wv-guard-scope — Scope and Convention Gate

INTERNAL SKILL — This skill is now part of the /weave orchestrator. Use /weave instead for the full graph-first workflow. Direct invocation is deprecated and may be removed in a future release.

Trigger: During implementation when tempted to:

•Add features beyond current task scope
•Refactor unrelated code
•Introduce new patterns/libraries when existing ones work
•"Modernize" legacy code while fixing bugs

Purpose: Address failure mode #7 (imposes preferences instead of matching patterns). Keeps work focused on task boundaries and consistent with existing codebase patterns.

Instructions

When invoked during implementation (/wv-guard-scope or when scope drift detected):

1. Check Task Scope

Review the original task definition:

bash

# Review done criteria

> **INTERNAL SKILL** — This skill is now part of the `/weave` orchestrator.
> Use `/weave` instead for the full graph-first workflow.
> Direct invocation is deprecated and may be removed in a future release.

wv show <current-task-id>

# Questions to ask:

> **INTERNAL SKILL** — This skill is now part of the `/weave` orchestrator.
> Use `/weave` instead for the full graph-first workflow.
> Direct invocation is deprecated and may be removed in a future release.

# - Does this change relate to the task text?

> **INTERNAL SKILL** — This skill is now part of the `/weave` orchestrator.
> Use `/weave` instead for the full graph-first workflow.
> Direct invocation is deprecated and may be removed in a future release.

# - Is it in the done_criteria list?

> **INTERNAL SKILL** — This skill is now part of the `/weave` orchestrator.
> Use `/weave` instead for the full graph-first workflow.
> Direct invocation is deprecated and may be removed in a future release.

# - Was it explicitly excluded in non_goals?

> **INTERNAL SKILL** — This skill is now part of the `/weave` orchestrator.
> Use `/weave` instead for the full graph-first workflow.
> Direct invocation is deprecated and may be removed in a future release.

If outside scope: Create new task, don't expand current one.

2. Check Codebase Conventions

Scan existing code for patterns:

•Naming: Do other files use camelCase or snake_case?
•Error handling: Try/catch or return codes?
•Imports: Relative (./foo) or absolute (@/foo)?
•Libraries: What's already used for this purpose?
•Architecture: Where do similar features live?

Match existing patterns, even if you don't like them.

3. Identify Scope Violations

Common violations:

Violation	Example	Fix
Feature creep	"Also add error notifications"	Create wv-XXXXXX for notifications
Refactor during fix	"Let's clean up this function"	Fix bug only, new task for refactor
Library introduction	"Use lodash instead of native"	Use existing pattern unless broken
Modern patterns in legacy	"Convert to async/await"	Match existing promise style
Perfectionism	"Add 10 edge case handlers"	Check done_criteria, ship first

4. Make the Call

Stay in lane:

•Fix only what's in scope
•Match existing conventions
•Create new tasks for improvements

Exception (rare):

•Blocker preventing task completion
•Security/data loss risk
•Must document why in commit message

Output Format

When scope drift detected, output:

text

 Scope Drift Detected

Current task: wv-XXXXXX — Fix login timeout
Proposed change: Add password strength validation

Analysis:
Not in done_criteria
Listed in non_goals
Should be: Create wv-YYYYYY for password validation

Action: Stay focused on timeout fix only

NEVER

•Refactor while fixing bugs
•Add features while building features
•Introduce new libraries when existing ones work
•Modernize legacy code patterns "while you're there"
•Improve code quality outside the task scope

ALWAYS

•Check done_criteria before adding anything
•Match existing codebase patterns and conventions
•Create new tasks for "while I'm here" urges
•Finish current task before starting discovered work
•Document convention choices in commit messages

Examples

Example 1: Feature Creep Prevention

text

Task: Add CSV export button
Temptation: "Also add PDF and Excel export"

/wv-guard-scope check:
- done_criteria: CSV export only
- non_goals: Other formats listed
- Action: Create wv-XXXXXX "Add PDF export" (separate task)

Example 2: Convention Matching

text

Task: Fix date parsing bug
Codebase uses: moment.js for all date handling
Temptation: "Let's use modern date-fns"

/wv-guard-scope check:
- Existing pattern: moment.js in 47 files
- No blocker: moment works for this fix
- Action: Use moment.js to match codebase
- Note: Can propose date-fns migration separately

Example 3: Refactor Temptation

text

Task: Fix null pointer in getUserData
Temptation: "This function is messy, let's refactor it"

/wv-guard-scope check:
- done_criteria: Fix null pointer only
- Refactor not blocking fix
- Action: Add null check, create wv-YYYYYY "Refactor getUserData"

Example 4: Pattern Mismatch

text

Task: Add error handling to API endpoint
Codebase uses: Return codes {success: bool, error: string}
Temptation: "Exceptions are better, let's use try/catch"

/wv-guard-scope check:
- Pattern: 23 endpoints use return codes
- Not broken: Works fine
- Action: Use return codes to match existing pattern

Integration

This skill is called:

•Manually during implementation when scope drift noticed
•By /fix-issue as reminder to check scope
•When tempted to add "just one more thing"

Related Skills

•/ship-it — Defines scope upfront to prevent drift
•/wv-clarify-spec — Clarifies requirements before starting
•/zero-in — Focused search prevents over-exploration