@codename_inc/spectre 4.0.0 → 5.1.0

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@@ -129,12 +129,46 @@ Read completely (no limits):
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  - This section helps the user understand how the work integrates with the product before diving into tasks
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  ### Task Hierarchy (4 Levels)
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- - **📦 Phase**: Organizational header (no checkbox) — groups related parent tasks
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- - **📋 Parent Task**: Cohesive deliverable (small-medium scope) — one component/file
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- - **✓ Sub-task**: Atomic work (single focused change) — single action, 2-3 acceptance criteria
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- - **✓ Acceptance Criteria**: Verifiable outcomes (not implementation steps)
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+ - **Phase**: Organizational header (no checkbox) — groups related parent tasks
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+ - **Parent Task**: Cohesive deliverable (small-medium scope) — one component/file
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+ - **Sub-task**: Atomic work (single focused change) — single action, 2-3 acceptance criteria
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+ - **Acceptance Criteria**: Executable, verifiable outcomes (see Acceptance Criteria Types below)
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- **Numbering**: Phase 1 → Parent 1.1, 1.2 → Sub-tasks 1.1.1, 1.1.2 → Criteria
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+ **Numbering**: Phase 1 → Parent 1.1, 1.2 → Sub-tasks 1.1.1, 1.1.2 → Criteria
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+
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+ ### Right-Sized for AI Execution
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+
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+ Published data on AI agent execution (Cognition's Devin reviews, Anthropic's Claude Code guidance) converges on a bounded sweet spot: each sub-task should be completable in roughly the time a junior would take in a 4–8 hour window — not a multi-day epic, not a 10-line tweak.
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+
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+ **Hard size cap — split a sub-task if ANY of these is true:**
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+ - Touches more than 3 files
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+ - Has more than 5 acceptance criteria
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+ - Would require more than ~200 lines of diff
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+ - Requires a mid-execution judgment call about scope (split the judgment into its own predecessor task)
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+ - Spans more than one concern (e.g., schema + UI in one sub-task)
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+
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+ When splitting, keep the integration-aware principle intact: each split task still names its Producer / Consumer / Replaces.
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+
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+ ### Acceptance Criteria Types
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+
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+ Every acceptance criterion MUST be one of three executable types. Prose criteria like "feature works correctly" or "behavior is consistent" are forbidden — an executor cannot self-check them.
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+
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+ 1. **Test passes** — `Test \`<test_name>\` passes` (or `tests in <file_path> pass`)
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+ 2. **Observable behavior** — A specific, checkable runtime signal: `GET /api/x returns 200 with field \`y\``, `Console logs \`event=loaded params={...}\``, `Button click triggers <handler> within 100ms`
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+ 3. **State / file condition** — `File \`<path>\` exists and contains <pattern>`, `Migration \`<id>\` applied`, `Env var \`X\` is read at startup`
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+
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+ Mixing types within a sub-task is fine. What's not fine: criteria the agent cannot verify without asking the user.
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+
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+ ### Test-First Task Pairing
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+
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+ For any sub-task that changes observable behavior (not pure refactors or cleanup), pair it with a preceding RED task. Pattern:
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+
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+ - **N.M.k RED**: Write failing test `<test_name>` asserting `<behavior>`. Acceptance: test exists and fails for the documented reason.
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+ - **N.M.(k+1) Build**: Implement `<change>`. Acceptance: the RED test passes; no other tests regress.
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+
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+ This is the TDAD pattern (test-driven agentic development): the failing test is the executor's self-correction signal. Without it, the executor is guessing whether the implementation is right.
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+ Pure refactors, cleanups, and config-only tasks don't require RED pairing — but if behavior changes, the RED comes first.
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  ### Integration-Aware Task Principle
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@@ -153,11 +187,23 @@ Tasks without consumers are incomplete. Tasks that don't address old code paths
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  - **Cleanup tasks**: Remove/redirect old code paths (MANDATORY when replacing patterns)
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  ### 4b. Create Parent Tasks
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- - **Action** — CreateParentTasks: Draft as many phases as needed to logically organize work, each with as many parent tasks (📋) as required to cover complete scope.
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+ - **Action** — CreateParentTasks: Draft as many phases as needed to logically organize work, each with as many parent tasks as required to cover complete scope.
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  - Each parent task = single cohesive deliverable (small-medium scope)
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  - Cover ALL extracted requirements with no gaps
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  - Group related work into phases for clarity
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  - Align with technical approach (from research or existing docs)
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+ - Every parent task carries explicit sequencing in its body:
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+ - **Predecessor**: parent task IDs that must complete first (or "none")
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+ - **Unblocks**: parent task IDs this unblocks (or "terminal")
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+ - The first phase is always **Phase 0 — Dependency Verification** (see 4a-Phase0 below). Other phases start at Phase 1.
