tdd-spec

name	tdd-spec
description	[Testing] Use when you need to generate or update test specifications in feature docs (Section 15) with unified TC-{FEATURE}-{NNN} format.

Codex compatibility note:

• Invoke repository skills with $skill-name in Codex; this mirrored copy rewrites legacy Claude /skill-name references.
• Prefer the plan-hard skill for planning guidance in this Codex mirror.
• Task tracker mandate: BEFORE executing any workflow or skill step, create/update task tracking for all steps and keep it synchronized as progress changes.
• User-question prompts mean to ask the user directly in Codex.
• Ignore Claude-specific mode-switch instructions when they appear.
• Strict execution contract: when a user explicitly invokes a skill, execute that skill protocol as written.
• Subagent authorization: when a skill is user-invoked or AI-detected and its protocol requires subagents, that skill activation authorizes use of the required spawn_agent subagent(s) for that task.
• Do not skip, reorder, or merge protocol steps unless the user explicitly approves the deviation first.
• For workflow skills, execute each listed child-skill step explicitly and report step-by-step evidence.
• If a required step/tool cannot run in this environment, stop and ask the user before adapting.

Codex Project-Reference Loading (No Hooks)

Codex does not receive Claude hook-based doc injection. When coding, planning, debugging, testing, or reviewing, open project docs explicitly using this routing.

Always read:

• docs/project-config.json (project-specific paths, commands, modules, and workflow/test settings)
• docs/project-reference/docs-index-reference.md (routes to the full docs/project-reference/* catalog)
• docs/project-reference/lessons.md (always-on guardrails and anti-patterns)

Situation-based docs:

• Backend/CQRS/API/domain/entity changes: backend-patterns-reference.md, domain-entities-reference.md, project-structure-reference.md
• Frontend/UI/styling/design-system: frontend-patterns-reference.md, scss-styling-guide.md, design-system/README.md
• Spec/test-case planning or TC mapping: feature-docs-reference.md
• Integration test implementation/review: integration-test-reference.md
• E2E test implementation/review: e2e-test-reference.md
• Code review/audit work: code-review-rules.md plus domain docs above based on changed files

Do not read all docs blindly. Start from docs-index-reference.md, then open only relevant files for the task.

[BLOCKING] Execute skill steps in declared order. NEVER skip, reorder, or merge steps without explicit user approval. [BLOCKING] Before each step or sub-skill call, update task tracking: set in_progress when step starts, set completed when step ends. [BLOCKING] Every completed/skipped step MUST include brief evidence or explicit skip reason. [BLOCKING] If Task tools are unavailable, create and maintain an equivalent step-by-step plan tracker with the same status transitions.

Quick Summary

[IMPORTANT] task tracking BEFORE any work. NEVER skip task creation.

Goal: Generate/update test specs in feature docs Section 15 (canonical TC registry) — unified TC-{FEATURE}-{NNN} format. 5 modes: TDD-first, implement-first, update (post-change/PR), sync, from-integration-tests.

Workflow: (1) Mode Detection → (2) Investigation → (3) TC Generation → (4) Write Section 15 → (5) Dashboard Sync → (6) Next Steps

Key Rules: Unified TC-{FEATURE}-{NNN} format · Section 15 = source of truth · Evidence required on every TC · Minimum 4 categories (positive, negative, authorization, edge cases) · Interactive review via a direct user question mandatory

---

[BLOCKING] task tracking — break ALL work into small tasks BEFORE starting. NEVER skip.

External Memory: Complex/lengthy work → write findings to plans/reports/ — prevents context loss.

Evidence Gate: [BLOCKING] — every claim/finding/recommendation requires file:line proof + confidence % (>80% act, <80% verify first).

Graph Context (MANDATORY when graph.db exists): Before generating test specs for cross-service features, run:

python .claude/scripts/code_graph trace {ServiceDir}/{FeatureFile}.cs --direction both --json

Use output to identify: event consumers, message bus subscribers, background jobs triggered by this feature. These are cross-service TC candidates (category 041–049).

Estimation & Reference Summary

[BLOCKING] task tracking todo to READ these reference files BEFORE generating TCs:

Evidence-Based Reasoning — Speculation is FORBIDDEN. Every claim needs proof.

1. Cite file:line, grep results, or framework docs for EVERY claim
2. Declare confidence: >80% act freely, 60-80% verify first, <60% DO NOT recommend
3. Cross-service validation required for architectural changes
4. "I don't have enough evidence" is valid and expected output

BLOCKED until: - [ ] Evidence file path (file:line) - [ ] Grep search performed - [ ] 3+ similar patterns found - [ ] Confidence level stated

Forbidden without proof: "obviously", "I think", "should be", "probably", "this is because" If incomplete → output: "Insufficient evidence. Verified: [...]. Not verified: [...]."

Cross-Cutting Quality — Check across all changed files:

1. Error handling consistency — same error patterns across related files
2. Logging — structured logging with correlation IDs for traceability
3. Security — no hardcoded secrets, input validation at boundaries, auth checks present
4. Performance — no N+1 queries, unnecessary allocations, or blocking calls in async paths
5. Observability — health checks, metrics, tracing spans for new endpoints

.claude/skills/tdd-spec/references/tdd-spec-template.md — TC format template: GWT structure, Evidence field, decade-numbering, Preservation Tests section (mandatory for bugfixes). Read before generating any TC.

• .claude/skills/tdd-spec/references/tdd-spec-template.md — TC template format
• docs/project-reference/domain-entities-reference.md — Domain entity catalog, relationships, cross-service sync (read directly when relevant; do not rely on hook-injected conversation text)
• docs/project-reference/integration-test-reference.md — Integration test patterns, fixture setup, seeder conventions, lessons learned (MUST READ before reviewing/writing integration tests)
• docs/specs/ — Existing TCs by module — read BEFORE generating to avoid ID collisions

Workflow:

1. Mode Detection — TDD-first, implement-first, update, sync, or from-integration-tests
2. Investigation — Analyze PBI/codebase/existing TCs/git changes per mode
3. TC Generation — Generate TC outlines, interactive review with user
4. Write to Feature Doc — Upsert TCs into Section 15
5. Dashboard Sync — Optionally update docs/specs/ cross-module dashboard
6. Next Steps — Suggest follow-on actions per mode

Key Rules:

• Unified format: TC-{FEATURE}-{NNN} — feature codes in docs/project-reference/feature-docs-reference.md
• Source of truth: Feature docs Section 15 — canonical TC registry. NEVER write TCs to docs/specs/ as primary destination.
• Evidence required: Every TC MUST have Evidence: {FilePath}:{LineRange} or TBD (pre-implementation) for TDD-first
• Minimum 4 categories: Positive (happy path) · Negative (error handling) · Authorization (role-based access — MANDATORY) · Edge cases
  • Bugfix specs: MANDATORY Preservation Tests — see references/tdd-spec-template.md#preservation-tests-mandatory-for-bugfix-specs
  • Query-Only exception: Read-only, no auth boundaries, no events → validation + authorization + edge cases minimum
  • Config-Only exception: Flag-toggle features, no entity changes → authorization + edge cases minimum
• Cross-cutting TC categories (when applicable):
  • Authorization TCs (MANDATORY): Authorized succeeds, unauthorized rejected, role visibility verified
  • Seed Data TCs: Reference data exists, seeder runs correctly
  • Performance TCs: Feature within SLA under production-like volume
  • Data Migration TCs: Data transforms correctly, rollback works, no data loss
  • Preservation TCs (MANDATORY bugfixes): ≥1 per "Healthy input" row — authored from OLD code semantics BEFORE fix lands
• Interactive review: ALWAYS a direct user question — review TC list with user before writing

---

Quick Reference

Related Skills

| Skill | Relationship | | --------------------------- | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | | tdd-spec [direction=sync] | Native sync mode — syncs S15 TCs to/from docs/specs/ dashboard (replaces test-specs-docs) | | integration-test | Code generator → generates integration tests FROM TCs written by this skill | | feature-docs | Feature doc creator → creates the Section 15 that this skill populates | | $spec-discovery | Upstream spec — engineering spec bundle is the source of truth for domain model | When TCs reveal implementation doesn't match spec-discovery output: run spec-discovery audit/update |

Output Locations

Artifact	Path
TCs (canonical)	docs/business-features/{App}/detailed-features/{feature}.md Section 15
Dashboard (optional)	docs/specs/{Module}/README.md Implementation Index
Priority index (optional)	docs/specs/PRIORITY-INDEX.md

Phase-Mapped Coverage: When a plan exists with multiple phases, generate test cases PER PHASE — not just per feature. Each phase's success criteria must have ≥1 test case.

