Dev Lifecycle
Coordinate the phase-specific AI DevKit skills instead of running phase details directly.
Required phase skills:
dev-worktree for feature workspace setup and resume.dev-requirements for phases 1-2: new requirement and requirements review.dev-design for phase 3: design review.dev-planning for phases 4 and 6: initial task planning and updates after implementation tasks.dev-implementation for phases 5 and 7: execute plan and check implementation.dev-testing for phase 8: write tests and verify coverage.dev-review for phase 9: final code review.
Supporting skills:
memory for reusable project knowledge during clarification.tdd for implementation tasks.verify before completing implementation, implementation checks, testing claims, and review readiness.task for optional progress tracing when the task command is usable.
Startup Validation
At the beginning of every dev-lifecycle run:
- Run
npx ai-devkit@latest skill list to inspect currently installed project skills.
- Confirm the listed skills include all required phase skills and supporting skills.
- If any required skill is missing, run
npx ai-devkit@latest skill add --built-in to install all AI DevKit built-in skills. Then rerun npx ai-devkit@latest skill list.
- If installation fails or a required skill is still missing, stop and report the missing skill names and command output summary. Do not run a phase without its skill.
- Run
npx ai-devkit@latest lint to verify the configured AI docs structure.
- If working on a specific feature, run
npx ai-devkit@latest lint --feature <name>.
- If lint fails because project docs are not initialized, run
npx ai-devkit@latest init -a -e claude --built-in --yes, then rerun lint.
- Probe optional task tracing availability:
- With a feature:
npx ai-devkit@latest task list --name <feature-name> --json
- Without a feature:
npx ai-devkit@latest task list --json
- Treat task tracing as available only if the read probe exits 0. If it fails, record task tracing as unavailable with the failed command and reason, then continue without task logging.
- Never block lifecycle work only because the task command is missing or unusable.
- When working on a specific feature and task tracing is available:
- Load and follow
task before executing a phase.
- Initialize or show the task named after the feature, mark active work, and emit phase/progress/next/blocker/evidence events per
task.
- Sequence task mutations; do not batch or parallelize mutations for the same feature.
Plan Before Execution
Before executing any phase:
- Identify the target feature, current docs state, branch/worktree context, and likely next phase.
- Propose a concise plan that names the phase skill to use, the docs/files to read, commands to run, expected edits, task tracing status and planned task events if tracing is available, and verification evidence.
- Wait for user approval before executing the plan unless the user already gave explicit approval for that exact phase execution.
- After approval, load and follow only the selected phase skill plus any explicitly required supporting skills. If tracing is available, the
task skill is explicitly required.
Phase Routing
| Phase |
Route to |
When |
| Setup. Workspace |
dev-worktree |
Starting or resuming feature work |
| 1. New Requirement |
dev-requirements |
User wants to add a feature or start /new-requirement |
| 2. Review Requirements |
dev-requirements |
Requirements doc needs validation |
| 3. Review Design |
dev-design |
Design doc needs validation against requirements |
| 4. Create Initial Plan |
dev-planning |
Requirements, design, and testing docs are ready for task breakdown |
| 5. Execute Plan |
dev-implementation |
Ready to implement tasks from planning doc |
| 6. Update Planning |
dev-planning |
Auto-trigger after completing any implementation task |
| 7. Check Implementation |
dev-implementation |
Verify code matches design and docs |
| 8. Write Tests |
dev-testing |
Add or verify test coverage |
| 9. Code Review |
dev-review |
Final pre-push review |
Sequential flow: setup -> 1 -> 2 -> 3 -> 4 -> 5 -> 6 after each completed task -> 7 -> 8 -> 9.
Resuming Work
If the user wants to continue work on an existing feature:
- Use
dev-worktree to identify and confirm the target branch/worktree.
- Run
npx ai-devkit@latest lint --feature <feature-name> in the active context.
- Run the phase detector from the installed
dev-lifecycle skill directory:
- Resolve
<skill-dir> as the directory containing this SKILL.md.
- Run
<skill-dir>/scripts/check-status.sh <feature-name>.
- Use the suggested phase when proposing the execution plan.
Backward Transitions
Not every phase moves forward. When a phase reveals problems, route back:
- Requirements review finds fundamental gaps: return to
dev-requirements Phase 1.
- Design review finds requirements gaps: return to
dev-requirements Phase 2.
- Design review finds design flaws: stay in
dev-design and revise design.
- Implementation check finds major deviations: return to
dev-design if design is wrong, or dev-implementation if code is wrong.
- Testing reveals design flaws: return to
dev-design.
- Review finds blocking issues: return to
dev-implementation or dev-testing.
Rules
- Use
npx ai-devkit@latest lint and npx ai-devkit@latest lint --feature <name> to discover and validate the configured docs directory. Do not assume docs/ai; it is only the default.
- Read existing configured AI docs before changes. Keep diffs minimal.
- Keep feature names aligned with branch/worktree
feature-<name>.
- New feature docs come from
npx ai-devkit@latest docs init-feature <name>. Use the paths returned by the command as authoritative.
- Existing feature docs are the paths reported or validated by
npx ai-devkit@latest lint --feature <name>. If you must infer manually, first resolve the configured docs directory from .ai-devkit.json paths.docs, falling back to docs/ai.
- After each phase, summarize output and suggest the next phase.
- Do not claim completion without fresh verification evidence.
- When task tracing is available, follow
task: create once, assign actor when known, mark active/blocked, set phase, record progress/next/evidence, and close only after final verification/review. If tracing is unavailable, include failed probe commands in the phase summary without blocking the lifecycle.
1---2name: dev-lifecycle3description: AI DevKit · Orchestrator for structured SDLC phase skills. Use when the user wants to run the full lifecycle or choose the next phase across requirements, design, planning, implementation, testing, and review.4---5
6# Dev Lifecycle
7
8Coordinate the phase-specific AI DevKit skills instead of running phase details directly.
9
10Required phase skills:
11
12- `dev-worktree` for feature workspace setup and resume.
13- `dev-requirements` for phases 1-2: new requirement and requirements review.
14- `dev-design` for phase 3: design review.
15- `dev-planning` for phases 4 and 6: initial task planning and updates after implementation tasks.
16- `dev-implementation` for phases 5 and 7: execute plan and check implementation.
17- `dev-testing` for phase 8: write tests and verify coverage.
18- `dev-review` for phase 9: final code review.
19
20Supporting skills:
21
22- `memory` for reusable project knowledge during clarification.
23- `tdd` for implementation tasks.
24- `verify` before completing implementation, implementation checks, testing claims, and review readiness.
25- `task` for optional progress tracing when the task command is usable.
26
27## Startup Validation
28
29At the beginning of every `dev-lifecycle` run:
30
311. Run `npx ai-devkit@latest skill list` to inspect currently installed project skills.
322. Confirm the listed skills include all required phase skills and supporting skills.
333. If any required skill is missing, run `npx ai-devkit@latest skill add --built-in` to install all AI DevKit built-in skills. Then rerun `npx ai-devkit@latest skill list`.
344. If installation fails or a required skill is still missing, stop and report the missing skill names and command output summary. Do not run a phase without its skill.
355. Run `npx ai-devkit@latest lint` to verify the configured AI docs structure.
366. If working on a specific feature, run `npx ai-devkit@latest lint --feature <name>`.
377. If lint fails because project docs are not initialized, run `npx ai-devkit@latest init -a -e claude --built-in --yes`, then rerun lint.
388. Probe optional task tracing availability:
39 - With a feature: `npx ai-devkit@latest task list --name <feature-name> --json`
40 - Without a feature: `npx ai-devkit@latest task list --json`
41 - Treat task tracing as available only if the read probe exits 0. If it fails, record task tracing as unavailable with the failed command and reason, then continue without task logging.
42 - Never block lifecycle work only because the task command is missing or unusable.
439. When working on a specific feature and task tracing is available:
44 - Load and follow `task` before executing a phase.
45 - Initialize or show the task named after the feature, mark active work, and emit phase/progress/next/blocker/evidence events per `task`.
46 - Sequence task mutations; do not batch or parallelize mutations for the same feature.
47
48## Plan Before Execution
49
50Before executing any phase:
51
521. Identify the target feature, current docs state, branch/worktree context, and likely next phase.
532. Propose a concise plan that names the phase skill to use, the docs/files to read, commands to run, expected edits, task tracing status and planned task events if tracing is available, and verification evidence.
543. Wait for user approval before executing the plan unless the user already gave explicit approval for that exact phase execution.
554. After approval, load and follow only the selected phase skill plus any explicitly required supporting skills. If tracing is available, the `task` skill is explicitly required.
56
57## Phase Routing
58
59| Phase | Route to | When |
60|---|---|---|
61| Setup. Workspace | `dev-worktree` | Starting or resuming feature work |
62| 1. New Requirement | `dev-requirements` | User wants to add a feature or start `/new-requirement` |
63| 2. Review Requirements | `dev-requirements` | Requirements doc needs validation |
64| 3. Review Design | `dev-design` | Design doc needs validation against requirements |
65| 4. Create Initial Plan | `dev-planning` | Requirements, design, and testing docs are ready for task breakdown |
66| 5. Execute Plan | `dev-implementation` | Ready to implement tasks from planning doc |
67| 6. Update Planning | `dev-planning` | Auto-trigger after completing any implementation task |
68| 7. Check Implementation | `dev-implementation` | Verify code matches design and docs |
69| 8. Write Tests | `dev-testing` | Add or verify test coverage |
70| 9. Code Review | `dev-review` | Final pre-push review |
71
72Sequential flow: setup -> 1 -> 2 -> 3 -> 4 -> 5 -> 6 after each completed task -> 7 -> 8 -> 9.
73
74## Resuming Work
75
76If the user wants to continue work on an existing feature:
77
781. Use `dev-worktree` to identify and confirm the target branch/worktree.
792. Run `npx ai-devkit@latest lint --feature <feature-name>` in the active context.
803. Run the phase detector from the installed `dev-lifecycle` skill directory:
81 - Resolve `<skill-dir>` as the directory containing this `SKILL.md`.
82 - Run `<skill-dir>/scripts/check-status.sh <feature-name>`.
83 - Use the suggested phase when proposing the execution plan.
84
85## Backward Transitions
86
87Not every phase moves forward. When a phase reveals problems, route back:
88
89- Requirements review finds fundamental gaps: return to `dev-requirements` Phase 1.
90- Design review finds requirements gaps: return to `dev-requirements` Phase 2.
91- Design review finds design flaws: stay in `dev-design` and revise design.
92- Implementation check finds major deviations: return to `dev-design` if design is wrong, or `dev-implementation` if code is wrong.
93- Testing reveals design flaws: return to `dev-design`.
94- Review finds blocking issues: return to `dev-implementation` or `dev-testing`.
95
96## Rules
97
98- Use `npx ai-devkit@latest lint` and `npx ai-devkit@latest lint --feature <name>` to discover and validate the configured docs directory. Do not assume `docs/ai`; it is only the default.
99- Read existing configured AI docs before changes. Keep diffs minimal.
100- Keep feature names aligned with branch/worktree `feature-<name>`.
101- New feature docs come from `npx ai-devkit@latest docs init-feature <name>`. Use the paths returned by the command as authoritative.
102- Existing feature docs are the paths reported or validated by `npx ai-devkit@latest lint --feature <name>`. If you must infer manually, first resolve the configured docs directory from `.ai-devkit.json` `paths.docs`, falling back to `docs/ai`.
103- After each phase, summarize output and suggest the next phase.
104- Do not claim completion without fresh verification evidence.
105- When task tracing is available, follow `task`: create once, assign actor when known, mark active/blocked, set phase, record progress/next/evidence, and close only after final verification/review. If tracing is unavailable, include failed probe commands in the phase summary without blocking the lifecycle.
codeaholicguy