Intent Integrity Kit Specify

Create or update a feature specification from a natural language feature description.

User Input

text

$ARGUMENTS

You MUST consider the user input before proceeding (if not empty).

Constitution Loading (REQUIRED)

Before ANY action, load and internalize the project constitution:

•

Read constitution:

bash

cat CONSTITUTION.md 2>/dev/null || echo "NO_CONSTITUTION"

•

If file doesn't exist:

code

WARNING: Project constitution not found at CONSTITUTION.md

Proceeding without constitution.
Recommendation: Run /iikit-00-constitution first to define project principles.

•
If exists, parse all principles, constraints, and governance rules.

Execution Flow

The text the user typed after /iikit-01-specify is the feature description.

1. Generate Branch Name

Analyze the feature description and create a 2-4 word short name:

•Use action-noun format when possible (e.g., "user-auth", "fix-payment-timeout")
•Preserve technical terms and acronyms (OAuth2, API, JWT, etc.)
•Keep it concise but descriptive

Examples:

•"I want to add user authentication" -> "user-auth"
•"Implement OAuth2 integration for the API" -> "oauth2-api-integration"
•"Create a dashboard for analytics" -> "analytics-dashboard"

2. Create Feature Branch and Directory

2.1 Branch Creation Decision

Before creating a feature branch, check context and ask user:

•

Check current branch:

bash

git rev-parse --abbrev-ref HEAD 2>/dev/null || echo "no-git"

•
Decide whether to prompt:
- •If already on a feature branch (matches ^[0-9]{3}-): suggest skipping branch creation
- •If on main/master/develop: suggest creating a new branch (default)

•

Ask user (with context-aware default):

code

Create feature branch? [Y/n]
- Y (default): Create new branch 'NNN-feature-name'
- n: Stay on current branch, create feature directory only

•
If user declines branch creation (answers 'n', 'no', or 'skip'):
- •Add --skip-branch flag to the script

2.2 Run Feature Creation Script

Unix/macOS/Linux:

bash

# With branch creation (default):
bash .tessl/tiles/tessl-labs/intent-integrity-kit/skills/iikit-core/scripts/bash/create-new-feature.sh --json "$ARGUMENTS" --short-name "your-short-name"

# Without branch creation (if user declined):
bash .tessl/tiles/tessl-labs/intent-integrity-kit/skills/iikit-core/scripts/bash/create-new-feature.sh --json --skip-branch "$ARGUMENTS" --short-name "your-short-name"

Windows (PowerShell):

powershell

# With branch creation (default):
pwsh .tessl/tiles/tessl-labs/intent-integrity-kit/skills/iikit-core/scripts/powershell/create-new-feature.ps1 -Json "$ARGUMENTS" -ShortName "your-short-name"

# Without branch creation (if user declined):
pwsh .tessl/tiles/tessl-labs/intent-integrity-kit/skills/iikit-core/scripts/powershell/create-new-feature.ps1 -Json -SkipBranch "$ARGUMENTS" -ShortName "your-short-name"

Parse the JSON output for BRANCH_NAME, SPEC_FILE, and FEATURE_NUM.

IMPORTANT: Only run this script ONCE per feature. The JSON output contains the paths you need.

3. Load Spec Template

Read spec-template.md to understand required sections.

4. Generate Specification

Follow this execution flow:

•

Parse user description from Input

•If empty:

code

ERROR: No feature description provided.

Usage: /iikit-01-specify <feature description>
Example: /iikit-01-specify Add user authentication with OAuth2 support

•
Extract key concepts from description
- •Identify: actors, actions, data, constraints
•
For unclear aspects:
- •Make informed guesses based on context and industry standards
- •
  Only mark with [NEEDS CLARIFICATION: specific question] if:
  - •The choice significantly impacts feature scope or user experience
  - •Multiple reasonable interpretations exist with different implications
  - •No reasonable default exists
- •LIMIT: Maximum 3 [NEEDS CLARIFICATION] markers total
- •Prioritize clarifications by impact: scope > security/privacy > user experience > technical details
•
Fill User Scenarios & Testing section
- •Each user story must be INDEPENDENTLY TESTABLE
- •Assign priorities (P1, P2, P3) to each story
•
Generate Functional Requirements
- •Each requirement must be testable
- •Use reasonable defaults for unspecified details
•
Define Success Criteria
- •Create measurable, technology-agnostic outcomes
- •Include quantitative and qualitative measures
•
Identify Key Entities (if data involved)

5. Write Specification

Write to SPEC_FILE using the template structure.

6. Phase Separation Validation (REQUIRED)

Before finalizing, scan the draft specification for implementation details that belong in /iikit-03-plan:

Check for violations - specification MUST NOT mention:

•Programming languages (Python, JavaScript, TypeScript, Go, Rust, Java, C#, etc.)
•Frameworks (React, Django, Express, Spring, Rails, FastAPI, Next.js, etc.)
•Databases (PostgreSQL, MySQL, MongoDB, SQLite, Redis, DynamoDB, etc.)
•Infrastructure (Docker, Kubernetes, AWS, GCP, Azure, Terraform, etc.)
•Specific libraries or packages (lodash, pandas, axios, etc.)
•API implementation details (REST endpoints, GraphQL schemas, gRPC)
•File structures or code organization
•Data schemas or table definitions
•Architecture patterns (microservices, monolith, serverless)

Allowed technical terms (these describe WHAT, not HOW):

•Domain concepts (authentication, authorization, encryption)
•User-facing features (search, filter, export, import)
•Data concepts (user profile, order, transaction)
•Performance requirements (response time, throughput) - but not implementation

If violations found:

code

+---------------------------------------------------------------+
|  PHASE SEPARATION VIOLATION DETECTED                          |
+---------------------------------------------------------------+
|  Specification contains implementation details:               |
|  - [list each violation]                                      |
|                                                               |
|  Implementation decisions belong in /iikit-03-plan.           |
|  Specification defines WHAT users need, not HOW to build it.  |
+---------------------------------------------------------------+
|  ACTION: Removing implementation details...                   |
+---------------------------------------------------------------+

Auto-fix: Rewrite violating sections to be implementation-agnostic:

•"Store in PostgreSQL database" -> "Persist data reliably"
•"Build REST API endpoints" -> "Expose functionality to external systems"
•"Use React for the frontend" -> "Provide web-based user interface"
•"Response time under 200ms" -> "Users experience responsive interactions"

Re-validate after fixes until no violations remain.