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+
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+ ### 4a-Phase0. Phase 0 — Dependency Verification (always present)
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+
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+ Before any implementation, generate a Phase 0 containing one sub-task per external dependency listed in `plan.md`'s "External Dependencies — Verify Before Implementation" section. Each sub-task verifies the package exists at the named version and exposes the API the plan assumed.
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+
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+ - Acceptance type: state condition (`npm view <pkg>@<ver>` returns valid metadata) and/or test passes (a minimal import-and-call smoke test).
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+ - If `plan.md` declared "no new packages," Phase 0 is a single sub-task that confirms no new dependencies were silently introduced during implementation (cross-check `package.json` diff at end).
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+ - Phase 0 unblocks Phase 1; it cannot be skipped or run in parallel with Phase 1.
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  ### 4c. Break Down Sub-tasks
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  - **Action** — BreakdownSubTasks: For each parent, generate as many detailed sub-tasks as needed to complete the parent.
@@ -171,14 +217,19 @@ Tasks without consumers are incomplete. Tasks that don't address old code paths
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  - Completable as a single focused change
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  - **What to INCLUDE in sub-tasks:**
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- - Technical terms (JWT, REST, WebSocket, React hooks, SQL queries)
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- - Architecture patterns (middleware, pub/sub, observer, factory)
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- - Integration points (which components connect, API contracts)
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- - File/component names (UserProfileComponent, authMiddleware.ts)
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- - Technical constraints (max file size, timeout duration, data format)
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- - **Produces**: What output this creates (variable name, return value, prop)
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- - **Consumed by**: What uses this output (component, hook, render path)
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- - **Replaces**: What old code path this supersedes (if any)
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+ - Technical terms (JWT, REST, WebSocket, React hooks, SQL queries)
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+ - Architecture patterns (middleware, pub/sub, observer, factory)
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+ - Integration points (which components connect, API contracts)
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+ - File/component names (UserProfileComponent, authMiddleware.ts)
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+ - Technical constraints (max file size, timeout duration, data format)
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+ - **Produces**: What output this creates (variable name, return value, prop)
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+ - **Consumed by**: What uses this output (component, hook, render path)
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+ - **Replaces**: What old code path this supersedes (if any)
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+ - **Context** (required): a self-contained payload an executor can use without re-reading the full plan. Include:
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+ - 2–4 file:line refs pulled from research (the exact code being modified or extended)
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+ - 1 canonical reference pointer (a file:line from `@patterns` research that shows the shape to follow)
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+ - 1 link/anchor into `plan.md` for the relevant section
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+ - **Predecessor** (sub-task level, optional): a sub-task ID this depends on. Only when intra-parent ordering is non-obvious.
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  - **What to AVOID in sub-tasks:**
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  - ❌ Code snippets or pseudo-code
@@ -187,12 +238,11 @@ Tasks without consumers are incomplete. Tasks that don't address old code paths
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  - ❌ Specific library API calls (unless architecturally significant)
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  - **Acceptance criteria**:
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- - Describe technical behaviors and observable outcomes
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- - Include integration expectations and error handling
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- - 2-3 verifiable outcomes per sub-task
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- - Be specific about technical requirements
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+ - Every criterion MUST be one of the three executable types (see "Acceptance Criteria Types" above): test passes / observable behavior / state condition.
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+ - 2–3 criteria per sub-task. If a sub-task needs more than 3 to be checkable, split it.
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+ - Prose criteria ("works correctly", "is consistent", "user-friendly") are forbidden they're not self-checkable.
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- - **Decomposition**: Split if 5+ criteria or multiple concerns
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+ - **Decomposition (hard size cap)**: Split if ANY of: >3 files touched, >5 criteria, >~200 LOC, mid-task scope judgment required, or more than one concern.
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  ### 4d. Validate Task Structure
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  - **Action** — VerifyCoverage: Cross-reference tasks against extracted requirements.
@@ -204,13 +254,19 @@ Tasks without consumers are incomplete. Tasks that don't address old code paths
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  - **Coverage Validation**:
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  - [ ] All extracted requirements from Step 3 addressed by tasks?
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  - [ ] No gaps in requirement coverage?
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+ - [ ] Every "Verification" entry from `plan.md` mapped to at least one acceptance criterion?
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  - **Exclusion Validation**:
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- - [ ] Adding anything beyond explicit requests?
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- - [ ] Avoiding "nice-to-have" additions not requested?
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+ - [ ] No additions beyond explicit requests?
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+ - [ ] `plan.md`'s "Out-of-Bounds — DO NOT add" list carried forward verbatim into tasks.md banner?
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+ - [ ] No task implements anything in the Out-of-Bounds list?
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  - **Structure Validation**:
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  - [ ] Parent tasks are small-medium scope, sub-tasks are atomic?
