056-design-avoid-breaking-changes
Use when you need to review a plan, OpenSpec change, specification, or implementation proposal for breaking-change risk across commands, skills, generated outputs, XML sources, README/docs, tests, CI, APIs, schemas, configuration, data, migration, and release guidance. This should trigger for requests such as Review breaking changes in this spec; Check compatibility risks; Avoid breaking changes in this OpenSpec change; Review migration impact before release; Assess command and skill compatibility. Part of Plinth Toolkit
git clone --depth 1 https://github.com/jabrena/plinth /tmp/056-design-avoid-breaking-changes && cp -r /tmp/056-design-avoid-breaking-changes/skills/056-design-avoid-breaking-changes ~/.claude/skills/056-design-avoid-breaking-changesSKILL.md
# Avoid Breaking Changes Review planned repository changes for breaking-change and compatibility risk before implementation or release promotion. **This is an interactive SKILL**. **What is covered in this Skill?** - Command contract compatibility: names, inputs, owning agents, outputs, safeguards, installer registration, and command inventories - Skill routing compatibility: identifiers, metadata, descriptions, triggers, references, generated local output, and acceptance coverage - Generated-output ownership: XML/source files versus `.agents/skills`, public `skills/`, `.cursor/commands`, `.cursor/rules`, and `docs/` - Source and generator contracts: XML, XInclude, XSLT, Maven modules, schema expectations, and module validation - README, localized README, changelog, migration, and deprecation guidance - External and runtime contracts: APIs, schemas, data formats, configuration keys, persistence, CLI behavior, and CI expectations - Structured compatibility reports with severity-ranked findings and validation guidance ## Constraints Keep the review evidence-based, read-only, and scoped to compatibility risk unless the user explicitly asks for implementation. - **MUST** read `references/056-design-avoid-breaking-changes.md` before producing compatibility guidance - **MUST** identify the source artifacts reviewed and the compatibility surfaces considered - **MUST** distinguish confirmed breaking changes, potential risks, non-breaking changes, and unknowns that need maintainer decision - **MUST** include migration, deprecation, validation, or release-note guidance for intentional breaking changes - **MUST** respect repository source ownership: edit XML and source docs, regenerate generated output through documented workflows, and avoid direct generated-output edits unless the repository explicitly owns that file - **MUST NOT** modify plans, specs, source files, generated outputs, or issue descriptions during review unless the user explicitly requests implementation ## When to use this skill - Review breaking changes in this spec - Check compatibility risks - Avoid breaking changes in this OpenSpec change - Review migration impact before release - Assess command and skill compatibility - Find generated output compatibility risks - Review API schema configuration or data contract changes ## Workflow 1. **Read the compatibility reference** Read `references/056-design-avoid-breaking-changes.md`, then identify the source artifacts to review, their authority, and whether the request is read-only review or approved implementation. 2. **Inventory compatibility surfaces** Check commands, skills, generated outputs, XML/source ownership, README/docs, tests, CI/build gates, external contracts, runtime behavior, data/configuration contracts, and release or migration guidance relevant to the proposed change. 3. **Classify findings** Classify each finding as `BREAKING`, `POTENTIALLY BREAKING`, `NON-BREAKING`, or `UNKNOWN`. Include the affected users, artifacts, contracts, and validation evidence or missing evidence. 4. **Recommend migration and validation** For each confirmed or potential risk, recommend deprecation, compatibility windows, migration notes, release-note updates, generator checks, focused tests, or owner decisions. 5. **Report the review outcome** Produce a concise compatibility report with reviewed sources, risk summary by surface, severity-ranked findings, recommended validation, and a clear no-risk statement when no breaking-change risks are found. ## Reference For detailed guidance, examples, and constraints, see [references/056-design-avoid-breaking-changes.md](references/056-design-avoid-breaking-changes.md).
Propose a new change with all artifacts generated in one step. Use when the user wants to quickly describe what they want to build and get a complete proposal with design, specs, and tasks ready for implementation.
Use when you need to generate a checklist document with embedded commands inventory, following the embedded template exactly and producing INVENTORY-COMMANDS-JAVA.md in the project root. This should trigger for requests such as Create embedded commands inventory checklist; Generate INVENTORY-COMMANDS-JAVA.md; Use @001-commands-inventory; Inventory embedded Java project commands; List command files bundled for Java agents. Part of Plinth Toolkit
Use when you need to generate a checklist document with embedded agents inventory, following the embedded template exactly and producing INVENTORY-AGENTS-JAVA.md in the project root. This should trigger for requests such as Create embedded agents inventory checklist; Generate INVENTORY-AGENTS-JAVA.md; Use @002-agents-inventory; Inventory embedded Java agent definitions; List generated agent roles for Java development. Part of Plinth Toolkit
Use when you need to generate a checklist document with Java system prompts from skills.xml, following the embedded section template and producing INVENTORY-SKILLS-JAVA.md. This should trigger for requests such as Create Java system prompts checklist; Generate INVENTORY-SKILLS-JAVA.md; Use @003-skills-inventory; Inventory Java cursor rule skills; List available Java system prompt skills. Part of Plinth Toolkit
Use when you need to install the embedded project commands into command directories (.github/commands, .claude/commands, .cursor/command, .codex/commands), selecting the destination interactively and copying the embedded command definitions from project assets. This should trigger for requests such as Install embedded commands; Bootstrap .cursor/command; Bootstrap .claude/commands; Copy project commands; Install project command suite. Part of Plinth Toolkit
Use when you need to install the embedded robot agents into .github/agents, .claude/agents, .cursor/agents, or .codex/agents, selecting the destination interactively and copying the embedded agent definitions from project assets. This should trigger for requests such as Install embedded agents; Bootstrap .github/agents; Bootstrap .cursor/agents; Bootstrap .claude/agents; Bootstrap .codex/agents; Copy robot agents. Part of Plinth Toolkit
Guides the creation of agile epics with comprehensive definition including business value, success criteria, and breakdown into user stories. Use when the user wants to create an agile epic, define large bodies of work, break down features into user stories, or document strategic initiatives. This should trigger for requests such as Create an agile epic; Write an epic; I need to create an epic; Define an epic; Epic definition. Part of Plinth Toolkit
Guides the creation of detailed agile feature documentation from an existing epic. Use when the user wants to split an epic into feature files, derive features with scope and acceptance criteria, or plan feature documentation for stakeholders or engineering. This should trigger for requests such as Create features from an epic; Split epic into features; Feature files from epic; Derive features from epic; Break down an agile epic into deliverable features. Part of Plinth Toolkit