spec-driven-development

Specification-driven software development is a process where you define goals, inputs, outputs, and constraints before coding begins. You should use it for non-trivial feature development, complex code refactoring, and bug fixes to prevent misdirected effort.

To write a specification for a new feature, define the goals, inputs, outputs, constraints, and acceptance criteria. This process requires user confirmation on the defined scope before any implementation work begins, ensuring alignment.

Yes, specification-driven development works for code refactoring and bug fixes. It ensures all requirements and constraints are defined and agreed upon before coding begins, directing implementation strictly against the agreed-upon specification.

The best way to ensure code quality during complex feature development is implementing against a pre-defined specification. This approach ensures the final outcome meets all acceptance criteria through verification after strict implementation.

Software development effort gets misdirected without a specification because goals and scope are undefined. Writing a concise spec before implementing code changes prevents this by requiring user confirmation on all requirements and constraints beforehand.