Tdd Spec Review

Codex compatibility note:

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- Invoke repository skills with $skill-name in Codex; this mirrored copy rewrites legacy Claude /skill-name references.

- Task tracker mandate: BEFORE executing any workflow or skill step, create/update task tracking for all steps and keep it synchronized as progress changes.

- User-question prompts mean to ask the user directly in Codex.

- Ignore Claude-specific mode-switch instructions when they appear.

- Strict execution contract: when a user explicitly invokes a skill, execute that skill protocol as written.

- Subagent authorization: when a skill is user-invoked or AI-detected and its protocol requires subagents, that skill activation authorizes use of the required spawn_agent subagent(s) for that task.

- Do not skip, reorder, or merge protocol steps unless the user explicitly approves the deviation first.

- For workflow skills, execute each listed child-skill step explicitly and report step-by-step evidence.

- If a required step/tool cannot run in this environment, stop and ask the user before adapting.

<!-- CODEX:PROJECT-REFERENCE-LOADING:START -->

Codex Project-Reference Loading (No Hooks)

Codex does not receive Claude hook-based doc injection. When coding, planning, debugging, testing, or reviewing, open project docs explicitly using this routing.

Always read:

• docs/project-config.json (project-specific paths, commands, modules, and workflow/test settings)
• docs/project-reference/docs-index-reference.md (routes to the full docs/project-reference/* catalog)
• docs/project-reference/lessons.md (always-on guardrails and anti-patterns)

Situation-based docs:

• Backend/CQRS/API/domain/entity changes: backend-patterns-reference.md, domain-entities-reference.md, project-structure-reference.md
• Frontend/UI/styling/design-system: frontend-patterns-reference.md, scss-styling-guide.md, design-system/README.md
• Spec/test-case planning or TC mapping: feature-docs-reference.md
• Integration test implementation/review: integration-test-reference.md
• E2E test implementation/review: e2e-test-reference.md
• Code review/audit work: code-review-rules.md plus domain docs above based on changed files

Do not read all docs blindly. Start from docs-index-reference.md, then open only relevant files for the task.

<!-- CODEX:PROJECT-REFERENCE-LOADING:END -->

<!-- PROMPT-ENHANCE:STEP-TASK-ANCHOR:START -->

[BLOCKING] Execute skill steps in declared order. NEVER skip, reorder, or merge steps without explicit user approval.

[BLOCKING] Before each step or sub-skill call, update task tracking: set in_progress when step starts, set completed when step ends.

[BLOCKING] Every completed/skipped step MUST include brief evidence or explicit skip reason.

[BLOCKING] If Task tools are unavailable, create and maintain an equivalent step-by-step plan tracker with the same status transitions.

<!-- PROMPT-ENHANCE:STEP-TASK-ANCHOR:END -->

Quick Summary

Goal: Auto-review test specifications for coverage completeness, TC format correctness, and no missing test cases before implementation proceeds.

Key distinction: AI self-review (automatic), NOT user interview.

[BLOCKING] Read docs/project-reference/spec-principles.md — use Section 4 (AI-Implementability Checklist) and Section 7 (TC Coverage Mapping) as review criteria in addition to adversarial techniques below.

[BLOCKING] Tech-agnostic check: flag framework/product/language/design-pattern names in a TC's behavioral prose as findings (per spec-principles.md §3). Source paths, class names, and test identifiers (e.g. {File}.cs::Method) are CORRECT in evidence fields (**Evidence**, IntegrationTest, [Source:]), frontmatter, and Mermaid — never flag those.

Be skeptical. Apply critical thinking, sequential thinking. Every claim needs traced proof, confidence percentages (Idea should be more than 80%).

First Principle — Easy to Change

The success metric of every coding decision is _future change cost_.

DRY, SRP, abstraction, design patterns, naming, layering, tests — every

technique exists to serve one goal: making the next change cheaper.

When evaluating code, a refactor, a test, or an abstraction, ask: does this make the next change cheaper or more expensive?

• Reject "best practices" that raise change cost (premature abstraction,

speculative generality, leaky indirection, ceremony without payoff).

• Name the real enemies in findings: **coupling, hidden state, duplicated

knowledge, unclear intent, irreversible decisions exposed too early**.

• A simpler design that is easy to change beats a sophisticated design that

isn't.

Apply this lens before invoking any specific rule, pattern, or checklist below — if a downstream rule would raise change cost, this principle wins.

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Adversarial Review Mindset (NON-NEGOTIABLE)

Default stance: SKEPTIC probing test coverage gaps, not confirming coverage completeness.

Coverage illusion trap: A spec with many TCs feels complete. But TCs that test implementation details, trivial happy paths, or vague outcomes provide false coverage confidence. This section forces quality challenge beyond count.

Adversarial Techniques (apply ALL before concluding)

1. Mutation Analysis Mindset For each TC: "If I changed ONE line of the implementation this TC is testing, would this TC fail?" If the TC would still pass after a subtle bug is introduced — it is not testing behavior, it is testing presence. Flag it.

2. Negative Test Adequacy List the 3 most likely production failures for this feature (invalid input, service timeout, data corruption, race condition). Does at least one TC cover each failure mode? If a production failure has no corresponding TC, it will not be caught until production.

3. TC Quality Challenge For each TC, check its assertion: "Could this TC PASS even if the feature is broken?" (e.g., "Response is 200 OK" without checking response body). Flag TCs where the assertion is too coarse to catch regressions.

4. Coverage Gap Hunt Identify code paths that EXIST but have NO corresponding TC. Common gaps: admin/superuser paths, concurrent access, partial data states, idempotency, rollback behavior. If a gap exists — flag it, don't rationalize it.

