Dia Guide

V-Model Workflow Guide

What this skill does (and does not do)

/dia-guide is the read-only orientation layer of DIA, invoked explicitly by the user. It:

• Reads BACKLOG.md, the latest DIA commit trailers (git log --format='%(trailers:key=DIA-Handoff,valueonly)'), and git state
• Recommends the next phase skill in plain text
• Audits whether the last phase-end commit carries the binding trailers (DIA-Phase, DIA-Handoff, and DIA-Triage where triage happened)
• Runs the Closing Handoff after a green /security-audit
• Owns two narrow CRUD moments at workflow boundaries: (a) the post-/dia-realign item promotion (below), and (b) the item-start branch creation when the user enters at A/B/C from a fresh repo

What the guide does NOT do:

• It does not perform artifact triage. Triage lives in every phase skill's MANDATORY Phase 0 block (see skills/project-conventions/references/graph-invariants.md).
• It does not enforce the plan gate; /coding runs it, the guide only reads the result.
• It does not run consistency checks per phase. The pre-commit hook enforces the drift-critical invariants; the full check runs before release (security-audit Step 7 / Closing Handoff).
• It does not call other skills. It recommends; the user invokes.

Item-start branch creation

When the user picks entry-point A, B, or C in the hybrid entry-point detection (see "Start: Determine Phase" below), the guide creates a fresh feature branch from the configured source branch before the phase skill takes over. The phase skill itself does not own this because the branch must exist before the first artifact is written.

Steps:

1. Read .dia/config.toml. Extract source_branch (default develop), mode, and profile. If the file is missing, fall back to develop, git-only, full.
2. Slug input. Ask the user (single AskUserQuestion, short plain-text "Other" slot) for a short kebab-case slug describing the item. The slug becomes the suffix of the feature branch name.
3. Branch creation.

   git fetch origin <source_branch> --quiet || true
   git checkout <source_branch>
   git pull --ff-only origin <source_branch> 2>/dev/null || true
   git checkout -b feature/<slug>
   

   If the branch already exists, switch to it and warn the user. Do not overwrite work.
4. Mode-aware GitHub side-effect. If mode = "github-sync" and an issue already tracks this item, remind the user to assign themselves so flow.py sync-status can mirror the assignee into the BACKLOG Claim column once the item has a real ID. The phase skill that first writes a backlog row calls flow.py create-issue.
5. Hand-off. Print the branch name, then recommend the phase skill: A -> /business-analysis, B -> /requirements-engineering, C -> /architecture.

Branch rename after RE: once the EPIC ID is known, the user can run python3 tools/github-integration/flow.py promote-to-epic --item EPIC-NN --rename-branch to retitle the parent issue, create sub-issues, and rename the branch to feature/epic-NN-<slug>.

Post-realign item promotion (the only CRUD moment)

/dia-realign finishes with a backlog seed: many items at Status: Backlog, Source: REV, Notes: anticipated on a single realign branch. Per-item branches and issues kick in only after a user-driven triage, which the realign skill defers to the guide.

Steps:

1. Read BACKLOG.md, list items with Status: Backlog, Source: REV whose Notes column contains anticipated.
2. AskUserQuestion: which items should be promoted now?
3. For each promoted item:

   python3 ${DIA_PLUGIN_ROOT:-.}/tools/github-integration/flow.py create-issue --item <ID>
   git tag -a <id-lower>/realigned -m "Item promoted from /dia-realign"
   

   (Legacy <id-lower>/reverse-engineered tags from earlier runs stay valid.)
4. Update the BACKLOG row: Status -> Ready (or In Progress if the item already ships). Remove the anticipated note.
5. Recommend the next skill: typically /business-analysis to validate the BA draft, or /coding for items that already ship.