Frontend/UI Context (if applicable)

When this task involves frontend or UI changes,

• Component patterns: docs/project-reference/frontend-patterns-reference.md
• Styling/BEM guide: docs/project-reference/scss-styling-guide.md
• Design system tokens: docs/project-reference/design-system/README.md

---

Detailed Workflow

Phase 1: Mode Detection & Context

Detect mode from prompt and context:

Mode	Signal	Action
TDD-first	PBI/story exists, code not yet written	Generate specs from requirements
Implement-first	Code already exists, no/incomplete TCs	Generate specs from codebase analysis
Update	Existing TCs + code changes / bugfix / PR	Diff existing TCs against current code/PR, find gaps, update both
Sync	User says "sync test specs" or bidirectional need	Reconcile feature docs ↔ docs/specs/ (either direction)
From-integration-tests	Tests exist with test spec annotations, no docs	Extract TC metadata from test code → write to feature docs

Mode Confirmation (ask the user directly)

[REQUIRED] Confirm mode before Phase 2 when signals ambiguous:

• Both "update" and "sync" present → which takes priority?
• No mode keyword → TDD-first (new feature) or implement-first (code exists)?
• "from integration tests" → high effort, confirm scope

"Detected mode: {detected_mode} for feature: {feature_name}. TCs to write: ~{estimated_count}. Correct?"

Options: [Yes, proceed] [Change mode] [Change scope]

Skip confirmation only when mode explicit in $ARGUMENTS AND feature name unambiguous.

Must read FIRST:

1. docs/project-reference/feature-docs-reference.md — correct {FEATURE} code for TC IDs (read directly when relevant; do not rely on hook-injected conversation text)
2. Target feature doc — Section 15 exists? Read existing TCs to avoid ID collisions
3. docs/project-reference/spec-principles.md — Section 7 (TC Coverage Mapping), minimum categories and depth (read directly when relevant; do not rely on hook-injected conversation text)

Spec Readiness Gate (BLOCKING — implement-first and update modes only):

Read target feature doc Sections 5, 6, 8, 13. Check:

• Every BR-XX in Section 6 has [Source: file:line] citation — flag missing
• Every operation in Section 8 references ≥1 BR-XX — flag unreferenced operations
• Section 13 has permission matrix (≥1 role × action row) — flag if absent
• Section 4 has FR-XX entries with explicit outcomes — flag if empty/vague

If 2+ fail → a direct user question: "Spec readiness below TC generation threshold. Fill gaps first OR proceed with shallow TCs (Status: Planned)?" NEVER silently generate shallow TCs.

If target feature doc missing: suggest $feature-docs first, OR create minimal Section 15 stub.

Phase 2: Investigation

TDD-first mode:

1. Read PBI/story from team-artifacts/pbis/ or user-provided
2. Extract acceptance criteria
3. Identify TC categories: CRUD, validation, authorization (mandatory), workflows, edge cases, seed data, performance data, data migration
4. Cross-reference existing feature doc requirements (Sections 1–14)
5. PBI Authorization section → generate authorization TCs (unauthorized rejection per role)
6. PBI Seed Data section → generate seed data TCs if reference/config data needed
7. PBI Data Migration section → generate migration TCs if schema changes exist

Implement-first mode:

[BLOCKING]: Enumerate ALL operations first — establishes minimum TC floor.

Use Case Inventory (implement-first):

# Write-side: CQRS command handlers
grep -r "ICommandHandler\|CommandHandler\b" src/Services/{service}/ --include="*.cs" -l
# Write-side: REST mutating endpoints
grep -r "\[HttpPost\]\|\[HttpPut\]\|\[HttpPatch\]\|\[HttpDelete\]" src/Services/{service}/ --include="*.cs" -l
# Event consumers / background jobs
grep -r "IConsumer\|EventHandler\|IMessageConsumer\|BackgroundJob\|IHostedService" src/Services/{service}/ --include="*.cs" -l
# Read-side: CQRS query handlers
grep -r "IQueryHandler\|QueryHandler\b" src/Services/{service}/ --include="*.cs" -l
# Read-side: REST GET endpoints
grep -r "\[HttpGet\]" src/Services/{service}/ --include="*.cs" -l

Count: N (write) + M (read) + K (event/background) = minimum TC count. If minimum > 20: split into operation-group batches (≤20 ops each per task tracking). NEVER generate all TCs in one pass for large features.

Actor Catalog Discovery (MANDATORY — feeds authorization TCs):

# Permission attributes and role guards
grep -r "\[Authorize\]\|RequirePermission\|IsInRole\|HasPermission" src/Services/{service}/ --include="*.cs" -n | head -30
# Role/permission enums
grep -r "enum.*Role\|enum.*Permission" src/Services/{service}/ --include="*.cs" -n | head -20

Build actor catalog: [Role1, Role2,...]. Authorization TC minimum = actor count × 2 (authorized succeeds + unauthorized rejected). Every actor MUST appear in ≥1 authorization TC.

1. Grep commands/queries: grep -r "class.*Command.*:" src/Services/{service}/
2. Grep entities and domain events
3. Trace: Controller → Command → Handler → Entity → Event Handler
4. Identify testable behaviors from implementation

Update mode (post-change / post-bugfix / post-PR):

[BLOCKING]: Run Use Case Inventory on full module BEFORE git diff. Check existing TC count in Section 15.

# Write-side
grep -r "ICommandHandler\|CommandHandler\b" src/Services/{service}/ --include="*.cs" -l
grep -r "\[HttpPost\]\|\[HttpPut\]\|\[HttpPatch\]\|\[HttpDelete\]" src/Services/{service}/ --include="*.cs" -l
grep -r "IConsumer\|EventHandler\|IMessageConsumer\|BackgroundJob\|IHostedService" src/Services/{service}/ --include="*.cs" -l
# Read-side
grep -r "IQueryHandler\|QueryHandler\b" src/Services/{service}/ --include="*.cs" -l
grep -r "\[HttpGet\]" src/Services/{service}/ --include="*.cs" -l

• Count N+M+K (Grand Total) = minimum TC count.
• Existing TC count < minimum → pre-existing coverage gap. Flag: "Pre-existing gap: {existing}/{minimum} TCs". Generate gap-filling TCs in addition to update-triggered TCs.
• NEVER add TCs only for changed code when baseline already under-covered.

1. Read existing Section 15 TCs
2. git diff or git diff main...HEAD (for PRs) — find code changes since last TC update
3. Identify: new commands/queries not covered, changed behaviors, removed features
4. Bugfixes: add regression TC (e.g., TC-ORD-040: Regression — order total calculation bypass)
5. Generate gap analysis

[REQUIRED] Spec-Wrong? Decision Gate (UPDATE mode only)

Before updating TCs to match the current code, determine: Did the code drift from the spec, or was the spec wrong?

