https://spec-coding.dev/blog/ Practical guides, templates, and checklists for spec-first software delivery. Written by Daniel Marsh. en Fri, 29 May 2026 00:00:00 +0000 https://spec-coding.dev/og.png https://spec-coding.dev/blog/ https://spec-coding.dev/blog/spec-driven-development-tools-openspec-spec-kit-superpowers https://spec-coding.dev/blog/spec-driven-development-tools-openspec-spec-kit-superpowers Mon, 11 May 2026 00:00:00 +0000 Daniel Marsh 2026-05-29 FoundationsAiProcessResource Compare OpenSpec vs Superpowers vs GitHub Spec Kit through practical SDD patterns: specs, plans, tasks, tests, review gates, and evidence. https://spec-coding.dev/blog/building-a-test-harness-for-api-services https://spec-coding.dev/blog/building-a-test-harness-for-api-services Thu, 02 Apr 2026 00:00:00 +0000 Daniel Marsh 2026-05-29 ProcessFoundationsApi Compare harness engineering vs spec-driven development, then build an API test harness with fixtures, mocks, contract tests, and CI evidence. https://spec-coding.dev/blog/acceptance-criteria-examples-guide https://spec-coding.dev/blog/acceptance-criteria-examples-guide Wed, 08 Apr 2026 00:00:00 +0000 Daniel Marsh 2026-05-11 Foundations 20 real-world acceptance criteria examples in Given/When/Then format covering authentication, e-commerce, APIs, data processing, payments, and notifications. https://spec-coding.dev/blog/how-to-write-technical-spec-template-guide https://spec-coding.dev/blog/how-to-write-technical-spec-template-guide Wed, 08 Apr 2026 00:00:00 +0000 Daniel Marsh 2026-05-11 Foundations How to write a technical specification: a complete template, real-world walkthrough, section-by-section guidance, and a free online generator to draft your own. https://spec-coding.dev/blog/backward-compatibility-specs-deprecation-paths https://spec-coding.dev/blog/backward-compatibility-specs-deprecation-paths Fri, 27 Mar 2026 00:00:00 +0000 Daniel Marsh 2026-05-11 Foundations Define backward compatibility rules for API specs, including deprecation timelines, migration paths, Sunset headers, and breaking-change review. https://spec-coding.dev/blog/spec-database-schemas-before-writing-migrations https://spec-coding.dev/blog/spec-database-schemas-before-writing-migrations Sun, 22 Mar 2026 00:00:00 +0000 Daniel Marsh 2026-05-11 Foundations Define database schemas before writing migrations, including columns, constraints, indexes, API alignment, and rollout order. https://spec-coding.dev/blog/ai-prompts-that-follow-your-spec https://spec-coding.dev/blog/ai-prompts-that-follow-your-spec Tue, 17 Mar 2026 00:00:00 +0000 Daniel Marsh 2026-05-11 Foundations AI coding tools drift without constraints, adding fields, renaming functions, expanding scope, and inventing tests. Spec-first prompts keep changes reviewable. https://spec-coding.dev/blog/ai-coding-risk-register-before-merge https://spec-coding.dev/blog/ai-coding-risk-register-before-merge Tue, 10 Mar 2026 00:00:00 +0000 Daniel Marsh 2026-05-11 ProcessResource Use a pre-merge risk register for AI-generated code: flag auth, data, contract, migration, rollback, and observability risks. https://spec-coding.dev/blog/api-change-management-for-ai-generated-clients https://spec-coding.dev/blog/api-change-management-for-ai-generated-clients Tue, 10 Mar 2026 00:00:00 +0000 Daniel Marsh 2026-05-11 ApiProcess Manage API changes for AI-generated clients with structured changelogs, announcement channels, compatibility rules, and CI gates. https://spec-coding.dev/blog/api-error-taxonomy-for-ai-assisted-integrations https://spec-coding.dev/blog/api-error-taxonomy-for-ai-assisted-integrations Tue, 10 Mar 2026 00:00:00 +0000 Daniel Marsh 2026-05-11 ApiWriting Design API error taxonomies AI-generated clients can use, with stable