Overview
Transform a high-level implementation step into a comprehensive, developer-ready implementation guide with granular tasks, clear acceptance criteria, and complete context.
Parameters
- •step_number (required) - The step number from the implementation plan (e.g., "1", "3", "7")
- •plan_source (required) - Path to the implementation plan (e.g.,
{project_dir}/implementation/plan.md) - •project_dir (optional, default: derived from plan_source parent directory) - The project directory containing all context documents
- •output_dir (optional, default:
{project_dir}/implementation/guides/) - Directory where the step guide will be created
Rules for parameter acquisition
- •You MUST ask for all required parameters upfront if not provided
- •You MUST confirm the acquired parameters with the user before proceeding
- •You MUST verify that the plan_source file exists and contains the specified step
- •You MUST create the output_dir if it doesn't exist
- •You MUST NOT overwrite existing step guides without user confirmation
Steps
- •Context Gathering and Analysis Collect all relevant project context and analyze the target implementation step.
Rules for execution:
- •You MUST read the implementation plan and identify the target step
- •You MUST read all available context documents in the project directory:
- •Requirements documents (requirements-elaboration.md, requirements.md)
- •Design documents (detailed-design.md, architecture.md)
- •Research findings (research/ directory)
- •Previous step guides for dependencies
- •You MUST analyze the step's objective, scope, and integration points
- •You MUST identify dependencies from previous steps and requirements for future steps
- •You MUST summarize the context and step scope for user confirmation
- •Step Guide Creation Create a comprehensive implementation guide following the proven structure.
Rules for execution:
- •You MUST create the step guide at
{output_dir}/step-{step_number}-guide.md - •You MUST follow this structure:
# Step {N} Implementation Guide: {Step Title}
## Overview
**Objective**: {Clear one-sentence objective}
**Duration**: {Estimated time}
**Prerequisites**: {Required knowledge/tools}
**Success Criteria**: {Measurable success criteria}
**Implementation Status**: {Progress tracking with checkboxes}
- [ ] Task 1: {Task title}
- [ ] Task 2: {Task title}
**Implementation Observations**: {Key learnings and technical decisions}
## Project Context
### Business Context
{What problem this solves, end users, system fit, business value}
### Technical Context
{Architecture overview, data flow, integration points, performance requirements}
**Architecture Overview**:
{Simple text-based flow diagram}
**Integration Points**:
- Input: {What this step receives}
- Output: {What this step produces}
- Dependencies: {What it depends on}
### Required Reading
**Essential Documents** (Read in this order):
1. **{file_path}** - Focus: {what to focus on}
- Key takeaway: {main insight}
**Supporting Documents** (Reference as needed):
2. **{file_path}** - Context: {when to reference}
## Data Structure Understanding
### Input Data Format
{Concrete examples of expected inputs}
### Output Data Format
{Concrete examples of expected outputs}
### Key Data Transformations
{How data flows and transforms through the step}
## Implementation Tasks
### Task 1: {Action-oriented title}
**Objective**: {One sentence goal}
**What to Implement:**
- [ ] Specific deliverable 1
- [ ] Specific deliverable 2
**Key Requirements:**
- Technical constraint 1
- Integration requirement 1
- Performance requirement 1
**Implementation Location**: `{exact_file_path}`
**Code to Add/Modify**:
```python
{Specific code examples or patterns}
Acceptance Criteria:
- • Testable criterion 1
- • Testable criterion 2
- • Performance benchmark met
Test Strategy:
- •Unit tests: {specific test types}
- •Integration tests: {integration scenarios}
- •Performance tests: {timing requirements}
{Continue for all tasks...}
Best Practices to Follow
Code Quality Standards
{Coding style, documentation, type safety, error handling}
Development Process Standards
{TDD requirements, testing structure, code review criteria}
Architecture Standards
{Design patterns, performance, security, scalability}
Acceptance Criteria Summary
Functional Requirements
- • Core functionality works as specified
- • All data processing requirements met
- • Integration points function correctly
Technical Requirements
- • Performance benchmarks met ({specific timing})
- • Code quality standards passed
- • Security requirements addressed
Documentation Requirements
- • All documentation complete