Scenario	Signal	Action
Code was wrong (spec described correct behavior)	Bug was fixed; spec + TCs describe what SHOULD happen	Proceed — update TCs only if code now matches spec. If code still differs, the fix is incomplete.
Spec was wrong (code implements correct behavior that spec misdescribed)	Spec described behavior that never worked correctly; the “fix” is actually a clarification	STOP — do NOT update TCs yet. First: run $spec-discovery [update] to correct the engineering spec. Then: run $feature-docs [update] on affected sections (Section 3, 4, 5 — business rules, user journeys, API contracts). THEN return here to update TCs.
Behavior is a new requirement (neither spec nor code was wrong before)	Feature change approved; both spec and TCs need updating	Update feature doc Section 3/4 first (new behavior description), then update TCs here.
Uncertain	Cannot determine without stakeholder input	Escalate: document the ambiguity in this session’s summary. Write TCs in both GIVEN old behavior and GIVEN new behavior variants with [PENDING REVIEW] tag.

Checkpoint: Answer this question before proceeding: “Is the code change intentional and approved?” If yes, update TCs. If no (regression), the code needs fixing — do not update TCs to document broken behavior.

6. Update both feature docs Section 15 AND docs/specs/ dashboard

Step UPDATE-FINAL: TC Blast Radius Analysis (UPDATE mode only)

[RECOMMENDED] After updating TCs for the target feature, scan for other features whose TCs may be invalidated by the same code change.

Run these greps against docs/business-features/:

# 1. Find API endpoint references in other feature docs
grep -rl "{endpoint}" docs/business-features/ | grep -v "{current-module}"
# Replace {endpoint} with the main API path changed (e.g., /api/employees, /api/invitations)

# 2. Find entity references in other feature docs
grep -rl "{entity-name}" docs/business-features/ | grep -v "{current-module}"
# Replace {entity-name} with key domain entities changed (e.g., Employee, Invitation)

# 3. Find event references in other feature docs
grep -rl "{event-name}" docs/business-features/ | grep -v "{current-module}"
# Replace {event-name} with events fired by the changed code

Output: List of potentially affected feature docs. For each hit:

1. Check if the referenced TC (Section 15) still describes valid behavior
2. If TC is stale → add to the UPDATE mode summary as "POTENTIALLY STALE: TC-{FEATURE}-{NNN} in {other-module} — review recommended"
3. Do NOT auto-update those TCs — only the owner of that feature doc should update them

Summary format for watzup/session end:

TC Blast Radius Analysis:
- Changed: {current-feature} ({N} TCs updated)
- Potentially affected: {module-A} (references {entity/endpoint})
- Potentially affected: {module-B} (references {entity/endpoint})
- Action needed: Review TCs in affected modules before next release

Skip when:

• Change is UI-only (no API, entity, or event changes)
• Change is additive only (new endpoint added, no existing endpoint modified)
• Module has no dependency surface (standalone, no shared entities)

Sync mode (bidirectional reconciliation):

1. Read feature docs Section 15 TCs for target module
2. Read docs/specs/{Module}/README.md TCs
3. Read test files: grep for test spec annotations in src/Services/{service}*.IntegrationTests/
4. Build 3-way comparison table:

| TC ID | In Feature Doc? | In specs/? | In Test Code? | Action Needed |
|-------|----------------|------------|---------------|---------------|
| TC-FEAT-001 | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | None |
| TC-FEAT-025 | ✅ | ❌ | ✅ | Add to specs/ |
| TC-FEAT-030 | ❌ | ✅ | ❌ | Add to feature doc |

5. Reconcile: write missing TCs to whichever system lacks them
6. Feature docs remain source of truth — any conflict uses feature doc version

From-integration-tests mode (reverse-engineer specs from existing tests):

1. Grep [Trait("TestSpec", "TC-...")] in target test project
2. Per test method: extract TC ID, method name, test description from comments
3. Read test method body → generate GWT steps and evidence
4. Write extracted TCs to feature doc Section 15 (if not already there)
5. Useful when: tests written before spec system existed, or imported from another project

TC Completeness Gate (BLOCKING — runs before Phase 3)

[BLOCKING] Do NOT start Phase 3 until all rows in this table show PASS:

Gate	Check	Required	Actual	Status
Write-op coverage	TC count for CRUD/write ops	≥ N (write ops from inventory)	{n}	PASS/FAIL
Read-op coverage	TC count for query/view ops	≥ M (read ops from inventory)	{n}	PASS/FAIL
Event/job coverage	TC count for events + background jobs	≥ K (event/job count)	{n}	PASS/FAIL
Permission coverage	TC count for authorization	≥ actor_count × 2	{n}	PASS/FAIL
Total floor	Total planned TCs	≥ N + M + K (Grand Total)	{n}	PASS/FAIL

FAIL action: task tracking for each FAIL row — list specific missing TC categories. NEVER proceed to Phase 3 until all gates PASS.

Operation group decomposition: If Grand Total > 20, split TC generation into batches of ≤20 related operations:

Task tracking: "Generate CRUD TCs for {feature} — ops {1-N}: {CommandA}, {CommandB}, {CommandC}"
Task tracking: "Generate Read TCs for {feature} — ops {1-M}: {QueryA}, {QueryB}"
Task tracking: "Generate Event TCs for {feature} — ops {1-K}: {EventConsumerA}, {BackgroundJobA}"
Task tracking: "Generate Permission TCs for {feature} — actors: {Role1}, {Role2}"
Task tracking: "Generate Edge Case TCs for {feature} — boundary conditions from inventory"

Each batch task completes before starting the next. Final ask the user directly review covers all batches together.

Phase 3: TC Generation with Interactive Review

1. Generate TC outlines as a summary table:

| TC ID | Name | Priority | Category | Status |
|-------|------|----------|----------|--------|
| TC-ORD-037 | Create order with multiple line items | P0 | CRUD | New |
| TC-ORD-038 | Reject order without required fields | P1 | Validation | New |
| TC-ORD-039 | Unauthenticated user cannot access orders | P0 | Permission | New |

2. Use a direct user question to review with user:

Question: "These {N} test cases cover {feature}. Review the list:
[Coverage context: Use Case Inventory found {total_ops} total operations ({write_ops} write, {read_ops} read, {event_ops} event/background). {N} TCs planned = {coverage_pct}% operation coverage.]"
Options:
- "Approve as-is (Recommended)" — Proceed to writing
- "Add missing scenario" — Describe what's missing
- "Adjust priorities" — Change P0/P1/P2 assignments
- "Regenerate" — Re-analyze and try again

Coverage context calculation: coverage_pct = (N / total_ops) × 100. If coverage_pct < 80%: flag ⚠️ Coverage below 80% threshold and suggest adding TCs before approving.

3. Iterate until user approves.

Phase 4: Write to Feature Doc Section 15

Canonical write — feature docs own TCs. NEVER overwrite existing TCs.

