bmad-dev-story

What this skill does

# Dev Story Workflow

**Goal:** Execute story implementation following a context filled story spec file.

**Your Role:** Developer implementing the story.
- Communicate all responses in {communication_language} and language MUST be tailored to {user_skill_level}
- Generate all documents in {document_output_language}
- Only modify the story file in these areas: YAML frontmatter `baseline_commit`, Tasks/Subtasks checkboxes, Dev Agent Record (Debug Log, Completion Notes), File List, Change Log, and Status
- Execute ALL steps in exact order; do NOT skip steps
- Absolutely DO NOT stop because of "milestones", "significant progress", or "session boundaries". Continue in a single execution until the story is COMPLETE (all ACs satisfied and all tasks/subtasks checked) UNLESS a HALT condition is triggered or the USER gives other instruction.
- Do NOT schedule a "next session" or request review pauses unless a HALT condition applies. Only Step 9 decides completion.
- User skill level ({user_skill_level}) affects conversation style ONLY, not code updates.

## Conventions

- Bare paths (e.g. `steps/step-01-init.md`) resolve from the skill root.
- `{skill-root}` resolves to this skill's installed directory (where `customize.toml` lives).
- `{project-root}`-prefixed paths resolve from the project working directory.
- `{skill-name}` resolves to the skill directory's basename.

## On Activation

### Step 1: Resolve the Workflow Block

Run: `python3 {project-root}/_bmad/scripts/resolve_customization.py --skill {skill-root} --key workflow`

**If the script fails**, resolve the `workflow` block yourself by reading these three files in base → team → user order and applying the same structural merge rules as the resolver:

1. `{skill-root}/customize.toml` — defaults
2. `{project-root}/_bmad/custom/{skill-name}.toml` — team overrides
3. `{project-root}/_bmad/custom/{skill-name}.user.toml` — personal overrides

Any missing file is skipped. Scalars override, tables deep-merge, arrays of tables keyed by `code` or `id` replace matching entries and append new entries, and all other arrays append.

### Step 2: Execute Prepend Steps

Execute each entry in `{workflow.activation_steps_prepend}` in order before proceeding.

### Step 3: Load Persistent Facts

Treat every entry in `{workflow.persistent_facts}` as foundational context you carry for the rest of the workflow run. Entries prefixed `file:` are paths or globs under `{project-root}` — load the referenced contents as facts. All other entries are facts verbatim.

### Step 4: Load Config

Load config from `{project-root}/_bmad/bmm/config.yaml` and resolve:

- `project_name`, `user_name`
- `communication_language`, `document_output_language`
- `user_skill_level`
- `implementation_artifacts`
- `date` as system-generated current datetime
- `project_context` = `**/project-context.md` (load if exists)

### Step 5: Greet the User

Greet `{user_name}`, speaking in `{communication_language}`.

### Step 6: Execute Append Steps

Execute each entry in `{workflow.activation_steps_append}` in order.

Activation is complete. If `activation_steps_prepend` or `activation_steps_append` were non-empty, confirm every entry was executed in order before proceeding. Do not begin the main workflow until all activation steps have been completed.

## Paths

- `story_file` = `` (explicit story path; auto-discovered if empty)
- `sprint_status` = `{implementation_artifacts}/sprint-status.yaml`

## Execution

<workflow>
  <critical>Communicate all responses in {communication_language} and language MUST be tailored to {user_skill_level}</critical>
  <critical>Generate all documents in {document_output_language}</critical>
  <critical>Only modify the story file in these areas: YAML frontmatter `baseline_commit`, Tasks/Subtasks checkboxes, Dev Agent Record (Debug Log, Completion Notes), File List,
    Change Log, and Status</critical>
  <critical>Execute ALL steps in exact order; do NOT skip steps</critical>
  <critical>Absolutely DO NOT stop because of "milestones", "significant progress", or "session boundaries". Continue in a single execution
    until the story is COMPLETE (all ACs satisfied and all tasks/subtasks checked) UNLESS a HALT condition is triggered or the USER gives
    other instruction.</critical>
  <critical>Do NOT schedule a "next session" or request review pauses unless a HALT condition applies. Only Step 9 decides completion.</critical>
  <critical>User skill level ({user_skill_level}) affects conversation style ONLY, not code updates.</critical>

  <step n="1" goal="Find next ready story and load it" tag="sprint-status">
    <check if="{{story_path}} is provided">
      <action>Use {{story_path}} directly</action>
      <action>Read COMPLETE story file</action>
      <action>Extract story_key from filename or metadata</action>
      <goto anchor="task_check" />
    </check>

    <!-- Sprint-based story discovery -->
    <check if="{{sprint_status}} file exists">
      <critical>MUST read COMPLETE sprint-status.yaml file from start to end to preserve order</critical>
      <action>Load the FULL file: {{sprint_status}}</action>
      <action>Read ALL lines from beginning to end - do not skip any content</action>
      <action>Parse the development_status section completely to understand story order</action>

      <action>Find the FIRST story (by reading in order from top to bottom) where:
        - Key matches pattern: number-number-name (e.g., "1-2-user-auth")
        - NOT an epic key (epic-X) or retrospective (epic-X-retrospective)
        - Status value equals "ready-for-dev"
      </action>

      <check if="no ready-for-dev or in-progress story found">
        <output>📋 No ready-for-dev stories found in sprint-status.yaml

          **Current Sprint Status:** {{sprint_status_summary}}

          **What would you like to do?**
          1. Run `create-story` to create next story from epics with comprehensive context
          2. Run `*validate-create-story` to improve existing stories before development (recommended quality check)
          3. Specify a particular story file to develop (provide full path)
          4. Check {{sprint_status}} file to see current sprint status

          💡 **Tip:** Stories in `ready-for-dev` may not have been validated. Consider running `validate-create-story` first for a quality
          check.
        </output>
        <ask>Choose option [1], [2], [3], or [4], or specify story file path:</ask>

        <check if="user chooses '1'">
          <action>HALT - Run create-story to create next story</action>
        </check>

        <check if="user chooses '2'">
          <action>HALT - Run validate-create-story to improve existing stories</action>
        </check>

        <check if="user chooses '3'">
          <ask>Provide the story file path to develop:</ask>
          <action>Store user-provided story path as {{story_path}}</action>
          <goto anchor="task_check" />
        </check>

        <check if="user chooses '4'">
          <output>Loading {{sprint_status}} for detailed status review...</output>
          <action>Display detailed sprint status analysis</action>
          <action>HALT - User can review sprint status and provide story path</action>
        </check>

        <check if="user provides story file path">
          <action>Store user-provided story path as {{story_path}}</action>
          <goto anchor="task_check" />
        </check>
      </check>
    </check>

    <!-- Non-sprint story discovery -->
    <check if="{{sprint_status}} file does NOT exist">
      <action>Search {implementation_artifacts} for stories directly</action>
      <action>Find stories with "ready-for-dev" status in files</action>
      <action>Look for story files matching pattern: *-*-*.md</action>
      <action>Read each candidate story file to check Status section</action>

      <check if="no ready-for-dev stories found in story files">
        <output>📋 No ready-for-dev stories found