openspec-explore

To explore architecture before code changes, you investigate existing systems by reading files, mapping patterns, and analyzing tradeoffs. This approach prevents premature coding by clarifying requirements and uncovering unknowns through contextual investigation.

The best way to clarify requirements before implementation is collaborative exploration. Analyzing ideas, challenging assumptions, and comparing approaches helps visualize tradeoffs and capture potential planning artifacts to formalize decisions.

Yes, you can investigate codebase patterns without modifying code. Codebase investigation guides you through reading files, mapping architecture, and identifying existing system behaviors while strictly adhering to non-implementation exploration behavior.

Tradeoff analysis helps with planning software changes by comparing approaches and visualizing potential risks. This decision support process captures OpenSpec planning artifacts when you want to formalize decisions, preventing premature coding.

You need OpenSpec planning artifacts for architecture discussions when you want to formalize decisions after exploring ideas. These artifacts are optionally created to capture the outcomes of tradeoff analysis and requirements clarification.

You should analyze software change ideas before writing code to prevent premature coding decisions. Exploring ideas, uncovering unknowns, and understanding existing architecture through adaptive discussion mitigates risks and clarifies requirements.