# Generating Technical Spec > Break a system architecture into implementable work packages with clear tasks, dependencies, and integration contracts. - Skill: `7a336e6e/generating-technical-spec` (Agent Skill, multi-file: 2 files) - Install (CLI): `npx skillmds@latest add 7a336e6e/generating-technical-spec` - Raw SKILL.md: https://api.skillmd.com/api/skills/7a336e6e/generating-technical-spec/raw - Safety review: pending - Works with: Claude Code, Claude.ai, OpenAI Codex - Category: Integrations & APIs - Author: 7a336e6e (https://skillmd.com/u/7a336e6e) - Updated: 2026-09-10 - Page: https://skillmd.com/skills/7a336e6e/generating-technical-spec --- # Generating Technical Spec ## Goal Transform a system architecture document into a detailed technical specification that defines every implementable task, assigns work to the appropriate agent, specifies integration contracts, and establishes a dependency graph so that work can proceed in parallel where possible. ## When to Use - An architecture document exists and implementation is about to begin - You need to coordinate work across multiple agents or team members - A large feature requires decomposition into smaller, trackable units - You need to estimate effort and identify the critical path for delivery ## Instructions ### 1. Review the Architecture Document Read the architecture produced by the `designing-architecture` skill. Identify: - Every component and its responsibility - All API contracts and integration points - The data model and storage decisions - Authentication and authorization boundaries ### 2. Decompose into Work Packages Break each component into atomic tasks. A good task: - Can be completed in a single working session - Has a clear definition of done - Produces a testable artifact (code, config, migration, test suite) Group tasks by component, then order them by dependency. ### 3. Assign Tasks to Agents Map each task to the agent best suited to implement it based on domain: - **Frontend Agent** -- UI components, client state, routing - **Backend Agent** -- API endpoints, business logic, middleware - **Database Agent** -- Schema design, migrations, seed data - **DevOps Agent** -- CI/CD, infrastructure, deployment config - **Testing Agent** -- Test plans, integration tests, e2e tests ### 4. Define Integration Points For every boundary where two components interact, define: - The contract (API schema, event format, shared type) - Which task produces the contract and which tasks consume it - How to verify the integration (contract tests, integration tests) ### 5. Set Dependencies and Estimate Difficulty Build a dependency graph: - Tasks that can run in parallel should have no dependency link - Tasks that block other tasks must be completed first - Estimate each task as Low, Medium, or High difficulty **Example** -- turning a web app architecture into tasks: | Task ID | Description | Agent | Difficulty | Dependencies | |---------|---------------------------------------|----------|------------|--------------| | T-001 | Define database schema | Database | Medium | None | | T-002 | Create migration scripts | Database | Low | T-001 | | T-003 | Implement user registration endpoint | Backend | Medium | T-001 | | T-004 | Implement login endpoint with JWT | Backend | Medium | T-001 | | T-005 | Add auth middleware | Backend | Low | T-004 | | T-006 | Implement profile CRUD endpoints | Backend | Medium | T-005 | | T-007 | Build registration form component | Frontend | Medium | T-003 | | T-008 | Build login form component | Frontend | Medium | T-004 | | T-009 | Build profile page | Frontend | Medium | T-006 | | T-010 | Set up CI pipeline | DevOps | Medium | None | | T-011 | Write auth integration tests | Testing | Medium | T-003, T-004 | | T-012 | Write e2e test for registration flow | Testing | High | T-007, T-008 | | T-013 | Add rate limiting middleware | Backend | Low | T-005 | | T-014 | Seed database with test data | Database | Low | T-002 | | T-015 | Configure production deployment | DevOps | High | T-010 | ### 6. Identify the Critical Path Trace the longest chain of dependent tasks from start to finish. This is the critical path -- any delay on these tasks delays the entire project. ### 7. Produce the Technical Spec Compile everything into a document following `references/spec-template.md`. The spec should be the single source of truth for what gets built, by whom, and in what order. ## Constraints ### ✅ Do - Make every task atomic and completable in a single session - Define clear inputs and outputs for each task - Set realistic dependencies -- do not over-serialize independent work - Include integration tasks explicitly (they are often forgotten) - Include testing tasks for every component and integration point - Specify the contract format for each integration boundary - Identify the critical path and flag it clearly ### ❌ Don't - Create tasks too large or vague to complete in one session - Skip integration tasks between components - Forget testing tasks (unit, integration, e2e) - Assign all tasks to a single agent when work can be parallelized - Create circular dependencies in the task graph - Leave difficulty estimates out -- they are needed for planning - Assume agents share implicit context; make everything explicit in the spec ## Output Format A Markdown document following the structure defined in `references/spec-template.md`. Key sections: 1. System Overview (architecture summary) 2. Component Specifications 3. API Contracts 4. Data Model 5. Task Breakdown (table with ID, description, agent, difficulty, dependencies) 6. Integration Points 7. Testing Strategy ## Dependencies - `../designing-architecture/SKILL.md` -- provides the architecture document as input - `../../shared/task-tracking/SKILL.md` -- for tracking task progress during implementation - `references/spec-template.md` -- structural template for the output document