tracey

name	tracey
description	Add proper Tracey spec annotations to code, find requirements, and check coverage. Use when working with projects that have Tracey configuration (.config/tracey/config.styx), when adding spec references to code, or when checking requirement coverage.

Tracey

Add proper spec annotations to code using Tracey's requirement tracking system.

Overview

Tracey maintains traceability between specification requirements and code. This skill helps add proper r[impl req.id] and r[verify req.id] annotations to code, find which requirements need implementation or testing, and understand Tracey annotation syntax.

Primary Interface: Use Tracey MCP tools (tracey_status, tracey_uncovered, tracey_untested, tracey_stale, tracey_rule, tracey_unmapped, tracey_validate, tracey_config) to discover requirements and validate coverage. The MCP tools provide self-documenting output showing which prefixes to use and what requirements need work.

When to Use

Use this skill when:

• Working with a project that has .config/tracey/config.styx
• User asks to "add spec annotations" or "annotate with requirements"
• Need to find which requirements are uncovered or untested
• Writing code that implements spec requirements
• Writing tests that verify spec requirements

Quick Reference: MCP Tools

Tool	Purpose
tracey_status	See configured specs, prefixes, and coverage percentages
tracey_uncovered	List requirements without implementation
tracey_untested	List requirements without verification/tests
tracey_stale	List references that point to older requirement versions
tracey_unmapped	Show code that lacks requirement references
tracey_rule <id>	Get full details about a specific requirement
tracey_validate	Validate references and naming for a spec/impl
tracey_config	Display configured specs, impls, include/exclude globs

Tip: Start with tracey_status to see what prefix to use (e.g., r[...] vs shm[...]), then use tracey_uncovered or tracey_untested to find work that needs doing.

Workflow: Adding Annotations

Step 1: Check Configuration and Prefixes

Use the tracey_status MCP tool to see configured specs and their prefixes:

tracey_status

This shows:

• Which specs are configured (e.g., rapace, shm, rust)
• What prefix to use for each (e.g., r[...], shm[...], rs[...])
• Current coverage percentages by implementation

Example output:

## Configured Specs

- **rapace** (prefix: `r`)
  - When annotating code, use: `r[impl rule.id]` or `r[verify rule.id]`

- **shm** (prefix: `shm`)
  - When annotating code, use: `shm[impl rule.id]` or `shm[verify rule.id]`

Step 2: Find Relevant Requirements

Use Tracey MCP tools to discover which requirements need work:

Find requirements without implementation:

tracey_uncovered --spec_impl "rapace/rust"

Find requirements without tests:

tracey_untested --spec_impl "rapace/typescript"

Get details about a specific requirement:

tracey_rule "message.hello.timing"

See which code lacks requirement references:

tracey_unmapped --path "src/auth/"

Step 3: Add Annotations

Add comments above relevant code using PREFIX[VERB REQ] syntax:

// r[impl auth.token.validation]
fn validate_token(token: &str) -> bool {
    // implementation
}

For tests:

// r[verify auth.token.validation]
#[test]
fn test_token_validation() {
    assert!(validate_token("valid"));
}

Step 4: Validate

Use tracey_status to verify your annotations were detected and coverage improved:

tracey_status

Check that the implementation/verification percentages increased for your target spec/impl combination.

Annotation Syntax

Supported Verbs

• impl - This code implements the requirement (default if verb omitted)
• verify - This code tests/verifies the requirement
• depends - This code must be reviewed if the requirement changes
• related - Loosely connected, shown when reviewing related code

Language-Specific Examples

Rust:

// r[impl database.connection]
fn connect_to_db() -> Result<Connection> { ... }

/// r[verify database.connection]
#[test]
fn test_connection() { ... }

TypeScript:

// r[impl api.error.format]
function formatError(code: number, message: string) { ... }

// r[verify api.error.format]
test('error format', () => { ... });

Python:

# r[impl auth.validation]
def validate_user(token: str) -> bool:
    pass

# r[verify auth.validation]
def test_validate_user():
    pass

Swift:

// r[impl session.timeout]
func cleanupExpiredSessions() { ... }

// r[verify session.timeout]
func testSessionTimeout() { ... }

Common Patterns

Multiple Requirements

One implementation can satisfy multiple requirements:

// r[impl auth.validation]
// r[impl auth.rate-limiting]
fn validate_with_rate_limit() { ... }

Generated Code

Annotate generators, not generated code:

// r[impl codegen.service-dispatch]
fn generate_dispatcher(service: &ServiceDetail) -> String {
    // Code generator that produces dispatchers
}

Partial Implementation

Use clear context when one requirement has multiple implementing functions:

// r[impl database.connection] - connection pooling
fn create_pool() { ... }

// r[impl database.connection] - connection lifecycle
fn close_connection() { ... }

Configuration Example

Note: Instead of manually reading the config file, use tracey_status to see configured specs, prefixes, and implementations.

Typical .config/tracey/config.styx:

specs (
    {
        name my-project
        prefix r
        include (docs/spec/**/*.md)
        impls (
            {
                name rust
                include (
                    crates/**/*.rs
                )
                exclude (target/**)
            }
            {
                name typescript
                include (src/**/*.ts)
            }
        )
    }
)

Key fields:

• prefix - Used in annotations (e.g., r[...])
• include (spec) - Glob patterns for spec markdown files, as a sequence (...)
• impls - Sequence of implementation blocks
• include (impl) - Glob patterns for source files to scan, as a sequence (...)
• exclude (impl) - Glob patterns to exclude, as a sequence (...)

Troubleshooting

Error: Unknown prefix

• Check the prefix in .config/tracey/config.styx
• Ensure annotations use the correct prefix

Requirements not found

• Verify requirement IDs match exactly (case-sensitive, dot-separated)
• Check that spec markdown files are in the configured include paths

Annotations not detected

• Ensure annotations are in comments (not strings)
• Check that source files match the include patterns in config

Reference Documentation

For detailed information about Tracey's implementation, configuration schema, and tooling, see the references/tracey-spec.md file bundled with this skill.