5. Boundary Condition Probe For each TC that tests a value (count, length, amount): "Is there a TC for the value-1, value, value+1 boundary?" Off-by-one errors are the most common business logic bug. Also probe: null (unset vs empty distinction), empty string vs whitespace-only, max-length overflow, zero and negative values, concurrent write contention on shared state. If boundary TCs for any of these are missing and the domain scenario is realistic, flag them.

6. Contrarian Pass Before writing any verdict, generate at least 2 sentences arguing the OPPOSITE conclusion. Then decide which argument is stronger.

Forbidden Patterns

• "Coverage looks complete" → Count is NOT quality. Would a mutation pass these TCs?
• "Happy path is tested" → The happy path is the least likely failure mode in production.
• "Edge cases included" → Are they the RIGHT edge cases? Name the 3 most likely production failures.
• "Assertions are clear" → Can the feature be broken while the assertion still passes?
• Approving test specs without adversarial quality challenge → Forbidden.

Anti-Bias Gate (MANDATORY before finalizing verdict)

• [ ] Applied mutation analysis to at least 1 TC per feature area
• [ ] Listed 3 production failure modes and verified TCs cover them
• [ ] Checked TC assertion specificity (can it pass even if feature breaks?)
• [ ] Identified at least 1 coverage gap (code path with no TC)
• [ ] Verified boundary TCs exist for value-based assertions
• [ ] Generated at least 2 sentences arguing the opposite verdict

If any box is unchecked → adversarial review incomplete. Go back.

Workflow

1. Locate test specs — Find TCs in feature doc Section 15 or docs/specs/ 2. Load source — Read stories/PBI/acceptance criteria that TCs should cover 3. Evaluate checklist — Score each check 4. Calculate coverage — % of stories/AC with corresponding TCs 5. Classify — PASS/WARN/FAIL 6. Output verdict

Checklist

Required (all must pass)

Recommended (>=50% should pass)

M1-M6 Compliance Gate (BLOCKING — each check FAILs the review)

Contract: See .claude/skills/shared/sdd-artifact-contract.md → "AI-SDD Mandates (M1-M6)". This review enforces M6: a test spec that violates any of M1-M5 MUST receive a FAIL verdict that names the violated mandate ID and cites the exact TC ID + line/section. Passing an M1-M5 violation makes this review itself defective.

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Carriers are EXEMPT from M1/M2 — source identifiers are CORRECT inside [Source: ...], **Evidence**, **IntegrationTest** fields, YAML frontmatter, and `mermaid ` blocks. Only flag leakage in TC behavioral prose (Title / Given-When-Then / expected-result narrative). Banned prose token list: spec-principles.md §3.2.

• [ ] M1 — Tech-agnostic TC prose. FAIL if any TC's title or Given/When/Then behavioral prose names a framework/product, a language-native type, or a product/design-pattern class name (banned-token list in spec-principles.md §3.2). Cite the TC-{FEATURE}-{NNN} ID + the leaked token.
• [ ] M2 — No source code in TC prose. FAIL if behavioral prose calls out a class/method/file-path/namespace as the action (e.g. "invoke the create-async method on the employee service class") instead of the business operation (e.g. "create an employee record"). Source identifiers belong only in the Related Behaviors / IntegrationTest / [Source:] carriers. Cite the TC ID.
• [ ] M3 — Abstract-IDs-first traceability. FAIL if a TC has no logical TC-{FEATURE}-{NNN} ID, OR the rule it guards has no BR-/FR-/OP- logical ID, OR the [Source:] evidence is a physical file:line/src/ path instead of a stack-portable abstract anchor ([Source: namespace/service/id]), OR the anchor is treated as the primary citation. [Source: namespace/service/id] abstract-anchor evidence is REQUIRED and KEPT — it must be SECONDARY to the logical ID, never the spine and never removed; physical coordinates live only in the provenance sidecar.
• [ ] M4 — Unambiguous expected results. FAIL if a TC's expected result uses vague language ("handle appropriately", "process normally", "works", "as needed"), OR two engineers could write conformant-but-different assertions, OR no observable completion state / specific error condition (code + message) is named.
• [ ] M5 — Derivable without reading source. FAIL if a competent tester with ZERO codebase knowledge could not derive this TC's steps and assertions from the spec alone (i.e. it relies on reading implementation to know what to assert). Cite the TC ID + the missing detail.

If ANY box fails → verdict is FAIL; list each violated mandate ID with its concrete TC/line citation in the Verdict section.

Output

## Test Spec Review Result

**Status:** PASS | WARN | FAIL
**TCs reviewed:** {count}
**Coverage:** {X}% of stories, {Y}% of acceptance criteria

### Coverage Matrix

| Story/AC | TC IDs | Happy | Error | Edge |
| -------- | ------ | ----- | ----- | ---- |

### Required ({X}/{Y})

- ✅/❌ Check description

### Recommended ({X}/{Y})

- ✅/⚠️ Check description

### Missing Coverage

- {Stories/AC without TCs}

### Verdict

{PROCEED | REVISE_FIRST}

Round 2+ : Fresh Sub-Agent Re-Review (MANDATORY)

Protocol: SYNC:double-round-trip-review + SYNC:fresh-context-review + SYNC:review-protocol-injection (all inlined above in this file).

