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validate-plan

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Validate that plan was correctly implemented, verify all success criteria

General

What this skill does


# Validate Plan

Validate that an implementation plan was correctly executed by comparing the plan's claims against the actual codebase state.

## Input

- If a plan path is provided, use it
- Otherwise, search `thoughts/shared/plans/` or ask the user

## Validation Steps

1. **Read the plan completely** — identify every phase, checkbox, success criterion, and manual verification item.

2. **Read every file the plan references** — source code, test files, config files. Compare what the plan says should exist against what actually exists.

3. **Run automated verification** — execute `make test` (or whatever the plan specifies). Capture full output.

4. **Compare plan claims to reality for each phase**:
   - Do checked items (`[x]`) match what's actually in the code?
   - Do function names, signatures, and behavior match what the plan specifies?
   - Are there deviations (renamed functions, changed parameters, extra code not in plan)?
   - Are there items marked complete that are missing or incomplete?

5. **Assess test quality** — don't just check that tests pass. Read the test code:
   - Do tests actually assert the expected behavior, or are assertions missing/trivial?
   - Do tests mock the method they're supposed to test (tautological tests)?
   - Do the plan's success criteria have corresponding test assertions?

6. **Look for regressions** — did the implementation break pre-existing methods or behavior? Check methods that aren't part of the plan but exist in modified files.

7. **Evaluate plan quality** — if the plan has vague or unmeasurable criteria ("handle edge cases well", "good performance"), flag them as unverifiable rather than inventing interpretations.

## Report Format

```markdown
## Validation Report: [Plan Name]

### Implementation Status
Phase N: [Name] — [Fully implemented | Deviations found | NOT implemented]

### Automated Verification
[Full test output, pass/fail count]

### Findings
[What matches the plan, what deviates, what's missing, what's broken]

### Recommendations
[What needs fixing before this can be considered complete]
```

## Key Principles

- A passing test suite does not mean the plan is satisfied — tests can lie.
- Checked checkboxes do not mean work is done — verify against actual code.
- "It works" is not the same as "it matches the plan" — semantic mismatches matter.
- Vague criteria cannot be validated — flag them, don't rubber-stamp them.
Files: 1
Size: 2.6 KB
Complexity: 10/100
Category: General

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