7. Create Spec Quality Checklist

Generate a checklist file at FEATURE_DIR/checklists/requirements.md:

markdown

# Specification Quality Checklist: [FEATURE NAME]

**Purpose**: Validate specification completeness and quality before planning
**Created**: [DATE]
**Feature**: [Link to spec.md]

## Content Quality

- [ ] No implementation details (languages, frameworks, APIs)
- [ ] Focused on user value and business needs
- [ ] Written for non-technical stakeholders
- [ ] All mandatory sections completed

## Requirement Completeness

- [ ] No [NEEDS CLARIFICATION] markers remain
- [ ] Requirements are testable and unambiguous
- [ ] Success criteria are measurable
- [ ] Success criteria are technology-agnostic
- [ ] All acceptance scenarios are defined
- [ ] Edge cases are identified
- [ ] Scope is clearly bounded
- [ ] Dependencies and assumptions identified

## Feature Readiness

- [ ] All functional requirements have clear acceptance criteria
- [ ] User scenarios cover primary flows
- [ ] Feature meets measurable outcomes defined in Success Criteria
- [ ] No implementation details leak into specification

## Notes

- Items marked incomplete require spec updates before `/iikit-02-clarify` or `/iikit-03-plan`

8. Handle Clarifications

If [NEEDS CLARIFICATION] markers remain (max 3):

Present each question in this format:

markdown

## Question [N]: [Topic]

**Context**: [Quote relevant spec section]

**What we need to know**: [Specific question]

**Suggested Answers**:

| Option | Answer | Implications |
|--------|--------|--------------|
| A      | [First answer] | [Impact] |
| B      | [Second answer] | [Impact] |
| C      | [Third answer] | [Impact] |
| Custom | Provide your own | [Instructions] |

**Your choice**: _[Wait for user response]_

9. Report Completion

Output:

•Branch name
•Spec file path
•Checklist results
•Readiness for next phase (/iikit-02-clarify or /iikit-03-plan)

Guidelines

Quick Guidelines

•Focus on WHAT users need and WHY
•Avoid HOW to implement (no tech stack, APIs, code structure)
•Written for business stakeholders, not developers

Success Criteria Guidelines

Success criteria must be:

•Measurable: Include specific metrics
•Technology-agnostic: No frameworks, languages, databases
•User-focused: Describe outcomes from user/business perspective
•Verifiable: Can be tested without knowing implementation

Good examples:

•"Users can complete checkout in under 3 minutes"
•"System supports 10,000 concurrent users"
•"95% of searches return results in under 1 second"

Bad examples:

•"API response time is under 200ms" (too technical)
•"Database can handle 1000 TPS" (implementation detail)

Semantic Diff on Re-run

If spec.md already exists, perform semantic diff before overwriting:

1. Detect Existing Artifact

bash

test -f "$SPEC_FILE" && echo "EXISTING_SPEC_FOUND"

2. If Existing Spec Found

•
Read and parse existing spec.md
•
Extract semantic elements:
- •User story count and titles
- •Requirement IDs and descriptions
- •Success criteria
- •Key entities

•

Compare with new content:

code

+-----------------------------------------------------+
|  SEMANTIC DIFF: spec.md                             |
+-----------------------------------------------------+
|  User Stories:                                      |
|    + Added: US4 "Export Tasks"                      |
|    ~ Changed: US2 title updated                     |
|    - Removed: None                                  |
|                                                     |
|  Requirements:                                      |
|    + Added: FR-011, FR-012                          |
|    ~ Changed: FR-003 description modified           |
|    - Removed: FR-008 (verify intentional)           |
|                                                     |
|  Success Criteria:                                  |
|    + Added: SC-008                                  |
|    ~ Changed: None                                  |
|    - Removed: None                                  |
+-----------------------------------------------------+
|  DOWNSTREAM IMPACT:                                 |
|  ! plan.md may need updates (new requirements)      |
|  ! tasks.md may need regeneration                   |
|  ! checklists may be invalidated                    |
+-----------------------------------------------------+

•
Ask for confirmation:
- •"Proceed with these changes? (yes/no)"
- •If user declines, preserve existing spec

3. Downstream Impact Warning

If changes detected, warn about affected artifacts:

•Removed requirements -> tasks may reference deleted items
•Changed requirements -> plan may be inconsistent
•New requirements -> tasks.md needs regeneration

Next Steps

After completing the specification:

•
Recommended: Run /iikit-02-clarify to resolve ambiguities
- •Identifies underspecified areas you may have missed
- •Asks targeted questions (max 5) to improve spec quality
- •Especially valuable for complex features
•
Required: Run /iikit-03-plan to create the technical implementation plan

Suggest to user:

code

Specification complete! Next steps:
- /iikit-02-clarify - (Recommended) Resolve any ambiguities and improve spec quality
- /iikit-03-plan - Create technical implementation plan