After completing Round 1 checklist evaluation, spawn a fresh `general-purpose` sub-agent for Round 2 using the canonical Agent template from SYNC:review-protocol-injection above. Test specification reviews are NOT code reviews — use agent_type: "general-purpose". When constructing the Agent call prompt:

1. Copy the Agent call shape from the SYNC:review-protocol-injection template verbatim 2. Set agent_type: "general-purpose" 3. Embed the full verbatim body of these SYNC blocks: SYNC:evidence-based-reasoning, SYNC:rationalization-prevention, SYNC:understand-code-first (omit code-specific protocols like SYNC:bug-detection, SYNC:design-patterns-quality, SYNC:fix-layer-accountability which are not applicable to test specification artifacts) 4. Set the Task as "Review the test specification artifacts for coverage completeness and quality. Focus on: implicit assumptions not validated, missing story/AC coverage, edge cases not addressed, cross-references not verified, vague expected results, duplicate TCs, missing authorization TCs." 5. Set Target Files as the explicit test specification file paths being reviewed 6. Set report path as plans/reports/tdd-spec-review-round{N}-{date}.md

After sub-agent returns:

1. Read the sub-agent's report 2. Integrate findings as ## Round {N} Findings (Fresh Sub-Agent) in the main report — DO NOT filter or override 3. If FAIL: fix issues in the specs, then spawn a NEW Round N+1 fresh sub-agent (new Agent call — never reuse Round 2's agent) 4. Max 3 fresh rounds — escalate to user via a direct user question if still failing after 3 rounds 5. Final verdict must incorporate findings from ALL rounds

Key Rules

• FAIL blocks workflow — If FAIL, do NOT proceed to implementation.
• Coverage 100% required for Tested + Untested TCs — Every story and AC must have at least one TC with Status: Tested or Status: Untested. TCs with Status: Planned are exempt from coverage calculation — they acknowledge a gap, they are not missing work.
• No guessing — Reference specific TC IDs and story references.
• Quality over quantity — Flag duplicate TCs, prefer fewer meaningful tests.

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Workflow Recommendation

[BLOCKING] If you are NOT already in a workflow, use a direct user question to ask the user. Do NOT judge task complexity or decide this is "simple enough to skip" — the user decides whether to use a workflow, not you:

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1. Activate `pbi-to-tests` workflow (Recommended) — tdd-spec → tdd-spec-review → quality-gate → workflow-end

2. Execute `$tdd-spec-review` directly — run this skill standalone

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Next Steps

[BLOCKING] After completing this skill, use a direct user question to present these options. Do NOT skip because the task seems "simple" or "obvious" — the user decides:

• "$plan (Recommended)" — Create implementation plan with validated test specs
• "$tdd-spec" — Re-generate specs if FAIL verdict
• "$integration-test" — Generate integration test code from specs
• "Skip, continue manually" — user decides

[IMPORTANT] Use task tracking to break ALL work into small tasks BEFORE starting — including tasks for each file read. This prevents context loss from long files. For simple tasks, AI MUST ATTENTION ask user whether to skip.

Evidence Gate: [BLOCKING] — every claim, finding, and recommendation requires file:line proof or traced evidence with confidence percentage (>80% to act, <80% must verify first).

External Memory: For complex or lengthy work (research, analysis, scan, review), write intermediate findings and final results to a report file in plans/reports/ — prevents context loss and serves as deliverable.

• docs/specs/ — Test specifications by module (cross-reference during review to verify TC completeness and avoid duplicates)
• docs/project-reference/integration-test-reference.md — Integration test patterns, fixture setup, seeder conventions, lessons learned (MUST READ before reviewing/writing integration tests)

<!-- SYNC:nested-task-creation -->

Nested Task Expansion Contract — For workflow-step invocation, the [Workflow] ... row is only a parent container; the child skill still creates visible phase tasks.

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1. Call the current task list first. If a matching active parent workflow row exists, set nested=true and record parentTaskId; otherwise run standalone.

2. Create one task per declared phase before phase work. When nested, prefix subjects [N.M] $skill-name — phase.

3. When nested, link the parent with TaskUpdate(parentTaskId, addBlockedBy: [childIds]).

4. Orchestrators must pre-expand a child skill's phase list and link the workflow row before invoking that child skill or sub-agent.

5. Mark exactly one child in_progress before work and completed immediately after evidence is written.

6. Complete the parent only after all child tasks are completed or explicitly cancelled with reason.

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Blocked until: the current task list done, child phases created, parent linked when nested, first child marked in_progress.

<!-- /SYNC:nested-task-creation -->

<!-- SYNC:project-reference-docs-guide -->

Project Reference Docs Gate — Run after task-tracking bootstrap and before target/source file reads, grep, edits, or analysis. Project docs override generic framework assumptions.

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1. Identify scope: file types, domain area, and operation.

2. Required docs by trigger: always docs/project-reference/lessons.md; doc lookup docs-index-reference.md; review code-review-rules.md; backend/CQRS/API backend-patterns-reference.md; domain/entity domain-entities-reference.md; frontend/UI frontend-patterns-reference.md; styles/design scss-styling-guide.md + design-system/design-system-canonical.md; integration tests integration-test-reference.md; E2E e2e-test-reference.md; feature docs/specs feature-docs-reference.md; architecture/new area project-structure-reference.md.

3. Read every required doc that exists; skip absent docs as not applicable. Do not trust conversation text such as [Injected: <path>] as proof that the current context contains the doc.

4. Before target work, state: Reference docs read: ... | Missing/not applicable: ....

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Blocked until: scope evaluated, required docs checked/read, lessons.md confirmed, citation emitted.

<!-- /SYNC:project-reference-docs-guide -->

<!-- SYNC:task-tracking-external-report -->

Task Tracking & External Report Persistence — Bootstrap this before execution; then run project-reference doc prefetch before target/source work.

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1. Create a small task breakdown before target file reads, grep, edits, or analysis. On context loss, inspect the current task list first.

