Spec Reviewer

Spec Reviewer: Technical Specification Review

Purpose

This skill reviews technical specifications produced by the solution-architect agent to ensure they:

• Address all requirements from the Jira ticket
• Follow project design guidelines from .codemie/guides/
• Comply with architectural principles and patterns
• Are focused, clear, and implementation-ready

The skill provides a binary verdict (APPROVED or NEEDS WORK) with critical feedback only—no minor comments, no code snippets.

When to Use This Skill

Use this skill when:

• Solution-architect agent has produced a technical specification
• Before starting implementation of a complex feature
• User asks to "review spec", "validate specification", "check design doc"
• Need to verify specification against Jira ticket requirements
• Want to ensure spec follows project design principles

Review Workflow

Phase 1: Input Gathering

Step 1: Obtain Specification

Get the technical specification to review:

• From user message: User provides spec content directly
• From file path: User provides path to spec file (use Read tool)
• From previous context: Spec was generated earlier in conversation

Step 2: Identify Jira Ticket

Extract Jira ticket ID from specification or ask user:

• Look for EPMCDME-XXXXX pattern in spec
• If not found, ask user for ticket ID
• Use brianna skill to fetch ticket description and summary

Use Skill tool with skill="brianna" and args:
"Get ticket details for EPMCDME-XXXXX. I need only the description and summary fields."

Phase 2: Criteria Loading

Step 3: Load Relevant Project Guides

Based on spec content, load applicable guides from .codemie/guides/:

Step 4: Identify Design Principles

Extract key design principles from loaded guides:

• Layered architecture rules (CLI → Registry → Plugin → Core → Utils)
• Plugin isolation principles
• Error handling patterns
• Security requirements
• Testing strategies
• Dependency rules

Phase 3: Critical Review

Step 5: Verify Against Jira Ticket

Compare specification to Jira ticket requirements:

CRITICAL Issues (Must report):

• ❌ Missing acceptance criteria not addressed in spec
• ❌ Misalignment with ticket goals or scenarios
• ❌ Spec solves different problem than ticket describes
• ❌ Key user-facing functionality omitted

NOT Critical (Skip):

• Minor wording differences
• Implementation details beyond ticket scope
• Additional nice-to-have features

Step 6: Verify Against Design Principles

Check spec compliance with project design guidelines:

Architecture Violations (CRITICAL)

From .codemie/guides/architecture/architecture.md:

Must Report:

• ❌ Skipping architectural layers (e.g., CLI directly calls Plugin)
• ❌ Core layer depending on Plugin layer (dependency inversion violation)
• ❌ Plugin-to-Plugin direct dependencies
• ❌ Business logic in CLI layer
• ❌ Missing registry registration for new plugins

Example Feedback Format:

**Architecture Violation**: Spec proposes CLI command directly instantiating ClaudePlugin.
**Principle**: CLI → Registry → Plugin flow (5-layer architecture)
**Reference**: .codemie/guides/architecture/architecture.md:246-273 (Communication Rules)
**Impact**: Breaks plugin isolation, makes testing difficult, violates Open/Closed principle

Security Violations (CRITICAL)

From .codemie/guides/security/security-practices.md:

Must Report:

• ❌ Hardcoded credentials or API keys in spec
• ❌ Missing input validation for user-provided data
• ❌ Logging sensitive data without sanitization
• ❌ File path operations without security checks
• ❌ Missing CredentialStore usage for credential storage

Example Feedback Format:

**Security Violation**: Spec shows API key stored in configuration file.
**Principle**: No hardcoded credentials, use CredentialStore
**Reference**: .codemie/guides/security/security-practices.md (Credential Storage section)
**Impact**: Credentials exposed in version control, security risk

Error Handling Violations (CRITICAL)

From .codemie/guides/development/development-practices.md:

Must Report:

• ❌ Using generic Error instead of specific error classes
• ❌ Missing error context for debugging
• ❌ Swallowing errors without logging
• ❌ No error propagation strategy defined

Example Feedback Format:

**Error Handling Violation**: Spec uses generic Error for agent not found.
**Principle**: Use specific error classes from src/utils/errors.ts
**Reference**: .codemie/guides/development/development-practices.md (Error Handling section)
**Impact**: Poor user experience, difficult debugging, no structured error handling

Testing Violations (CRITICAL)

From .codemie/guides/testing/testing-patterns.md:

Must Report:

• ❌ No testing strategy defined for complex features
• ❌ Mixing unit and integration test concerns
• ❌ Missing test isolation strategy
• ❌ Incorrect mocking approach (static imports without dynamic loading)

Example Feedback Format:

**Testing Violation**: Spec proposes static imports for modules that need mocking.
**Principle**: Use dynamic imports after beforeEach for mockable modules
**Reference**: .codemie/guides/testing/testing-patterns.md (Dynamic Imports section)
**Impact**: Tests cannot properly mock dependencies, brittle test suite

Integration Violations (CRITICAL)

From .codemie/guides/integration/external-integrations.md:

Must Report:

• ❌ Direct integration without provider abstraction
• ❌ Missing error handling for external service failures
• ❌ No retry or timeout strategy for external calls
• ❌ Hardcoded external service URLs

Step 7: Verify Focus and Clarity

Check specification quality:

CRITICAL Issues (Must report):

• ❌ Spec is vague or ambiguous about key implementation details
• ❌ Multiple disconnected features bundled together
• ❌ Missing critical interfaces or contracts
• ❌ Unclear component responsibilities
• ❌ No clear success criteria or validation approach

NOT Critical (Skip):

• Minor typos or grammatical issues
• Formatting inconsistencies
• Missing diagrams (unless critical for understanding)
• Overly verbose explanations

Phase 4: Verdict and Feedback

Step 8: Provide Review Verdict

Format review results as follows:

If NO Critical Issues Found:

## Specification Review: APPROVED ✅

**Jira Ticket**: EPMCDME-XXXXX
**Specification**: [Title or path]

### Verdict
This specification is **APPROVED** for implementation.

### Review Summary
- ✅ Addresses all Jira ticket acceptance criteria
- ✅ Follows 5-layer architecture principles
- ✅ Complies with security guidelines
- ✅ Proper error handling strategy defined
- ✅ Clear component responsibilities and interfaces
- ✅ [Additional positive findings]

### Next Steps
Proceed with implementation following the specification. Use tech-lead skill to guide implementation.

If Critical Issues Found:

## Specification Review: NEEDS WORK ⚠️

**Jira Ticket**: EPMCDME-XXXXX
**Specification**: [Title or path]

### Verdict
This specification **REQUIRES ADDITIONAL WORK** before implementation.

### Critical Issues

#### 1. [Issue Category] - [Brief Title]
**Violation**: [What principle/requirement is violated]
**Principle**: [Which design principle from guides]
**Reference**: [Guide path and section]
**Impact**: [Why this matters, consequences of not fixing]

#### 2. [Issue Category] - [Brief Title]
**Violation**: [What principle/requirement is violated]
**Principle**: [Which design principle from guides]
**Reference**: [Guide path and section]
**Impact**: [Why this matters, consequences of not fixing]

[Continue for all critical issues]

### Jira Ticket Alignment

[If applicable]
- ❌ Acceptance criterion "[text]" not addressed
- ❌ Scenario "[text]" not covered
- ❌ [Other alignment issues]

### Recommendations

[High-level guidance - NO code snippets]
1. [Action to address issue category 1]
2. [Action to address issue category 2]
3. [Action to address issue category 3]

### Next Steps
Address critical issues above, then resubmit specification for review.

Critical Review Criteria

✅ What to Report (CRITICAL Only)

❌ What NOT to Report (Minor Issues)

Key Principles

Do's

✅ Focus on CRITICAL issues only (design principle violations, missing requirements) ✅ Reference specific guides and sections ✅ Explain WHY issue is critical (impact) ✅ Fetch Jira ticket to verify alignment ✅ Load applicable guides before review ✅ Provide clear verdict (APPROVED or NEEDS WORK) ✅ Give focused feedback without code snippets ✅ Be constructive and specific

Don'ts

❌ Don't report minor style or formatting issues ❌ Don't provide code snippets or implementation fixes ❌ Don't suggest "nice to have" improvements ❌ Don't be overly pedantic about minor details ❌ Don't assume—verify against actual guides ❌ Don't approve specs with critical violations ❌ Don't provide vague feedback like "improve clarity"

Example Reviews

Example 1: APPROVED Specification

User: "Review this spec for EPMCDME-10500"
[Spec: New REST endpoint following existing patterns]

