A reusable spec-driven development (SDD) framework for AI-assisted coding tools that guides TDD-based development through structured phases.
| Tool | Status | Invocation |
|---|---|---|
| VS Code Copilot | Supported | /sdd.start, @sdd-start |
| Claude Code | Supported | /sdd-start, /sdd-start-issue |
| VS Code Copilot | Claude Code |
|---|---|
/sdd.init-project |
/sdd-init-project |
The AI will ask about your tech stack, architecture, and preferences, then generate a complete project structure with Prospect configured.
| VS Code Copilot | Claude Code |
|---|---|
/sdd.onboard |
/sdd-onboard |
The AI will analyze your codebase to discover tech stack, naming conventions, linting rules, and test patterns, then generate matching standards files.
If you prefer manual setup:
- Copy this folder to your project root
- Customize standards in
standards/global/for your tech stack - Start a feature with
/sdd.start(Copilot) or/sdd-start(Claude Code)
# Bash (Linux/macOS/Git Bash)
curl -fsSL https://raw.githubusercontent.com/prodigy-sln/prospect/main/install.sh | bash
# PowerShell (Windows)
irm https://raw.githubusercontent.com/prodigy-sln/prospect/main/install.ps1 | iexThe script detects whether you are running interactively and prompts you to choose which toolchain(s) to install (Claude Code, VS Code Copilot, or both). Shared files (standards/, specs/, product/) are always installed.
| Flag (bash) | Flag (PowerShell) | Description |
|---|---|---|
--claude |
-Claude |
Install Claude Code toolchain only |
--copilot |
-Copilot |
Install VS Code Copilot toolchain only |
--all |
-All |
Install both toolchains (default) |
--help |
-Help |
Show usage information |
To install a specific version instead of the latest release:
# Bash — pin to a version tag
curl -fsSL https://raw.githubusercontent.com/prodigy-sln/prospect/main/install.sh | bash -s -- v1.2.0
# PowerShell — pin to a version tag
irm https://raw.githubusercontent.com/prodigy-sln/prospect/main/install.ps1 | iex -Args v1.2.0Re-run the same install command at any time to update to the latest release:
curl -fsSL https://raw.githubusercontent.com/prodigy-sln/prospect/main/install.sh | bashThe update process is safe for your customizations:
- Unmodified framework files — updated silently to the new version.
- Files you have modified — the new version is saved alongside as
<filename>.prospect-incoming. Review the diff and merge manually (or ask your AI coding tool to help). - Your content —
specs/active/,specs/implemented/,product/mission.md, andproduct/roadmap.mdare never touched.
After an update that produced conflicts, the script prints a summary of all .prospect-incoming files with the paths you need to review.
Manual Installation (fallback)
Copy the Prospect framework contents to your project:
cp -r prospect/.github /path/to/your/project/ # VS Code Copilot
cp -r prospect/.claude /path/to/your/project/ # Claude Code
cp -r prospect/CLAUDE.md /path/to/your/project/ # Claude Code
cp -r prospect/standards /path/to/your/project/ # Shared
cp -r prospect/specs /path/to/your/project/ # Shared
cp -r prospect/product /path/to/your/project/ # OptionalYour project structure should include:
your-project/
├── .prospect-version # Installed version tag (e.g. v1.0.0)
├── .prospect-manifest.json # Per-file checksums for update tracking
├── CLAUDE.md # Claude Code project instructions
│
├── .claude/ # Claude Code
│ ├── skills/ # Slash commands (/sdd-*)
│ │ ├── sdd-init-project/SKILL.md
│ │ ├── sdd-onboard/SKILL.md
│ │ ├── sdd-start/SKILL.md
│ │ ├── sdd-start-issue/SKILL.md # Issue-driven unguided pipeline
│ │ ├── sdd-clarify/SKILL.md # Requirements clarification via issue tracker
│ │ ├── sdd-initiate/SKILL.md
│ │ ├── sdd-shape/SKILL.md
│ │ ├── sdd-discuss/SKILL.md # Optional agent team discussion
│ │ ├── sdd-specify/SKILL.md
│ │ ├── sdd-architect/SKILL.md # Optional architecture planning
