| name | sdd-slice-bootstrap |
| description | Use this skill when starting a new feature slice, module, workspace, agent, product area, or SDLC capability that needs a complete Spec Driven Development document set before implementation. Creates or verifies the standard slice documents, traceability index, and minimum gates before coding. |
SDD Slice Bootstrap
Use this skill to create or verify the SDD document set for a feature slice before implementation.
Purpose
A slice is a coherent product or platform capability with its own requirements, stories, spec, architecture, design, tasks, and supporting contracts. The goal is to avoid coding from partial context.
Default 9-Document Set
Use this set unless the project's docs/00-context/sdd-profile.md says otherwise:
| # | Stage | File Pattern |
|---|
| 1 | Requirements | docs/01-requirements/{slice}-requirements.md |
| 2 | User Stories | docs/02-user-stories/{slice}-stories.md |
| 3 | Spec | docs/03-spec/{slice}-spec.md |
| 4 | Architecture | docs/04-architecture/{slice}-architecture.md |
| 5 | Data Flow | docs/04-architecture/{slice}-data-flow.md |
| 6 | Data Model | docs/04-architecture/{slice}-data-model.md |
| 7 | Design | docs/05-design/{slice}-design.md |
| 8 | API Guide | docs/05-design/contracts/{slice}-API_IMPLEMENTATION_GUIDE.md |
| 9 | Tasks | docs/06-tasks/{slice}-tasks.md |
Workflow
- Identify the slice key:
- lowercase kebab-case
- stable across all documents
- no spaces or transient ticket IDs
- Check for an SDD profile:
docs/00-context/sdd-profile.md
- root agent instructions
- existing docs structure
- Inventory existing slice docs.
- Create missing docs using the templates in
references/.
- Add a traceability table to each doc or create
docs/00-context/{slice}-traceability.md.
- Stop before implementation if required docs are missing or materially thin.
Minimum Gate Before Code
Before implementation starts, the slice must clearly answer:
- What problem is being solved?
- Who is the user or actor?
- What is in scope and out of scope?
- What happens in the happy path?
- What happens in error and empty states?
- What data shape or state contract is needed?
- Which module owns which responsibility?
- How acceptance will be checked?
- Which ADRs constrain the design?
Output Modes
- Bootstrap mode: create empty-but-useful doc skeletons.
- Audit mode: report which docs exist, which are missing, and which are too thin.
- Backfill mode: mark docs as
Backfilled when code already exists.
Rules
- Do not pretend backfilled docs preceded implementation.
- Do not duplicate ADR rationale; link to ADRs.
- Do not start implementation from a slice with incomplete gates unless the user explicitly chooses a reduced profile.