Spec Reviewer:
1. Fetches EPMCDME-10500 via brianna
2. Loads .codemie/guides/architecture/architecture.md
3. Reviews spec:
   - Follows CLI → Registry → Plugin architecture ✅
   - Uses existing error classes ✅
   - Addresses all acceptance criteria ✅
   - Clear interfaces defined ✅
4. Verdict: APPROVED ✅
5. Recommends: Proceed with implementation

Example 2: NEEDS WORK - Architecture Violation

User: "Review this spec for EPMCDME-10600"
[Spec: New agent with CLI directly calling plugin code]

Spec Reviewer:
1. Fetches EPMCDME-10600 via brianna
2. Loads .codemie/guides/architecture/architecture.md
3. Identifies CRITICAL issue:
   - Spec shows CLI command directly instantiating agent plugin
   - Violates 5-layer architecture (CLI → Registry → Plugin)
   - Reference: architecture.md:246-273
4. Verdict: NEEDS WORK ⚠️
5. Feedback: "CLI must call AgentRegistry.getAgent(), not instantiate plugin directly"

Example 3: NEEDS WORK - Security Violation

User: "Review this spec for EPMCDME-10700"
[Spec: Provider integration with API key in config file]

Spec Reviewer:
1. Fetches EPMCDME-10700 via brianna
2. Loads .codemie/guides/security/security-practices.md
3. Identifies CRITICAL issue:
   - API key stored in configuration file
   - Violates credential storage principle
   - Reference: security-practices.md
4. Verdict: NEEDS WORK ⚠️
5. Feedback: "Use CredentialStore.getInstance() for secure credential storage"

Example 4: NEEDS WORK - Missing Jira Requirements

User: "Review this spec for EPMCDME-10800"
[Spec: Agent feature but missing key acceptance criterion]

Spec Reviewer:
1. Fetches EPMCDME-10800 via brianna
2. Ticket has acceptance criterion: "Support batch mode processing"
3. Spec only covers streaming mode
4. Identifies CRITICAL gap:
   - Acceptance criterion not addressed
   - Spec incomplete for ticket requirements
5. Verdict: NEEDS WORK ⚠️
6. Feedback: "Spec must address batch mode processing (acceptance criterion 3)"

Integration with Other Skills

Solution-Architect Skill

• Input source: Specs produced by solution-architect
• Workflow: solution-architect creates spec → spec-reviewer validates → implement or revise
• Feedback loop: If NEEDS WORK, solution-architect revises based on feedback

Brianna Skill

• Purpose: Fetch Jira ticket for alignment verification
• Usage: Request description + summary fields only
• Handle missing: If ticket not found, cannot verify alignment (note in review)

Tech-Lead Skill

• Handoff: After APPROVED verdict, tech-lead can guide implementation
• Workflow: spec-reviewer approves → tech-lead implements
• Dependency: tech-lead should not start without approved spec for complex features

Error Handling

Specification Not Provided

Error: No specification provided for review.

Please provide:
- Specification content (paste directly)
- File path to specification document
- Reference to spec in conversation history

Jira Ticket Not Found

Warning: Unable to fetch Jira ticket EPMCDME-XXXXX.

Proceeding with guide compliance review only. Cannot verify alignment with ticket requirements.

Consider:
- Verifying ticket ID format
- Checking ticket exists and is accessible
- Reviewing ticket requirements manually

Guides Not Available

Error: Required guide not found: [path]

Cannot complete review without design guidelines.

Please ensure .codemie/guides/ directory is available with:
- architecture/architecture.md
- security/security-practices.md
- development/development-practices.md
- [Other applicable guides]

Success Criteria

A successful spec review results in:

• ✅ Specification content obtained and understood
• ✅ Jira ticket fetched and reviewed
• ✅ Relevant guides loaded and consulted
• ✅ Critical issues identified (if any)
• ✅ Clear verdict provided (APPROVED or NEEDS WORK)
• ✅ Focused feedback with guide references (if NEEDS WORK)
• ✅ User has actionable next steps

Additional Resources

Reference Files

For detailed review criteria:

• references/review-checklist.md - Comprehensive checklist for each review category
• references/violation-examples.md - Examples of critical violations by category

Integration Points

This skill coordinates with:

• CLAUDE.md: Uses guide references and task classifier
• .codemie/guides/: Loads all applicable guides for compliance verification
• brianna skill: Fetches Jira ticket information for alignment check
• solution-architect skill: Reviews specs produced by this skill
• tech-lead skill: Hands off to tech-lead after APPROVED verdict

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