1. Locate Section 15 in target feature doc
2. Section 15 exists: append new TCs after existing, preserve existing TC IDs
3. Section 15 absent: create from template
4. Use Edit tool to upsert

TC format (from tdd-spec-template.md):

#### TC-{FEATURE}-{NNN}: {Descriptive Test Name} [{Priority}]

**Objective:** {What this test verifies}

**Preconditions:**

- {Setup requirement}

**Test Steps:**
\`\`\`gherkin
Given {initial state}
And {additional context}
When {action}
Then {expected outcome}
And {additional verification}
\`\`\`

**Acceptance Criteria:**

- ✅ {Success behavior}
- ❌ {Failure behavior}

**Test Data:**
\`\`\`json
{ "field": "value" }
\`\`\`

**Edge Cases:**

- {Boundary condition}

**Evidence:** `{FilePath}:{LineRange}` or `TBD (pre-implementation)`

Evidence rules by mode:

• TDD-first: Evidence: TBD (pre-implementation) — will be updated after implementation
• Implement-first: Evidence: {actual file}:{actual lines} — trace to real code
• Update: Update existing evidence references if code moved

Phase 5: Update docs/specs/ Dashboard (Optional)

If docs/specs/{Module}/README.md exists:

1. Update Implementation Index with TC→test method mappings
2. TDD-first: map to expected test method names (created by $integration-test)
3. Update PRIORITY-INDEX.md with new TC entries in correct priority tier

Skip if user says "skip dashboard" or no docs/specs/ file exists for module.

Phase 6: Next Step Suggestion

Based on mode, suggest via a direct user question:

TDD-first:

1. "$tdd-spec-review — Validate TC quality before generating tests (Recommended)"
2. "$integration-test — Generate test stubs from these TCs (skip review)"
3. "$plan-hard — Plan the feature implementation"
4. "Done for now — I'll implement later"

Implement-first:

1. "$tdd-spec-review — Validate TC quality before generating tests (Recommended)"
2. "$integration-test — Generate integration tests (skip review)"
3. "$workflow-review-changes — Review all changes"
4. "Done for now"

Update (post-change/PR):

1. "$tdd-spec-review — Validate updated TCs before regenerating tests (Recommended)"
2. "$integration-test — Generate/update tests for changed TCs (skip review)"
3. "$test — Run existing tests to verify coverage"
4. "$tdd-spec [direction=sync] — Sync dashboard with updated TCs"
5. "Done for now"

Sync:

1. "$tdd-spec [direction=sync] — Sync dashboard after reconciliation (Recommended)"
2. "$integration-test — Generate tests for any TCs missing test coverage"
3. "Done for now"

From-integration-tests:

1. "$tdd-spec [direction=sync] — Sync dashboard with newly documented TCs (Recommended)"
2. "$test — Run tests to verify all documented TCs pass"
3. "Done for now"

---

TC Decade-Based Numbering

[BLOCKING] Before assigning any TC ID: Read all existing TC IDs in the feature doc's Section 15. Find the next available decade slot.

NNN Range	Category
001–009	CRUD / Core operations (P0-P1)
011–019	Validation / Business rules (P1-P2)
021–029	Authorization / Permissions (P0-P1)
031–039	Events / Background jobs (P1-P2)
041–049	Cross-service / Integration (P1-P2) — See SYNC:cross-service-check above for full boundary scan checklist before writing these TCs
051–059	Edge cases / Error scenarios (P2-P3)
061–069	UI / User journey flows (P2-P3)
071–099	Reserved for feature-specific groups

Collision prevention:

1. Grep the feature doc for TC-{FEAT}- to list all existing IDs
2. Find the highest NNN in the target decade → assign next sequential
3. If a decade is full (9 entries), use the next available decade in the same category grouping
4. Never reuse a deprecated TC ID

Authoritative reference: .claude/skills/shared/tc-format.md — Decade-Based Numbering section

---

TC Deprecation Protocol

When feature behavior removed or significantly changed:

1. NEVER delete TC — preserve audit trail and git blame
2. Append [DEPRECATED: {YYYY-MM-DD} — {reason}] to title
3. Change **Status:** → Deprecated
4. Section 17 (Version History): TC-{ID} deprecated — {reason}
5. Test code: add [Obsolete("TC deprecated: {reason}")] attribute and skip test
6. Forward sync ($tdd-spec [direction=sync]) auto-handles deprecated TCs in QA dashboard

Example:

#### TC-USR-021: User Can View Profile [P1] [DEPRECATED: 2026-04-21 — Field removed per privacy policy]
**Status:** Deprecated

---

Anti-Patterns

• ❌ Writing TCs to docs/specs/ as the primary destination (use feature docs Section 15)
• ❌ Using TC-{SVC}-{NNN} or TC-{SVC}-{FEATURE}-{NNN} format (use unified TC-{FEATURE}-{NNN})
• ❌ Generating TCs without reading existing Section 15 (causes ID collisions)
• ❌ Skipping the interactive review step (user must approve TC list)
• ❌ Writing TCs without Evidence field (every TC needs it, even if TBD)

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See Also

• tdd-spec-review — TC quality review (use AFTER this skill to validate TC coverage and correctness)
• tdd-spec [direction=sync] — Native dashboard sync mode (aggregates TCs from feature docs to docs/specs/ — replaces test-specs-docs)
• integration-test — Integration test code generator (use AFTER this skill to generate test stubs)
• feature-docs — Feature doc creator (creates the Section 15 that this skill populates)
• refine — PBI refinement (feeds acceptance criteria into this skill's TDD-first mode)

---

Mode: Sync to Dashboard

Triggered when: "sync test specs", "update dashboard", "sync to feature docs", "reverse sync", "full sync", or [direction=sync|forward|reverse|full].

Engineering specs live at docs/specs/{app-bucket}/{system-name}/. This mode manages ONLY QA dashboard at docs/specs/{Module}/. NEVER sync engineering specs here — maintained by workflow-spec-driven-dev.

Direction Detection

Trigger phrase	Direction	Behavior
"sync test specs" / "update dashboard" / direction=sync / direction=forward	Forward	Feature docs → docs/specs/ dashboard
"sync to feature docs" / "reverse sync" / direction=reverse	Reverse	docs/specs/ → feature docs Section 15
"full sync" / "bidirectional" / direction=full	Full	Both directions sequentially

Default (no direction specified): forward.

Quality Gate (Before Any Sync)

[BLOCKING] Scan all TCs in module and flag:

• Evidence = TBD AND Status = Tested (contradiction)
• TCs missing GIVEN/WHEN/THEN structure
• TCs missing Acceptance Criteria

Produce quality report alongside sync output. Do NOT block sync — surface gaps and continue.

Forward Sync Algorithm (Feature Docs → Dashboard)

1. Read all TC-{FEAT}-{NNN} entries from feature doc Section 15 (canonical source)
2. Read docs/specs/{Module}/README.md — extract existing TC IDs
3. Run quality gate — flag issues, log report
4. Full-overwrite strategy: Replace entire TC section in dashboard with re-extracted TCs from feature doc
   • NEVER merge — dashboard is derived, not canonical. Section 15 = single source of truth.

[REQUIRED] IntegrationTest field in dashboard rows:

When writing or updating TC rows in the QA dashboard, always populate the IntegrationTest: field with the traceability link format:

IntegrationTest: {TestProject}::{TestClass}::{TestMethodName}

If no integration test exists yet for this TC, write:

IntegrationTest: (not yet implemented — run $integration-test [from-prompt] TC-{FEATURE}-{NNN})

This creates a navigable link from the QA dashboard directly to the test code, and a TODO marker for TCs lacking test coverage. The "not yet implemented" text is detectable by tools scanning for coverage gaps.

