accelint-qrspi-propose

# Accelint QRSPI Automate the QRSPI + OpenSpec planning workflow, implementing the methodology from "We Got RPI Wrong" with OpenSpec's artifact system. This skill orchestrates the Question generation → Research → Design → Structure phases, with mandatory human checkpoints before code is written. ## What This Skill Does **Automates**: The planning phase of spec-driven development using QRSPI methodology **Scope**: Questions → Research → Design → Structure/Plan (stops before implementation) **Output**: A complete OpenSpec change ready for `/opsx:apply` **Does NOT**: Implement code, run tests, create PRs, or archive changes ## Prerequisites This skill requires the **expanded OpenSpec workflows** (`explore`, `new`, `continue`) to access the step-by-step artifact generation. To verify these workflows are enabled: ```bash openspec config list ``` Check that the `workflows:` section includes: `explore`, `new`, and `continue`. If any are missing, enable the expanded profile: ```bash openspec config profile # Select "expanded" from the list openspec update ``` ## Workflow Overview ``` ┌─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐ │ Phase Context Output Checkpoint │ ├─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┤ │ Questions Ticket only Questions — │ │ Research Questions only Research doc — │ │ Design Q+R (NO ticket) proposal.md — │ │ design.md — │ │ [STOP HERE] │ │ ⚠️ CHECKPOINT 1: Review design.md - MUST approve to continue │ │ │ │ Specs/Tasks Q+R+design specs/* — │ │ tasks.md — │ │ ⚠️ CHECKPOINT 2: Review tasks.md - MUST approve to continue │ │ │ │ Done — Exit — │ └─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┘ Note: Ticket is kept OUT of context after Phase 1 to prevent completion bleed. Critical: Phase 3 generates ONLY proposal.md and design.md, then STOPS for review. Phase 5 generates specs/* and tasks.md separately after design approval. ⚠️ MANDATORY CHECKPOINTS: The agent MUST pause and wait for explicit user approval at both checkpoints. Proceeding without approval bypasses QRSPI's core value. ``` ## Phase Breakdown ### Phase 0: Preflight Checks Before starting, verify the user provided input and OpenSpec has the required workflows enabled. **Steps**: 1. **Validate user input**: Check if the user provided a ticket, feature request, or idea in their prompt (either as skill arguments or in their message). If the prompt is empty or contains only the skill invocation with no actual content: ``` I need a ticket or feature description to plan. Please provide: - A ticket ID and description (e.g., "ATI-123: Add user authentication...") - A feature request ("I want to add dark mode support...") - An idea or problem statement ("Users complain about slow search...") Then I'll use QRSPI to break it down into a structured plan. ``` Exit the skill and wait for the user to provide input. Do NOT proceed with internal examples or placeholder content. 2. Tell the user: "Checking OpenSpec configuration..." 3. Run `openspec config list` and parse the output 4. Check if the `workflows:` section contains all three required workflows: `explore`, `new`, and `continue` 5. If any are missing: ``` This skill requires the expanded OpenSpec workflows (explore, new, continue). Your current workflows: [list what's enabled] Missing: [list what's missing] To enable the expanded workflows, run: openspec config profile # Select "expanded" from the list openspec update Then re-run this skill. ``` 6. Exit the skill if required workflows are not enabled 7. If validation passes and all workflows are present, proceed to Phase 1 ### Phase 1: Questions (Ticket Context → Questions) **Goal**: Generate research questions from the ticket, without proposing solutions. **Context isolation**: The agent generating questions should see ONLY the ticket, not prior codebase knowledge or research. This prevents solution-first thinking. **Steps**: 1. Accept the ticket description from the user (passed as the skill argument or prompted if missing) 2. Spawn a sub-agent with this exact prompt: ``` /opsx:explore I have this ticket: [paste full ticket description here] Generate a list of research questions that will tell us everything we need to know before building this. Do not propose any solutions. Questions only. ``` 3. Wait for the sub-agent to complete and return the questions 4. Extract and store the questions — they will be passed to the next phase **Output**: A structured list of research questions (no answers yet) ### Phase 2: Research (Questions Only → Research Doc) **Goal**: Answer the questions with objective facts from the codebase, without the ticket bleeding into research. **Context isolation**: The agent answering questions should see ONLY the questions, not the original ticket. This is the core QRSPI insight — research is objective, ticket-agnostic. **Steps**: 1. Spawn a NEW sub-agent (fresh context) with this exact prompt: ``` /opsx:explore [paste ONLY the research questions from Phase 1] Answer each question with facts only. Observe what the codebase does today. Do not suggest changes or implementation approaches. ``` 2. Wait for the sub-agent to complete and return the research document 3. Store the research answers — they will inform the design phase **Output**: A research document with objective answers to all questions ### Phase 3: Design Scaffolding **Goal**: Create the OpenSpec change and generate proposal.md and design.md artifacts. **Context isolation**: The ticket should NOT be in context during artifact generation to prevent "completion bleed". Spawn a sub-agent with only questions + research. **Steps**: 1. Read `openspec/config.yaml` to extract the `rules.design` section 2. Read `CLAUDE.md` or `AGENTS.md` to extract agent behavior context 3. Spawn a sub-agent with this exact prompt: ``` You are generating OpenSpec artifacts based on QRSPI research. You have access to the research questions and answers, but NOT the original ticket text. This prevents solution bias. Research Questions and Answers: [paste questions from Phase 1] Research Findings: [paste research doc from Phase 2] OpenSpec Design Rules (from config.yaml): [paste the rules.design section verbatim] Agent Behavior Context: [paste relevant sections from CLAUDE.md/AGENTS.md] CRITICAL: You MUST use /opsx commands to create and generate artifacts. DO NOT create files or write artifact content yourself. The /opsx commands will handle artifact generation following OpenSpec's configured rules. Now create the OpenSpec change with proposal and design artifacts: 1. Run /opsx:new to create the change (OpenSpec will prompt for a slug) 2. CRITICAL: Capture the change name/slug from the output and use it in all subsequent commands 3. Run /opsx:continue <change-name> ONCE to generate proposal.md ONLY 4. Run /opsx:continue <change-name> ONCE to generate design.md ONLY 5. STOP after design.md - do NOT generate specs or tasks yet IMPORTANT: Let /opsx:continue generate proposal.md and design.md using the OpenSpec workflow. DO NOT write these files yourself. The /opsx:continue command handles artifact generation based on config.yaml rules. After design.md is generated (and ONLY proposal.md and design.md exist), report completion, the CHANGE NAME, and the path to the design file. IMPORTANT: You MUST report the change name explicitly at the end like: "Change name: <slug>" CRITICAL: STOP AFTER GENERATING DESIGN.MD. DO NOT CONTINUE TO SPECS OR TASKS. Your job ends here. The parent agent will handle the checkpoint and Phase 5. If you generate specs/* or tasks.md, you will bypass the mandatory design review. ``` 4. Wait for the sub-agent to complete 5. Extract the change name/slug from the sub-agent output (look for "Change name:" or parse from the file path) 6. Store the change name — it will be passed to Phase 5 7. Verify the design.md file exists at the reported path 8. CRITICAL: DO NOT continue to Phase 5 yet. You MUST proceed to Phase 4 checkpoint. 9. Proceed to Phase 4 (mandatory checkpoint) **Output**: Generated `proposal.md` and `design.md` in `openspec/changes/<slug>/` ### Phase 4: Design Review Checkpoint ⚠️ MANDATORY **Goal**: Get human approval before proceeding to task breakdown. This is the "brain surgery" moment from the QRSPI talk — a correction here costs minutes; the same correction after implementation costs a code review cycle. CRITICAL: You MUST pause here and wait for user input. DO NOT proceed to Phase 5 without explicit user approval. If you skip this checkpoint, you defeat the entire purpose of QRSPI's separation of design from implementation planning. **Steps**: 1. Read the generated `design.md` file 2. Present it to the user with this framing: ``` Design artifact generated. Please review for: - Wrong pattern references (did I find the legacy way instead of the current way?) - Unresolved assumptions presented as decisions - Missing affected systems (any service boundaries not mentioned?) - Scope creep (does the design cover more than the ticket?) Options: (a) Approve — continue to task breakdown (b) Request edits — tell me what to change, I'll modify in place (c) Manual edit — edit the file yourself, then tell me when ready ``` 3. Wait for user input: - **(a) Approve**: Proceed to Phase 5 - **(b) Request edits**: - User describes changes - Make edits to design.md in place - Show diff of changes - Re-present for review (repeat until approved) - **(c) Manual edit**: - Wait for user confirmation that edits are complete - Re-read design.md - Proceed to Phase 5 **CRITICAL: DO NOT PROCEED TO PHASE 5 WITHOUT EXPLICIT USER APPROVAL.