/dev-coding - Implementation Skill Skill

/dev-coding - Implementation Skill

Skill Awareness: See skills/_registry.md for all available skills.

Before: Ensure /dev-specs completed, /dev-scout for patterns

During: Auto-loads /dev-coding-backend, /dev-coding-frontend

After: Suggest /dev-review for code review

Implement features based on specs. Orchestrates backend and frontend work.

When to Use

Implement a use case from /dev-specs
Build feature end-to-end (API + UI)
Make changes defined in implementation plan

Usage

/dev-coding UC-AUTH-001              # Implement specific UC
/dev-coding auth                     # Implement all UCs for feature
/dev-coding UC-AUTH-001 --backend    # Backend only
/dev-coding UC-AUTH-001 --frontend   # Frontend only

Prerequisites

Before using, ensure:

/debrief completed → BRD exists
/dev-specs completed → Implementation plan exists
/dev-scout completed → Codebase patterns known

Output

Updates to codebase:

New/modified files
Tests (if required)
Updated docs-graph

Updates to specs:

Task status in plans/features/{feature}/specs/
Implementation notes

Workflow

Phase 0: Load Context

1. Read UC spec
   → plans/features/{feature}/specs/{UC-ID}/README.md

2. Read scout for patterns
   → plans/features/{feature}/scout.md OR plans/scout/README.md

3. Read docs-graph for dependencies
   → plans/docs-graph.json

4. Check: Are dependencies complete?
   → If UC depends on another UC, verify it's done
   → Warn if not, let user decide to proceed

Phase 1: Determine Work Type

Based on spec, determine what's needed:

| Spec Contains | Work Type | Skill to Load | |---------------|-----------|---------------| | API endpoints, schema | Backend | dev-coding-backend | | UI components, pages | Frontend | dev-coding-frontend | | Both | Full-stack | Backend first, then Frontend |

Read spec → Extract:
- API changes needed?
- Schema/DB changes needed?
- UI components needed?
- Pages/routes needed?

Phase 2: Load Sub-Skills

If backend work needed:

Read: skills/dev-coding-backend/SKILL.md
Read: skills/dev-coding-backend/references/{tech}.md (if exists)

Tech detected from scout:
- directus → directus.md
- node → node.md
- prisma → prisma.md

If frontend work needed:

Read: skills/dev-coding-frontend/SKILL.md
Read: skills/dev-coding-frontend/references/{tech}.md (if exists)

Tech detected from scout:
- nextjs → nextjs.md
- vue → vue.md
- react → react.md

Phase 3: Execute Backend (if needed)

Follow dev-coding-backend workflow:

Schema changes (if needed)
- Create/modify collections, tables, models
- Run migrations
- Verify schema
API implementation
- Create endpoints per spec
- Implement business logic
- Add validation, error handling

Backend verification

# Test API works
curl -X POST http://localhost:3000/api/auth/login \
  -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
  -d '{"email":"test@test.com","password":"test"}'

Document what was created
- Endpoints available
- Request/response shapes
- Auth requirements

Phase 4: Execute Frontend (if needed)

Follow dev-coding-frontend workflow:

Components (if needed)
- Create/modify UI components
- Follow project conventions from scout
Pages/Routes (if needed)
- Create page files
- Set up routing
API Integration
- Connect to backend (use info from Phase 3)
- Handle loading, error states
Frontend verification
- Visual check (Playwright screenshot or manual)
- Interaction test

Phase 5: Integration Test

End-to-end verification:

1. Start from UI
2. Perform user action
3. Verify API called correctly
4. Verify response handled
5. Verify UI updated

Methods:

Playwright for automated
Manual walkthrough
curl + UI check

Phase 6: Quality Checks

Before marking complete:

[ ] Code follows project conventions (from scout)
[ ] No linting errors
[ ] No type errors
[ ] Tests pass (if project has tests)
[ ] No console.log / debug code left
[ ] No hardcoded secrets
[ ] Error handling in place

Phase 7: Complete

Update spec status

<!-- In specs/{UC-ID}/README.md -->
> **Status**: Complete
> **Completed**: {date}

Document changes

## Implementation Notes

### Files Changed
- `src/api/auth/login.ts` - Created login endpoint
- `src/components/LoginForm.tsx` - Created form component

### Deviations from Spec
- Added rate limiting (not in spec, but security best practice)

### Next Steps
- UC-AUTH-002 can now proceed (depends on this)

Update docs-graph (automatic via hook)

Communication Protocol

When to Ask

| Situation | Action | |-----------|--------| | Spec unclear | Ask for clarification | | Multiple valid approaches | Present options, ask preference | | Stuck > 15 min | Document attempts, ask for help | | Spec seems wrong | Flag it, propose alternative | | Scope creep detected | Stop, suggest CR |

How to Ask

**Blocker**: {What's blocking}

**Tried**:
1. {Attempt 1} → {Result}
2. {Attempt 2} → {Result}

**Options**:
A) {Option A} - {Tradeoff}
B) {Option B} - {Tradeoff}

**Recommendation**: {Your suggestion}

Scope Creep Protocol

| Deviation | Action | |-----------|--------| | Tiny (typo) | Fix silently | | Small (edge case) | Ask + proceed | | Medium (new field) | Document + ask | | Large (approach wrong) | Stop + create CR |

Dependency Handling

When UC depends on another:

1. Check docs-graph for dependencies
2. For each dependency:
   - Is UC marked complete? → OK
   - Is code actually there? → Check (more reliable)
3. If dependency missing:
   - Warn user
   - Ask: Proceed anyway? / Do dependency first?

Tools Used

| Tool | Purpose | |------|---------| | Read | Load specs, scout, sub-skills | | Write | Create new files | | Edit | Modify existing files | | Bash | Run commands, curl tests | | Glob | Find files | | Grep | Search code | | mcp__playwright__* | UI verification |

Integration

| Skill | Relationship | |-------|--------------| | /dev-specs | Reads implementation plan from | | /dev-scout | Reads patterns/conventions from | | /dev-coding-backend | Loads for API/schema work | | /dev-coding-frontend | Loads for UI work | | /docs-graph | Auto-updates on file changes | | /dev-review | Review after implementation |

Example Flow

User: /dev-coding UC-AUTH-001

1. Load UC-AUTH-001 spec
   → Backend: POST /api/auth/login
   → Frontend: LoginForm component, /login page

2. Check dependencies
   → None for UC-AUTH-001 (it's first)

3. Load dev-coding-backend
   → Create login endpoint
   → Test with curl ✓

4. Load dev-coding-frontend
   → Create LoginForm component
   → Create /login page
   → Connect to API
   → Test with Playwright ✓

5. Integration test
   → Fill form → Submit → Verify redirect ✓

6. Quality checks
   → Lint ✓, Types ✓, No debug code ✓

7. Complete
   → Update spec status
   → Document changes
   → Suggest: "UC-AUTH-002 (Signup) is now unblocked"

Agent Skills: /dev-coding - Implementation Skill

Install this agent skill to your local

Skill Files