myclaude/skills/sparv/references/methodology.md

SPARV Methodology (Short)

This document is a quick reference; the canonical spec is in SKILL.md.

Five Phases

• Specify: Write requirements as verifiable specs (10-point gate)
• Plan: Break into atomic tasks (2-5 minute granularity)
• Act: TDD-driven implementation; write to journal every 2 actions
• Review: Spec conformance → Code quality; maximum 3 fix rounds
• Vault: Archive session (state + journal)

Enhanced Rules (v1.1)

Uncertainty Declaration (G3)

When any Specify dimension scores < 2:

• Declare: UNCERTAIN: <what> | ASSUMPTION: <fallback>
• List all assumptions in journal before Plan
• Offer 2-3 options for ambiguous requirements

Requirement Routing

Mode	Condition	Flow
Quick	score >= 9 AND <= 3 files AND no EHRB	Specify → Act → Review
Full	otherwise	Specify → Plan → Act → Review → Vault

Context Acquisition (Optional)

Before Specify scoring:

1. Check .sparv/kb.md for existing patterns/decisions
2. If insufficient, scan codebase for relevant files
3. Document findings in journal under ## Context

Knowledge Base Maintenance

During Vault phase, update .sparv/kb.md:

• Patterns: Reusable code patterns discovered
• Decisions: Architectural choices + rationale
• Gotchas: Common pitfalls + solutions

CHANGELOG Update

~/.claude/skills/sparv/scripts/changelog-update.sh --type <Added|Changed|Fixed|Removed> --desc "..."

Specify (10-Point Scale)

Each item scores 0/1/2, total 0-10; >=9 required to enter Plan:

1. Value: Why do it, are benefits/metrics verifiable
2. Scope: MVP + what's out of scope
3. Acceptance: Testable acceptance criteria
4. Boundaries: Error/performance/compatibility/security critical boundaries
5. Risk: EHRB/dependencies/unknowns + handling approach

If below threshold, keep asking—don't "just start coding."

Journal Convention (Unified Log)

All Plan/Progress/Findings go into .sparv/journal.md.

Recommended format (just append, no need to "insert into specific sections"):

## 14:32 - Action #12
- Tool: Edit
- Result: Updated auth flow
- Next: Add test for invalid token

2-Action Save

Hook triggers save-progress.sh after each tool call; script only writes to journal when action_count is even.

3-Failure Protocol

When you fail consecutively, escalate by level:

1. Diagnose and fix (read errors, verify assumptions, minimal fix)
2. Alternative approach (change strategy/entry point)
3. Escalate (stop: document blocker + attempted solutions + request user decision)

Tools:

~/.claude/skills/sparv/scripts/failure-tracker.sh fail --note "short reason"
~/.claude/skills/sparv/scripts/failure-tracker.sh reset

3-Question Reboot Test

Self-check before session ends (or when lost):

1. Where am I? (current_phase)
2. Where am I going? (next_phase)
3. How do I prove completion? (completion_promise + evidence at journal end)

~/.claude/skills/sparv/scripts/reboot-test.sh --strict

EHRB (High-Risk Changes)

Detection items (any match requires explicit user confirmation):

• Production access
• Sensitive data
• Destructive operations
• Billing external API
• Security-critical changes

~/.claude/skills/sparv/scripts/check-ehrb.sh --diff --fail-on-flags

state.yaml (Minimal Schema)

Scripts only enforce 4 core fields; other fields are optional:

session_id: "20260114-143022"
current_phase: "act"
action_count: 14
consecutive_failures: 0
max_iterations: 12
iteration_count: 0
completion_promise: "All acceptance criteria have tests and are green."
ehrb_flags: []