| name | ring:planning-small-features |
| description | Planning the lightweight 4-gate Small Track pre-dev workflow (research, PRD, TRD, plan) with human approval and state tracking at each gate. Use for features under 2 days that reuse existing patterns and add no new dependencies, data models, or services. Skip for larger or complex features — use ring:planning-large-features instead. Plans only — no edits. |
Small Track Pre-Dev Workflow (4 Gates)
When to use
- Feature takes <2 days to implement
- Uses existing architecture patterns
- Doesn't add new external dependencies
- Doesn't create new data models/entities
- Doesn't require multi-service integration
- Can be completed by a single developer
Skip when
- Feature is complex (>=2 days) - use ring:planning-large-features instead
- Adds new dependencies, data models, or architecture patterns
Sequence
Runs before: ring:running-dev-cycle, ring:executing-plans
Related
Complementary: ring:planning-large-features, ring:creating-worktrees, ring:product-designer + ring:validating-ux-completeness (standalone UX step, recommended when feature has UI)
Skills orchestrated:
- ring:researching-features
- ring:writing-prds
- ring:writing-trds
- ring:writing-plans
Running the Small Track pre-development workflow for features that take <2 days, use existing patterns, add no new external dependencies, create no new data models, require no multi-service integration, and can be completed by a single developer.
For complex features (any of the above false), use ring:planning-large-features instead.
Gate Map
| Gate | Skill | Output |
|---|
| 0 | ring:researching-features | research.md |
| 1 | ring:writing-prds | prd.md |
| 2 | ring:writing-trds | trd.md |
| 3 | ring:writing-plans | plan.md |
All artifacts saved to: docs/pre-dev/<feature-name>/
Step 1: Gather Feature Name
AskUserQuestion: "What is the name of your feature?" (kebab-case, e.g., "user-logout", "email-validation")
Step 2: Topology Discovery (MANDATORY)
Execute topology discovery per shared-patterns/topology-discovery.md. Store as TopologyConfig for all subsequent gates.
Step 3: Gather Feature-Specific Inputs
Q2 (CONDITIONAL): Auth requirements — auto-detect from go.mod (lib-auth present → skip). Options: None, User only, User + permissions, Service-to-service, Full.
Q3 (CONDITIONAL): License requirements — auto-detect from go.mod (lib-license-go present → skip). Options: No, Yes.
Q4 (MANDATORY): Has UI? Options: Yes, No. Always ask — do not assume.
Q5 (if Q4=Yes): UI component library — auto-detect from package.json, confirm with user.
Q6 (if Q4=Yes): Styling approach — auto-detect from package.json, confirm with user.
Step 4: Execute Gates Sequentially
All gates (0-3) always run. Human approval required at each gate before proceeding.
Gate 3 (Plan): invoke ring:writing-plans with trd.md as the spec input (no feature-map on Small Track), passing TopologyConfig. Output path: docs/pre-dev/{feature}/plan.md (overrides the writing-plans default). plan.md is always a SINGLE document per feature. Topology clause: when TopologyConfig structure is monorepo or multi-repo, each epic carries one line **Target:** backend | frontend | infra (placed right before **Status:**); for multi-repo, the orchestrator copies plan.md into each repo and the local dev-cycle executes only epics whose Target matches that repo. No per-module plan splits.
Standalone UX step (if Q4=Yes): after Gate 1 approval, RECOMMEND running ring:product-designer + ring:validating-ux-completeness before Gate 2 (TRD). It is optional, not a gate, and not tracked in workflow-state.json. If design-validation.md exists when Gate 2 runs, the TRD honors its verdict; if absent, proceed and note the UX risk.
Gate Progress Tracking
Save state to docs/pre-dev/{feature}/workflow-state.json:
{
"track": "small",
"feature": "{feature-name}",
"currentGate": 0,
"gates": {"0": "PENDING", "1": "PENDING", "2": "PENDING", "3": "PENDING"},
"topology": {},
"inputs": {"hasUI": false, "authRequired": false, "licenseRequired": false, "uiLibrary": null, "styling": null}
}
Execution Mode
AskUserQuestion at start: "Execution mode?" Options: Automatic (pause only on failure), Manual (checkpoint after each gate).
Completion
After Gate 3 approved: docs/pre-dev/{feature}/plan.md is the single execution document. Execute with ring:running-dev-cycle (subagent orchestration) or ring:executing-plans (inline).