Handoff state audit (read-only, on user invocation)

When the user invokes /dia-guide after a phase skill has finished, the guide reads the team-workflow surface and reports drift between artifact state and collaboration state. It does NOT write, fix, or tag. Audited surfaces (full reference: skills/project-conventions/references/team-workflow.md):

1. Branch. Current branch on an item-branch per schema? If not, warn.
2. Phase tag. Did the finished phase set <item-id>/<phase>-done? If missing, name the phase skill that should re-run its ritual.
3. Backlog row. Does the row's status reflect the phase progress? Discrepancies mean the ritual did not write the row before the commit.
4. GitHub issue. Read flow.py status --item <ID> and report the snapshot (labels, checklist).
5. Commit trailers. Does the last phase-end commit carry DIA-Phase and DIA-Handoff (plus DIA-Triage where triage happened)? Read via git log -n 5 --format='%h %(trailers:key=DIA-Phase,valueonly) %(trailers:key=DIA-Handoff,valueonly)'. Missing trailers are flagged with the responsible phase skill named.

Feature-complete read (before release)

When the user asks "is this item ready for release?", the guide reads the phase tags and reports. No tagging, no PR transition, no skill invocation.

1. Verify required phase tags: <id>/code-done (always), <id>/test-done (always), <id>/sec-done (when the item touches security-relevant surface; legacy <id>/audit-done accepted).
2. Run flow.py status --item <ID> and show the result.
3. Report:

   Item '<ID>' phase status:
   - code-done: yes/no
   - test-done: yes/no
   - sec-done: yes/no/n-a
   
   Verdict: feature-complete | missing tags: <list>
   

If a tag is missing, name the responsible phase skill. If feature-complete, the user can mark the PR ready (flow.py ready-for-review --item <ID>) and run their private release skill. The guide does neither.

Workflow Overview

Phase 0 (brownfield only): /dia-realign        REVERSE WALK
 Input: existing codebase + documentation      (backwards up the V)
 Output: plan-context.md, ADRs (post-hoc), arc42 snapshot,
 FEATURE inventory, BA draft, backlog seed
 |
 v (forward walk starts here)
Phase 1: /business-analysis                    DESIGN
 Output: _devprocess/analysis/BA-{PROJECT}.md  (left side of the V)
 |
 v
Phase 2: /requirements-engineering
 Output: Epics, Features, architect-handoff.md
 |
 v
Phase 3: /architecture
 Output: ADRs, rules, navigation, plan-context.md
 |
 v
Phase 4: /coding                               IMPLEMENTATION
 Load context, critical review, TDD by default,
 verification gate, writeback
 |
 v
Phase 5: /testing                              VERIFICATION
 Unit + integration tests, fix-loop            (right side of the V)
 |
 v
Phase 6: /security-audit
 SAST, SCA, supply chain, fix-loop, pre-release check
 |
 v
Closing Handoff (not a phase)
 /consistency-check mode B verdict; user runs their private
 release skill; post-release review queued as a BACKLOG row

In the lean profile (profile = "lean" in .dia/config.toml) only /architecture artifacts and backlog state are binding; the guide recommends /architecture or /coding directly and skips BA/RE recommendations unless the user asks for them.

Phase Transitions (read-only audit)

Between phases, the guide reads project state and surfaces the next step. Phase skills are autonomous and own their handoff ritual; the guide observes:

1. Reads the latest DIA trailers (git log --format='%(trailers:key=DIA-Handoff,valueonly)' -5) and the BACKLOG rows they reference
2. Reports the recommended next step in plain text ("Recommended next: /coding")
3. The user invokes the next skill themselves

The guide does not loop, does not auto-advance, and does not block. The trailer format is binding and lives in skills/project-conventions/references/canonical-specs.md (Backlog vocabulary, "Phase-end commit trailers"). A skill that finds a DIA-Triage trailer for its item skips its Phase-0 triage question.

