Understanding

Load the Spec Tree methodology into the conversation so all subsequent skills operate from a shared foundation. This is a foundation skill — it loads once and emits a marker that other skills check before starting work.

Invoke /understanding before any spec-tree work. The skill reads 3 core reference files and emits a <SPEC_TREE_FOUNDATION> marker. If the marker is already present in the conversation, skip.

1. TRUTH FLOWS DOWN — Specs declare. Tests derive from specs. Code derives from tests. When layers disagree, the lower layer is in violation. Never weaken a spec to match code or tests. Read references/durable-map.md.
2. FOUNDATION, NOT CONTEXT — This skill loads methodology; it does not load project-specific artifacts. Use /contextualizing for target-specific context injection.
3. LOAD ONCE — Check for <SPEC_TREE_FOUNDATION> marker before loading. If present, skip.
4. SPECS ARE DECLARATIONS — The Spec Tree is a durable, declarative map. Nothing moves, nothing closes. Specs declare product truth.
5. TWO NODE TYPES — Enablers (infrastructure) and outcomes (hypothesis + assertions). No other node types exist. Read references/node-types.md.
6. ASSERTIONS SPECIFY OUTPUT — Assertions specify what the software does, locally verifiable by automated tests or agent review. Assertions derive from PDRs/ADRs, not from code or tests.
7. DETERMINISTIC CONTEXT — The tree structure defines what context an agent receives. No keyword search, no heuristics. This is handled by /contextualizing.
8. ATEMPORAL VOICE — Specs state product truth. Never narrate history. Flag temporal language as a quality issue.

1. Check conversation for <SPEC_TREE_FOUNDATION> marker. If present, skip — already loaded.
2. Read core references (always loaded):
   • references/durable-map.md — truth hierarchy, declarative model, atemporal voice, node states
   • references/node-types.md — enabler vs outcome, directory structure
   • references/assertion-types.md — scenario, mapping, conformance, property, compliance
3. Note operational references (loaded on demand by other skills):
   • references/decomposition-semantics.md — when to nest, depth heuristics (used by /decomposing)
   • references/ordering-rules.md — sparse integer ordering, dependency encoding (used by /authoring, /decomposing)
   • references/what-goes-where.md — ADR/PDR/spec/test content taxonomy (used by /aligning)
   • references/excluded-nodes.md — spx/EXCLUDE convention, quality gate integration (used by /authoring, /testing)
4. Note template and example locations (read only when authoring):
   • templates/product/product-name.product.md
   • templates/decisions/decision-name.adr.md
   • templates/decisions/decision-name.pdr.md
   • templates/nodes/enabler-name.md
   • templates/nodes/outcome-name.md
   • examples/ — concrete filled specs (read when you need to see what a completed spec looks like)
5. Emit the <SPEC_TREE_FOUNDATION> marker:

<SPEC_TREE_FOUNDATION>
Loaded: durable-map, node-types, assertion-types
Operational references available: decomposition-semantics, ordering-rules, what-goes-where, excluded-nodes
Templates available: product, adr, pdr, enabler, outcome
Examples available in: examples/
</SPEC_TREE_FOUNDATION>

• Three core reference files read and understood
• Operational reference, template, and example locations known
• <SPEC_TREE_FOUNDATION> marker emitted
• Methodology loaded: truth hierarchy (PDR/ADR → Spec → Test → Code), lower layer is always in violation when layers disagree
• Methodology loaded: enabler vs outcome distinction, three-part hypothesis structure
• Methodology loaded: atemporal voice principle, prohibited temporal markers
• Methodology loaded: five assertion types (scenario, mapping, conformance, property, compliance) and selection criteria