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- - [ ] Each sub-task has 2-3 acceptance criteria?
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- - [ ] Acceptance criteria verifiable (not implementation steps)?
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+ - [ ] Each sub-task has 2-3 acceptance criteria, each one of the three executable types?
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+ - [ ] No sub-task exceeds the size cap (>3 files / >5 criteria / >~200 LOC / multi-concern / mid-task scope judgment)?
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+ - [ ] Every behavior-changing sub-task is preceded by a RED test sub-task?
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+ - [ ] Every sub-task has a Context payload (2–4 file:line refs, 1 canonical reference, 1 plan.md anchor)?
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+ - [ ] Every parent task has Predecessor and Unblocks declared?
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+ - [ ] Phase 0 — Dependency Verification is present and unblocks Phase 1?
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  - **Action** — ValidateIntegration: Verify every build task is wired to consumers.
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  - **Consumer Specified**:
@@ -288,6 +344,13 @@ Save to `${TASKS_FILE}`:
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  - **In Scope**: {bullet list}
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  - **Out of Scope**: {bullet list}
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+ ## Out-of-Bounds — DO NOT add
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+ *Carried forward verbatim from plan.md. Executors: if a task tempts you to add any of these, stop and ask.*
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+ - {Forbidden addition 1, e.g. "rate limiting"}
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+ - {Forbidden addition 2, e.g. "retry/backoff"}
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+ - {Forbidden addition 3, e.g. "telemetry events"}
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+ - {Forbidden addition 4, e.g. "admin UI"}
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+
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  ## Requirements Traced
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  | ID | Description | Source | Tasks |
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  |----|-------------|--------|-------|
@@ -315,30 +378,66 @@ Save to `${TASKS_FILE}`:
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  ## Tasks
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+ ### Phase 0: Dependency Verification
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+ *Confirms every external dependency in plan.md exists at the declared version before any implementation begins.*
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+ #### [0.1] Verify external dependencies
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+ - **Predecessor**: none
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+ - **Unblocks**: 1.1
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+ - [ ] **0.1.1** Verify each package@version from plan.md "External Dependencies" section exists
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+ - **Produces**: confirmation log of resolved package metadata
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+ - **Consumed by**: Phase 1 implementation tasks
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+ - **Context**:
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+ - plan.md anchor: `## External Dependencies — Verify Before Implementation`
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+ - check commands listed in plan section
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+ - [ ] State condition: `npm view <pkg>@<ver>` returns valid metadata for every package
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+ - [ ] State condition: no package in the list is flagged as deprecated or security-advised
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+ - [ ] Test passes: minimal import-and-call smoke for each new package
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+
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  ### Phase 1: {Phase Name}
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  #### [1.1] {Parent Task Title}
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- - [ ] **1.1.1** {Sub-task with technical specifics}
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+ - **Predecessor**: 0.1
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+ - **Unblocks**: 1.2
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+
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+ - [ ] **1.1.1 RED** Write failing test `{test_name}` asserting `{behavior}`
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+ - **Produces**: a failing test that pins the desired behavior
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+ - **Consumed by**: 1.1.2 (turns this red to green)
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+ - **Replaces**: N/A
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+ - **Context**:
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+ - `path/to/existing/code.ts:42` — current behavior being changed
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+ - `path/to/similar/test.ts:18` — canonical test shape to follow
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+ - plan.md anchor: `### Verification — How We Know This Works`
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+ - [ ] State condition: file `path/to/test.ts` exists and contains test `{test_name}`
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+ - [ ] Test passes: the new test fails, with failure message referencing the unimplemented behavior
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+
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+ - [ ] **1.1.2 Build** {Implement the change}
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  - **Produces**: {output variable/value/prop}
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  - **Consumed by**: {component/hook that uses this}
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  - **Replaces**: {old code path, or "N/A" if new}
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- - [ ] {Technical outcome 1}
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- - [ ] {Technical outcome 2}
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- - [ ] {Technical outcome 3}
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-
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- - [ ] **1.1.2** {Sub-task with technical specifics}
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- - **Produces**: {output variable/value/prop}
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- - **Consumed by**: {component/hook that uses this}
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- - [ ] {Technical outcome 1}
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- - [ ] {Technical outcome 2}
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+ - **Context**:
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+ - `path/to/file.ts:120` code to modify
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+ - `path/to/file.ts:180` adjacent code that must not regress
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+ - `path/to/canonical/example.ts:55` — pattern to follow (from @patterns research)
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+ - plan.md anchor: `## Technical Approach`
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+ - [ ] Test passes: `{test_name}` (from 1.1.1) now passes
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+ - [ ] Test passes: existing tests in `path/to/related.test.ts` still pass
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+ - [ ] Observable behavior: `{specific runtime signal, e.g. log line, HTTP response shape}`
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  #### [1.2] {Parent Task Title} — Integration
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- *This task wires outputs from 1.1 to consumers*
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- - [ ] **1.2.1** {Wire X to Y}
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- - **Wires**: {1.1.1 output} → {consumer component/render}
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+ - **Predecessor**: 1.1
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+ - **Unblocks**: {next parent or "terminal"}
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+ - [ ] **1.2.1** Wire {1.1.2 output} to {consumer}
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+ - **Wires**: {1.1.2 output} → {consumer component/render}
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  - **Removes**: {old code path being replaced}
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- - [ ] {Consumer uses new data source}
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- - [ ] {Old data source removed/redirected}
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+ - **Context**:
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+ - `path/to/consumer.tsx:30` where the wire lands
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+ - `path/to/old/path.ts:12` — old code path to remove
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+ - plan.md anchor: `### Technical Approach`
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+ - [ ] Test passes: integration test asserting consumer renders new data source
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+ - [ ] State condition: old code path file `path/to/old/path.ts` deleted or import removed
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+ - [ ] Observable behavior: data flows from producer to rendered output (with `{specific assertion}`)
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  ### Phase 2: {Phase Name}
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  ...