Ensure project structure exists

Before a phase starts, check whether the directory structure exists. If not, initialize per /project-conventions:

mkdir -p _devprocess/{analysis/sources,requirements/{epics,features,fixes,improvements,handoff},architecture,rules,implementation/plans,context}
mkdir -p src docs scripts memory

Seed BACKLOG.md from skills/requirements-engineering/templates/BACKLOG-TEMPLATE.md (never touch an empty file). Full profile: seed _devprocess/rules/ from the RULES templates. Lean profile: rules go into AGENTS.md instead (see /dia-setup). Seed src/ARCHITECTURE.map from ARCHITECTURE-MAP-TEMPLATE.md with empty rows.

Start: Determine Phase

Before asking the user, the guide runs a hybrid entry-point detection: scan the project, diagnose the graph state, formulate a recommendation. The user keeps the override.

Step 1: Scan + recommend

1. Detect the project root convention (_devprocess/ or docs/).
2. Optionally run python3 tools/consistency-check.py --check (resolve against $DIA_PLUGIN_ROOT) for a Graph-Health snapshot.
3. Infer the likely entry point:

Step 2: Present recommendation + alternatives

Show the user one AskUserQuestion with the recommendation as the first option and the manual list as alternatives:

Graph-State (letzter Check {date}):
- Epics {n}, Features {n} (Released {a}, Building {b}, Planned {c}, Candidates {d}),
 ADRs {n}, FIX/IMPs {n}, offene Luecken {n}.

Empfehlung basierend auf dem Graph-State: {recommended entry}

Oder du waehlst manuell aus:
A0 /dia-realign (brownfield oder Legacy-Upgrade)
A /business-analysis (BA von Beginn)
B /requirements-engineering
C /architecture
D /coding
E /testing
F /security-audit
G Closing Handoff (Audit ist gruen, Cycle abschliessen)
H /consistency-check (nur Graph-Pflege)
I Orientierungs-Interview (helfe beim Entscheiden)

If the user picks the recommended option or says "ok/go/next", start that phase. If the user picks a different option, start that one. If the user wants an interview, ask short follow-up questions.

Step 3: Phase entry with consistency hint

Beim Start der gewaehlten Phase zeigt der Guide eventuelle Konsistenz-Luecken aus dem Snapshot, die fuer die Phase relevant sind. Beispiel: vor /architecture "Du hast 3 Features ohne Epic-Parent, das sollten wir vorher klaeren."

Recommended next step per phase

The guide prints the recommendation; the user types the slash command. One line each; input paths are what the next skill loads.

Closing Handoff

A short guide output, not a phase. Fires after /security-audit returns a non-red verdict and the fix-loop is closed.

1. Suggest /consistency-check mode B (user command; the skill is explicit-only). It confirms BA validation, final Feature/ADR states, arc42 and plan-context coherence, and returns Release-Ready: yes/no.
2. On Release-Ready: yes, print the closing report: features implemented/deferred/removed, bugs resolved/open, security P0/P1 state, test coverage, artifacts finalized. Then: "If you have a private release skill configured, run it now. The cycle is complete; iterate from /business-analysis or /requirements-engineering."
3. Queue the post-release review as a BACKLOG row under ## Deferred / Ideas: type BL-Item, note post-release BA review, revisit {date + scope window: Simple Test 1-3d, PoC 7-14d, MVP 14-30d}, refs to the hypotheses to re-validate. No separate handoff file.
4. On Release-Ready: no, name the responsible skill and the items to fix. Cycle closure resumes after the fix.

Artifact Directory Structure

_devprocess/
  analysis/                         <- flat: BA-*, EXPLORE-*, AUDIT-*, RESEARCH-* (+ sources/)
  requirements/
    epics/EPIC-{nn}-{slug}.md
    features/FEAT-{ee}-{ff}-{slug}.md
    fixes/FIX-*.md  improvements/IMP-*.md
    handoff/architect-handoff.md  plan-context.md
  architecture/
    ADR-{nn}-{slug}.md  arc42.md
    decisions/README.md             <- router table (lean profile)
  rules/                            <- full profile; lean consolidates into AGENTS.md
  implementation/plans/PLAN-*.md
  context/
    BACKLOG.md                      <- single source of truth for state and graph
    BACKLOG-HISTORY.md              <- append-only session history
    METRICS.md                      <- signal layer
  SYSTEM-MAP.md                     <- navigation map (lean profile)

src/
  ARCHITECTURE.map                  <- wayfinder: concept -> entry-point -> ADR
  {module}/README.md                <- optional module wayfinder