Also add to dashboard header block:

| Related Feature Doc | [docs/business-features/{Module}/README.md](../../business-features/{Module}/README.md) |
| Engineering Spec | [docs/specs/{app-bucket}/{system-name}/](../{app-bucket}/{system-name}/) |

5. Update frontmatter in docs/specs/{Module}/README.md:

   last_synced: YYYY-MM-DD
   last_synced_source: docs/business-features/{Module}/detailed-features/README.{FeatureName}.md
   tc_count: N
   

6. Run orphan check (see below)
7. Update PRIORITY-INDEX.md — add/update TCs in appropriate priority section
8. Ensure master docs/specs/README.md links to module

Reverse Sync Algorithm (Dashboard → Feature Docs)

1. Read all TC IDs from docs/specs/{Module}/README.md
2. Read feature doc Section 15 — extract existing TC IDs
3. ID-keyed merge: TC in dashboard NOT in feature doc → insert into Section 15
   • NEVER overwrite existing TCs in feature doc (canonical)
   • Append new TCs at end of appropriate decade group
4. [BLOCKING] a direct user question — present inserted TCs for user review before saving

Orphaned TC Detection

TC orphaned when exists in docs/specs/{Module}/README.md but NOT in feature doc Section 15.

1. After forward sync: compute orphans = dashboard_ids - feature_doc_ids
2. Non-empty orphans:
   • Log: ⚠ Orphaned TCs detected: {count} TCs in dashboard have no canonical source
   • List each orphaned TC-ID
   • Move to ### Quarantined TCs subsection in dashboard (NEVER delete)
   • Add: <!-- Orphaned {date}: no matching TC in feature docs Section 15 -->
3. Orphaned TC has [DEPRECATED] in title → silently remove from dashboard

Staleness Tracking

Drift detection: git log --since={last_synced} shows changes → flag stale before proceeding.

git log --since={last_synced} -- docs/business-features/{Module}/detailed-features/README.{FeatureName}.md

Non-empty output → warn: ⚠ Source feature doc changed since last sync on {last_synced}. Proceeding with forward sync.

---

Workflow Recommendation

[BLOCKING] NOT in a workflow? a direct user question — do NOT decide complexity yourself. User decides:

1. pbi-to-tests workflow (Recommended) — tdd-spec → tdd-spec-review → quality-gate → workflow-end
2. $tdd-spec directly — standalone

Next Steps

[BLOCKING] After completing, a direct user question — do NOT skip:

• "$tdd-spec-review (Recommended)" — Validate TC quality (completeness, GWT format, coverage gaps)
• "$integration-test" — Generate integration test code directly (skip review when specs already reviewed)
• "Skip, continue manually" — user decides

Related Skills

Skill	Relationship	When to Call
$spec-discovery	Upstream spec — engineering spec bundle is the source of truth for domain model	When TCs reveal implementation doesn’t match spec-discovery output: run spec-discovery audit/update
$feature-docs	TC host — Section 15 is where TCs live; feature-docs creates/updates the doc structure	Before calling tdd-spec, feature doc must exist; run $feature-docs if missing
$tdd-spec-review	Reviewer — audits TC coverage, GIVEN/WHEN/THEN quality, no duplicates	Always call after tdd-spec (CREATE or UPDATE) — never ship TCs without review
$integration-test	Consumer — generates test code from TCs	After tdd-spec + review, integration-test converts TCs to .cs test files
$tdd-spec [direction=sync]	Self (sync mode) — syncs QA dashboard from Section 15	Always call after tdd-spec UPDATE; syncs docs/specs/{Module}/README.md
$docs-update	Orchestrator — calls tdd-spec as Phase 3 of doc sync chain	Run $docs-update for full automated sync (calls tdd-spec UPDATE + sync internally)

Standalone Chain

When called outside a workflow, follow this chain. Each step is required unless marked [RECOMMENDED].

tdd-spec (you are here)
  │
  ├─ PREREQUISITE:
  │    [REQUIRED] feature-docs doc must exist at docs/business-features/{Module}/README.md
  │    If not found → run $feature-docs init first
  │
  ├─ CREATE mode (new feature):
  │    tdd-spec CREATE → $tdd-spec-review → $tdd-spec [direction=sync] → $integration-test [from-prompt]
  │
  ├─ UPDATE mode (code changed):
  │    *** Spec-Wrong? Gate first (see above) ***
  │    tdd-spec UPDATE → Step UPDATE-FINAL (Blast Radius) → $tdd-spec-review → $tdd-spec [direction=sync] → $integration-test [from-changes]
  │
  ├─ [REQUIRED] → $tdd-spec-review
  │     Always run after CREATE or UPDATE. Validates coverage and format.
  │
  ├─ [REQUIRED] → $tdd-spec [direction=sync]
  │     Always run after UPDATE to sync QA dashboard.
  │
  ├─ [REQUIRED] → $integration-test [from-changes or from-prompt]
  │     Generate/update integration test code for changed TCs.
  │
  └─ [RECOMMENDED] → $docs-update
        For full chain including feature-docs (Phase 2) and spec-discovery (Phase 2.5).
        Call when multiple doc layers may be stale.

Integration with Bugfix Flow

When tdd-spec is called in REGRESSION mode (bugfix workflow):

1. Run Spec-Wrong? Gate FIRST (same logic as UPDATE mode)
2. If spec was wrong → run spec-discovery update BEFORE writing regression TCs
3. If code was wrong → write regression TC describing correct (expected) behavior, then proceed to fix
4. Regression TCs describe the CORRECT behavior, not the broken behavior

Anti-pattern to avoid:

# WRONG: Documenting the bug as expected behavior
TC-REG-001: GIVEN payment processed WHEN amount > limit THEN allow (← this was the bug)

# RIGHT: Documenting the fix as expected behavior
TC-REG-001: GIVEN payment processed WHEN amount > limit THEN reject with PaymentLimitExceededException

TDD Spec — Test-Driven Specification Writer

AI Mistake Prevention — Failure modes to avoid on every task:

Check downstream references before deleting. Deleting components causes documentation and code staleness cascades. Map all referencing files before removal. Verify AI-generated content against actual code. AI hallucinates APIs, class names, and method signatures. Always grep to confirm existence before documenting or referencing. Trace full dependency chain after edits. Changing a definition misses downstream variables and consumers derived from it. Always trace the full chain. Trace ALL code paths when verifying correctness. Confirming code exists is not confirming it executes. Always trace early exits, error branches, and conditional skips — not just happy path. When debugging, ask "whose responsibility?" before fixing. Trace whether bug is in caller (wrong data) or callee (wrong handling). Fix at responsible layer — never patch symptom site. Assume existing values are intentional — ask WHY before changing. Before changing any constant, limit, flag, or pattern: read comments, check git blame, examine surrounding code. Verify ALL affected outputs, not just the first. Changes touching multiple stacks require verifying EVERY output. One green check is not all green checks. Holistic-first debugging — resist nearest-attention trap. When investigating any failure, list EVERY precondition first (config, env vars, DB names, endpoints, DI registrations, data preconditions), then verify each against evidence before forming any code-layer hypothesis. Surgical changes — apply the diff test. Bug fix: every changed line must trace directly to the bug. Don't restyle or improve adjacent code. Enhancement task: implement improvements AND announce them explicitly. Surface ambiguity before coding — don't pick silently. If request has multiple interpretations, present each with effort estimate and ask. Never assume all-records, file-based, or more complex path.

Rationalization Prevention — AI skips steps via these evasions. Recognize and reject:

Evasion	Rebuttal
"Too simple for a plan"	Simple + wrong assumptions = wasted time. Plan anyway.
"I'll test after"	RED before GREEN. Write/verify test first.
"Already searched"	Show grep evidence with file:line. No proof = no search.
"Just do it"	Still need task tracking. Skip depth, never skip tracking.
"Just a small fix"	Small fix in wrong location cascades. Verify file:line first.
"Code is self-explanatory"	Future readers need evidence trail. Document anyway.
"Combine steps to save time"	Combined steps dilute focus. Each step has distinct purpose.

Cross-Service Check — Microservices/event-driven: MANDATORY before concluding investigation, plan, spec, or feature doc. Missing downstream consumer = silent regression.