@@ -94,7 +94,7 @@ This is how the creator of SPECTRE uses it daily:
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  ### Building a Feature (the main loop)
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  1. **`scope`** — Get crisp on what's in/out. Non-negotiable unless it's a one-liner.
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- - If UX is unclear: run `ux_spec` first for user flows and components
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+ - If UX is unclear: run `ux` first for user flows and components
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  2. **`plan`** — Build a well-researched technical design or task set
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  - Once you have scope/plan/tasks, run `handoff` for a fresh context window
@@ -147,7 +147,7 @@ Brain dump context, walk away, review the PR. Zero confirmation gates — scope,
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  | `scope` | Starting any new feature — interactive scoping with IN/OUT boundaries |
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  | `kickoff` | High-ambiguity projects — includes web research for best practices |
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  | `research` | Need deep codebase understanding before planning |
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- | `ux_spec` | UI-heavy features that need screen layouts, user flows, component states |
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+ | `ux` | UI-heavy features that need screen layouts, user flows, component states |
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  ### Phase: Plan — Research & Task Breakdown
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@@ -213,7 +213,7 @@ Brain dump context, walk away, review the PR. Zero confirmation gates — scope,
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  -> `scope` (always start here unless it's trivial)
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  **Feature has complex UI?**
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- -> `ux_spec` after scope, before plan
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+ -> `ux` after scope, before plan
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  **High ambiguity / new project?**
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  -> `kickoff` (includes web research)
@@ -283,7 +283,7 @@ SPECTRE generates these documents in `docs/tasks/{branch_name}/`:
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  | Document | Generated By | Purpose |
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  |----------|-------------|---------|
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  | `concepts/scope.md` | `scope` | What's IN and OUT |
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- | `specs/ux.md` | `ux_spec` | User flows, components, interactions |
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+ | `specs/ux.md` | `ux` | User flows, components, interactions |
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  | `specs/plan.md` | `create_plan` | Technical design and phasing |
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  | `specs/tasks.md` | `create_tasks` | Concrete tasks with acceptance criteria |
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  | `reviews/code_review.md` | `code_review` | Severity-based code review findings |
@@ -49,9 +49,11 @@ Treat the current command arguments as this workflow's input. When invoked from
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  - `OUT_DIR=docs/tasks/{branch_name}` (or user-specified)
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  - `mkdir -p "${OUT_DIR}"`
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- - **Action** — ScanExistingContext: Read all existing artifacts in `{OUT_DIR}/ (if you havent already)` and assess coverage across 4 dimensions.
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+ - **Action** — ScanExistingContext: Read all existing artifacts in `{OUT_DIR}/ (if you haven't already)` and assess coverage across 4 dimensions.
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- Scan for: `task_context.md`, `specs/plan.md`, `concepts/scope.md`, `research/*.md`
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+ Scan for: `task_context.md`, `specs/plan.md`, `concepts/scope.md`, `specs/ux.md`, `research/*.md`
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+ While scanning `concepts/scope.md` and `specs/ux.md`, extract any **filled assumptions** — places where the upstream artifact defaulted a value because the user didn't specify (e.g., DB choice, retry policy, copy variants, segment fallbacks). Carry these forward to Step 3's design surface so they're reviewer-visible before plan generation.
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  | Dimension | Covered if artifact contains... | Covered by |
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  | --- | --- | --- |
@@ -95,13 +97,26 @@ Use research findings from Step 1 to determine appropriate planning depth.