- • Code examples work as written
- • API documentation updated
Quality Requirements
- • Test coverage meets standards ({percentage})
- • Error handling comprehensive
- • Ready for next development phase
Implementation Notes
{Technical decisions, patterns discovered, gotchas, recommendations}
Handoff Checklist
- • All deliverables completed
- • Integration points validated
- • Performance requirements verified
- • Documentation reviewed
- • Tests passing
- • Ready for next development phase
Next Steps Preview
{What comes after this implementation, dependencies created, capabilities enabled}
- You MUST break down the step into tasks of 2-4 hours each - You MUST include specific file paths for implementation locations - You MUST provide concrete code examples and patterns - You MUST include performance requirements with specific timing - You MUST make acceptance criteria binary (pass/fail) - You MUST include implementation status tracking with checkboxes - You MUST add architecture diagrams using simple text-based flow - You MUST include data structure examples with concrete formats - You MUST reference specific line numbers in required reading when helpful 3. Guide Review and Validation Review the implementation guide with the user and refine based on feedback. **Rules for execution**: - You MUST present the completed step guide to the user - You MUST highlight the task breakdown and key acceptance criteria - You MUST explain how the guide ensures consistent implementation quality - You MUST ask for feedback on task granularity and completeness - You MUST be prepared to iterate on the guide based on user input - You MUST ask the user if the step guide is ready for developer use - You MUST ask the user what they would like to do next: - Create guides for additional steps - Begin implementation using this guide - Refine the guide based on new requirements - You MUST NOT automatically proceed without explicit user direction ## Key Principles - Self-contained guidance - Guide includes all context needed for implementation - Granular task breakdown - Tasks are 2-4 hours with clear deliverables - Binary acceptance criteria - Pass/fail criteria that can be objectively verified - Developer experience focus - Can be followed by someone new to the project - Quality assurance - Comprehensive standards and validation requirements - Integration awareness - Clear dependencies and handoff requirements - Continuous validation - Regular checkpoints ensure progress toward objectives - Best practices enforcement - Coding standards and architectural patterns included - Progress tracking - Implementation status and task completion visibility - Concrete examples - Specific code patterns and data structure examples - Performance focus - Clear timing and performance requirements ## Example Output ### Input Parameters - step_number: "2" - plan_source: `planning/implementation/plan.md` - project_dir: `planning` ### Generated Step Guide Structure ```markdown # Step 2 Implementation Guide: Implement Search Functionality ## Overview **Objective**: Create semantic search capability using AWS Bedrock Knowledge Base with citation support **Duration**: 1-2 days **Prerequisites**: Python 3.9+, AWS credentials, understanding of Pydantic models **Success Criteria**: Agent can search feedback data with <2s response time and return structured citations **Implementation Status**: 🚧 In Progress - [x] Task 1: Set up Bedrock client integration - [ ] Task 2: Implement search with business function filtering - [ ] Task 3: Add citation extraction and formatting **Implementation Observations**: 1. **Retry Logic Pattern**: Exponential backoff with jitter prevents thundering herd 2. **Citation Text Extraction**: Added 100-char snippets for better context 3. **Business Function Mapping**: Audit role gets access to all data sources ## Project Context ### Business Context Enable users to search across customer feedback data sources with semantic understanding, supporting business function filtering and source traceability for compliance requirements. **End Users**: Business analysts, compliance officers, call center managers **Business Value**: Faster insight discovery, regulatory compliance, audit trail ### Technical Context **Architecture Overview**:
User Query → Agent → Bedrock Knowledge Base → Search Results ↓ Citation Extraction → Structured Response
**Integration Points**:
- Input: User queries with business function context
- Output: Search results with SourceCitation objects
- Dependencies: AWS Bedrock Knowledge Base, centralized session factory
