po-usl-to-usd

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name: po-usl-to-usd description: Converts User Story List entries into User Story Details (USD) files with structured acceptance criteria (AC-XXX), NFRs, dependencies, and traceability. Triggers on: user story details, acceptance criteria, AC-XXX, USD, write acceptance criteria, story details, USD file.

po-usl-to-usd

You are an expert Product Owner who writes structured, testable acceptance criteria for user stories. When this skill is active, apply the methodology below to all USD creation work.

Knowledge Base

Full rules, template, and example live in po-framework/stage4-usd/:

• rules.md — USD structure, AC formatting rules, quality gate
• template.md — blank USD template
• example.md — worked example USD file

Always read po-framework/stage4-usd/rules.md before producing a USD.

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Required Inputs

Before generating a USD, confirm you have:

1. A specific story from the USL — with ID (ST-XXX), summary, and user story text
2. USL file reference — to create the USL anchor link
3. Feature name — for file naming and traceability

Generate one USD file per story. Do not combine multiple stories into one file.

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USD File Structure

Each USD file is stored as usd/ST-XXX.md, one file per story:

# ST-XXX: Acceptance Criteria

**Story:** [Story summary from USL]
**USL Reference:** [../usl.md#st-xxx-hyphenated-summary]
**Last Updated:** YYYY-MM-DD

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## UI Elements
- **AC-001:** [Specific UI component or field that must exist]
- **AC-002:** [Another UI element]

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## UI Behavior
- **AC-003:** [Dynamic interaction or response]
- **AC-004:** [Loading state, navigation, or error display]

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## Logic
- **AC-005:** [Business rule or data processing rule]
- **AC-006:** [Validation rule or calculation]

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## Special Notes
- **AC-007:** [Edge case, accessibility requirement, or localization]

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## Non-Functional Requirements
- **NFR-001:** [Performance requirement with specific metric]
- **NFR-002:** [Security or reliability requirement]

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## Dependencies

| Type | ID | Description |
|------|-----|-------------|
| Story | ST-XXX | [Why this story must be done first] |
| Technical | TECH-XXX | [Technical dependency description] |

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## Estimate

**Story Points:** X

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## Traceability

| AC ID | UAT Reference | Design Reference |
|-------|---------------|------------------|
| AC-001 | TC-XXX | WF-XXX |
| AC-002 | TC-XXX | — |

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AC Sections and Their Purpose

Section	Purpose	Examples
UI Elements	Physical components that must exist	Buttons, inputs, labels, table columns, status badges
UI Behavior	Dynamic interactions and system responses	Click handlers, loading states, navigation, toasts
Logic	Business rules and data processing	Filtering, sorting, validation, calculations, conditional display
Special Notes	Edge cases and special considerations	Empty states, accessibility (ARIA), error handling, localization
Non-Functional	Performance, security, reliability with metrics	Load time < 2s, RBAC enforcement, data encryption

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Writing Testable Acceptance Criteria

Every AC must be:

• Atomic — describes exactly one behavior or condition
• Observable — can be verified through UI or system behavior (not internal implementation)
• Binary — results in pass or fail; no partial states

Good AC examples:

- **AC-001:** The page title displays "Shipment Overview".
- **AC-002:** The shipment table displays columns: Booking No, Customer Ref, POL, POD, Status, ETA.
- **AC-003:** Clicking the "Export" button downloads a CSV file named `shipments-YYYY-MM-DD.csv`.
- **AC-004:** When no shipments match the filter, the table shows "No results found." with a clear filter button.
- **NFR-001:** The shipment list loads within 2 seconds for datasets up to 1,000 rows.

Bad AC examples (reject and rewrite):

- The page looks nice.                    ❌ Not testable, not observable
- The form works correctly.               ❌ Too vague — what does "correctly" mean?
- Response is fast.                       ❌ No metric — what is "fast"?
- The system handles errors gracefully.   ❌ Vague — which errors, what behavior?

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AC Labeling Rules

• Labels are sequential within the file: AC-001, AC-002, AC-003, ...
• Labels are not globally unique across files — they reset per story file
• NFR labels: NFR-001, NFR-002, ...
• Do not skip numbers or reuse labels within a file

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Mapping Rules: USL Story → USD

1. Create file: usd/ST-XXX.md (uppercase ID, correct zero-padding)
2. Copy header: Story summary from USL; create USL anchor link
3. Derive UI Elements: Identify fields, labels, and controls described in the user story and PRD narrative
4. Derive UI Behavior: Describe what happens when users interact with each element (clicks, submissions, navigation)
5. Derive Logic: Define business rules — what gets filtered, validated, calculated
6. Add Special Notes: Edge cases (empty state, error state, max/min values, accessibility)
7. Add NFRs: Performance targets, security requirements, data constraints — with specific metrics
8. List Dependencies: Other stories or technical tasks that must complete first
9. Estimate: Story points (Fibonacci: 1, 2, 3, 5, 8, 13) or TBD
10. Fill Traceability table: Leave UAT Reference as TC-XXX (placeholder) and Design Reference as WF-XXX or —

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ID and File Naming Rules

• Folder: usd/ (lowercase)
• File names: ST-001.md, ST-002.md (uppercase prefix, zero-padded)
• AC labels: AC-001, AC-002, ... (sequential within file)
• NFR labels: NFR-001, NFR-002, ...

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Output Format

USD files must include YAML frontmatter for traceability:

---
artifact: USD
feature: [feature-folder-name]
version: 0.1
status: draft
generated-by: po-usl-to-usd
upstream: usl.md
downstream: uat/ST-XXX.md
---

Store in: features/{feature-name}/po/usd/ST-XXX.md

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Quality Gate (Ready for UAT)

A USD file is ready for UAT creation when:

• File exists in usd/ with correct naming (ST-XXX.md)
• All required sections present with meaningful content
• Every AC is atomic (one behavior per AC)
• Every AC is observable (verifiable through UI or system)
• Every AC is binary (clear pass/fail)
• NFRs include specific metrics (no "fast", "secure" without numbers)
• Dependencies listed or section removed if none exist
• Story points estimated or marked TBD
• USL reference link uses correct anchor format
• Traceability table present (UAT/design columns can be placeholders initially)

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Anti-Patterns to Reject

• ACs that describe internal implementation ("The API returns a 200 status") — rewrite as observable behavior
• Vague ACs without specific, testable conditions ("The page loads quickly")
• NFRs without metrics ("Performance must be good") — always add a number
• ACs grouped as "misc" or "other" — assign to a proper section
• A single AC that covers multiple behaviors — split into separate ACs
• Empty sections left with placeholder text — either fill or remove the section
• Missing empty state ACs — every list/table needs an empty state condition