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  | Integration points | Research findings | Internal only = Low, 1-2 external = Med, 3+ external = High |
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  | External complexity | @web-research | Well-documented with libraries = Low, Some prior art = Med, Novel/emerging = High |
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- - **Action** — CheckHardStops: Any true = automatic COMPREHENSIVE | db_schema_destructive | new_service_or_component | auth_or_pii_change | | payment_billing_logic | public_api_change | caching_consistency | slo_sla_risk |
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+ - **Action** — CheckHardStops: Any true = automatic COMPREHENSIVE.
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+ - `db_schema_destructive` — drops, renames, or non-additive column changes
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+ - `data_migration_required` — backfill, transform, or row-by-row data change
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+ - `new_service_or_component` — net-new service, daemon, or top-level component
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+ - `auth_or_pii_change` — authn/authz flow, session handling, PII storage/exposure
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+ - `secrets_or_credentials_handling` — new secret introduced, rotation, or boundary change
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+ - `payment_billing_logic` — money flow, invoicing, charge logic
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+ - `public_api_change` — externally-consumed API surface modified
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+ - `concurrent_writes_or_locking` — concurrency, locking, or distributed coordination
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+ - `caching_consistency` — cache invalidation, staleness windows, multi-tier caching
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+ - `cross_service_or_cross_workspace_change` — coordinated change across services or workspaces
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+ - `slo_sla_risk` — latency, throughput, or availability budget at stake
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+
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+ - **Action** — DetermineTier (decisive rules, not point-scoring):
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- - **Action** — DetermineTier:
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+ - **COMPREHENSIVE** — if ANY hard-stop is triggered OR any signal scores High OR two or more signals score Medium
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+ - **STANDARD** — if no hard-stops AND no High signals AND at most one Medium signal
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+ - **LIGHT** — only if every signal scores Low AND no hard-stops AND the change is plausibly a single-file diff
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- - **LIGHT**: All/most Low signals, single component, clear pattern match, no hard-stops
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- - **STANDARD**: Mix of Low/Med signals, multi-file but contained scope, no hard-stops
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- - **COMPREHENSIVE**: Any High signal, multiple Med signals, or any hard-stop triggered
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+ When in doubt between two tiers, choose the higher. The cost of over-planning a small change is hours; the cost of under-planning a large one is weeks.
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  - **Action** — LogTier: Note the assessed tier in your response for transparency, then proceed immediately to the next step. Do NOT ask for confirmation.
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  > - [decision] — [rationale; alternative considered]
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  > - [decision] — [rationale; alternative considered]
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  >
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+ > **How we'll know it works** (verification spine):
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+ > - [change] → [test name | observable behavior | state condition]
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+ > - [change] → [test name | observable behavior | state condition]
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+ >
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+ > **Filled assumptions** (surfaced from scope.md / ux.md / inferred):
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+ > - [assumption] — *source: [scope.md / ux.md / default]*
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+ > - [assumption] — *source: [scope.md / ux.md / default]*
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+ >
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  > **Open questions** (with default assumption):
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  > 1. [question] — *default: [assumption]*
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  > 2. [question] — *default: [assumption]*
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  **CRITICAL**:
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  - **Single proposed approach**, not a menu. If a true fork exists, surface it as an open question with your recommendation — not as parallel options.
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  - Stay at the *shape* level: components, key decisions, structural changes. Defer file-by-file detail to `create_plan`.
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+ - **Verification is mandatory.** Every major change in the approach must declare how it will be checked — falsifiable signal, not prose. This becomes the spine that `create_plan` and `create_tasks` build on.
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+ - **Filled assumptions are mandatory.** If scope.md or ux.md left something silent and you defaulted it, surface the default here. Reviewer-visible by design — these are the silent decisions that bite at execution.
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  - Open questions should be specific and answerable; pair each with a default assumption so the user can skip if the default is fine.
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  - **Action** — IterateDesign: If the user replies with answers, edits, or pushback, update the design and re-present. Loop until user says 'looks good' (or equivalent).
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  ---
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+ ### Post-Tasks Tier Re-check
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+ After tasks return, do a fast self-check against tier signals:
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+
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+ - Count parent tasks, sub-tasks, files touched (sum of unique paths in Context blocks), and Phase 0 dep count.
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+ - **Escalation triggers** (any true → recommend re-running at a higher tier):
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+ - Tier was LIGHT but tasks touch >3 files OR have >2 parent tasks
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+ - Tier was STANDARD but tasks reveal a hard-stop signal not caught earlier (e.g., a migration sub-task appeared)
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+ - Tasks contain any Out-of-Bounds violation
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+ - **Downgrade triggers** (rare; only suggest if confident):
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+ - Tier was COMPREHENSIVE but tasks collapsed to a single parent with no migrations, no new components, and no API change
247
+
248
+ If an escalation/downgrade is triggered, surface it as a recommendation — do NOT silently re-run. Format:
249
+
250
+ > Tier reassessment: I planned this as {original tier}, but tasks revealed {signal}. Recommend re-running as {new tier}. Reply 'rerun' to regenerate or 'keep' to proceed as-is.