** If the user does not explicitly approve (says "looks good", "approve", "continue", etc.), DO NOT move forward. This checkpoint is mandatory - skipping it bypasses the core value of QRSPI methodology. ### Phase 5: Specs & Tasks Generation **Goal**: Generate delta specs and task breakdown with vertical slicing. **Context isolation**: Continue to keep ticket out of context. Spawn a sub-agent with questions + research + approved design.md. **Steps**: 1. Read the (possibly user-edited) design.md file from Phase 4 2. Read `openspec/config.yaml` to extract the `rules.spec` and `rules.tasks` sections 3. Read `CLAUDE.md` or `AGENTS.md` for agent behavior context 4. Spawn a sub-agent with this exact prompt: ``` You are generating OpenSpec specs and tasks based on QRSPI research and an approved design. You have access to research and design, but NOT the original ticket text. CHANGE NAME: <change-name-from-phase-3> Research Questions and Answers: [paste questions from Phase 1] Research Findings: [paste research doc from Phase 2] Approved Design: [paste design.md content] OpenSpec Spec Rules (from config.yaml): [paste the rules.spec section verbatim] OpenSpec Tasks Rules (from config.yaml): [paste the rules.tasks section verbatim] Agent Behavior Context: [paste relevant sections from CLAUDE.md/AGENTS.md] CRITICAL: You MUST use /opsx:continue commands to generate artifacts. DO NOT generate specs or tasks.md content yourself. The /opsx:continue command will handle artifact generation following OpenSpec's configured rules. Now generate the remaining OpenSpec artifacts: 1. Run /opsx:continue <change-name> to generate specs/* (delta specs) 2. Run /opsx:continue <change-name> to generate tasks.md IMPORTANT: Let /opsx:continue generate tasks.md using the OpenSpec workflow. DO NOT write tasks.md yourself. The /opsx:continue command handles this. After tasks.md is generated, the parent agent will validate vertical slicing and add a "## Parallelization Strategy" section if needed. After tasks.md is generated, report completion and the path to the tasks file. ``` 5. Wait for the sub-agent to complete 6. Verify specs/* and tasks.md exist at the reported paths 7. Read the generated `tasks.md` file 8. Validate vertical slicing structure: **VERTICAL SLICING (required for qrspi-apply)**: Each slice must deliver an end-to-end testable feature path, NOT a horizontal layer. Structure the work so that after completing Slice 1, you have something demonstrable and testable. ✓ CORRECT - Vertical (end-to-end feature slices): ``` Slice 1: Mock API + working frontend (user can see and click, no real data) Slice 2: Wire real service layer (now pulls actual data) Slice 3: Add database integration (data persists) ``` ✗ WRONG - Horizontal (architectural layers): ``` Phase 1: All database migrations Phase 2: All service layer changes Phase 3: All API endpoints Phase 4: All frontend components ``` **Indicators of VERTICAL slicing (correct)**: - Each slice has a "Deliverable:" that describes a working, testable feature - Slices cross architectural boundaries (e.g., a slice touches both CLI and implementation) - Each slice ends with something demonstrable to a user or stakeholder - Parallelization is possible with minimal dependencies between slices **Indicators of HORIZONTAL slicing (incorrect)**: - Slices are organized by layer: "Database changes", "Service layer", "API routes", "Frontend" - Deliverables are architectural components, not user-facing features - Early slices cannot be tested end-to-end without later slices - Slices have sequential dependencies (must finish layer 1 before layer 2) Requirements for each slice: - Deliverable: A working, testable increment (e.g., "CLI with security removed from public API") - Test: Explicit verification steps showing the slice works end-to-end - Parallelization: Slices should be independent enough to implement concurrently with minimal blocking - Checkpoints: Each subtask has a "Test:" line describing verification - Size: Prefer 3-5 major slices; more than 5 suggests scope is too large - Duration: Max 2 hours per subtask; break larger work into smaller subtasks 9. If horizontal or mixed slicing detected, **automatically convert to vertical slices**: CRITICAL: The qrspi-apply skill requires vertical slicing. If /opsx:continue generated horizontal slices, you MUST restructure them before presenting to the user. **Conversion process**: a) **Identify end-to-end feature paths**: Look for the smallest complete user-facing feature that touches all relevant architectural layers. For example: - Instead of: "Slice 1: All API changes" + "Slice 2: All CLI changes" - Convert to: "Slice 1: CLI help command (CLI + API)" + "Slice 2: CLI list command (CLI + API)" b) **Restructure each slice** with these required elements: - **Deliverable:** - A working, demonstrable feature (not just "API endpoint exists") - **Test:** - Explicit verification showing the end-to-end path works - **Subtasks in markdown checklist format**: Each subtask MUST use `- [ ] instruction` format - Subtasks that cross layers (e.g., "- [ ] Update API handler" + "- [ ] Wire CLI command" + "- [ ] Add help text") CRITICAL: Preserve the markdown checklist format (`- [ ] ...