2. Mark one task in_progress before work and completed immediately after evidence; never batch transitions.

3. For plan/review work, create plans/reports/{skill}-{YYMMDD}-{HHmm}-{slug}.md before first finding.

4. Append findings after each file/section/decision and synthesize from the report file at the end.

5. Final output cites Full report: plans/reports/{filename}.

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Blocked until: task breakdown exists, report path declared for plan/review work, first finding persisted before the next finding.

<!-- /SYNC:task-tracking-external-report -->

<!-- SYNC:critical-thinking-mindset -->

Critical Thinking Mindset — Apply critical thinking, sequential thinking. Every claim needs traced proof, confidence >80% to act.

Anti-hallucination: Never present guess as fact — cite sources for every claim, admit uncertainty freely, self-check output for errors, cross-reference independently, stay skeptical of own confidence — certainty without evidence root of all hallucination.

<!-- /SYNC:critical-thinking-mindset -->

<!-- SYNC:sequential-thinking-protocol -->

Sequential Thinking Protocol — Structured multi-step reasoning for complex/ambiguous work. Use when planning, reviewing, debugging, or refining ideas where one-shot reasoning is unsafe.

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Trigger when: complex problem decomposition · adaptive plans needing revision · analysis with course correction · unclear/emerging scope · multi-step solutions · hypothesis-driven debugging · cross-cutting trade-off evaluation.

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Format (explicit mode — visible thought trail):

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1. Thought N/M: [aspect] — one aspect per thought, state assumptions/uncertainty

2. Thought N/M [REVISION of Thought K]: ... — when prior reasoning invalidated; state Original / Why revised / Impact

3. Thought N/M [BRANCH A from Thought K]: ... — explore alternative; converge with decision rationale

4. Thought N/M [HYPOTHESIS]: ... then [VERIFICATION]: ... — test before acting

5. Thought N/N [FINAL] — only when verified, all critical aspects addressed, confidence >80%

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Mandatory closers: Confidence % stated · Assumptions listed · Open questions surfaced · Next action concrete.

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Stop conditions: confidence <80% on any critical decision → escalate via ask the user directly · ≥3 revisions on same thought → re-frame the problem · branch count >3 → split into sub-task.

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Implicit mode: apply methodology internally without visible markers when adding markers would clutter the response (routine work where reasoning aids accuracy).

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Deep-dive: see $sequential-thinking skill (.claude/skills/sequential-thinking/SKILL.md) for worked examples (api-design, debug, architecture), advanced techniques (spiral refinement, hypothesis testing, convergence), and meta-strategies (uncertainty handling, revision cascades).

<!-- /SYNC:sequential-thinking-protocol -->

<!-- SYNC:double-round-trip-review -->

Fix-Triggered Re-Review Loop — Re-review is triggered by a FIX CYCLE, not by a round number. Review purpose: review → if issues → fix → re-review until a round finds no issues. A clean review ENDS the loop — no further rounds required.

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Round 1: Main-session review. Read target files, build understanding, note issues. Output findings + verdict (PASS / FAIL).

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Decision after Round 1:

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- No issues found (PASS, zero findings) → review ENDS. Do NOT spawn a fresh sub-agent for confirmation.

- Issues found (FAIL, or any non-zero findings) → fix the issues, then spawn a fresh sub-agent for Round 2 re-review.

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Fresh sub-agent re-review (after every fix cycle): Spawn a NEW spawn_agent tool call — never reuse a prior agent. Sub-agent re-reads ALL files from scratch with ZERO memory of prior rounds. See SYNC:fresh-context-review for the spawn mechanism and SYNC:review-protocol-injection for the canonical Agent prompt template. Each fresh round must catch:

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- Cross-cutting concerns missed in the prior round

- Interaction bugs between changed files

- Convention drift (new code vs existing patterns)

- Missing pieces that should exist but don't

- Subtle edge cases the prior round rationalized away

- Regressions introduced by the fixes themselves

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Loop termination: After each fresh round, repeat the same decision: clean → END; issues → fix → next fresh round. Continue until a round finds zero issues, or 3 fresh-subagent rounds max, then escalate to user via a direct user question.

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Rules:

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- A clean Round 1 ENDS the review — no mandatory Round 2

- NEVER skip the fresh sub-agent re-review after a fix cycle (every fix invalidates the prior verdict)

- NEVER reuse a sub-agent across rounds — every iteration spawns a NEW Agent call

- Main agent READS sub-agent reports but MUST NOT filter, reinterpret, or override findings

- Max 3 fresh-subagent rounds per review — if still FAIL, escalate via a direct user question (do NOT silently loop)

- Track round count in conversation context (session-scoped)

- Final verdict must incorporate ALL rounds executed

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Report must include `## Round N Findings (Fresh Sub-Agent)` for every round N≥2 that was executed.

<!-- /SYNC:double-round-trip-review -->

<!-- SYNC:fresh-context-review -->

Fresh Sub-Agent Review — Eliminate orchestrator confirmation bias via isolated sub-agents.

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Why: The main agent knows what it (or $cook) just fixed and rationalizes findings accordingly. A fresh sub-agent has ZERO memory, re-reads from scratch, and catches what the main agent dismissed. Sub-agent bias is mitigated by (1) fresh context, (2) verbatim protocol injection, (3) main agent not filtering the report.

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When: ONLY after a fix cycle. A review round that finds zero issues ENDS the loop — do NOT spawn a confirmation sub-agent. A review round that finds issues triggers: fix → fresh sub-agent re-review.

