Spec Driven Translation

Spec-Driven Translation

This Skill executes a documentation-first, validation-driven workflow to translate or modernize a codebase. It turns the existing source into a Product Requirement Document (PRD), derives a Project Specification, Implementation Plan, and Task Execution Checklist, then iteratively implements the work in externally-validatable steps with a remediation loop until success.

High-level flow (from the provided diagram):

1. Ingest -> PRD
2. Plan translation
3. Docs to guide AI (Project Spec, Implementation Plan, Task Checklist)
4. Iterative task loop (choose task -> implement step -> run validation -> remediate w/ retry budget)
5. Translated Source Code

Preconditions & Setup

1. Identify the source tree and the target environment (runtime, language, framework versions, build tools).
2. Ensure we have authority to read/write files and run the project’s build/test commands.
3. If needed, ask to install or enable required tools (build system, linters, test runner, package managers).

Artifacts We Will Create

• templates/PRD.md -> filled as Product_Requirement_Document.md
• templates/Project-Specification.md -> Project_Specification.md
• templates/Implementation-Plan.md -> Implementation_Plan.md
• templates/Task-Execution-Checklist.md -> Task_Execution_Checklist.md

Keep these docs up-to-date as living sources of truth. They guide all subsequent steps.

Step-by-Step Instructions

1. Ingest -> PRD

• Read the existing codebase (entry points, modules, configs, CI, tests).
• Extract intent, behaviors, constraints, SLAs, non-functionals, and integration points.
• Populate and save Product_Requirement_Document.md from templates/PRD.md.
• Call out unknowns, risks, and assumptions explicitly.

2. Plan Translation

• Define target state (language/framework versions, platform changes, build/test strategy, deployment).
• Fill in Project_Specification.md grounding every requirement in the PRD.
• Draft Implementation_Plan.md (milestones, work streams, sequencing, acceptance criteria).
• Create Task_Execution_Checklist.md (repeatable per-task DoD & safety checks).

3. Choose-Implement-Validate Loop

For each iteration:

1. Choose next task

   • Use rubric (below) to pick a task that yields an externally-verifiable delta (e.g., unit test passes, binary builds, CLI works, endpoint responds).
   • Update the checklist with the task ID and success conditions.

   # Pick-Next-Task Rubric
   
   Score each candidate task 0–3 on:
   - External verifiability (clear test/build signal)
   - Risk isolation (blast radius if wrong)
   - Unblocks others (dependency breaker)
   - Knowledge gain (reduces uncertainty)
   - Effort (fit in one iteration)
   
   Choose the highest total; tie-break on verifiability.
   

2. Implement a minimal, verifiable step

   • Make small changes scoped to one verifiable outcome.
   • Prefer creating/updating tests that encode the desired behavior.

3. Validation

   • Run validation.
   • Treat builds/tests/lints/type-checks/formatters as the external oracle of success.

4. Remediation (bounded retries)

   • On failure, capture logs; fix the smallest issue first; re-run validation.
   • Limit to a local retry budget (e.g., 3 attempts) before escalating:
     • Update docs with new facts found.
     • Re-plan or split the task if necessary.

5. Commit

   • When validation passes, commit with an evidence-rich message (what/why, tests affected, acceptance criteria met).
   • Append outcomes/notes to the Implementation Plan.

Repeat until the milestone is complete, then proceed to the next milestone.

4. Exit Criteria

• All tasks in the current milestone have green validation.
• The translated artifact(s) function under the target environment with documented acceptance evidence.
• PRD, Spec, Plan, and Checklist are updated to reflect reality.

Pick-Next-Task Rubric (summary)

Prefer tasks that:

• Increase test coverage or convert implicit behavior into explicit tests.
• Deliver a user-visible or CI-visible signal (a test or build turns green).
• Reduce coupling or blockers for later tasks.
• Are reversible and low-risk when uncertain.

Full rubric in scripts/pick-next-task.md.

Notes

• Keep docs concise but always actionable. Treat them as contracts with the validator.
• When in doubt, shrink the task until it’s externally verifiable within a single iteration.
• Prefer to keep the human in the loop, stopping for confirmation on assumptions or changes to the plan.