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[Feature]: Add /speckit.guide for dry-run implementation planning #3057

@HarounBR

Description

@HarounBR

Problem Statement

While /speckit.clarify helps reduce ambiguity in the feature specification before planning, there is currently no equivalent step for validating implementation scope after task generation and before execution.

This leaves a gap where /speckit.implement may exceed the intended scope by acting on future tasks or making architectural assumptions that were not explicitly reviewed beforehand.

This creates risks such as:

Scope creep across planned phases
Unintended architecture changes
Hallucinated dependencies or missing interfaces
Higher review and rollback costs

Proposed Solution

Introduce a new optional command: /speckit.guide.

This command would run after /speckit.tasks and before /speckit.implement, generating a guide.md file that acts as a dry-run implementation plan.

The generated guide would describe:

  • Which files are expected to be modified
  • Which interfaces or services may be affected
  • Required dependencies or prerequisites
  • Execution order of tasks
  • Scope boundaries for the current phase
  • Potential risks or stop conditions

This would provide developers with a reviewable implementation artifact before execution, reducing the chance of scope drift and improving architecture control.

Proposed workflow:

/speckit.specify
→ /speckit.clarify
→ /speckit.plan
→ /speckit.tasks
→ /speckit.guide
→ Human review
→ /speckit.implement

This would not replace /speckit.clarify, but complement it by extending the same validation principle into the implementation phase.

Alternatives Considered

Yes, I considered the following alternatives:

  1. Using /speckit.clarify

    • This helps resolve ambiguity in the feature specification before planning.
    • However, it does not address implementation scope validation after task generation.
  2. Improving /speckit.implement directly

    • Scope validation logic could be embedded into /speckit.implement.
    • However, this would mix planning/review concerns with execution, reducing workflow transparency.
  3. Manual guide.md creation

    • This is the current workaround I use.
    • It provides better control, but it is manual, inconsistent, and not integrated into the Spec Kit workflow.

I believe a dedicated /speckit.guide command is the cleanest solution because it introduces a reusable, explicit review layer between task generation and implementation.

Component

Agent integrations (command files, workflows)

AI Agent (if applicable)

None

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