huangjia2019/sdd-in-action/bmad-dev-story

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: 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

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. Begin the workflow below.

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: 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

Available Options:

1. Run create-story to create next story from epics with comprehensive context
2. Run *validate-create-story to improve existing stories
3. Specify which story to develop

</output> <ask>What would you like to do? Choose option [1], [2], or [3]:</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>It's unclear what story you want developed. Please provide the full path to the story file:</ask> <action>Store user-provided story path as {{story_path}}</action> <action>Continue with provided story file</action> </check> </check>

<check if="ready-for-dev story found in files"> <action>Use discovered story file and extract story_key</action> </check> </check>

<action>Store the found story_key (e.g., "1-2-user-authentication") for later status updates</action> <action>Find matching story file in {implementation_artifacts} using story_key pattern: {{story_key}}.md</action> <action>Read COMPLETE story file from discovered path</action>

<anchor id="task_check" />

<action>Parse sections: Story, Acceptance Criteria, Tasks/Subtasks, Dev Notes, Dev Agent Record, File List, Change Log, Status</action>

<action>Load comprehensive context from story file's Dev Notes section</action> <action>Extract developer guidance from Dev Notes: architecture requirements, previous learnings, technical specifications</action> <action>Use enhanced story context to inform implementation decisions and approaches</action>

<action>Identify first incomplete task (unchecked [ ]) in Tasks/Subtasks</action>

<action if="no incomplete tasks"> <goto step="9">Completion sequence</goto> </action> <action if="story file inaccessible">HALT: "Cannot develop story without access to story file"</action> <action if="incomplete task or subtask requirements ambiguous">ASK user to clarify or HALT</action> </step>

<step n="2" goal="Load project context and story information"> <critical>Load all available context to inform implementation</critical>

<action>Load {project_context} for coding standards and project-wide patterns (if exists)</action> <action>Parse sections: Story, Acceptance Criteria, Tasks/Subtasks, Dev Notes, Dev Agent Record, File List, Change Log, Status</action> <action>Load comprehensive context from story file's Dev Notes section</action> <action>Extract developer guidance from Dev Notes: architecture requirements, previous learnings, technical specifications</action> <action>Use enhanced story context to inform implementation decisions and approaches</action> <output>✅ Context Loaded Story and project context available for implementation </output> </step>

<step n="3" goal="Detect review continuation and extract review context"> <critical>Determine if this is a fresh start or continuation after code review</critical>

<action>Check if "Senior Developer Review (AI)" section exists in the story file</action> <action>Check if "Review Follow-ups (AI)" subsection exists under Tasks/Subtasks</action>

<check if="Senior Developer Review section exists"> <action>Set review_continuation = true</action> <action>Extract from "Senior Developer Review (AI)" section:

• Review outcome (Approve/Changes Requested/Blocked)
• Review date
• Total action items with checkboxes (count checked vs unchecked)
• Severity breakdown (High/Med/Low counts)

</action> <action>Count unchecked [ ] review follow-up tasks in "Review Follow-ups (AI)" subsection</action> <action>Store list of unchecked review items as {{pending_review_items}}</action>

<output>⏯️ Resuming Story After Code Review ({{review_date}})