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Glossary

Welcome to the SpecWeave Glossary - your comprehensive reference for terminology used throughout the documentation.

How to Use This Glossary​

  • Browse alphabetically using the sections below
  • Use your browser's search (Ctrl+F / Cmd+F) to find specific terms
  • Check the Index by Category for grouped terms

Core Concepts​

Acceptance Criteria (AC)​

Specific, measurable conditions that must be met for a user story to be considered complete. In SpecWeave, ACs are tracked in spec.md and automatically linked to tasks.

Increment​

A unit of work in SpecWeave representing a feature, enhancement, or fix. Each increment has a unique ID (e.g., 0153) and contains spec.md, tasks.md, and plan.md.

Living Docs​

Self-updating documentation that stays synchronized with code through SpecWeave's sync system. Living docs include specs, ADRs, and architecture documentation.

SpecWeave​

A spec-driven development framework that combines structured specifications with AI-powered implementation and autonomous workflows.

User Story (US)​

A high-level description of a feature from the user's perspective, typically following the format: "As a [user], I want [feature], so that [benefit]."

Development Terms​

ADR (Architecture Decision Record)​

A document capturing an important architectural decision, its context, and rationale. ADRs are stored in .specweave/docs/internal/architecture/adr/.

Hook​

A script that executes automatically at specific points in the SpecWeave workflow (e.g., after task completion, before increment start).

Task​

A specific, actionable work item within an increment. Tasks are defined in tasks.md and link to acceptance criteria.

TDD (Test-Driven Development)​

A development approach where tests are written before implementation code. SpecWeave supports TDD through /sw:tdd-cycle command.

AI and Automation​

Autonomous Mode​

SpecWeave's /sw:auto feature that executes tasks continuously without manual intervention until all work is complete.

Claude Code​

Anthropic's CLI tool that integrates with SpecWeave for AI-powered development assistance.

Model Hints​

Task annotations (⚡ Haiku, 🧠 Sonnet, 💎 Opus) that optimize cost and speed by selecting the appropriate AI model.

Integration Terms​

External Sync​

Integration with external project management tools like GitHub Issues, JIRA, or Azure DevOps.

GitHub Sync​

SpecWeave's ability to create and update GitHub issues automatically based on increments and user stories.

Multi-Project Setup​

Configuration where SpecWeave manages multiple related projects (e.g., frontend, backend, shared libraries) from a single umbrella directory.

SEO and Documentation​

Schema.org​

Structured data vocabulary used to markup content for search engines. SpecWeave docs use Organization and SoftwareApplication schemas.

WebP​

Modern image format that provides superior compression (~30-50% smaller) compared to JPEG/PNG.

robots.txt​

File that tells search engine crawlers which pages to index and where to find the sitemap.

Status and Workflow​

Backlog​

Increments that are planned but not yet started (status: backlog).

Completed​

Increments that have passed validation and been approved (status: completed).

In Progress​

Increments actively being worked on (status: in_progress).

Paused​

Increments temporarily suspended due to blockers or deprioritization (status: paused).

Planned​

Increments with completed specs and plans, ready for implementation (status: planned).

Need more context? Check the Index by Category for grouped terminology.