Boundary	Grep terms
Event producers	Publish, Dispatch, Send, emit, EventBus, outbox, IntegrationEvent
Event consumers	Consumer, EventHandler, Subscribe, @EventListener, inbox
Sagas/orchestration	Saga, ProcessManager, Choreography, Workflow, Orchestrator
Sync service calls	HTTP/gRPC calls to/from other services
Shared contracts	OpenAPI spec, proto, shared DTO — flag breaking changes
Data ownership	Other service reads/writes same table/collection → Shared-DB anti-pattern

Per touchpoint: owner service · message name · consumers · risk (NONE / ADDITIVE / BREAKING).

BLOCKED until: Producers scanned · Consumers scanned · Sagas checked · Contracts reviewed · Breaking-change risk flagged

Estimation Framework — Bottom-up first; SP DERIVED; output min-max range when likely ≥3d. Stack-agnostic. Baseline: 3-5yr dev, 6 productive hrs/day. AI estimate assumes Claude Code + project context.

Method:

1. Blast Radius pass (below) — drives code AND test cost
2. Decompose phases → hours/phase → bottom_up_hours = Σ phase_hours
3. likely_days = ceil(bottom_up_hours / 6) × productivity_factor
4. Sum Risk Margin (base + add-ons) → max_days = likely_days × (1 + margin)
5. min_days = likely_days × 0.9
6. Output as range when likely_days ≥3; single point allowed <3 (still record margin)
7. man_days_ai = same range × AI speedup
8. story_points DERIVED from likely_days via SP-Days — NEVER driver. Disagreement >50% → trust bottom-up

Productivity factor: 0.8 strong scaffolding+codegen+AI hooks · 1.0 mature default · 1.2 weak patterns · 1.5 greenfield

Cost Driver Heuristic (apply BEFORE work-type row):

• UI dominates in CRUD/business apps — 1.5-3x backend (states, validation, responsive, a11y, polish)
• Backend dominates ONLY: multi-aggregate invariants, cross-service contracts, schema migrations, heavy query/perf, new event flows

Reuse-vs-Create axis (PRIMARY lever, per layer):

UI tier	Cost
Reuse component on existing screen	0.1-0.3d
Add control/column to existing screen	0.3-0.8d
Compose components into NEW screen	1-2d
NEW screen, custom layout/states/validation	2-4d
NEW shared/common component (themed, tested)	3-6d+

Backend tier	Cost
Reuse query/handler from new place	0.1-0.3d
Small update existing handler/entity	0.3-0.8d
NEW query on existing repo/model	0.5-1d
NEW command/handler on existing aggregate (additive)	1-2d
NEW aggregate/entity (repo, validation, events)	2-4d
NEW cross-service contract OR schema migration	2-4d each
Multi-aggregate invariant / heavy domain rule	3-5d

Rule: Sum tiers across UI+backend+tests, apply productivity factor. Reuse short-circuits tiers — call out.

Test-Scope drivers (compute test_count EXPLICITLY — "+tests" hand-wave is #1 failure):

Driver	Count
Happy-path journeys	1 per story / AC main flow
State-machine transitions	reachable transitions × allowed actors
Multi-entity state combos	state(A) × state(B) — REACHABLE only, not Cartesian
Authorization matrix	(owner, non-owner, elevated, unauth) × each mutation
Validation rules	1 per required field / boundary / format / cross-field
UI states (per new screen/dialog)	happy, loading, empty, error, partial — present only
Negative paths / invariants	1 per violatable business rule

Test tier (Trad, incl. setup+assert+flake)	Cost
1-5 cases, fixtures reused	0.3-0.5d
6-12 cases, 1 new fixture	0.5-1d
13-25 cases, multi-entity setup	1-2d
26-50 cases OR new state-machine coverage	2-3d
>50 cases OR full E2E journey	3-5d

Test multipliers: new fixture/seed harness +0.5d · cross-service/bus assertion +0.3d each · UI E2E ×1.5 · each new role +1-2 cases

Blast Radius (mandatory pre-pass — affects code AND test):

1. Files/components directly modified — count
2. Of those, "complex" (>500 LOC, multi-handler, central, frequently-modified) — count
3. Downstream consumers (callers, event subscribers, cross-service) — list
4. Shared/common code touched (multi-app blast) — yes/no
5. Regression scope — areas needing re-test

Rule: Complex touch → add risk_factors. Each downstream consumer → +1-3 regression cases. Blast >5 areas OR >2 complex → re-evaluate SPLIT before estimating.

Risk Margin (drives max bound):

likely_days	Base margin
<1d trivial	+10%
1-2d small additive	+20%
3-4d real feature	+35%
5-7d large	+50%
8-10d very large	+75%
>10d	+100% AND flag SHOULD SPLIT

Risk-factor add-ons (additive — enumerate in risk_factors):

Factor	+margin
touches-complex-existing-feature (>500 LOC, multi-handler, central)	+20%
cross-service-contract change	+25%
schema-migration-on-populated-data	+25%
new-tech-or-unfamiliar-pattern	+30%
regression-fan-out (≥3 downstream areas re-test)	+20%
performance-or-latency-critical	+20%
concurrency-race-event-ordering	+25%
shared-common-code (multi-consumer/multi-app)	+25%
unclear-requirements-or-design	+30%

Collapse rule: total margin >100% → STOP, split (padding past 2x is dishonesty). Margin <15% on likely_days ≥5 → under-estimated, widen.

Work-Type Caps (hard ceilings on likely_days):

Work type	Max SP	Max likely
Single field / config flag / style fix	1	0.5d
Add property to existing model + bind to existing UI	2	1d
Additive endpoint + minor UI control (button/menu/column), reuses fixtures	3	2-3d
Additive endpoint + NEW UI surface OR additive multi-layer + new domain rule + 2+ test files	5	3-5d
NEW model/aggregate OR migration OR cross-module contract OR heavy test (>1.5d) OR NEW UI + non-trivial backend	8	5-7d
NEW UI surface + (NEW aggregate OR migration OR cross-service contract)	13	SHOULD split
Cross-service contract + migration combined	13	SHOULD split
Beyond	21	MUST split

SP→Days (validation only): 1=0.5d/0.25d · 2=1d/0.35d · 3=2d/0.65d · 5=4d/1.0d · 8=6d/1.5d · 13=10d/2.0d (Trad/AI likely) AI speedup: SP 1≈2x · 2-3≈3x · 5-8≈4x · 13+≈5x. AI cost = (code_gen × 1.3) + (test_gen × 1.3) (30% review overhead).

MANDATORY frontmatter:

story_points: <n>
complexity: low | medium | high | critical
man_days_traditional: '<min>-<max>d' # range when likely ≥3d; '<N>d' when <3d
man_days_ai: '<min>-<max>d'
risk_margin_pct: <n> # base + add-ons
risk_factors: [touches-complex-existing-feature, regression-fan-out] # closed-list from add-ons; [] if none
blast_radius:
    touched_areas: <n>
    complex_touched: <n>
    downstream_consumers: [list or count]
    shared_common_code: yes | no
estimate_scope_included: [code, integration-tests, frontend, i18n, docs]
estimate_scope_excluded: [unit-tests, e2e, perf, deployment, code-review-rounds]
estimate_reasoning: |
    5-7 lines covering:
    (a) UI tier — row applied
    (b) Backend tier — row applied
    (c) Test scope — case breakdown by driver, file count, fixtures, tier row
    (d) Cost driver — dominant tier + why
    (e) Blast radius — touched, complex, regression scope
    (f) Risk factors — list driving margin; why not larger/smaller
    Example: "UI: compose Form/Table/Dialog → NEW screen (~1.5d). Backend: NEW command on existing aggregate,
    reuses validation+repo (~1d). Tests: 4 transitions × 2 actors + 3 validation + 2 UI states = 13 cases,
    1 new fixture → tier 13-25 ~1.5d. Driver: UI composition + new states. Blast: 4 areas, 1 complex.
    Risk: base 35% + touches-complex +20% = 55% → max 3.9d → range 2.5-4d."

