └── health-dashboard.md      # Current system status
└── specs/
    └── _feature-status.md       # Active features & completion %

Use case: Board reports, investor updates, quarterly reviews

For Technical Leads

Quick access to architecture and decisions:

# Recent architectural decisions
ls -lt .specweave/docs/internal/architecture/adr/ | head -10

# Search for decisions about specific topics
grep -ril "authentication" .specweave/docs/internal/architecture/adr/

# Find system architecture diagrams
ls .specweave/docs/internal/architecture/*.md

Use case: Design reviews, tech debt assessment, onboarding

For Product Managers

Quick access to specifications and progress:

# Feature specifications
ls .specweave/docs/internal/specs/

# Find features by keyword
grep -ril "checkout" .specweave/docs/internal/specs/

# Check increment status
ls .specweave/increments/*/metadata.json

Use case: Sprint planning, release notes, stakeholder updates

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Executive Summary Generation

Living docs can be transformed into executive-friendly formats:

Automatic Generation

Use the stakeholder-docs skill to generate:

• Executive summaries from technical specs
• Feature status dashboards
• Business impact statements
• Release summaries

"Create an executive summary of our current project status"
"Generate a feature status dashboard for Q1"

Manual Navigation

For quick stakeholder context:

1. Project Overview: .specweave/docs/internal/strategy/executive-summary.md
2. Feature Status: .specweave/docs/internal/strategy/feature-dashboard.md
3. Recent Decisions: Latest 3 ADRs in architecture/adr/

---

Visual Documentation

When documentation needs diagrams or illustrations:

Architecture Diagrams

Use Mermaid in markdown files:

```mermaid
graph TD
    A[Client] --> B[API Gateway]
    B --> C[Auth Service]

### AI-Generated Illustrations
Use the `/sw:image-generation` skill for professional visuals:

"Generate an architecture diagram illustration for the API docs" "Create a feature illustration for the living docs"

Brand colors: Purple #7c3aed, Light purple #a78bfa

---

## Related Skills

- **stakeholder-docs**: Generate executive-friendly views
- **docs-writer**: Create detailed documentation
- **image-generation**: Add visuals via `/sw:image-generation`
- **docusaurus**: Preview docs as website via `/sw-docs:view`

## Project-Specific Learnings

**Before starting work, check for project-specific learnings:**

```bash
# Check if skill memory exists for this skill
cat .specweave/skill-memories/living-docs-navigator.md 2>/dev/null || echo "No project learnings yet"

Project learnings are automatically captured by the reflection system when corrections or patterns are identified during development. These learnings help you understand project-specific conventions and past decisions.