Traceability Chain

BA document (Why?)
 -> Epic -> Feature -> ASR -> ADR -> plan-context.md (ref index)
 -> Critical Review -> PLAN (tasks, TDD gates)
 -> Code (commits cite PLAN + DIA trailers)
 -> Tests -> fix-loop -> Security Audit -> fix-loop
 -> Backlog -> Closing Handoff (mode B + optional /release)

Backchannel: changes in every phase flow back into the source artifacts. At the end, the documentation reflects the actual state.

Conventions

This workflow follows /project-conventions: file names with 2-digit counters and kebab-case, English skill text with user-language dialog, artifacts under _devprocess/, lifecycle BACKLOG -> SPEC -> PLAN -> IMPL -> UPDATE.

V-Model as a decision graph, not a straight path

The overview shows phases linearly for readability. In practice the V is a decision graph with three cross-phase feedback triggers:

1. Mid-course bug discovery (in /coding): pause, FIX triage, root cause, backlog entry, then the fix. Commit cites both items.
2. Mid-course design discovery (in /coding): pause, amend or supersede the ADR, update dependent artifacts, then continue.
3. Mid-course requirements discovery (in /architecture or /coding): route the gap back to the FEATURE spec, re-run the Plan Coverage Gate, then continue.

Each trigger: STOP, triage, minimal root-cause note, backlog entry BEFORE any change, change with a citing commit, final sync. When a phase returns to an earlier phase, downstream phases do NOT re-run automatically; the user decides, the backlog entry carries the decision.

Dialog handoff (RE -> Architecture)

architect-handoff.md carries a ## Dialog section as a bidirectional channel between RE and architecture. Rules: not a blocker (only the dependent item waits); try to self-answer from artifacts first; surface ALL unresolved entries in ONE AskUserQuestion per session; append-only, answered entries get Status: Resolved. Questions from the coder to the architect do NOT use a Dialog section (plan-context is a pure ref index); they go into the BACKLOG row's Notes column or a PR comment.

Concurrent-agent coordination

When multiple human-agent pairs work in parallel, the backlog is the single synchronization point. The Claim column encodes ownership: {pair-id} @ {YYYY-MM-DD}; empty means free.

Claim protocol:

1. Claim on phase start, BEFORE any other write.
2. Release on phase end or Status: Done.
3. Claim conflict: never overwrite. Surface via AskUserQuestion: ask the other pair to release, take over with acknowledgement, work on a different item, or split the row. Takeovers append a dated note to the Notes column.
4. Stale claims (older than the phase-expected duration, e.g. 14 days) get flagged in the next audit.
5. Claim history is append-additive: current claim in the cell, previous claims as dated notes.

Pair-id convention: {human-handle}-{model} (e.g. sebastian-opus-4.7). No central lock service: the backlog is the lock, and a merge conflict on the Claim column IS the collision surfacing at the right moment.

Signal layer

Lightweight signals live in _devprocess/context/METRICS.md (seeded from templates/METRICS-TEMPLATE.md): cycle time per FEATURE and drift count (written by /coding), hypothesis validation (/business-analysis), phase transition and trigger counts (the firing skill). Append-additive, written inside existing phase actions, no separate ceremony. Consumers read it to decide whether a reconciliation run or post-release review is due.

User Interaction Protocol

Binding for this guide and every phase skill: skills/project-conventions/references/user-interaction-protocol.md (one question per turn, AskUserQuestion, Pro/Con per option, recommended option first).

Keywords

V-Model, workflow, full cycle, new project, development cycle, from analysis to implementation, full run, guide, phase transitions, closing handoff, orientation