Spec Template

A comprehensive template for writing application specifications and technical documentation.

🚀 Quick Start

Option 1: Copy Templates to Your Project

# Copy the templates folder to your project root
cp -r templates/ your-project-name/
cd your-project-name

Option 2: Use as Reference

Browse the templates/ folder to see all available templates and copy individual files as needed.

📋 Template Structure

All templates are located in the templates/ folder:

templates/
├── README.md              # Main index with links to all components
├── REQUIREMENTS.md        # Requirements template
├── TODO.md                # Project tracking and milestones
├── INVESTIGATION.md       # Research and pre-work documentation
├── DESIGN.md              # System design and architecture
├── .agent                 # Agent guidance for consistent support
├── .gitignore             # Git ignore file for common files
└── decisions/             # Decisions
    ├── 0000-template.md   # Decision template
    └── 0001-example-decision.md # Example decision

📁 Table of Contents

Core Documents

• templates/REQUIREMENTS.md - Requirements
• templates/TODO.md - Project tracking and milestones
• templates/DESIGN.md - System design and architecture

Research & Investigation

• templates/INVESTIGATION.md - Research, analysis, and pre-work documentation

Decisions

• templates/decisions/ - Decisions directory
  • templates/decisions/0000-template.md - Decision template
  • templates/decisions/0001-example-decision.md - Example decision

Cursor Rules

• .cursor/rules/spec-process.mdc - Cursor rules for spec template assistance

🎯 Getting Started

1. Copy the templates: cp -r templates/ your-project-name/
2. Start with the TODO: Review TODO.md to understand the project phases
3. Write the Requirements: Begin with REQUIREMENTS.md to define what you're building
4. Conduct Research: Use INVESTIGATION.md to document your research and analysis
5. Design the System: Work through DESIGN.md to create your system design
6. Document Decisions: Create decisions in the decisions/ directory for key architectural choices

📝 Usage Guidelines

When to Use This Template

• New application development
• Major system redesigns
• Complex feature implementations
• Technical architecture planning

Workflow

1. Discovery Phase: Fill out REQUIREMENTS and conduct initial research
2. Design Phase: Create system design and document architectural decisions
3. Implementation Phase: Build according to the design
4. Documentation Phase: Update documentation based on implementation learnings

Best Practices

• Keep documents up to date as the project evolves
• Create decisions for all significant architectural choices
• Use clear, concise language in all documents
• Include diagrams and visual aids where helpful
• Reference external resources and research in investigation docs

Cursor Integration

This template includes Cursor rules that provide intelligent assistance when working with specifications. The rules help with:

• Phase-specific guidance and best practices
• Quality standards and review processes
• Common assistance patterns and workflows
• Communication guidelines for effective collaboration

🔧 Customization

Modifying Templates

Feel free to customize the templates to fit your organization's needs:

• Update branding and company information
• Add or remove sections based on your requirements
• Modify the workflow to match your development process
• Adjust the decision template to match your decision-making process

Adding New Templates

To add new templates:

1. Create your new template file in the templates/ folder
2. Update this README.md to include the new template
3. Consider updating the .agent file if the new template requires special guidance

🤝 Contributing

Template Improvements

If you have suggestions for improving the templates:

1. Fork this repository
2. Make your improvements
3. Submit a pull request with a clear description of changes

Sharing Best Practices

Consider sharing:

• Additional template examples
• Industry-specific adaptations
• Workflow improvements
• Tool integrations

📚 Additional Resources

Documentation Standards

• IEEE Software Requirements Specification
• ISO/IEC/IEEE 29148
• Agile Requirements Engineering

Decisions

System Design Resources

• System Design Primer
• Clean Architecture
• Domain-Driven Design

📄 License

This template is provided as-is for educational and professional use. Feel free to adapt and modify for your projects.

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Happy Spec Writing! 🎉