Module 06: Introduction to SpecWeave
Duration: 3-4 hours | Difficulty: Beginner
This is the pivotal module where everything changes. You've built a project the traditional way — now see how SpecWeave transforms the entire development process.
The Paradigm Shift
Traditional AI Development
You: "Write a task tracker CLI"
AI: [Generates code]
You: "Add validation"
AI: [Generates more code]
You: "Now add tests"
AI: [Generates tests]
Result: Code works, but...
- No requirements documented
- No architecture decisions
- No traceability
- No quality assurance
- Context lost forever
SpecWeave Development
You: "/sw:increment Task Tracker CLI"
PM Agent: Creates spec.md (requirements, user stories, ACs)
Architect Agent: Creates plan.md (architecture, ADRs)
Tech Lead Agent: Creates tasks.md (implementation plan, test plans)
You: "/sw:do"
[Code generated with FULL context]
You: "/sw:done"
[Quality validated, docs updated, report generated]
Result: Code works AND...
✓ Requirements documented
✓ Architecture decisions recorded
✓ Full traceability
✓ Quality gates passed
✓ Context preserved forever
What You'll Learn
- What SpecWeave is and why it matters
- The spec-driven development workflow
- Core commands and their purpose
- How AI agents work together
- Rebuilding the task tracker with SpecWeave
Module Lessons
| Lesson | Topic | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| 06.1 What is SpecWeave? | The philosophy and approach | 45 min |
| 06.2 Core Workflow | Increment → Do → Done → Next | 60 min |
| 06.3 Your First Increment | Hands-on with SpecWeave | 60 min |
| 06.4 Understanding the Artifacts | spec.md, plan.md, tasks.md | 45 min |
| 06.5 Advanced Commands | Save, sync, status management | 45 min |
Prerequisites
Before starting:
- ✅ Completed Modules 01-05
- ✅ Built the Task Tracker CLI
- ✅ SpecWeave installed (
npm install -g specweave) - ✅ Claude Code installed and configured
The Problem SpecWeave Solves
In Module 05, you built a task tracker. It works. But ask yourself:
| Question | Traditional Answer | SpecWeave Answer |
|---|---|---|
| What were the requirements? | "Uh, it tracks tasks?" | See spec.md |
| Why JSON instead of SQLite? | "It was easier" | ADR-001 in plan.md |
| What edge cases did we handle? | "Most of them, I think" | AC-US1-01 through AC-US1-05 |
| How do we know it's done? | "It works!" | All quality gates passed |
| What if we need to change it? | Start over? | Update spec, regenerate |
SpecWeave makes software development reproducible, documented, and professional.
Quick Preview
Here's what rebuilding the task tracker looks like with SpecWeave:
# Initialize SpecWeave in project
specweave init .
# Create increment (planning phase)
/sw:increment "Task Tracker CLI - add, list, complete, delete tasks"
# Review generated specs
cat .specweave/increments/0001-task-tracker-cli/spec.md
cat .specweave/increments/0001-task-tracker-cli/plan.md
cat .specweave/increments/0001-task-tracker-cli/tasks.md
# Execute the plan
/sw:do
# Validate and complete
/sw:done 0001
In one workflow, you get:
- Requirements documentation
- Architecture decisions
- Implementation plan with test scenarios
- Working code
- Quality validation
- Completion report
Let's Begin
Ready to transform how you build software?