speckit-specify

Speckit Specify

Overview

Create a feature branch and a specification file, then produce a quality checklist that validates specification completeness before planning.

Workflow

1. Parse the feature description from user input. If missing, stop with an explicit error.
2. Generate a concise short-name for the feature branch (2-4 words, action-noun style when possible).
3. Determine next feature number by checking all three sources:

• Remote branches (git ls-remote --heads origin pattern match)
• Local branches (git branch pattern match)
• .specify/specs/ directories ([0-9]+-short-name)

4. Run .specify/scripts/bash/create-new-feature.sh exactly once with --json, --number, and --short-name.
5. Parse script JSON response and capture at minimum:

• BRANCH_NAME
• SPEC_FILE

6. Load .specify/templates/spec-template.md and fill required sections with user-centered, testable, technology-agnostic requirements.
7. Allow at most 3 [NEEDS CLARIFICATION: ...] markers for high-impact unknowns only.
8. Create FEATURE_DIR/checklists/requirements.md using checklist structure from .specify/templates/checklist-template.md.
9. Validate spec quality against checklist. Iterate updates up to 3 passes when non-clarification issues remain.
10. If clarification markers remain, ask up to 3 structured questions, apply answers to spec, and re-run validation.
11. Report completion with branch name, spec path, checklist outcome, and next-skill recommendation ($speckit-clarify or $speckit-plan).

Hard Rules

• Focus on WHAT and WHY, not implementation HOW.
• Keep all functional requirements testable and unambiguous.
• Keep success criteria measurable and technology-agnostic.
• Run branch/spec initialization script once per feature request.

References

• Legacy prompt details: references/legacy_prompt.md