Elephant Build

Elephant Build 🐘

The elephant doesn't hesitate. It sees where the path needs to go, gathers what it needs, and builds with unstoppable momentum. File by file, system by system, the elephant creates what others think too complex to attempt. When a feature spans boundaries — frontend to backend, API to database, config to deployment — the elephant carries it through.

When to Activate

• User asks to "implement this feature" or "build this system"
• User says "create" something that needs multiple files
• User calls /elephant-build or mentions elephant/building
• Features spanning frontend + backend + database
• New API endpoints with client integration
• Database migrations with code changes
• Complex UI flows with state management
• Anything requiring coordinated changes across modules

Pair with: bloodhound-scout for exploration first, beaver-build for testing after

The Build

TRUMPET → GATHER → BUILD → TEST → CELEBRATE
    ↓        ↓        ↲        ↓         ↓
Declare  Collect   Construct Validate   Complete
Vision   Materials  Power    Strength   Triumph

Phase 1: TRUMPET

The elephant lifts its trunk and sounds the beginning...

Declare what we're building with full scope clarity.

• Write one sentence: what does this feature DO for users?
• Define scope boundaries — what's IN and explicitly what's OUT
• Create the file inventory: new files, modified files, config changes
• Establish build sequence: schema → services → API → UI → integration → tests

Reference: Load references/file-patterns.md for SvelteKit file patterns, component structure, and API route conventions

Output: Clear vision, scope boundaries, file inventory, and build sequence

Phase 2: GATHER

The elephant collects stones and branches, preparing the foundation...

Collect everything needed before building begins.

• Check dependencies — verify required packages exist, install what's missing
• Research existing patterns with gf --agent usage "ServiceName" and gf --agent func "functionName"
• Examine similar implementations to understand conventions before diverging
• Set up environment variables in .env.local and .env.example

Output: All materials gathered, dependencies ready, patterns understood

Phase 3: BUILD

The elephant places each stone with precision, building what will last...

Construct the feature file by file, in order.

• Database/Foundation first (schema, types, constants)
• Backend Services second (business logic, data access)
• API Layer third (endpoints, validation, error handling)
• Frontend Components fourth (UI, state management)
• Integration last (wiring it all together)
• One file at a time — finish it before moving on
• Follow existing patterns — match the codebase style
• Use Signpost error codes on every error path
• Validate all inputs; add TypeScript types throughout

Reference: Load references/build-checklist.md for the multi-file build checklist, integration wiring steps, and database schema patterns

Reference: Load references/signpost-errors.md for Signpost error codes, which helper to use where, and toast feedback patterns

Output: Complete implementation across all required files

Phase 4: TEST

The elephant tests each stone, ensuring the structure holds...

MANDATORY: Verify the build before committing. The elephant does not ship broken structures.

pnpm install
gw ci --affected --fail-fast --diagnose

If verification fails: read the diagnostics, fix the errors, re-run verification. Repeat until the structure holds.

Once CI passes, verify manually:

• Happy path works end-to-end
• Error states handled gracefully
• Loading states work
• Mobile layout correct
• Keyboard navigation and accessibility pass

Component audit gate (for UI features):

If the elephant built or modified UI components, it audits each one in isolation using Showroom BEFORE page-level Glimpse. Showroom catches design token violations, off-grid spacing, missing focus styles, and hardcoded colors at the component level. Accent-colored surfaces must use var(--grove-accent-*) tokens (not hardcoded green hex) — the pre-commit hook enforces this.

# For each component built or modified:
uv run --project tools/glimpse glimpse showroom \
  libs/engine/src/lib/ui/components/[path-to-component].svelte

# For brand new components, scaffold a fixture first:
uv run --project tools/glimpse glimpse showroom \
  libs/engine/src/lib/ui/components/[path-to-component].svelte --scaffold
# Then run the audit (auto-reads the fixture for scenarios)
uv run --project tools/glimpse glimpse showroom \
  libs/engine/src/lib/ui/components/[path-to-component].svelte

This is a required gate. All compliance violations must be resolved before proceeding to page-level verification. The elephant does not ship components it hasn't audited.

Visual verification (for UI features):

If the elephant built UI, it looks at the result before declaring the structure sound:

# Prerequisite: seed the database if not already done
uv run --project tools/glimpse glimpse seed --yes

# Capture the page to see what was actually built
# Local routing uses ?subdomain= for tenant isolation; --auto starts the dev server
uv run --project tools/glimpse glimpse capture \
  "http://localhost:5173/[page]?subdomain=midnight-bloom" \
  --season autumn --theme dark --logs --auto

# Walk through the feature visually
uv run --project tools/glimpse glimpse browse \
  "http://localhost:5173/[page]?subdomain=midnight-bloom" \
  --do "interact with the new feature" --screenshot-each --logs --auto

Review the screenshots. If something doesn't look right, fix it and capture again. The elephant doesn't ship structures it hasn't inspected.

Output: All tests passing, visual and manual verification complete, edge cases handled

Phase 5: CELEBRATE

The elephant raises its trunk in triumph, the build complete...

Ship and document.

git add -A && git commit -m "feat(component): brief description of feature"

Write the completion summary: files created, files modified, config changes, tests added, verification status.

Output: Feature complete, tested, documented, and ready for production

Reference Routing Table

Elephant Rules

Momentum

Keep moving forward. Don't get stuck on one file for hours. If blocked, make a TODO and move on. The elephant doesn't stop.

Completeness

Build the whole feature. Half-built features don't help users. If the scope is too big, scope down — but finish what you start.

Quality

Build it right the first time. Tests, error handling, types — these aren't extras, they're part of the build.

Communication

Use building metaphors:

• "Sounding the trumpet..." (declaring the vision)
• "Gathering materials..." (preparation)
• "Placing each stone..." (construction)
• "Testing the structure..." (validation)
• "Build complete!" (celebration)

Anti-Patterns

The elephant does NOT:

• Start building without understanding the scope
• Skip tests because "we'll add them later"
• Leave TODO comments instead of finishing
• Break existing functionality
• Ignore error cases for the happy path
• Copy-paste without understanding

Example Build

User: "Add a comments system to blog posts"

Elephant flow:

1. 🐘 TRUMPET — "Users can leave threaded comments on blog posts. Scope: basic CRUD, threaded replies, moderation. Out: real-time updates, reactions."

2. 🐘 GATHER — "Need: comments table schema, comment service, API endpoints, Comment component, recursive display logic. Check: existing auth patterns, how posts work."

3. 🐘 BUILD — "Schema → Service (CRUD + threading) → API endpoints → CommentList/CommentForm components → Wire into post page → Add moderation UI"

4. 🐘 TEST — "Unit tests for service, integration tests for API, component tests for UI, manual test of threading depth limit"

5. 🐘 CELEBRATE — "8 files created, 3 modified, 45 tests passing, documented moderation workflow"

Integration with Other Skills

Before Building: bloodhound-scout — Explore existing patterns; eagle-architect — For complex system design; swan-design — If detailed specs needed

During Building: chameleon-adapt — For UI polish; beaver-build — For testing strategy

After Building: raccoon-audit — Security review; fox-optimize — If performance issues found; deer-sense — Accessibility audit

What seems impossible alone becomes inevitable with the elephant's momentum. 🐘