│ │ ├── sdd-tasks/SKILL.md
│ │ ├── sdd-implement/SKILL.md
│ │ ├── sdd-validate/SKILL.md
│ │ └── sdd-complete/SKILL.md
│ │
│ └── agents/ # TDD subagents
│ ├── sdd-architect.md # Architecture planning agent
│ ├── sdd-test-writer.md
│ ├── sdd-implementer.md
│ ├── sdd-refactorer.md # Quality-gated refactoring
│ ├── sdd-review-correctness.md # Correctness review (behavioral)
│ ├── sdd-review-coverage.md # Coverage review (test gaps)
│ ├── sdd-review-quality.md # Quality review (patterns, security, scope)
│ └── sdd-verifier.md # Quality gates + test verification
│
├── .github/ # VS Code Copilot
│ ├── agents/ # Agent definitions (14 files)
│ ├── prompts/ # Command wrappers (10 files)
│ ├── instructions/sdd-context.md # Shared context
│ └── copilot-instructions.md # Copilot-specific instructions
│
├── standards/ # Shared (both tool chains)
│ └── global/
│ ├── code-quality.md
│ ├── testing.md
│ └── git-workflow.md
│
├── specs/ # Shared
│ ├── active/
│ ├── implemented/
│ └── _templates/
│ ├── spec.template.md
│ └── tasks.template.md
│
├── product/ # Optional, shared
│ ├── mission.template.md
│ └── roadmap.template.md
│
└── [your project files]
┌─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐
│ PROJECT SETUP (New Projects Only) │
│ ───────────────────────────────── │
│ /sdd.init-project │
│ ├── Q&A: tech stack, architecture, testing │
│ ├── Generate project structure │
│ ├── Generate standards for your stack │
│ └── Create mission.md │
└─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┘
│
▼
┌─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐
│ FEATURE DEVELOPMENT (Repeatable) │
│ ──────────────────────────────── │
│ │
│ /sdd.clarify (Optional — before /sdd.start) │
│ └── Gather requirements from stakeholders via issue tracker │
│ │ │
│ ▼ [Stakeholder responds] │
│ │
│ /sdd.start (Phases 1-3 combined) │
│ ├── Creates feature branch │
│ ├── Searches codebase for similar features │
│ ├── Gathers requirements through Q&A │
│ ├── (Optional) /sdd.discuss — Agent team discussion │
│ └── Generates specification │
│ │ │
│ ▼ [User reviews spec] │
│ │
│ /sdd.architect (Optional) │
│ └── Architecture planning before task breakdown │
│ │ │
│ ▼ [User reviews architecture] │
│ │
│ /sdd.tasks (Phase 4) │
│ └── Creates TDD-ordered task breakdown │
│ │ │
│ ▼ [User reviews tasks] │
│ │
│ /sdd.implement (Phase 5) │
│ └── TDD implementation (Red-Green-Refactor) │
│ │ │
│ ▼ │
│ /sdd.validate (Phase 6) │
│ └── Parallel reviewers: correctness, coverage, quality │
│ │ │
│ ▼ │
│ /sdd.complete (Phase 7) │
│ └── Moves spec to implemented/, finalizes │
└─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┘
| Phase | VS Code Copilot | Claude Code | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| Setup (new) | /sdd.init-project |
/sdd-init-project |
Initialize new project |
| Setup (existing) | /sdd.onboard |
/sdd-onboard |
Onboard existing project |
| Phase | VS Code Copilot | Claude Code | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| — (optional) | — | /sdd-clarify [issue] |
Requirements clarification via issue tracker |
| 1-3 combined | /sdd.start [desc] |
/sdd-start [desc] |
Start new spec |
| 1 | /sdd.initiate |
/sdd-initiate |
Create branch and folder |
| 2 | /sdd.shape |
/sdd-shape |
Gather requirements |
| 2.5 (optional) | — | /sdd-discuss |
Agent team discussion (Claude Code only) |
| 3 | /sdd.specify |
/sdd-specify |
Generate specification |
| — (optional) | /sdd.architect |
/sdd-architect |
Architecture planning |
| 4 | /sdd.tasks |
/sdd-tasks |
Create TDD task breakdown |
| 5 | /sdd.implement |
/sdd-implement |
TDD implementation |
| 6 | /sdd.validate |
/sdd-validate |
Verify vs spec (parallel reviewers) |
| 7 | /sdd.complete |
/sdd-complete |
Finalize feature |
| — | — | /sdd-start-issue [id] |
Issue-driven unguided pipeline |
Invoke agents with @:
@sdd-start— Start new feature spec@sdd-tasks— Create task breakdown- etc.
