spec-driven-development

To create a specification before coding, structure a six-section document covering objective, commands, project structure, code style, testing, and boundaries. This living spec enforces a four-phase workflow: Specify, Plan, Tasks, and Implement, preventing guesswork.

You need spec-driven development when requirements are unclear, evolving, or span multiple modules. It is particularly useful for architectural decisions and multi-file changes, ensuring early risk and assumption surfacing before implementation begins.

The best way to plan architecture for multi-file changes is applying a structured specification workflow. By defining project structure, code style, and boundaries in a version-controlled spec, you surface misalignments and establish clear success criteria before executing tasks.

Yes, you can use a version-controlled spec for evolving requirements. It acts as a living document that guides execution through Specify, Plan, Tasks, and Implement phases, allowing you to adapt to scope changes without losing alignment.

A specification workflow handles ambiguous requirements by forcing early documentation of objectives and assumptions. This process creates an agreed-upon plan covering testing strategy and boundaries, which prevents guesswork and reduces rework during the implementation phase.

The limitation of spec-driven development is the overhead required to maintain a living, version-controlled spec. Projects with single-file changes or fully defined requirements may find the four-phase workflow unnecessary, as it focuses on surfacing architectural risks before implementation.