Specification Parsing
Finding the Specification
Before parsing, locate the spec page:
1. Search for spec: Notion:notion-search query: "[Feature Name] spec" or "[Feature Name] specification" 2. Handle results: - If found → use page URL/ID - If multiple → ask user which one - If not found → ask user for URL/ID Example: Notion:notion-search query: "User Profile API spec" query_type: "internal"
Reading Specifications
After finding the spec, fetch it with Notion:notion-fetch:
- •Read the full content
- •Identify key sections
- •Extract structured information
- •Note ambiguities or gaps
Notion:notion-fetch id: "spec-page-id-from-search"
Common Spec Structures
Requirements-Based Spec
# Feature Spec ## Overview [Feature description] ## Requirements ### Functional - REQ-1: [Requirement] - REQ-2: [Requirement] ### Non-Functional - PERF-1: [Performance requirement] - SEC-1: [Security requirement] ## Acceptance Criteria - AC-1: [Criterion] - AC-2: [Criterion]
Extract:
- •List of functional requirements
- •List of non-functional requirements
- •List of acceptance criteria
User Story Based Spec
# Feature Spec ## User Stories ### As a [user type] I want [goal] So that [benefit] **Acceptance Criteria**: - [Criterion] - [Criterion]
Extract:
- •User personas
- •Goals/capabilities needed
- •Acceptance criteria per story
Technical Design Doc
# Technical Design ## Problem Statement [Problem description] ## Proposed Solution [Solution approach] ## Architecture [Architecture details] ## Implementation Plan [Implementation approach]
Extract:
- •Problem being solved
- •Proposed solution approach
- •Architectural decisions
- •Implementation guidance
Product Requirements Document (PRD)
# PRD: [Feature] ## Goals [Business goals] ## User Needs [User problems being solved] ## Features [Feature list] ## Success Metrics [How to measure success]
Extract:
- •Business goals
- •User needs
- •Feature list
- •Success metrics
Extraction Strategies
Requirement Identification
Look for:
- •"Must", "Should", "Will" statements
- •Numbered requirements (REQ-1, etc.)
- •User stories (As a... I want...)
- •Acceptance criteria sections
- •Feature lists
Categorization
Group requirements by:
Functional: What the system does
- •User capabilities
- •System behaviors
- •Data operations
Non-Functional: How the system performs
- •Performance targets
- •Security requirements
- •Scalability needs
- •Availability requirements
- •Compliance requirements
Constraints: Limitations
- •Technical constraints
- •Business constraints
- •Timeline constraints
Priority Extraction
Identify priority indicators:
- •"Critical", "Must have", "P0"
- •"Important", "Should have", "P1"
- •"Nice to have", "Could have", "P2"
- •"Future", "Won't have", "P3"
Map to implementation phases based on priority.
Handling Ambiguity
Unclear Requirements
When requirement is ambiguous:
## Clarifications Needed ### [Requirement ID/Description] **Current text**: "[Ambiguous requirement]" **Question**: [What needs clarification] **Impact**: [Why this matters for implementation] **Assumed for now**: [Working assumption if any]
Create clarification task or add comment to spec.
Missing Information
When critical info is missing:
## Missing Information - **[Topic]**: Spec doesn't specify [what's missing] - **Impact**: Blocks [affected tasks] - **Action**: Need to [how to resolve]
Conflicting Requirements
When requirements conflict:
## Conflicting Requirements **Conflict**: REQ-1 says [X] but REQ-5 says [Y] **Impact**: [Implementation impact] **Resolution needed**: [Decision needed]
Acceptance Criteria Parsing
Explicit Criteria
Direct acceptance criteria:
## Acceptance Criteria - User can log in with email and password - System sends confirmation email - Session expires after 24 hours
Convert to checklist:
- • User can log in with email and password
- • System sends confirmation email
- • Session expires after 24 hours
Implicit Criteria
Derive from requirements:
Requirement: "Users can upload files up to 100MB" Implied acceptance criteria: - [ ] Files up to 100MB upload successfully - [ ] Files over 100MB are rejected with error message - [ ] Progress indicator shows during upload - [ ] Upload can be cancelled
Testable Criteria
Ensure criteria are testable:
❌ Not testable: "System is fast" ✓ Testable: "Page loads in < 2 seconds"
❌ Not testable: "Users like the interface" ✓ Testable: "90% of test users complete task successfully"
Technical Detail Extraction
Architecture Information
Extract:
- •System components
- •Data models
- •APIs/interfaces
- •Integration points
- •Technology choices
Design Decisions
Note:
- •Technology selections
- •Architecture patterns
- •Trade-offs made
- •Rationale provided
Implementation Guidance
Look for:
- •Suggested approach
- •Code examples
- •Library recommendations
- •Best practices mentioned
Dependency Identification
External Dependencies
From spec, identify:
- •Third-party services required
- •External APIs needed
- •Infrastructure requirements
- •Tool/library dependencies
Internal Dependencies
Identify:
- •Other features needed first
- •Shared components required
- •Team dependencies
- •Data dependencies
Timeline Dependencies
Note:
- •Hard deadlines
- •Milestone dependencies
- •Sequencing requirements
Scope Extraction
In Scope
What's explicitly included:
- •Features to build
- •Use cases to support
- •Users/personas to serve
Out of Scope
What's explicitly excluded:
- •Features deferred
- •Use cases not supported
- •Edge cases not handled
Assumptions
What's assumed:
- •Environment assumptions
- •User assumptions
- •System state assumptions
Risk Identification
Extract risk information:
Technical Risks
- •Unproven technology
- •Complex integration
- •Performance concerns
- •Scalability unknowns
Business Risks
- •Market timing
- •Resource availability
- •Dependency on others
Mitigation Strategies
Note any mitigation approaches mentioned in spec.
Spec Quality Assessment
Evaluate spec completeness:
✓ Good spec:
- •Clear requirements
- •Explicit acceptance criteria
- •Priorities defined
- •Risks identified
- •Technical approach outlined
⚠️ Incomplete spec:
- •Vague requirements
- •Missing acceptance criteria
- •Unclear priorities
- •No risk analysis
- •Technical details absent
Document gaps and create clarification tasks.
Parsing Checklist
Before creating implementation plan:
☐ All functional requirements identified ☐ Non-functional requirements noted ☐ Acceptance criteria extracted ☐ Dependencies identified ☐ Risks noted ☐ Ambiguities documented ☐ Technical approach understood ☐ Scope is clear ☐ Priorities are defined