cflx-proposal

name	cflx-proposal
description	Create structured Conflux change proposals through interactive conversation with users. Use when users request "create a proposal", "draft a change", "propose a feature", or similar proposal creation tasks. This skill asks clarifying questions and guides users through the proposal process.

Conflux Proposal Creator

Create structured change proposals for Conflux (OpenSpec-based) projects through interactive conversation with users.

Scope Restrictions (Proposal-Only)

• This skill is for proposal creation only. Do NOT implement or modify product/source code.
• You may READ any files for context gathering.
• You may WRITE only under openspec/changes/<change-id>/.
• After strict validation passes, stop and present the proposal for review.

Guardrails (Match Command Behavior)

• Favor straightforward, minimal implementations first and add complexity only when it is requested or clearly required.
• Keep changes tightly scoped to the requested outcome.
• Default to proposal splitting: when requirements can be decomposed into independent scopes, create separate change proposals.
• If uncertain whether to split, prefer splitting unless the scopes are tightly coupled and must ship together to preserve correctness.
• For each split proposal, use a distinct verb-led change-id and keep proposal.md, tasks.md, and design.md (when needed) scoped to that proposal only.
• When multiple proposals are created, explicitly document dependency/sequence relationships and parallelizability in the final user-facing summary.
• Before asking clarifying questions, proactively gather context from the current session and repository, and treat that gathered context as the default premise for the proposal.
• Start the user-facing response with a short Premise / Context section summarizing the goals, constraints, and relevant repo architecture already discovered.
• Do not ask the user to choose or confirm the change-id; generate a concise unique verb-led slug yourself.
• If the request is sufficiently clear after context gathering, draft the proposal directly instead of forcing an extra clarification round.
• For implementation-oriented proposals, make tasks evidence-bearing: each behavior-changing task should name repository-verifiable code, tests, or commands.

When to Use This Skill

Trigger this skill when users request:

• "Create a proposal for..."
• "Draft a change proposal"
• "Propose a new feature"
• "Document this change as a proposal"
• Any request to create structured change documentation

Key Characteristics

Human-Interactive Mode:

• Ask clarifying questions to understand requirements
• Guide users through proposal structure
• Discuss design decisions and trade-offs
• Iterate on requirements based on feedback
• Present proposals for user review and approval

Not for Orchestration: This skill is designed for direct human interaction, not automated orchestration.

Proposal Structure

A Conflux proposal consists of:

openspec/changes/<change-id>/
├── proposal.md          # Change description and context
├── tasks.md             # Implementation task checklist
├── design.md            # Architecture and design (optional)
└── specs/               # Spec deltas
    └── <capability>/
        └── spec.md      # Requirement specifications

Interactive Workflow

1. Understand the Change

First, gather available context proactively before asking questions.

Context to gather first:

• Prior user messages, goals, and constraints from the current session
• Repository-specific instructions such as AGENTS.md or openspec/AGENTS.md when present
• Existing related specs, archived changes, and relevant source/test modules
• Existing architecture or workflow boundaries already mentioned in the conversation

Begin the user-facing proposal response with:

• Premise / Context
• 3-6 concise bullets summarizing the gathered facts that will shape the proposal

Ask questions only if still necessary after context gathering:

• What problem does this solve?
• What are the acceptance criteria?
• Are there any constraints or dependencies?
• What is the scope (minimal vs. comprehensive)?

If the answer is already inferable from the repository and current conversation, skip the question and proceed.

Research existing code:

# Review existing specs
 python3 "$SKILL_ROOT/scripts/cflx.py" list --specs

# Check related code
rg "<keyword>"
ls <relevant-directory>

Strict validation note (common gotcha):

• In strict mode, include at least one spec delta under openspec/changes/<id>/specs/<capability>/spec.md.
• For bugfix-only proposals (no intended new behavior), add a minimal ## MODIFIED Requirements delta with at least one ### Requirement: and one #### Scenario:.

2. Evaluate Split Boundaries (Default: Split)

Before writing anything, evaluate whether the request should be split into multiple independent change proposals.

Default rule: if scopes are independent or weakly coupled, split into separate openspec/changes/<change-id>/ proposals.

Keep as a single proposal only when:

• The scopes are tightly coupled and must ship atomically to preserve correctness.
• The acceptance criteria cannot be verified independently.