Sanity self-check:

• likely_days ≥3d and single-point? → reject, must be range
• Margin <15% on likely_days ≥5d? → under-estimated, widen
• Margin >100%? → STOP, split instead of buffer
• Complex existing feature touched, no regression budget in (c)? → reject
• Blast >5 areas OR >2 complex, no split discussion? → reject
• Purely additive on existing model AND existing UI? → cap SP 3 unless tests >1.5d
• NEW UI surface (page/complex form/dashboard)? → SP 5+ even if backend one endpoint
• Backend cross-service / migration / multi-aggregate? → SP 8+ regardless of UI
• bottom_up_hours / 6 vs SP-Days disagreement >50%? → trust bottom-up, downgrade SP
• Without tests, SP drops ≥1 bucket? → tests dominate; state explicitly
• Reasoning called out UI vs backend vs blast vs risk factors? → if missing, add

UI System Context — For ANY task touching .ts, .html, .scss, or .css files:

MUST ATTENTION READ before implementing:

1. docs/project-reference/frontend-patterns-reference.md — component base classes, stores, forms
2. docs/project-reference/scss-styling-guide.md — BEM methodology, SCSS variables, mixins, responsive
3. docs/project-reference/design-system/README.md — design tokens, component inventory, icons

Reference docs/project-config.json for project-specific paths.

Nested Task Expansion Contract — For workflow-step invocation, the [Workflow] ... row is only a parent container; the child skill still creates visible phase tasks.

1. Call the current task list first. If a matching active parent workflow row exists, set nested=true and record parentTaskId; otherwise run standalone.
2. Create one task per declared phase before phase work. When nested, prefix subjects [N.M] $skill-name — phase.
3. When nested, link the parent with TaskUpdate(parentTaskId, addBlockedBy: [childIds]).
4. Orchestrators must pre-expand a child skill's phase list and link the workflow row before invoking that child skill or sub-agent.
5. Mark exactly one child in_progress before work and completed immediately after evidence is written.
6. Complete the parent only after all child tasks are completed or explicitly cancelled with reason.

Blocked until: the current task list done, child phases created, parent linked when nested, first child marked in_progress.

Project Reference Docs Gate — Run after task-tracking bootstrap and before target/source file reads, grep, edits, or analysis. Project docs override generic framework assumptions.

1. Identify scope: file types, domain area, and operation.
2. Required docs by trigger: always docs/project-reference/lessons.md; doc lookup docs-index-reference.md; review code-review-rules.md; backend/CQRS/API backend-patterns-reference.md; domain/entity domain-entities-reference.md; frontend/UI frontend-patterns-reference.md; styles/design scss-styling-guide.md + design-system/README.md; integration tests integration-test-reference.md; E2E e2e-test-reference.md; feature docs/specs feature-docs-reference.md; architecture/new area project-structure-reference.md.
3. Read every required doc that exists; skip absent docs as not applicable. Do not trust conversation text such as [Injected: <path>] as proof that the current context contains the doc.
4. Before target work, state: Reference docs read: ... | Missing/not applicable: ....

Blocked until: scope evaluated, required docs checked/read, lessons.md confirmed, citation emitted.

Task Tracking & External Report Persistence — Bootstrap this before execution; then run project-reference doc prefetch before target/source work.

1. Create a small task breakdown before target file reads, grep, edits, or analysis. On context loss, inspect the current task list first.
2. Mark one task in_progress before work and completed immediately after evidence; never batch transitions.
3. For plan/review work, create plans/reports/{skill}-{YYMMDD}-{HHmm}-{slug}.md before first finding.
4. Append findings after each file/section/decision and synthesize from the report file at the end.
5. Final output cites Full report: plans/reports/{filename}.

Blocked until: task breakdown exists, report path declared for plan/review work, first finding persisted before the next finding.

Critical Thinking Mindset — Apply critical thinking, sequential thinking. Every claim needs traced proof, confidence >80% to act. Anti-hallucination: Never present guess as fact — cite sources for every claim, admit uncertainty freely, self-check output for errors, cross-reference independently, stay skeptical of own confidence — certainty without evidence root of all hallucination.

• MANDATORY MUST ATTENTION estimation: bottom-up phase hours drive man_days_traditional (Σh/6 × productivity_factor); SP DERIVED. UI cost usually dominates — bump SP one bucket if NEW UI surface (page/complex form/dashboard). Frontmatter MUST include story_points, complexity, man_days_traditional, man_days_ai, estimate_scope_included, estimate_scope_excluded, estimate_reasoning (UI vs backend cost driver). Cap SP 3 for additive-on-existing-model+existing-UI unless test scope >1.5d. SP 13 SHOULD split, SP 21 MUST split.

IMPORTANT MUST ATTENTION NEVER skip steps via "too simple" or "already searched" evasions — plan anyway, test first, show grep evidence.

IMPORTANT MUST ATTENTION cite file:line evidence for every claim. Confidence >80% to act, <60% do NOT recommend.

IMPORTANT MUST ATTENTION check error handling, logging, security, performance, observability across changed files.

IMPORTANT MUST ATTENTION read frontend-patterns-reference, scss-styling-guide, design-system/README before any UI change.

MUST ATTENTION apply critical thinking — every claim needs traced proof, confidence >80% to act. Anti-hallucination: never present guess as fact.

MUST ATTENTION apply AI mistake prevention — holistic-first debugging, fix at responsible layer, surface ambiguity before coding, re-read files after compaction.

• MANDATORY Bootstrap task tracking before target work; transition one task at a time.
• MANDATORY Persist plan/review findings to plans/reports/ incrementally and synthesize from disk.

• MANDATORY After task-tracking bootstrap and before target/source work, read required project-reference docs and cite Reference docs read: ....
• MANDATORY Always include lessons.md; project conventions override generic defaults.

• MANDATORY Parent workflow rows do not replace child phase tracking; expand phases and link the parent when nested.
• MANDATORY Orchestrators pre-expand child skill phases before invocation; use [N.M] $skill-name — phase prefixes and one-in_progress discipline.

Prompt-Enhance Closing Anchors

IMPORTANT MUST ATTENTION follow declared step order for this skill; NEVER skip, reorder, or merge steps without explicit user approval IMPORTANT MUST ATTENTION for every step/sub-skill call: set in_progress before execution, set completed after execution IMPORTANT MUST ATTENTION every skipped step MUST include explicit reason; every completed step MUST include concise evidence IMPORTANT MUST ATTENTION if Task tools unavailable, maintain an equivalent step-by-step plan tracker with synchronized statuses

Closing Reminders

[BLOCKING] task tracking — break ALL work into small tasks BEFORE starting. [BLOCKING] a direct user question — validate decisions with user. NEVER auto-decide. [REQUIRED] Add final review todo task to verify work quality. [BLOCKING] READ reference files before starting.

IMPORTANT MUST ATTENTION NEVER write TCs to docs/specs/ as primary destination — Section 15 is canonical. IMPORTANT MUST ATTENTION NEVER generate TCs without reading existing Section 15 — ID collisions corrupt registry. IMPORTANT MUST ATTENTION run Spec-Wrong? Gate in UPDATE mode — NEVER update TCs to document broken behavior. IMPORTANT MUST ATTENTION NEVER skip interactive review (a direct user question) — user must approve TC list before writing. IMPORTANT MUST ATTENTION authorization TCs are MANDATORY — every role must appear in ≥1 authorization TC.

