External Spec Integration Skill

Processes external specification files into the SDD workflow structure. Transforms product specs into classified tech spec context - specs are created interactively one at a time.

Purpose

When a user provides an external specification via /sdd I want to import an external spec:

• Archive the external spec to sdd/archive/external-specs/ (single copy, yyyymmdd-HHmm-filename format)
• TRANSFORM the spec: classify information, identify gaps, ask clarifying questions
• DISCOVER required components through targeted questions
• DECOMPOSE into workflow items with classified context
• Create workflow items with context in sdd/workflows/<id>-<name>/
• DO NOT create SPEC.md or PLAN.md files - those are created interactively

CRITICAL: External specs are product specs (WHAT/WHY). This skill transforms them into tech spec context (HOW) before decomposition.

Key Insight: External Specs Are Inherently Incomplete

Always assume external specs are lacking:

• Details not thought through by product people
• Technical implications not considered by non-engineers
• Missing edge cases, error handling, and non-functional requirements
• Implicit assumptions never made explicit

Critical asymmetry:

Area	Typical Detail Level	Action Required
User-Facing Interface	High	Extract and classify
UX/Design	High	Extract and classify
Integration Contracts	Low	Must be DERIVED from interface
Business Logic	Very Low	Must be extracted through questions
Persistence/Data	Very Low	Must be discovered from interface + actions
Non-Functional	Absent	Must be explicitly asked

When to Use

• During /sdd I want to import an external spec when external spec is provided

Input

Schema: schemas/input.schema.json

Accepts path to external spec file, target directory, workflow ID, and optional domain.

Output

Schema: schemas/output.schema.json

Returns archived spec path, workflow ID, hierarchical flag, and list of created workflow items.

Workflow Overview

1. Archive external spec to sdd/archive/external-specs/ via system CLI
2. Detect large specs (>15K tokens) and chunk if needed
3. Transform product spec: classify information, identify gaps, ask clarifying questions
4. Discover components via component-discovery skill (once for entire spec)
5. Present outline to user with hierarchical decomposition if applicable
6. Thinking step — domain analysis, specs impact, gap analysis, API-first ordering
7. Display thinking output for user review
8. Create workflow items via workflow-state skill
9. Create context files (context.md) for each leaf item
10. Return summary with transformation, components, items, and thinking output

Resource Files

For detailed guidance, read these on-demand:

• workflow-steps.md — Detailed steps 1-10 with YAML examples
• transformation.md — Classification, gap analysis, clarification process

Key Differences from Previous Version

Before	After
Created SPEC.md + PLAN.md immediately	Creates workflow items with context only
Archived to archive/	Archives to sdd/archive/external-specs/
No domain analysis	Comprehensive thinking step with domain extraction
No transformation	NEW: Transformation classifies and identifies gaps
No component discovery	NEW: Component discovery before decomposition
Order in session only	Order persisted in workflow.yaml
All specs created upfront	Specs created one at a time through solicitation
Modal dialogs for questions	NEW: Non-blocking conversational questions

Dependencies

This skill orchestrates:

• workflow-state - Creates workflow and items
• component-discovery - Identifies needed components (NEW)
• spec-decomposition - Analyzes spec structure with thinking step

Trigger: /sdd I want to import an external spec command.

Workflow Steps Summary

Step	Action	Output
1	Archive External Spec	sdd/archive/external-specs/...
2	Detect Large Specs	Size estimation, chunking plan
3	Transformation	Classification, gaps, clarifications
4	Component Discovery	Components list (not applied)
5	Present Outline	User reviews structure
6	Thinking Step	Domain analysis, dependencies
7	Display Thinking	User confirms analysis
8	Create Workflow Items	Items in workflow.yaml
9	Create Context Files	context.md for each item
10	Return Summary	Complete output

Notes

• External specs are product specs - they are transformed, not copied
• Transformation happens BEFORE decomposition
• Component discovery runs ONCE for entire spec (not per-item)
• Questions are non-blocking and conversational (no modal dialogs)
• All Q&A is preserved and flows into SPEC.md Requirements Discovery section
• Context files contain classified content for use during solicitation
• Items are processed one at a time - user reviews each spec before moving to next
• Hierarchical decomposition is mandatory for specs meeting criteria (2+ H1 with H2+)
• Numbers indicate implementation order based on API-first dependency sort
• Large specs (>15K tokens) use chunked processing with per-section progress