When keeping a single proposal despite multiple scopes, explicitly record the rationale in proposal.md or design.md.

3. Generate Change ID

Rules:

• Verb-led (e.g., add-auth, fix-validation, refactor-api)
• Kebab-case (lowercase with hyphens)
• Must NOT include date prefixes or suffixes (forbidden: 2026-02-07-add-auth, add-auth-2026-02-07)
• Concise but descriptive
• Unique within the project

Execution rule:

• Generate the change-id yourself.
• Do not ask the user to confirm or choose it.
• If a collision is possible, disambiguate automatically (for example by adding a short suffix).

Present to user: "Using change ID <id>."

4. Draft Proposal Content

Create openspec/changes/<id>/proposal.md:

Required sections:

• Title (H1)
• Problem/Context
• Proposed Solution
• Acceptance Criteria
• Out of Scope (if applicable)

Ask for feedback: "Here's the draft proposal. Would you like to adjust anything?"

5. Create Task Breakdown

Create openspec/changes/<id>/tasks.md:

Task format:

## Implementation Tasks

- [ ] Task 1: Description (verification: how to verify completion)
- [ ] Task 2: Description (verification: ...)

## Future Work

- Items that require human action
- Items requiring external systems
- Long-wait verification tasks

Guidelines:

• Break into small, verifiable steps
• Include verification methods
• Specify integration/wiring tasks
• Mark non-AI-executable tasks for Future Work
• Prefer concrete repository evidence in verification notes (source paths, test files, or runnable commands), not vague statements like "verify implementation works"

External dependency policy (mock-first / verification-first):

• If a requirement cannot be verified locally without credentials or external systems, design mock/stub/fixture-based verification.
• Do not change production/runtime behavior to "use mocks"; mocks/stubs/fixtures are for tests and local verification.
• Only truly non-mockable dependencies (human decisions, real external systems, long-wait checks) go to Out of Scope / Future Work.

Present to user: "I've broken this down into X tasks. Do these cover everything?"

6. Design Documentation (Optional)

Create openspec/changes/<id>/design.md when:

• Change spans multiple systems
• Architectural decisions need documentation
• Trade-offs require explanation
• Complex implementation patterns

Design documentation is strongly recommended when the proposal introduces orchestration, durable state, cross-service coordination, background workers, adapters, or other multi-layer behavior.

Ask: "Should we document the design decisions in detail?"

7. Write Spec Deltas

Create openspec/changes/<id>/specs/<capability>/spec.md:

Format:

## ADDED Requirements

### Requirement: <requirement-name>

<Description>

#### Scenario: <scenario-name>

**Given**: <preconditions>
**When**: <action>
**Then**: <expected-outcome>

## MODIFIED Requirements

### Requirement: <existing-requirement-name>

<Updated description>

#### Scenario: <scenario-name>

...

## REMOVED Requirements

### Requirement: <deprecated-requirement-name>

<Reason for removal>

Critical rules:

• Each requirement must have at least one scenario
• Use ADDED/MODIFIED/REMOVED sections
• Be specific and testable

Discuss with user: "Should we add these requirements to the spec?"

8. Validate Proposal

Run validation:

 python3 "$SKILL_ROOT/scripts/cflx.py" validate <id> --strict

If validation fails:

• Show errors to user
• Discuss fixes
• Apply corrections
• Re-validate

Present results: "Validation passed! The proposal is ready for review."

9. Final Review

Present complete proposal to user:

• Show directory structure
• Summarize key points
• Highlight task count
• Confirm readiness

When the proposal was split into multiple independent change proposals, always present a proposal index:

- change-id
  - one-line objective
  - dependency/sequence (if any)
  - whether it can be implemented in parallel

Ask: "The proposal is complete. Would you like to proceed with implementation, or make any final adjustments?"

Mock-First External Dependencies

When designing tasks, follow mock-first approach:

Prefer:

• Mock/stub/fixture implementations
• Test doubles for external APIs
• Local verification without credentials

Avoid:

• Blocking on missing API keys
• Requiring real external services
• Deferring mockable dependencies

Discuss with user: "For the external API integration, should we use mocks for testing, or do you have test credentials available?"

Task Classification

AI-Executable Tasks (include with checkbox):

• Code implementation
• Unit/integration tests
• Documentation updates
• Linting/formatting
• Local verification

Future Work Tasks (no checkbox):

• Manual approval required
• Human decision-making
• External system deployment
• Long-wait verification (>1 day)

Ask user: "Are there any tasks that require manual review or external approvals?"