**Performance Requirements**: <2s response time, <5MB memory usage
### Required Reading
**Essential Documents** (Read in this order):
1. **`planning/design/detailed-design.md`** - Focus on search architecture (lines 45-80)
- Key takeaway: Business function filtering requirements
2. **`agent/lib/tools/feedback_tools.py`** - Current tool patterns
- Key takeaway: Session factory usage and error handling
## Data Structure Understanding
### Input Data Format
```python
# User query with business context
{
"query": "mobile app issues",
"business_function": "digital_banking",
"max_results": 20
}
Output Data Format
# Search response with citations
{
"results": [...],
"citations": [SourceCitation(...)],
"query": "mobile app issues",
"business_function": "digital_banking"
}
Implementation Tasks
Task 1: Set up Bedrock client integration
Objective: Create robust Bedrock Agent Runtime client with proper error handling
What to Implement:
- • Bedrock client using centralized session factory
- • Connection validation and health checks
- • Retry logic with exponential backoff
Key Requirements:
- •Use existing AWS session factory pattern
- •Handle network timeouts and service errors
- •Log all API interactions for debugging
- •Response time <2 seconds
Implementation Location: agent/lib/tools/feedback_tools.py
Code to Add:
@retry(exponential_backoff_with_jitter)
def _call_bedrock_knowledge_base(self, query: str) -> Dict[str, Any]:
"""Call Bedrock with retry logic and error handling."""
response = self.bedrock_client.retrieve_and_generate(
input={'text': query},
retrieveAndGenerateConfiguration={
'type': 'KNOWLEDGE_BASE',
'knowledgeBaseConfiguration': {
'knowledgeBaseId': self.knowledge_base_id
}
}
)
return response
Acceptance Criteria:
- • Client successfully connects to Knowledge Base
- • Retry logic handles transient failures (3 retries max)
- • All errors logged with correlation IDs
- • Response time <2 seconds for typical queries
Test Strategy:
- •Unit tests: Mock Bedrock responses, test retry scenarios
- •Integration tests: Real Knowledge Base calls with test data
- •Performance tests: Validate <2s response time requirement
This example demonstrates the comprehensive structure with implementation status tracking, concrete code examples, specific performance requirements, and detailed technical context. ## Quality Checklist for Implementation Guides ### Content Completeness - [ ] All context information included - [ ] Clear objectives and scope defined - [ ] Tasks broken down to 2-4 hour chunks - [ ] Acceptance criteria are testable - [ ] Best practices and standards included - [ ] Handoff plan complete ### Developer Experience - [ ] Can be followed by someone with no project knowledge - [ ] All required information is self-contained - [ ] Examples are concrete and executable - [ ] Troubleshooting guidance included - [ ] Clear success criteria defined ### Technical Quality - [ ] Architecture decisions explained - [ ] Integration points clearly defined - [ ] Performance requirements specified - [ ] Security considerations addressed - [ ] Error handling requirements clear ### Process Integration - [ ] Fits with overall development methodology - [ ] Supports continuous integration/deployment - [ ] Enables effective code review - [ ] Facilitates knowledge transfer - [ ] Supports project tracking and reporting ## Common Pitfalls to Avoid ### Scope Creep - **Problem**: Tasks become too large or complex - **Solution**: Keep tasks focused on single objectives - **Check**: Each task should take 2-4 hours maximum ### Missing Context - **Problem**: Developers can't understand the bigger picture - **Solution**: Always include business context and architecture overview - **Check**: Someone new to the project can follow the guide ### Vague Acceptance Criteria - **Problem**: Unclear when work is "done" - **Solution**: Make criteria binary and testable - **Check**: Each criterion can be verified objectively ### Missing Integration Points - **Problem**: Work doesn't connect properly with other components - **Solution**: Explicitly define all dependencies and interfaces - **Check**: Integration requirements are testable ## Measuring Success A good implementation guide should result in: - **Consistent Output**: Different developers produce similar quality results - **Reduced Questions**: Minimal clarification needed during implementation - **Faster Onboarding**: New developers can contribute quickly - **Quality Deliverables**: Code meets standards without extensive rework - **Smooth Handoffs**: Work integrates cleanly with other components Use these metrics to continuously improve your implementation guide process.