| name | bolt-implementation |
| description | Execute the technical plan for a feature using bounded, task-by-task execution. Acts as the "Goldfish", relying on strict constraints from the "Elephant" (spec.md). |
Bolt-Implementation Workflow: The Goldfish Execution
This workflow covers the active development phase. You are the "Goldfish"—your job is to execute the immediate checklist (plan.md) while strictly obeying the immutable constraints of the blueprint (spec.md). You do not make architectural decisions.
1. Context & Setup
- Locate Workspace: Ask the user for the active feature directory (e.g.,
docs/design/<feature-name>/ or docs/design/<feature-update>/).
- Skeleton-First Context Loading:
- Read
plan.md to understand your immediate tasks.
- Run the parser script to extract the constraints without loading the entire
spec.md into your context window:
python bolt-skills/scripts/bolt_parser.py docs/design/<workspace>/spec.md --section "Interfaces & Constraints"
Pay absolute attention to this output.
- Constitution Check: Briefly review
docs/design/constitution.md for global repository invariants.
- Goldfish Readiness Audit (Mandatory): Before starting implementation, you must perform a three-phase self-audit of the
spec.md and plan.md to ensure they are sufficient.
- Phase A: System Understanding: Read the design docs and referenced files. Explain in your own words what the feature is trying to accomplish and how the system currently works as it relates to this feature.
- Phase B: Expert Review: Assume the role of an expert technical reviewer. Identify everything the design doc missed: faulty assumptions, missing edge cases, and architectural oversights. Every ambiguity you find makes you more useful.
- Phase C: Implementability Check: Declare as an experienced software engineer whether you have absolutely all the information required to successfully implement this feature in your first pass.
- Gate: If you fail any phase or find ambiguities, you MUST notify the user and request a "Pivot" back to
bolt-intent to fix the spec before proceeding.
2. The Execution Bounds (HALT & PIVOT)
- THE HALT ZONE: If a task requires you to violate an interface, signature, or rule defined in the
## Interfaces & Constraints section of spec.md, STOP IMMEDIATELY.
- The Pivot Protocol: Do NOT "hack" around the constraint. Do NOT modify
spec.md yourself (that is the domain of bolt-intent). Alert the user and request a "Pivot". The user will pause this session and use bolt-intent to formally update the architecture and constraints. You will resume only when the spec has been officially updated.
2.1 Model Routing & Parallelism
- One Step at a Time: Execute tasks in dependency order per
plan.md.
- Parallel Tasks
[P]: Tasks marked [P] have no dependencies and may be dispatched simultaneously if supported. Ensure no two [P] tasks modify the same file.
- Model Routing: Task headings may carry a complexity annotation (e.g.,
[medium]). Resolve it to a model tier:
[trivial] / [low] → haiku
[medium] → sonnet (default)
[high] → opus (Stop and ask for user confirmation before proceeding with expensive models).
3. The Execution Loop
For each task in plan.md:
- Understand DoD: Verify you understand the Definition of Done (DoD) for the task and trace it to the required FR/SC.
- Test-Driven Development (Optional): TDD is supported but driven by human request. If the user explicitly requests TDD, write and verify tests against the SC criteria before source code. Otherwise, write the implementation directly.
- Write Implementation: Write the code required to fulfill the task.
- Fast Deterministic Evals: Aggressively verify assumptions. Run linters (
ruff), type checkers (mypy), and local unit tests (pytest) locally before presenting the work.
- Mark Complete: Update
plan.md (e.g., check off markdown checklist items) to durably record your progress.
- User Review: Pause execution. Ask the user for a review of the completed task before moving to the next step.
4. Finalization
- When all tasks in
plan.md are marked complete, inform the user.
- The Bolt is now ready for the combined Pre-Flight Check.
- Next Steps: Instruct the user to invoke
bolt-audit to run final operational verifications and semantic drift checks.