Question Examples

Understanding Requirements

• "What's the primary user need this addresses?"
• "Are there any security or performance requirements?"
• "What's the expected timeline for this change?"

Clarifying Scope

• "Should this include error handling for edge cases?"
• "Do we need backward compatibility?"
• "Are there related features we should consider?"

Design Decisions

• "Would you prefer approach A (simpler) or B (more flexible)?"
• "Should we optimize for performance or maintainability?"
• "Where should this integrate with the existing system?"

Verification

• "How should we verify this is working correctly?"
• "What would constitute a successful implementation?"
• "Are there specific test scenarios we should cover?"

Built-in Tools

Use python3 "$SKILL_ROOT/scripts/cflx.py" for all Conflux operations:

# List existing changes
python3 "$SKILL_ROOT/scripts/cflx.py" list

# List specs
python3 "$SKILL_ROOT/scripts/cflx.py" list --specs

# Show change details
python3 "$SKILL_ROOT/scripts/cflx.py" show <id>

# Validate proposal
python3 "$SKILL_ROOT/scripts/cflx.py" validate <id> --strict

# Validate proposal with implementation-evidence warnings
python3 "$SKILL_ROOT/scripts/cflx.py" validate <id> --strict --evidence warn

# Validate proposal with implementation-evidence errors
python3 "$SKILL_ROOT/scripts/cflx.py" validate <id> --strict --evidence error

Best Practices

Communication

• Ask one question at a time (avoid overwhelming)
• Summarize understanding before proceeding
• Present options with recommendations
• Confirm major decisions
• Prefer making a reasonable default proposal after context gathering over repeatedly blocking on optional clarification
• When you must ask a question, state the recommended default and what would change based on the answer

Proposal Quality

• Keep scope focused and minimal
• Break large changes into multiple proposals
• Include clear acceptance criteria
• Specify verification for each task
• Make implementation-facing tasks hard to mark complete without source/test evidence

User Experience

• Be responsive to feedback
• Iterate on content based on input
• Present information clearly
• Provide helpful suggestions

Common Patterns

Feature Addition

1. Understand user need
2. Review existing architecture
3. Propose minimal viable solution
4. Break into implementation tasks
5. Add spec requirements

Bug Fix

1. Understand the bug behavior
2. Identify root cause area
3. Propose fix approach
4. Include regression tests
5. Add MODIFIED spec if behavior changes

Refactoring

1. Clarify refactoring goals
2. Identify affected components
3. Plan incremental steps
4. Ensure test coverage
5. Document design decisions

Troubleshooting

User Unclear About Requirements

• Ask more specific questions
• Provide examples or options
• Start with minimal scope
• Plan for iteration

Complex Dependencies

• Discuss mock-first approach
• Identify what's truly non-mockable
• Plan integration points
• Document assumptions

Large Scope

• Suggest breaking into multiple proposals
• Identify core vs. nice-to-have
• Prioritize with user
• Plan phased approach

Reference Files

No additional reference files.

Example Interaction

User: "I want to add user authentication"

Agent: "I'd like to understand the authentication requirements better:
1. What type of authentication? (JWT, session-based, OAuth?)
2. What user actions need to be protected?
3. Do you have an existing user database or need to create one?"

User: "JWT-based, protect API endpoints, we have a users table"

Agent: "Got it. I suggest the change ID `add-jwt-auth`. I'll create a proposal with:
- JWT token generation and validation
- Middleware for protected routes
- Login/logout endpoints

Does this scope look correct?"

User: "Yes, please proceed"

Agent: [Creates proposal.md, tasks.md, specs/]
"Here's the task breakdown:
1. Implement JWT utility functions
2. Create auth middleware
3. Add login endpoint
4. Add logout endpoint
5. Protect existing API routes
6. Add unit tests
7. Add integration tests

Total: 7 tasks. Does this cover everything?"

User: "Add password reset too"

Agent: "I'll add password reset. This requires email sending - should we:
A) Mock email for testing (recommended)
B) Use a real email service (needs credentials)
?"

User: "Mock for now"

Agent: [Updates proposal]
"Added 2 more tasks for password reset with mocked email.
Running validation... ✓ Validation passed!

The proposal is ready. Would you like to start implementation?"