251
+
252
+ Only proceed past this checkpoint when the user confirms.
253
+
254
+ ---
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+
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  - **Action** — RenderFooter: Use `Skill(spectre-guide)` skill for Next Steps
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
1
1
  ---
2
2
  name: "plan_review"
3
- description: "👻 | Find simplifications in a plan or tasks"
3
+ description: "👻 | Independent multi-lens review of plan.md + tasks.md — finds overengineering, missing verification, hallucinated deps, weak references"
4
4
  user-invocable: true
5
5
  ---
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6
 
@@ -10,33 +10,174 @@ user-invocable: true
10
10
 
11
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  Treat the current command arguments as this workflow's input. When invoked from a slash command, use the forwarded `$ARGUMENTS` value.
12
12
 
13
+ # plan_review: Multi-Lens Review of Plan & Tasks
13
14
 
14
- You are a senior staff engineer with deep expertise in system design, architecture, and pragmatic problem-solving. Your specialty is finding the simplest path to meet all requirements.
15
+ ## Description
15
16
 
16
- Review the following [plan/document/tasks/context] and identify opportunities to simplify while ensuring all requirements and functionality are delivered.
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+ - **What** Independent review of `plan.md` + `tasks.md` from four specialized lenses, dispatched in parallel
18
+ - **Outcome** — Structured findings with concrete edit suggestions; optional write-back to update both artifacts
19
+ - **Role** — Senior staff engineer + reviewer panel; bias toward pragmatic problem-solving, YAGNI enforcement, and verifiability
17
20
 
18
- For each simplification opportunity, provide:
19
- 1. **What to simplify** - Specific component, process, or decision
20
- 2. **Why** - What complexity it removes (cognitive load, dependencies, maintenance burden, etc.)
21
- 3. **Impact** - Confirm that all original requirements remain satisfied
22
- 4. **Risk** - Any trade-offs or risks introduced by the simplification
21
+ ## ARGUMENTS Input
23
22
 
24
- Focus on:
25
- - Removing unnecessary abstractions or indirection
26
- - Consolidating duplicated logic or patterns
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- - Questioning assumptions that add complexity
28
- - Identifying over-engineering
29
- - Suggesting proven, boring solutions over novel approaches
23
+ <ARGUMENTS>
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+ $ARGUMENTS
25
+ </ARGUMENTS>
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26
 
31
- ## Testing Review
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- **Context**: We use fast TDD with 1 happy path test + 1 unhappy path test per feature. A separate task handles achieving 100% test coverage post-feature work.
27
+ ## Why Four Lenses
33
28
 
34
- Evaluate the testing approach and flag:
35
- - **Over-testing**: Tests beyond 1 happy + 1 unhappy path that should be deferred to the coverage task
36
- - **Wrong tests**: Testing implementation details instead of behavior, brittle tests that will break on refactors, or tests that don't actually validate requirements
37
- - **Missing critical paths**: Cases where the 1+1 approach genuinely misses a requirement-breaking scenario (rare, but call it out)
38
- - **Test complexity**: Overly elaborate test setup, mocking, or assertions that could be simpler
29
+ A single reviewer biases toward the issues it notices first. Published practice (Cognition, Anthropic, Osmani) converges on four high-yield review angles for AI-agent-authored plans. We dispatch each as a parallel subagent so coverage is structurally guaranteed, not dependent on a single reviewer remembering everything.
39
30
 
40
- Remember: The goal is fast feedback during development. More comprehensive testing comes later.
31
+ | Lens | Subagent | Finds |
32
+ |------|----------|-------|
33
+ | **YAGNI / familiar-shape bias** | `@reviewer` | Mature-system patterns that crept in unprompted (auth → rate-limit, CRUD → soft-delete, etc.). Forces ONE "delete this" recommendation. |
34
+ | **Verifiability** | `@analyst` | Acceptance criteria that aren't executable; verification gaps between plan and tasks. |
35
+ | **Existence / hallucination** | `@finder` | File paths, packages, APIs, or symbols referenced that don't actually exist. The slopsquatting fence. |
36
+ | **Canonical reference quality** | `@patterns` | "Follow existing pattern" claims without a real file:line anchor; missed reuse opportunities. |
41
37
 
42
- End with a prioritized list of recommendations (high/medium/low impact).
38
+ ## Step 1 Locate Artifacts
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+
40
+ - **Action** — DetermineTaskDir:
41
+ - `branch_name=$(git rev-parse --abbrev-ref HEAD 2>/dev/null || echo unknown)`
42
+ - **If** user specifies path in ARGUMENTS → `TASK_DIR={that value}`
43
+ - **Else** → `TASK_DIR=docs/tasks/{branch_name}`
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+
45
+ - **Action** — ResolveArtifacts: Locate the three required inputs.
