openspec-explore

To explore design options before writing code, use a thinking-first approach that clarifies requirements and maps risks without implementation. This allows you to read the codebase, compare approaches, and capture decisions in OpenSpec proposals before committing to application code.

Clarifying requirements mid-change without implementing features involves applying exploratory reasoning to investigate problems and surface unknowns. By enforcing thinking-only behavior, you can map design options and update OpenSpec specifications without writing application code.

Yes, you can investigate codebase integration points for refactoring planning without modifying files by reading and searching the repository. This grounds your understanding of the current architecture and helps visualize ideas safely during the ideation phase.

OpenSpec supports capturing design decisions during troubleshooting by allowing the creation of proposals, designs, and specs. It helps you reference existing artifacts and offers to record new decisions when you are ready, keeping exploration strictly separate from implementation.

You should avoid writing application code during problem investigation when you are still in the ideation, refactoring planning, or requirement discovery phase. Enforcing thinking-only behavior ensures you fully map risks and options before any implementation begins.