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How:

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1. Spawn a NEW spawn_agent tool call — use code-reviewer agent_type for code reviews, general-purpose for plan/doc/artifact reviews

2. Inject ALL required review protocols VERBATIM into the prompt — see SYNC:review-protocol-injection for the full list and template. Never reference protocols by file path; AI compliance drops behind file-read indirection (see SYNC:shared-protocol-duplication-policy)

3. Sub-agent re-reads ALL target files from scratch via its own tool calls — never pass file contents inline in the prompt

4. Sub-agent writes structured report to plans/reports/{review-type}-round{N}-{date}.md

5. Main agent reads the report, integrates findings into its own report, DOES NOT override or filter

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Rules:

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- SKIP fresh sub-agent when the prior round found zero issues (no fixes = nothing new to verify)

- NEVER skip fresh sub-agent after a fix cycle — every fix invalidates the prior verdict

- NEVER reuse a sub-agent across rounds — every fresh round spawns a NEW spawn_agent call

- Max 3 fresh-subagent rounds per review — escalate via a direct user question if still failing; do NOT silently loop or fall back to any prior protocol

- Track iteration count in conversation context (session-scoped, no persistent files)

<!-- /SYNC:fresh-context-review -->

<!-- SYNC:cross-service-check -->

Cross-Service Check — Microservices/event-driven: MANDATORY before concluding investigation, plan, spec, or feature doc. Missing downstream consumer = silent regression.

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| Boundary | Grep terms |

| ------------------- | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |

| Event producers | Publish, Dispatch, Send, emit, EventBus, outbox, IntegrationEvent |

| Event consumers | Consumer, EventHandler, Subscribe, @EventListener, inbox |

| Sagas/orchestration | Saga, ProcessManager, Choreography, Workflow, Orchestrator |

| Sync service calls | HTTP/gRPC calls to/from other services |

| Shared contracts | OpenAPI spec, proto, shared DTO — flag breaking changes |

| Data ownership | Other service reads/writes same table/collection → Shared-DB anti-pattern |

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Per touchpoint: owner service · message name · consumers · risk (NONE / ADDITIVE / BREAKING).

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BLOCKED until: Producers scanned · Consumers scanned · Sagas checked · Contracts reviewed · Breaking-change risk flagged

<!-- /SYNC:cross-service-check -->

<!-- SYNC:review-protocol-injection -->

Review Protocol Injection — Every fresh sub-agent review prompt MUST embed 10 protocol blocks VERBATIM. The template below has ALL 10 bodies already expanded inline. Copy the template wholesale into the Agent call's prompt field at runtime, replacing only the {placeholders} in Task / Round / Reference Docs / Target Files / Output sections with context-specific values. Do NOT touch the embedded protocol sections.

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Why inline expansion: Placeholder markers would force file-read indirection at runtime. AI compliance drops significantly behind indirection (see SYNC:shared-protocol-duplication-policy). Therefore the template carries all 10 protocol bodies pre-embedded.

Subagent Type Selection

• code-reviewer — for code reviews (reviewing source files, git diffs, implementation)
• general-purpose — for plan / doc / artifact reviews (reviewing markdown plans, docs, specs)

Canonical Agent Call Template (Copy Verbatim)

spawn_agent({
  description: "Fresh Round {N} review",
  agent_type: "code-reviewer",
  prompt: `
## Task
{review-specific task — e.g., "Review all uncommitted changes for code quality" | "Review plan files under {plan-dir}" | "Review integration tests in {path}"}

## Round
Round {N}. You have ZERO memory of prior rounds. Re-read all target files from scratch via your own tool calls. Do NOT trust anything from the main agent beyond this prompt.

## Protocols (follow VERBATIM — these are non-negotiable)

### Evidence-Based Reasoning
Speculation is FORBIDDEN. Every claim needs proof.
1. Cite file:line, grep results, or framework docs for EVERY claim
2. Declare confidence: >80% act freely, 60-80% verify first, <60% DO NOT recommend
3. Cross-service validation required for architectural changes
4. "I don't have enough evidence" is valid and expected output
BLOCKED until: Evidence file path (file:line) provided; Grep search performed; 3+ similar patterns found; Confidence level stated.
Forbidden without proof: "obviously", "I think", "should be", "probably", "this is because".
If incomplete → output: "Insufficient evidence. Verified: [...]. Not verified: [...]."

### Bug Detection
MUST check categories 1-4 for EVERY review. Never skip.
1. Null Safety: Can params/returns be null? Are they guarded? Optional chaining gaps? .find() returns checked?
2. Boundary Conditions: Off-by-one (< vs <=)? Empty collections handled? Zero/negative values? Max limits?
3. Error Handling: Try-catch scope correct? Silent swallowed exceptions? Error types specific? Cleanup in finally?
4. Resource Management: Connections/streams closed? Subscriptions unsubscribed on destroy? Timers cleared? Memory bounded?
5. Concurrency (if async): Missing await? Race conditions on shared state? Stale closures? Retry storms?
6. Stack-Specific: JS: === vs ==, typeof null. C#: async void, missing using, LINQ deferred execution.
Classify: CRITICAL (crash/corrupt) → FAIL | HIGH (incorrect behavior) → FAIL | MEDIUM (edge case) → WARN | LOW (defensive) → INFO.

### Design Patterns Quality
Priority checks for every code change:
1. DRY via OOP: Same-suffix classes (*Entity, *Dto, *Service) MUST share base class. 3+ similar patterns → extract to shared abstraction.
2. Right Responsibility: Logic in LOWEST layer (Entity > Domain Service > Application Service > Controller). Never business logic in controllers.
3. SOLID: Single responsibility (one reason to change). Open-closed (extend, don't modify). Liskov (subtypes substitutable). Interface segregation (small interfaces). Dependency inversion (depend on abstractions).
4. After extraction/move/rename: Grep ENTIRE scope for dangling references. Zero tolerance.
5. YAGNI gate: NEVER recommend patterns unless 3+ occurrences exist. Don't extract for hypothetical future use.
Anti-patterns to flag: God Object, Copy-Paste inheritance, Circular Dependency, Leaky Abstraction.

