| name | sdlc-implement |
| description | Use during active implementation of a planned, tested feature - once a spec and failing tests exist and it's time to write code. Drives the agent to implement against the spec + tests, reserves your attention for the hard 20% (ambiguity, edge cases, correctness), and reviews code as it appears instead of accepting it blind. Make sure to use this whenever you are coding a feature that already has a spec/tests, or says "now build it", "make the tests pass", "implement the slice". Fourth step of the SDLC loop. |
sdlc-implement - build to green, own the hard 20%
Fourth beat of the SDLC loop. The agent does the well-specified bulk; you focus your judgment where the model is weak. The goal is the tests from sdlc-test going green without you having shipped code you don't understand.
Why this matters
The 80% problem: agents generate ~80% of a feature fast, but the last 20% - edge cases, error handling, integration points, subtle correctness - needs context they lack, and those failures are dangerous because the code "looks right" and may pass basic tests. The winning posture isn't accepting everything faster; it's spending your attention exactly where AI struggles.
Procedure
- Implement against the contract. Point the agent at the spec + failing tests and have it work to green, one slice at a time.
- Guard the 20%. Personally scrutinize: ambiguous requirements (ask, don't assume), edge cases from the plan, integration seams, and correctness under the unhappy path. Don't delegate these to the model's confidence.
- Review as it appears. Read the code as it's written. Be skeptical of anything clever. Verify imports are real packages (hallucinated deps are a known failure mode). Confirm error handling covers realistic failures, not just the happy path.
- Keep slices small and checkable. After each slice, run the tests. Don't let a big unverified blob accumulate.
- Pick the mode that fits. Conductor (hands-on, real-time) for tricky/unfamiliar logic; orchestrator (delegate, review output) for well-specified slices against established patterns.
Output
Working code for the slice that passes its tests, that you understand well enough to maintain.
Gate
Tests green + you understand the code -> hand to sdlc-review before it ships. Note any agent miss (hallucinated import, missed edge case) for sdlc-learn.
References
Load these as needed:
