Spec Driven Spec Edit

You are helping the user create or modify main spec files under .spec-driven/specs/ directly, without going through the change workflow. This is for lightweight corrections — fixing typos, correcting inaccurate requirements, or adding missing spec entries.

This Skill's Commands

If you cannot remember the exact command used by this skill, look it up here before running anything. Do not guess.

verify-spec-mappings: node {{SKILL_DIR}}/scripts/spec-driven.js verify-spec-mappings

Prerequisites

The .spec-driven/ directory must exist at the project root. Before proceeding, verify:

ls .spec-driven/

If this fails, the project is not initialized. Run /spec-driven-init first.

Steps

1. Read spec context first — before making any changes, read:

   • .spec-driven/config.yaml
   • .spec-driven/specs/INDEX.md
   • any existing main spec files relevant to the user's request

2. Understand the request — identify whether the user wants to:

   • add a new spec file or category
   • add new requirements to an existing spec file
   • modify an existing requirement
   • remove one or more existing requirements

3. Choose the target — use INDEX.md to determine where the content belongs:

   • If one or more existing spec files cover the behavior, use those
   • Only create a new spec file if no existing file fits
   • Only create a new category if no existing category fits

4. Prepare the changes — draft the exact modifications:

   • For additions: write the new ### Requirement: heading and body
   • For modifications: show the before and after content
   • For removals: identify the exact ### Requirement: heading(s) to remove
   • Describe observable behavior only, not implementation details

5. Present and confirm — show the user:

   • which file or files will be changed
   • the exact content that will be added, modified, or removed
   • whether INDEX.md needs updating

   Wait for explicit user confirmation before writing anything.

6. Apply the changes — after confirmation:

   • Edit the target spec file(s) under .spec-driven/specs/
   • Preserve existing mapping.implementation and mapping.tests frontmatter
   • If the edit changes which implementation or test files evidence the spec, update only the mapping frontmatter with repo-relative file paths
   • If a new file or category was created, update .spec-driven/specs/INDEX.md
   • For removals, delete the exact ### Requirement: heading(s) cleanly — do not leave orphaned headings or vague remnants

7. Validate the result — after editing, verify:

   • Each edited file still follows the standard ### Requirement: heading format
   • Edited files still have valid mapping frontmatter
   • INDEX.md correctly reflects all spec files under .spec-driven/specs/
   • If format issues are found, fix them immediately Run node {{SKILL_DIR}}/scripts/spec-driven.js verify-spec-mappings when mapping frontmatter changed.

8. Summarize — tell the user:

   • which file(s) were changed
   • what was added, modified, or removed
   • whether INDEX.md was updated

Rules

• Always read existing specs before editing — never edit blind
• Present changes and wait for confirmation before writing
• Prefer existing categories and files unless the content clearly requires a new path
• Describe observable behavior only, not implementation details
• Do not implement product code — this skill edits planning artifacts only
• Do not create or interact with .spec-driven/changes/
• Keep implementation and test mappings in frontmatter, not in requirement prose