### Logic & Intention Review
Verify WHAT code does matches WHY it was changed.
1. Change Intention Check: Every changed file MUST serve the stated purpose. Flag unrelated changes as scope creep.
2. Happy Path Trace: Walk through one complete success scenario through changed code.
3. Error Path Trace: Walk through one failure/edge case scenario through changed code.
4. Acceptance Mapping: If plan context available, map every acceptance criterion to a code change.
5. Tests Verify Intent: For test/spec changes, verify tests name the protected business rule or invariant and would fail if that intent breaks.
6. Migration Test Exclusion: Do not write tests for migration code. Schema/data migrations are one-time execution paths, not core application logic.
NEVER mark review PASS without completing both traces (happy + error path).

### Test Spec Verification
Map changed code to test specifications.
1. Identify the project's test/spec format from existing docs, test-case files, BDD feature files, or spec folders.
2. Every changed code path MUST map to a corresponding test case/spec (or flag as "needs test case").
3. New functions/endpoints/handlers → flag for test spec creation.
4. Migration files are excluded from test/spec creation; schema/data migrations are one-time execution paths, not core application logic.
5. If spec evidence fields exist, verify they point to actual code (file:line, not stale references).
6. Verify each meaningful test case names the business intent/invariant; flag behavior-only cases that only mirror implementation details.
7. Auth/data changes → verify corresponding authorization and data-state test cases exist.
8. If no specs exist for a changed path → log the gap and recommend the project's test-spec workflow.
NEVER skip test mapping. Untested code paths are the #1 source of production bugs.

### Behavioral Delta Matrix
MANDATORY for any bugfix review. Produce input-state × pre-fix × post-fix × delta table BEFORE writing verdict.
- Minimum 3 rows; include at least one row OUTSIDE the original bug report.
- Any "REGRESSION" delta → review returns FAIL until a preservation test is added.
- Narrative descriptions do NOT substitute for the matrix.
Example rows (external-record sync fix):
| Input                 | Pre-fix | Post-fix                  | Delta      |
| --------------------- | ------- | ------------------------- | ---------- |
| Record exists (valid) | Reused  | Always recreated → orphan | REGRESSION |
| Record missing (404)  | Error   | Recreated                 | Fixed      |

### Fix-Layer Accountability
NEVER fix at the crash site. Trace the full flow, fix at the owning layer. The crash site is a SYMPTOM, not the cause.
MANDATORY before ANY fix:
1. Trace full data flow — Map the complete path from data origin to crash site across ALL layers (storage → backend → API → frontend → UI). Identify where bad state ENTERS, not where it CRASHES.
2. Identify the invariant owner — Which layer's contract guarantees this value is valid? Fix at the LOWEST layer that owns the invariant, not the highest layer that consumes it.
3. One fix, maximum protection — If fix requires touching 3+ files with defensive checks, you are at the wrong layer — go lower.
4. Verify no bypass paths — Confirm all data flows through the fix point. Check for direct construction skipping factories, clone/spread without re-validation, raw data not wrapped in domain models, mutations outside the model layer.
BLOCKED until: Full data flow traced (origin → crash); Invariant owner identified with file:line evidence; All access sites audited (grep count); Fix layer justified (lowest layer that protects most consumers).
Anti-patterns (REJECT): "Fix it where it crashes" (crash site ≠ cause site, trace upstream); "Add defensive checks at every consumer" (scattered defense = wrong layer); "Both fix is safer" (pick ONE authoritative layer).

### Rationalization Prevention
AI skips steps via these evasions. Recognize and reject:
- "Too simple for a plan" → Simple + wrong assumptions = wasted time. Plan anyway.
- "I'll test after" → RED before GREEN. Write/verify test first.
- "Already searched" → Show grep evidence with file:line. No proof = no search.
- "Just do it" → Still need task tracking. Skip depth, never skip tracking.
- "Just a small fix" → Small fix in wrong location cascades. Verify file:line first.
- "Code is self-explanatory" → Future readers need evidence trail. Document anyway.
- "Combine steps to save time" → Combined steps dilute focus. Each step has distinct purpose.

### Graph-Assisted Investigation
MANDATORY when .code-graph/graph.db exists.
HARD-GATE: MUST run at least ONE graph command on key files before concluding any investigation.
Pattern: Grep finds files → trace --direction both reveals full system flow → Grep verifies details.
- Investigation/Scout: trace --direction both on 2-3 entry files
- Fix/Debug: callers_of on buggy function + tests_for
- Feature/Enhancement: connections on files to be modified
- Code Review: tests_for on changed functions
- Blast Radius: trace --direction downstream
CLI: python .claude/scripts/code_graph {command} --json. Use --node-mode file first (10-30x less noise), then --node-mode function for detail.

### Understand Code First
HARD-GATE: Do NOT write, plan, or fix until you READ existing code.
1. Search 3+ similar patterns (grep/glob) — cite file:line evidence.
2. Read existing files in target area — understand structure, base classes, conventions.
3. Run python .claude/scripts/code_graph trace <file> --direction both --json when .code-graph/graph.db exists.
4. Map dependencies via connections or callers_of — know what depends on your target.
5. Write investigation to .ai/workspace/analysis/ for non-trivial tasks (3+ files).
6. Re-read analysis file before implementing — never work from memory alone.
7. NEVER invent new patterns when existing ones work — match exactly or document deviation.
BLOCKED until: Read target files; Grep 3+ patterns; Graph trace (if graph.db exists); Assumptions verified with evidence.