`) for all subtasks. Do NOT use numbered lists (1. 2. 3.) or plain bullets (- without [ ]). The qrspi-apply skill depends on this format to track task completion. c) **Preserve parallelization opportunities**: Structure slices to be independent - Good: "Slice 1: auth flow" and "Slice 2: data export flow" are independent - Bad: "Slice 1: database schema" must complete before "Slice 2: service layer" d) **Update Parallelization Strategy (if it exists)**: If the tasks.md already has a "## Parallelization Strategy" section, revise it to reflect the new slice structure (which slices can run in parallel, which have dependencies). Note: If the section doesn't exist, the parent agent will add it in step 10. e) **Write changes to tasks.md**: Edit the file in place using the Edit tool f) **Show diff to user**: Display what changed and explain why (e.g., "Converted from layer-based to feature-based slices for better parallelization") 10. **CRITICAL: Check for and add Parallelization Strategy section**: After vertical slicing is validated/corrected, check if tasks.md contains a "## Parallelization Strategy" section. **If the section is missing or incomplete**, add it NOW using the Edit tool to append to the end of tasks.md (after all slices): ```markdown ## Parallelization Strategy ### Dependencies (Must Complete First) - **Slice X** must wait until Slices Y-Z complete (reason) **Independent tasks (can run in parallel):** - Slice A and Slice B are independent → can implement simultaneously - Slice A and Slice C are independent → can implement simultaneously **Sequential dependencies:** - Slice D must complete before Slice E because (reason) **Critical path:** Slice X → Slice Y (reason for dependency) **Recommended implementation order:** 1. Implement Slices A, B, C in parallel (description) 2. Implement Slice D (description) 3. Implement Slice E (description) ``` Keep it simple and focused on: - Which slices can run in parallel (and why they're independent) - Which slices must be sequential (and the dependency reason) - Recommended order for implementation DO NOT overcomplicate with excessive detail or edge cases. **If the section exists but was part of a horizontal-to-vertical conversion** (step 9d), verify it accurately reflects the new vertical slice structure and update if needed. 11. Present tasks.md to the user for final approval: ``` Specs and tasks generated. [If auto-converted:] ✓ Converted task structure to vertical slices for better parallelization and incremental delivery. Each phase now delivers an end-to-end testable feature. [If already vertical:] ✓ Task structure follows vertical slicing Options: (a) Approve — planning complete, ready for implementation (b) Request changes — tell me what to adjust (c) Manual edit — edit tasks.md yourself, then confirm ``` 12. Handle user input (same flow as Phase 4: approve, request edits, or manual edit) **CRITICAL: DO NOT PROCEED TO PHASE 6 WITHOUT EXPLICIT USER APPROVAL.** Wait for the user to explicitly approve the tasks.md structure. If they don't respond or the conversation ends, stop here - do not auto-proceed to completion. **Output**: Generated `specs/*` and `tasks.md` in `openspec/changes/<slug>/` ### Phase 6: Completion After tasks.md is approved: 1. Announce completion: ``` ✅ QRSPI planning phase complete. Change name: <change-name-from-phase-3> Generated artifacts: - openspec/changes/<change-slug>/proposal.md - openspec/changes/<change-slug>/design.md - openspec/changes/<change-slug>/specs/* - openspec/changes/<change-slug>/tasks.md Next steps: 1. Review the artifacts one more time if needed 2. Run `/clear` to start fresh context for implementation 3. Run `/opsx:apply <change-name>` to begin implementation This allows you to create multiple specs before implementation and maintains proper context management. ``` 2. Exit the skill — do NOT automatically invoke `/opsx:apply` ## Key Principles ### Context Isolation (QRSPI Core) The two-context-window pattern is essential: - **Questions generation**: Ticket is IN context → generates questions - **Research answers**: Ticket is OUT of context, only questions IN context → objective facts This prevents "solution-first thinking" where the agent jumps to implementation ideas during research. ### Human Checkpoints Two mandatory review gates: 1. **After design.md**: Catch wrong patterns, missing systems, scope issues 2. **After tasks.md**: Verify vertical slicing, phase ordering These are the highest-leverage moments for corrections — before any code is written. ### Vertical Slicing Enforcement The skill should actively check for and discourage horizontal (layer-by-layer) slicing. Each phase should deliver a testable end-to-end slice.