46
+ - `PLAN=${TASK_DIR}/specs/plan.md` (or scoped name)
47
+ - `TASKS=${TASK_DIR}/specs/tasks.md` (or scoped name)
48
+ - `CONTEXT=${TASK_DIR}/task_context.md`
49
+ - If any are missing, list what's missing and stop — do NOT review against a partial set. Suggest the user run `plan` or `create_tasks` first.
50
+
51
+ - **Action** — ReadAll: Read each file completely into context before dispatching reviewers. Reviewers receive curated excerpts, not raw paths.
52
+
53
+ ## Step 2 — Dispatch Four Parallel Reviewers
54
+
55
+ Spawn all four subagents in a single message (parallel). Each receives the same artifact excerpts but a different review brief.
56
+
57
+ ### Lens 1 — YAGNI / Familiar-Shape Bias (`@reviewer`)
58
+
59
+ > Review this plan and task list for unrequested complexity. Agents have a documented "familiar-shape bias": shown a feature, they reproduce the mature-system shape from their training data (auth → adds rate-limiting; CRUD → adds soft-delete; form → adds optimistic UI; service → adds telemetry; module → adds feature flags). Your job is to find that bias here.
60
+ >
61
+ > Find:
62
+ > 1. Anything in `plan.md` Technical Approach that isn't traceable to a requirement in `task_context.md` / scope / PRD.
63
+ > 2. Tasks in `tasks.md` that implement something the requirements don't ask for.
64
+ > 3. Abstractions, interfaces, or layers introduced for a single concrete caller.
65
+ > 4. Generality (config files, plugin points, factories) where the actual need is one specific behavior.
66
+ > 5. Overlap with the `Out-of-Bounds — DO NOT add` list (if anything violates that list, it's a hard fail).
67
+ >
68
+ > Required output: nominate the SINGLE highest-leverage thing to delete and justify it. You must pick one. Then list other simplifications ranked by impact. For each finding, cite the exact file:line or section header it lives in.
69
+
70
+ ### Lens 2 — Verifiability (`@analyst`)
71
+
72
+ > Review this plan and task list for verification quality. The single highest-correlate of successful AI-agent execution is the ability to self-verify. Find every place where verification is missing, prose-only, or disconnected.
73
+ >
74
+ > Find:
75
+ > 1. Items in `plan.md` "Verification — How We Know This Works" that are prose ("works correctly", "is consistent") rather than executable (test name / observable behavior / state condition).
76
+ > 2. Phases in `plan.md` that don't declare a verification signal.
77
+ > 3. Sub-tasks in `tasks.md` whose acceptance criteria aren't one of the three executable types (test passes / observable behavior / state condition).
78
+ > 4. Verification signals in `plan.md` with no matching acceptance criterion in `tasks.md`.
79
+ > 5. Behavior-changing sub-tasks in `tasks.md` that lack a preceding RED test sub-task.
80
+ >
81
+ > Required output: list every non-executable criterion with a proposed rewrite in one of the three types. Cite file:line for each.
82
+
83
+ ### Lens 3 — Existence / Hallucination (`@finder`)
84
+
85
+ > Review this plan and task list for references to things that may not exist. AI-generated plans hallucinate file paths, package names, function signatures, and API endpoints at measurable rates (~20% for packages per Snyk analysis). Your job is to verify every reference is real.
86
+ >
87
+ > Verify:
88
+ > 1. Every file path mentioned in `plan.md` "Critical Files for Implementation" and in `tasks.md` Context blocks — does the file exist in the repo today? Use Glob/Read to confirm.
89
+ > 2. Every package in `plan.md` "External Dependencies" — does it exist at the named version? (Note: actual install/registry check is the executor's Phase 0 job; your job is to flag suspicious names — typos, near-misses to well-known packages, lookalikes.)
90
+ > 3. Every function, class, or symbol named in plan/tasks — grep the repo, confirm it exists where claimed.
91
+ > 4. Every API endpoint, env var, or CLI flag referenced — confirm it's defined in the codebase.
92
+ >
93
+ > Required output: list every reference that fails verification, with `expected: <plan claim>` and `actual: <repo state>`. If everything checks out, say so explicitly — don't pad.
94
+
95
+ ### Lens 4 — Canonical Reference Quality (`@patterns`)
96
+
97
+ > Review this plan and task list for the quality of "follow existing pattern" references. Anthropic's own guidance is to anchor plans with concrete examples (e.g., "HotDogWidget.php is a good example"). Vague "follow existing patterns" without a file:line anchor is a documented failure mode.
98
+ >
99
+ > Find:
100
+ > 1. Places in `plan.md` Technical Approach that reference "existing patterns" or "similar features" without a specific file:line.
