| name | cdd |
| description | Coherence-Driven Development. Use for substantial changes that require explicit selection, artifact flow, review, release, and post-release closure. |
| artifact_class | skill |
| kata_surface | embedded |
| governing_question | How do we evolve a system through a substantial change without losing coherence across selection, implementation, review, release, and closure? |
| visibility | public |
| triggers | ["review","release","issue","design","plan","assess","post-release","ship","tag"] |
| scope | global |
| inputs | ["substantial-change context","active role","issue or branch context"] |
| outputs | ["canonical method loaded","active role skill loaded","required lifecycle sub-skills selected"] |
| requires | ["CDD applies","CDD.md exists in this directory"] |
| calls | ["alpha/SKILL.md","beta/SKILL.md","gamma/SKILL.md","issue/SKILL.md","design/SKILL.md","plan/SKILL.md","review/SKILL.md","release/SKILL.md","post-release/SKILL.md"] |
CDD
Load order
This skill is the package-visible loader entrypoint for CDD. External dispatch enters through cdd only — internal sub-skill triggers (alpha, beta, gamma, issue, design, plan, review, release, post-release) are advisory and are used only after cdd and the active role skill have been loaded. The runtime must not expose internal sub-skills as public dispatch entrypoints.
When CDD applies:
- Load
CDD.md in this directory as the canonical algorithm
- Load the role skill for the active role:
- α:
alpha/SKILL.md
- β:
beta/SKILL.md
- γ:
gamma/SKILL.md
- Load lifecycle sub-skills as directed by the role and work shape
- Load Tier 2 and Tier 3 skills as directed by the issue
Rule
CDD.md is the only normative source for:
- roles (§1.4)
- lifecycle (§3)
- selection (§2)
- artifact contract (§5)
- skill loading tiers (§4.4)
- gates (§4)
- closeout (§10)
- cycle iteration (§9.1)
- dispatch prompt format (§1.4)
Role skills may add:
- evidence requirements
- role-local gates
- checklists
- examples and katas
- execution detail for the steps they own
Role skills may not redefine:
- selection rule order
- ordered lifecycle steps
- dispatch artifact contract
- closeout obligations already named in
CDD.md
Role skills
alpha/ — α role: implementation, self-coherence, pre-review gate
beta/ — β role: review, release, β close-out
gamma/ — γ role: issue quality, dispatch, unblocking, close-out triage, process iteration
operator/ — δ role: external gates, session routing, override authority
Lifecycle sub-skills
design/ — design artifact production
issue/ — issue creation and structure
plan/ — implementation planning
review/ — code review protocol
release/ — merge, tag, deploy
post-release/ — assessment and closure
Conflict rule
If this file and CDD.md disagree, CDD.md governs.
If a role skill and CDD.md disagree on ordered steps, selection rules, or artifact contract, CDD.md governs.
If a role skill adds execution detail, gates, or evidence requirements for a CDD.md step without changing that step's order or meaning, the role skill governs for that local execution detail.