paulasilvatech [!NOTE] Reference snapshot: this file is kept as a quality example for primitive authors. It is not installed from this repository as an active primitive.
EARS validation
When to invoke
- "Review these requirements for EARS compliance."
- "Is this requirement testable?"
- "Classify this requirement by EARS pattern."
EARS patterns
| Pattern | Template |
|---|---|
| Ubiquitous | The <system> shall <response>. |
| Event-driven | When <trigger>, the <system> shall <response>. |
| State-driven | While <state>, the <system> shall <response>. |
| Optional | Where <feature is included>, the <system> shall <response>. |
| Unwanted | If <undesired condition>, then the <system> shall <mitigation>. |
| Complex | While <state>, when <trigger>, the <system> shall <response>. |
Validation checklist
- Exactly one pattern per requirement.
- Unambiguous subject ("the system", not "it").
- Observable and testable response.
- No hidden "and" that combines two requirements into one.
- No implementation details ("use Redis"), only behavior.
- Includes a REQ-ID in the
REQ-NNNformat. - Includes at least one acceptance criterion.
- Includes a non-empty
source_legacy:pointing to01-archaeology/legacy-sifap/natural-programs/*.NSN,01-archaeology/legacy-sifap/adabas-ddms/*.ddm, or[GREENFIELD] + justification.
Common defects
| Defect | Example | Correction |
|---|---|---|
| Ambiguous | "The system must be fast." | "When a user submits a form, the system shall respond within 500ms." |
| Compound | "Log in and send an email." | Split into two requirements. |
| Not testable | "The system shall be easy to use." | Replace with a measurable UX metric. |
| Passive | "Login shall be supported." | "The system shall accept username/password authentication." |
Output template
### REQ-NNN (<pattern>)
<EARS statement>
source_legacy: 01-archaeology/legacy-sifap/natural-programs/<FILE>.NSN#L<start>-L<end>
_(or `[GREENFIELD] <justification>` when there is no legacy equivalent)_
**Acceptance criteria**
- <criterion 1>
- <criterion 2>
**Traced from**: US-NNN, ADR-NNN
**Priority**: P0 / P1 / P2
**Status**: proposed / approved / implemented / verified
Quality gate
- Every requirement has a unique REQ-ID in
REQ-NNNformat. - Every requirement is classified under exactly one EARS pattern.
- Every requirement has at least one testable acceptance criterion.
- Every requirement has a
source_legacy:line pointing to a real legacy file or[GREENFIELD] <justification>. - The
legacy-traceabilityjob in.github/workflows/spec-quality.ymlpasses for the PR.