Prospect includes optional product-level documents:
Defines project purpose, target users, and tech stack. Generated by /sdd.init-project or created manually from mission.template.md.
Optional local roadmap for feature planning. Not required if using external tools like Jira.
Roadmap → Specs flow:
Roadmap Item → /sdd.start "feature name" → Spec in specs/active/
Jira → Specs flow:
Jira Epic/Ticket → /sdd.start PROJ-123 → Spec in specs/active/
After each phase completes, the agent suggests the next command. In VS Code Copilot this appears as a clickable handoff button; in Claude Code as a text prompt with the next /sdd-* command.
All implementation follows Red-Green-Refactor:
- RED: Write failing tests first
- GREEN: Write minimal code to pass
- REFACTOR: Improve while keeping tests green
Before specifying new features, Prospect searches your codebase for:
- Similar features to reference
- Reusable components
- Patterns to follow
The "Out of Scope" section prevents feature creep:
- Explicitly lists what's NOT included
- Enforced during implementation
- Verified during validation
During shaping, /sdd-discuss spawns a stakeholder agent team — always including an Architect, plus 1-2 additional personas relevant to the feature (e.g., End User, Domain Expert, Product Owner) — to evaluate the plan from different perspectives before the spec is written. Uses Claude Code Agent Teams.
/sdd-architect produces a concise architecture plan between specification and task breakdown, covering key decisions, component design, data contracts, and integration points.
/sdd-validate launches 3 specialized reviewers in parallel alongside the verifier:
- Correctness reviewer — verifies implementation behavior matches spec requirements exactly
- Coverage reviewer — verifies all requirements have adequate test coverage
- Quality reviewer — checks code patterns, consistency, security, and scope compliance
Each reviewer has strict scope boundaries to prevent finding overlap, and uses a shared file manifest built by the orchestrator. Validation supports up to 2 passes with automatic escalation.
/sdd-clarify gathers requirements from stakeholders via issue tracker comments before spec writing. Works with Atlassian (Jira), Linear, or Notion MCP integrations when available; falls back to direct user interaction.
/sdd-start-issue takes a Jira issue ID or description and runs the full pipeline (start → architect → tasks → implement → validate) without requiring user interaction at each step.
If Atlassian MCP is available:
- Start from Jira issues:
/sdd.start PROJ-123 - Auto-fetch issue details and attachments
- Graceful fallback if unavailable
Specs currently in development:
specs/active/2025-01-29-user-auth/
├── spec.md # The specification
├── tasks.md # Task breakdown
├── requirements.md # Raw requirements from shaping
├── architecture.md # Architecture plan (optional, from /sdd-architect)
├── validation-report.md # Generated by validate phase
├── review-correctness.md # Correctness review (behavioral verification)
├── review-coverage.md # Coverage review (test gap analysis)
├── review-quality.md # Quality review (patterns, security, scope)
└── visuals/ # Mockups, wireframes
Completed specs (moved on completion).
Quality standards (customize for your stack):
code-quality.md- Code quality rulestesting.md- TDD and testing requirements
Optional product documentation:
mission.md- Project mission and overviewroadmap.md- Feature roadmap (if not using external tool)
- New projects: Use
/sdd.init-project(Copilot) or/sdd-init-project(Claude Code) - Always start features with a spec — Don't skip it
- Review before proceeding — Check specs and tasks before implementation
- Follow TDD strictly — Tests before code, always
- Respect scope — Out of scope means out of scope
- Follow the workflow — Let phase transitions guide you
Prospect supports two AI coding tools with parallel file structures:
- Prompt files (
.github/prompts/): Minimal wrappers for/sdd.*invocation - Agent files (
.github/agents/): Full instructions with handoff buttons
- Skills (
.claude/skills/sdd-*/SKILL.md): Slash commands for/sdd-*invocation - Subagents (
.claude/agents/sdd-*.md): TDD worker agents (test-writer, implementer, refactorer, verifier), architecture agent, and 3 specialized review agents (correctness, coverage, quality) - CLAUDE.md: Project instructions with
@imports to shared standards
- Standards (
standards/global/): Immutable quality constitutions - Templates (
specs/_templates/): Spec and task templates - Specs (
specs/active/,specs/implemented/): Feature specifications - Context (
.github/instructions/sdd-context.md): Workflow reference
MIT - Use freely in your projects.
Prospect is developed by prodigy.solutions