101
+ > 2. Sub-tasks in `tasks.md` whose Context block lacks a canonical reference pointer.
102
+ > 3. Better canonical references that the plan missed — actual files in the codebase that more closely match the intended shape.
103
+ > 4. Reuse opportunities the plan ignored: utilities, hooks, helpers, or types already in the repo that the plan re-implements.
104
+ >
105
+ > Required output: for each weak/missing reference, propose a specific file:line that should be the anchor. For each missed reuse, cite the existing utility and which task should use it.
106
+
107
+ ## Step 3 — Synthesize Findings
108
+
109
+ - **Action** — CollectFindings: Wait for all four reviewers to return. Read every finding.
110
+
111
+ - **Action** — DeduplicateAndPrioritize: Merge findings that overlap (e.g., a missing canonical reference may surface from both Lens 4 and Lens 2). Assign severity:
112
+ - **Blocker** — would cause execution to fail or produce wrong output (hallucinated file path, criterion the executor can't check, Out-of-Bounds violation)
113
+ - **High** — meaningfully reduces output quality (missing RED test, weak canonical reference, prose criterion)
114
+ - **Medium** — overengineering or reuse miss without functional blast radius
115
+ - **Low** — stylistic or nice-to-have
116
+
117
+ - **Action** — RenderFindingsTable: Output a single structured table. Schema is fixed.
118
+
119
+ ```markdown
120
+ ## Review Findings — {feature name}
121
+
122
+ ### Must-Delete (Lens 1 — YAGNI)
123
+ > {The single nominated highest-leverage cut, with rationale.}
124
+
125
+ ### Findings
126
+
127
+ | # | Severity | Lens | Location | Finding | Suggested Edit |
128
+ |---|----------|------|----------|---------|----------------|
129
+ | 1 | Blocker | Existence | plan.md `## External Dependencies` | `react-use-undocumented@2.4.0` doesn't exist on npm | Remove; the plan can use `useReducer` from React stdlib (see `src/hooks/useFormState.ts:18`) |
130
+ | 2 | High | Verifiability | tasks.md `1.2.1` | "Component renders correctly" is prose | Replace with: Test passes `<ProductCard /> renders product.title and product.price` |
131
+ | 3 | High | YAGNI | plan.md `## Technical Approach` | Adds retry-with-backoff for a sync internal call | Delete; not in requirements; Out-of-Bounds list already forbids retry logic |
132
+ | … | | | | | |
133
+
134
+ ### Summary
135
+ - Blockers: {N} — must resolve before /execute
136
+ - High: {N}
137
+ - Medium: {N}
138
+ - Low: {N}
139
+ ```
140
+
141
+ ## Step 4 — Surface Findings & Apply Edits
142
+
143
+ - **Action** — PresentFindings: Render the findings table inline.
144
+
145
+ - **Action** — OfferWriteBack: After the table, prompt:
146
+
147
+ > Reply with which findings to apply:
148
+ > - `all` — apply every suggested edit
149
+ > - `blockers` — apply Blocker + High severity only
150
+ > - `1,3,5` — apply specific finding numbers
151
+ > - `skip` — leave artifacts unchanged
152
+ >
153
+ > For findings I apply, I'll edit plan.md and/or tasks.md inline and re-run a fast self-check.
154
+
155
+ - **Wait** — User selects.
156
+
157
+ - **Action** — ApplyEdits: For each selected finding:
158
+ - Open the named artifact (plan.md or tasks.md)
159
+ - Apply the Suggested Edit verbatim where possible; if the edit needs adaptation, make the minimum change consistent with the finding's intent
160
+ - Track which findings were applied
161
+
162
+ - **Action** — SelfCheck: After edits, run a fast pass over the modified sections:
163
+ - Re-verify any file:line refs touched
164
+ - Re-verify acceptance criteria are still executable
165
+ - Confirm no edit introduced a new Out-of-Bounds violation
166
+ - If any check fails, surface it and ask the user before continuing
167
+
168
+ - **Action** — ReportApplied:
169
+
170
+ > Applied: {list of finding numbers}. Skipped: {list}.
171
+ > {Path to updated plan.md and tasks.md}.
172
+
173
+ ## Step 5 — Next Steps
174
+
175
+ - **Action** — RenderFooter: Use `Skill(spectre-guide)` skill for Next Steps footer.
176
+
177
+ ---
178
+
179
+ ## Notes
180
+
181
+ - This skill does NOT generate plans or tasks. It reviews them. If `plan.md` or `tasks.md` doesn't exist, route the user to `plan` first.
182
+ - The four lenses are intentionally non-overlapping by design but will surface overlap in practice — dedupe at synthesis, don't ask reviewers to coordinate.
183
+ - The "Must-Delete" nomination from Lens 1 is mandatory output — even on a tight plan, naming the single weakest element is a forcing function against under-review.