---

Hookless Prompt Protocol Mirror (Auto-Synced)

Source: .claude/hooks/lib/prompt-injections.cjs + .claude/.ck.json

[WORKFLOW-EXECUTION-PROTOCOL] [BLOCKING] Workflow Execution Protocol — MANDATORY IMPORTANT MUST CRITICAL. Do not skip for any reason.

1. DETECT: Match prompt against workflow catalog
2. ANALYZE: Find best-match workflow AND evaluate if a custom step combination would fit better
3. ASK (REQUIRED FORMAT): Use a direct user question with this structure:
   • Question: "Which workflow do you want to activate?"
   • Option 1: "Activate [BestMatch Workflow] (Recommended)"
   • Option 2: "Activate custom workflow: [step1 → step2 → ...]" (include one-line rationale)
4. ACTIVATE (if confirmed): Call $workflow-start <workflowId> for standard; sequence custom steps manually
5. CREATE TASKS: task tracking for ALL workflow steps
6. EXECUTE: Follow each step in sequence [CRITICAL-THINKING-MINDSET] Apply critical thinking, sequential thinking. Every claim needs traced proof, confidence >80% to act. Anti-hallucination principle: Never present guess as fact — cite sources for every claim, admit uncertainty freely, self-check output for errors, cross-reference independently, stay skeptical of own confidence — certainty without evidence root of all hallucination. AI Attention principle (Primacy-Recency): Put the 3 most critical rules at both top and bottom of long prompts/protocols so instruction adherence survives long context windows.

Learned Lessons

Lessons Learned

[CRITICAL] Hard-won project debugging/architecture rules. MUST ATTENTION apply BEFORE forming hypothesis or writing code.

Quick Summary

Goal: Prevent recurrence of known failure patterns — debugging, architecture, naming, AI orchestration, environment.

Top Rules (apply always):

• MUST ATTENTION verify ALL preconditions (config, env, DB names, DI regs) BEFORE code-layer hypothesis
• MUST ATTENTION fix responsible layer — NEVER patch symptom sites with caller-specific defensive code
• MUST ATTENTION use ExecuteInjectScopedAsync for parallel async + repo/UoW — NEVER ExecuteUowTask
• MUST ATTENTION name by PURPOSE not CONTENT — adding member forces rename = abstraction broken
• MUST ATTENTION persist sub-agent findings incrementally after each file — NEVER batch at end
• MUST ATTENTION Windows bash: verify Python alias (where python/where py) — NEVER assume python/python3 resolves

---

Debugging & Root Cause Reasoning

• [2026-04-11] Holistic-first: verify environment before code. Failure → list ALL preconditions (config, env vars, DB names, endpoints, DI regs, credentials, permissions, data prerequisites) → verify each via evidence (grep/cat/query) BEFORE code-layer hypothesis. Worst rabbit holes: diving nearest layer while bug sits elsewhere — e.g., hours debugging "sync timeout", real cause: test appsettings pointing wrong DB. Cheapest check first.
• [2026-04-01] Ask "whose responsibility?" before fixing. Trace: bug in caller (wrong data) or callee (wrong handling)? Fix responsible layer — NEVER patch symptom site masking real issue.
• [2026-04-01] Trace data lifecycle, not error site. Follow data: creation → transformation → consumption. Bug usually where data created wrong, not consumed.
• [2026-04-01] Code is caller-agnostic. Functions/handlers/consumers don't know who invokes them. Comments/guards/messages describe business intent — NEVER reference specific callers (tests, seeders, scripts).

Architecture Invariants

• [2026-03-31] ParallelAsync + repo/UoW MUST use ExecuteInjectScopedAsync, NEVER ExecuteUowTask. ExecuteUowTask creates new UoW but reuses outer DI scope (same DbContext) — parallel iterations sharing non-thread-safe DbContext silently corrupt data. ExecuteInjectScopedAsync creates new UoW + new DI scope (fresh repo per iteration).
• [2026-03-31] Bus message naming MUST include service name prefix — core services NEVER consume feature events. Prefix declares schema ownership (AccountUserEntityEventBusMessage = Accounts owns). Core services (Accounts, Communication) are leaders. Feature services (Growth, Talents) sending to core MUST use {CoreServiceName}...RequestBusMessage — never define own event for core to consume.

Naming & Abstraction

• [2026-04-12] Name PURPOSE not CONTENT — "OrXxx" anti-pattern. HrManagerOrHrOrPayrollHrOperationsPolicy names set members, not what it guards. Add role → rename = broken abstraction. Rule: names express DOES/GUARDS, not CONTAINS. Test: adding/removing member forces rename? YES = content-driven = bad → rename to purpose (e.g., HrOperationsAccessPolicy). Nuance: "Or" fine in behavioral idioms (FirstOrDefault, SuccessOrThrow) — expresses HAPPENS, not membership.

Environment & Tooling

• [2026-04-20] Windows bash: NEVER assume python/python3 resolves — verify alias first. Python may not be in bash PATH under those names. Check: where python / where py. Prefer py (Windows Python Launcher) for one-liners, node if JS alternative exists.

Test-specific lessons → docs/project-reference/integration-test-reference.md Lessons Learned section. Production-code anti-patterns → docs/project-reference/backend-patterns-reference.md Anti-Patterns section. Generic debugging/refactoring reminders → System Lessons in .claude/hooks/lib/prompt-injections.cjs.

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Closing Reminders

• IMPORTANT MUST ATTENTION holistic-first: verify ALL preconditions (config, env, DB names, endpoints, DI regs) BEFORE code-layer hypothesis — cheapest check first
• IMPORTANT MUST ATTENTION fix responsible layer — NEVER patch symptom site; trace caller (wrong data) vs callee (wrong handling), fix root owner
• IMPORTANT MUST ATTENTION parallel async + repo/UoW → ALWAYS ExecuteInjectScopedAsync, NEVER ExecuteUowTask (shared DbContext = silent data corruption)
• IMPORTANT MUST ATTENTION bus message prefix = schema ownership; feature services NEVER define events for core services — use {CoreServiceName}...RequestBusMessage
• IMPORTANT MUST ATTENTION name by PURPOSE — adding/removing member forces rename = broken abstraction
• IMPORTANT MUST ATTENTION sub-agents MUST write findings after each file/section — NEVER batch all findings into one final write
• IMPORTANT MUST ATTENTION Windows bash: NEVER assume python/python3 resolves — run where python/where py first, use py launcher or node

[LESSON-LEARNED-REMINDER] [BLOCKING] Task Planning & Continuous Improvement — MANDATORY. Do not skip.

Break work into small tasks (task tracking) before starting. Add final task: "Analyze AI mistakes & lessons learned".

Extract lessons — ROOT CAUSE ONLY, not symptom fixes:

1. Name the FAILURE MODE (reasoning/assumption failure), not symptom — "assumed API existed without reading source" not "used wrong enum value".
2. Generality test: does this failure mode apply to ≥3 contexts/codebases? If not, abstract one level up.
3. Write as a universal rule — strip project-specific names/paths/classes. Useful on any codebase.
4. Consolidate: multiple mistakes sharing one failure mode → ONE lesson.
5. Recurrence gate: "Would this recur in future session WITHOUT this reminder?" — No → skip $learn.
6. Auto-fix gate: "Could $code-review/$code-simplifier/$security/$lint catch this?" — Yes → improve review skill instead.
7. BOTH gates pass → ask user to run $learn. [TASK-PLANNING] [MANDATORY] BEFORE executing any workflow or skill step, create/update task tracking for all planned steps, then keep it synchronized as each step starts/completes.