## Reference Docs (READ before reviewing)
- docs/project-reference/code-review-rules.md
- {skill-specific reference docs — e.g., integration-test-reference.md for integration-test-review; backend-patterns-reference.md for backend reviews; frontend-patterns-reference.md for frontend reviews}

## Target Files
{explicit file list OR "run git diff to see uncommitted changes" OR "read all files under {plan-dir}"}

## Output
Write a structured report to plans/reports/{review-type}-round{N}-{date}.md with sections:
- Status: PASS | FAIL
- Issue Count: {number}
- Critical Issues (with file:line evidence)
- High Priority Issues (with file:line evidence)
- Medium / Low Issues
- Cross-cutting findings

Return the report path and status to the main agent.
Every finding MUST have file:line evidence. Speculation is forbidden.
`
})

Rules

• DO copy the template wholesale — including all 10 embedded protocol sections
• DO replace only the {placeholders} in Task / Round / Reference Docs / Target Files / Output sections with context-specific content
• DO choose code-reviewer agent_type for code reviews and general-purpose for plan / doc / artifact reviews
• DO NOT paraphrase, summarize, or skip any protocol section
• DO NOT pass file contents inline — the sub-agent reads via its own tool calls so it has a fresh context
• DO NOT reference protocols by file path or tag name — the bodies are already embedded above
• DO NOT introduce placeholder markers for the protocols — they must stay literally expanded

<!-- /SYNC:review-protocol-injection -->

<!-- SYNC:graph-impact-analysis -->

Graph Impact Analysis — When .code-graph/graph.db exists, run blast-radius --json to detect ALL files affected by changes (7 edge types: CALLS, MESSAGE_BUS, API_ENDPOINT, TRIGGERS_EVENT, PRODUCES_EVENT, TRIGGERS_COMMAND_EVENT, INHERITS). Compute gap: impacted_files - changed_files = potentially stale files. Risk: <5 Low, 5-20 Medium, >20 High. Use trace --direction downstream for deep chains on high-impact files.

<!-- /SYNC:graph-impact-analysis -->

<!-- SYNC:source-test-drift-check -->

Source/test drift check. For coding, fix, debug, investigation, test, or review work: when source behavior changes, inspect affected unit/integration/E2E tests and decide from evidence whether tests should change to match intended behavior or the source change is an unintended bug to fix. Do not write tests for migration code; schema/data migrations are one-time execution paths, not core application logic.

<!-- /SYNC:source-test-drift-check -->

<!-- SYNC:ai-mistake-prevention -->

AI Mistake Prevention — Failure modes to avoid on every task:

>

Check downstream references before deleting. Deleting components causes documentation and code staleness cascades. Map all referencing files before removal.

Verify AI-generated content against actual code. AI hallucinates APIs, class names, and method signatures. Always grep to confirm existence before documenting or referencing.

Trace full dependency chain after edits. Changing a definition misses downstream variables and consumers derived from it. Always trace the full chain.

Trace ALL code paths when verifying correctness. Confirming code exists is not confirming it executes. Always trace early exits, error branches, and conditional skips — not just happy path.

When debugging, ask "whose responsibility?" before fixing. Trace whether bug is in caller (wrong data) or callee (wrong handling). Fix at responsible layer — never patch symptom site.

Assume existing values are intentional — ask WHY before changing. Before changing any constant, limit, flag, or pattern: read comments, check git blame, examine surrounding code.

Verify ALL affected outputs, not just the first. Changes touching multiple stacks require verifying EVERY output. One green check is not all green checks.

Holistic-first debugging — resist nearest-attention trap. When investigating any failure, list EVERY precondition first (config, env vars, DB names, endpoints, DI registrations, data preconditions), then verify each against evidence before forming any code-layer hypothesis.

Surgical changes — apply the diff test. Bug fix: every changed line must trace directly to the bug. Don't restyle or improve adjacent code. Enhancement task: implement improvements AND announce them explicitly.

Surface ambiguity before coding — don't pick silently. If request has multiple interpretations, present each with effort estimate and ask. Never assume all-records, file-based, or more complex path.

<!-- /SYNC:ai-mistake-prevention -->

<!-- SYNC:double-round-trip-review:reminder -->

• MANDATORY IMPORTANT MUST ATTENTION execute the review loop: review → if issues → fix → fresh sub-agent re-review. A round that finds zero issues ENDS the review.

<!-- /SYNC:double-round-trip-review:reminder -->

<!-- SYNC:graph-impact-analysis:reminder -->

IMPORTANT MUST ATTENTION run graph blast-radius on changed files to find potentially stale consumers/handlers (when graph.db exists).

<!-- /SYNC:graph-impact-analysis:reminder -->

<!-- SYNC:critical-thinking-mindset:reminder -->

MUST ATTENTION apply critical thinking — every claim needs traced proof, confidence >80% to act. Anti-hallucination: never present guess as fact.

<!-- /SYNC:critical-thinking-mindset:reminder -->

<!-- SYNC:sequential-thinking-protocol:reminder -->

MUST ATTENTION apply sequential-thinking — multi-step Thought N/M, REVISION/BRANCH/HYPOTHESIS markers, confidence % closer; see $sequential-thinking skill.

<!-- /SYNC:sequential-thinking-protocol:reminder -->

<!-- SYNC:ai-mistake-prevention:reminder -->

MUST ATTENTION apply AI mistake prevention — holistic-first debugging, fix at responsible layer, surface ambiguity before coding, re-read files after compaction.

<!-- /SYNC:ai-mistake-prevention:reminder -->

<!-- SYNC:task-tracking-external-report:reminder -->

• MANDATORY Bootstrap task tracking before target work; transition one task at a time.
• MANDATORY Persist plan/review findings to plans/reports/ incrementally and synthesize from disk.

