smallnest Implementation Notes
After completing implementation and review/fix for an Issue, capture a running implementation notes file that documents how the implementation diverges from or interprets the spec.
Triggers
Use when:
- After
/goalimplementation and/review-itare both complete - User says "记录笔记", "implementation notes", "note-it", "/note-it"
- Before
/ship-it(as a final checkpoint) - Any time the user wants to capture design rationale
The Job
- Determine the Issue number from context (branch name,
/goaltarget, or user input) - Review the implementation against the Issue spec / PRD
- Generate an HTML notes file at
docs/issue#XXXX.html - Present a summary to the user
Notes Structure
The HTML file must cover these four categories. If a category has nothing to report, write "None" with a brief explanation.
1. Design Decisions
Choices made where the spec was ambiguous or silent:
- What was the ambiguity?
- What choice did you make?
- What was the rationale?
2. Deviations
Places where you intentionally departed from the spec:
- What did the spec say?
- What did you implement instead?
- Why was the deviation necessary or better?
3. Tradeoffs
Alternatives you considered and why you picked what you did:
- What were the viable alternatives?
- What were the pros/cons of each?
- Why did the chosen approach win?
4. Open Questions
Anything you'd want confirmed or revised:
- What assumption are you unsure about?
- What should the user verify?
- What might need follow-up?
Output
- Format: HTML
- Location:
docs/ - Filename:
issue#XXXX.html(where XXXX is the zero-padded Issue number, e.g.,issue#0042.html)
HTML Template
Use this exact HTML structure:
<!DOCTYPE html>
<html lang="en">
<head>
<meta charset="UTF-8">
<meta name="viewport" content="width=device-width, initial-scale=1.0">
<title>Implementation Notes — Issue #XXXX</title>
<style>
* { margin: 0; padding: 0; box-sizing: border-box; }
body {
font-family: -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, 'Segoe UI', sans-serif;
background: #FAF9F6;
color: #1a1a1a;
padding: 2.5rem 2rem;
line-height: 1.7;
}
.container { max-width: 800px; margin: 0 auto; }
h1 { font-size: 1.375rem; font-weight: 700; margin-bottom: 0.25rem; }
.meta { color: #8B8680; font-size: 0.8125rem; margin-bottom: 2rem; }
h2 {
font-size: 1rem;
font-weight: 600;
margin-top: 2rem;
margin-bottom: 0.75rem;
padding-bottom: 0.375rem;
border-bottom: 1px solid #E8E4DE;
display: flex; align-items: center; gap: 0.5rem;
}
.dot {
width: 8px; height: 8px; border-radius: 50%; display: inline-block;
}
.dot.design { background: #5B8A72; }
.dot.deviation { background: #D97757; }
.dot.tradeoff { background: #4A6FA5; }
.dot.question { background: #D4A843; }
.item {
background: #FFFFFF;
border: 1px solid #E8E4DE;
border-radius: 8px;
padding: 1rem 1.25rem;
margin-bottom: 0.75rem;
box-shadow: 0 1px 3px rgba(0,0,0,0.03);
}
.item h3 { font-size: 0.875rem; font-weight: 600; margin-bottom: 0.375rem; }
.item p { font-size: 0.8125rem; color: #4A4540; margin-bottom: 0.375rem; }
.label {
display: inline-block;
font-size: 0.6875rem;
font-weight: 500;
padding: 0.125rem 0.5rem;
border-radius: 4px;
margin-right: 0.375rem;
}
.label-design { background: #F5F8F6; color: #5B8A72; border: 1px solid #5B8A72; }
.label-deviation { background: #FFF5F0; color: #D97757; border: 1px solid #D97757; }
.label-tradeoff { background: #F0F4F8; color: #4A6FA5; border: 1px solid #4A6FA5; }
.label-question { background: #FDF8F0; color: #D4A843; border: 1px solid #D4A843; }
.none { color: #B0AAA4; font-style: italic; font-size: 0.8125rem; }
.footer {
text-align: center; margin-top: 2.5rem; color: #B0AAA4;
font-size: 0.6875rem;
}
</style>
</head>
<body>
<div class="container">
<h1>Implementation Notes</h1>
<p class="meta">Issue <a href="{{ISSUE_URL}}">#{{ISSUE_NUMBER}}</a> — {{ISSUE_TITLE}} — {{DATE}}</p>
<h2><span class="dot design"></span> Design Decisions</h2>
<!-- One .item per decision, or .none if none -->
<h2><span class="dot deviation"></span> Deviations</h2>
<!-- One .item per deviation, or .none if none -->
<h2><span class="dot tradeoff"></span> Tradeoffs</h2>
<!-- One .item per tradeoff, or .none if none -->
<h2><span class="dot question"></span> Open Questions</h2>
<!-- One .item per question, or .none if none -->
<p class="footer">Generated by goal-workflow /note-it</p>
</div>
</body>
</html>
Example Item
<div class="item">
<h3><span class="label label-design">Decision</span> Used interface-based polymorphism instead of switch</h3>
<p><strong>Ambiguity:</strong> The spec said "handle different types" without specifying how.</p>
<p><strong>Choice:</strong> Defined a <code>Handler</code> interface with per-type implementations.</p>
<p><strong>Rationale:</strong> Adding new types requires no changes to existing code (Open/Closed Principle). A switch would grow unboundedly.</p>
</div>
How to Determine the Issue Number
- If the user provides it directly (e.g.,
/note-it #42), use it - If on a branch named
feat/issue-42-*orfix/issue-42-*, extract42 - If the last
/goaltarget was#42, use42 - Otherwise, ask the user: "Which Issue number should I use for the notes file?"
Edge Cases
| Scenario | Handling |
|---|---|
| No Issue number found | Ask the user to specify |
docs/ directory does not exist |
Auto-create it |
| Notes file already exists for this Issue | Ask: "Update existing notes or overwrite?" — default to update (append new items) |
| No deviations or open questions | Write "None — implementation followed the spec as written." |
| Spec/PRD file not found | Note in Open Questions: "No PRD found at tasks/prd-*.md — verify against original requirements." |
Checklist
Before saving:
- Issue number identified
- All four categories reviewed (even if some are "None")
- Design decisions explain rationale, not just what was done
- Deviations clearly contrast spec vs implementation
- Tradeoffs mention specific alternatives considered
- Open questions are actionable (user can answer yes/no or give direction)
- HTML is well-formed and renders correctly