<!-- /SYNC:task-tracking-external-report:reminder -->

<!-- SYNC:project-reference-docs-guide:reminder -->

• MANDATORY After task-tracking bootstrap and before target/source work, read required project-reference docs and cite Reference docs read: ....
• MANDATORY Always include lessons.md; project conventions override generic defaults.

<!-- /SYNC:project-reference-docs-guide:reminder -->

<!-- SYNC:nested-task-creation:reminder -->

• MANDATORY Parent workflow rows do not replace child phase tracking; expand phases and link the parent when nested.
• MANDATORY Orchestrators pre-expand child skill phases before invocation; use [N.M] $skill-name — phase prefixes and one-in_progress discipline.

<!-- /SYNC:nested-task-creation:reminder -->

<!-- PROMPT-ENHANCE:STEP-TASK-CLOSING:START -->

Prompt-Enhance Closing Anchors

IMPORTANT MUST ATTENTION follow declared step order for this skill; NEVER skip, reorder, or merge steps without explicit user approval IMPORTANT MUST ATTENTION for every step/sub-skill call: set in_progress before execution, set completed after execution IMPORTANT MUST ATTENTION every skipped step MUST include explicit reason; every completed step MUST include concise evidence IMPORTANT MUST ATTENTION if Task tools unavailable, maintain an equivalent step-by-step plan tracker with synchronized statuses

<!-- PROMPT-ENHANCE:STEP-TASK-CLOSING:END -->

Closing Reminders

[BLOCKING] Break work into small todo tasks using task tracking BEFORE starting. [BLOCKING] Validate decisions with user via a direct user question — never auto-decide. [REQUIRED] Add a final review todo task to verify work quality. [BLOCKING] READ the following files before starting:

[TASK-PLANNING] Before acting, analyze task scope and systematically break it into small todo tasks and sub-tasks using task tracking.

[IMPORTANT] Analyze how big the task is and break it into many small todo tasks systematically before starting — this is very important.

---

Closing reminder — Easy to Change is the success metric. Every finding,

test, refactor, and abstraction must answer one question: _does this make

the next change cheaper or more expensive?_ If it doesn't reduce future

change cost, reject it. Coupling, hidden state, duplicated knowledge, and

unclear intent are the real enemies — call them out by name.

<!-- CODEX:SYNC-PROMPT-PROTOCOLS:START -->

Hookless Prompt Protocol Mirror (Auto-Synced)

Source: .claude/hooks/lib/prompt-injections.cjs + .claude/.ck.json

[WORKFLOW-EXECUTION-PROTOCOL] [BLOCKING] Workflow Execution Protocol — MANDATORY IMPORTANT MUST CRITICAL. Do not skip for any reason.

Generic portability boundary: Reusable skills and protocol text stay project-neutral; project-specific conventions are discovered from docs/project-config.json and docs/project-reference/. Apply shared AI-SDD from shared/sdd-artifact-contract.md. Read docs/project-config.json and docs/project-reference/docs-index-reference.md, then open the project reference docs named there. Any supported AI tool may execute when this shared context and local docs are available.

1. DETECT: Match prompt against workflow catalog 2. ANALYZE: Find best-match workflow AND evaluate if a custom step combination would fit better 3. ASK (REQUIRED FORMAT): Use a direct user question with this structure unless the user explicitly invoked a workflow/skill and the local protocol treats explicit invocation as confirmation:

• Question: "Which workflow do you want to activate?"
• Option 1: "Activate [BestMatch Workflow] (Recommended)"
• Option 2: "Activate custom workflow: [step1 → step2 → ...]" (include one-line rationale)

4. ACTIVATE (if confirmed): Call $workflow-start <workflowId> for standard; sequence custom steps manually 5. CREATE TASKS: task tracking for ALL workflow steps 6. EXECUTE: Follow each step in sequence [CRITICAL-THINKING-MINDSET] Apply critical thinking, sequential thinking. Every claim needs traced proof, confidence >80% to act. Anti-hallucination principle: Never present guess as fact — cite sources for every claim, admit uncertainty freely, self-check output for errors, cross-reference independently, stay skeptical of own confidence — certainty without evidence root of all hallucination. AI Attention principle (Primacy-Recency): Put the 3 most critical rules at both top and bottom of long prompts/protocols so instruction adherence survives long context windows. Goal-driven execution: Define success criteria first, loop until verified, and stop only when observable checks pass. Tests verify intent: Tests must protect business rules/invariants and fail when the protected intent breaks, not only mirror current behavior.

[LESSON-LEARNED-REMINDER] [BLOCKING] Task Planning & Continuous Improvement — MANDATORY. Do not skip.

Break work into small tasks (task tracking) before starting. Add final task: "Analyze AI mistakes & lessons learned".

Extract lessons — ROOT CAUSE ONLY, not symptom fixes:

1. Name the FAILURE MODE (reasoning/assumption failure), not symptom — "assumed API existed without reading source" not "used wrong enum value". 2. Generality test: does this failure mode apply to ≥3 contexts/codebases? If not, abstract one level up. 3. Write as a universal rule — strip project-specific names/paths/classes. Useful on any codebase. 4. Consolidate: multiple mistakes sharing one failure mode → ONE lesson. 5. Recurrence gate: "Would this recur in future session WITHOUT this reminder?" — No → skip $learn. 6. Auto-fix gate: "Could $code-review/$code-simplifier/$security/$lint catch this?" — Yes → improve review skill instead. 7. BOTH gates pass → ask user to run $learn. [TASK-PLANNING] [MANDATORY] BEFORE executing any workflow or skill step, create/update task tracking for all planned steps, then keep it synchronized as each step starts/completes.

<!-- CODEX:SYNC-PROMPT-PROTOCOLS:END -->