codes, retry categories, and machine-readable details. https://spec-coding.dev/blog/designing-api-specs-for-agentic-clients https://spec-coding.dev/blog/designing-api-specs-for-agentic-clients Tue, 10 Mar 2026 00:00:00 +0000 Daniel Marsh 2026-05-11 ApiFoundations Design API specs for LLM-powered agentic clients with discoverable fields, idempotency, dry-runs, semantic descriptions, and safe destructive actions. https://spec-coding.dev/blog/spec-skills-case-study-ticket-to-spec https://spec-coding.dev/blog/spec-skills-case-study-ticket-to-spec Tue, 10 Mar 2026 00:00:00 +0000 Daniel Marsh 2026-05-11 Case StudyWriting Follow a vague support ticket as it becomes a shippable technical spec using Spec Skills, guided questions, and review-ready output. https://spec-coding.dev/blog/spec-skills-first-overview https://spec-coding.dev/blog/spec-skills-first-overview Tue, 10 Mar 2026 00:00:00 +0000 Daniel Marsh 2026-05-11 FoundationsProcess See how Spec Skills fits spec-first delivery through constrained prompts, spec injection, boundary enforcement, and reviewable AI output. https://spec-coding.dev/blog/real-time-collaboration-spec-conflict-resolution https://spec-coding.dev/blog/real-time-collaboration-spec-conflict-resolution Mon, 09 Mar 2026 00:00:00 +0000 Daniel Marsh 2026-05-11 Case StudyApi How to spec real-time collaboration: OT vs CRDT, presence protocol, offline edits, conflict resolution, and the operational transform vs three-way-merge decision. https://spec-coding.dev/blog/contract-testing-plan-from-openapi-to-ci https://spec-coding.dev/blog/contract-testing-plan-from-openapi-to-ci Sun, 01 Mar 2026 00:00:00 +0000 Daniel Marsh 2026-05-11 ApiProcess Add contract testing from OpenAPI to CI with generated tests, provider checks, consumer expectations, and reliable fixtures. https://spec-coding.dev/blog/data-sync-spec-between-services https://spec-coding.dev/blog/data-sync-spec-between-services Sun, 01 Mar 2026 00:00:00 +0000 Daniel Marsh 2026-05-11 ApiCase Study Specify cross-service data sync with ordering guarantees, conflict handling, backfill plans, and event-driven or pull-based tradeoffs. https://spec-coding.dev/blog/designing-idempotent-workflows-with-specs https://spec-coding.dev/blog/designing-idempotent-workflows-with-specs Sun, 01 Mar 2026 00:00:00 +0000 Daniel Marsh 2026-05-11 ApiWriting How to specify idempotency keys, deduplication windows, and state-machine transitions so retries and partial failures don't double-charge or corrupt data. https://spec-coding.dev/blog/event-driven-systems-specification-patterns https://spec-coding.dev/blog/event-driven-systems-specification-patterns Sun, 01 Mar 2026 00:00:00 +0000 Daniel Marsh 2026-05-11 ApiProcess Specification patterns for event-driven systems: schema versioning, command vs fact events, orchestration choices, idempotent handlers, and replay safety. https://spec-coding.dev/blog/mobile-api-spec-for-offline-mode https://spec-coding.dev/blog/mobile-api-spec-for-offline-mode Sun, 01 Mar 2026 00:00:00 +0000 Daniel Marsh 2026-05-11 ApiCase Study Spec a mobile API for offline mode with local-first writes, sync windows, conflict handling, outbox behavior, and rejection recovery. https://spec-coding.dev/blog/payment-workflow-spec-failure-and-retry-matrix https://spec-coding.dev/blog/payment-workflow-spec-failure-and-retry-matrix Sun, 01 Mar 2026 00:00:00 +0000 Daniel Marsh 2026-05-11 Case StudyApi Write payment workflow specs with retryable errors, declined-card handling, timeout behavior, 3DS branches, and dunning states. https://spec-coding.dev/blog/rollout-and-rollback-design-for-high-risk-releases https://spec-coding.dev/blog/rollout-and-rollback-design-for-high-risk-releases Sun, 01 Mar 2026 00:00:00 +0000 Daniel Marsh 2026-05-11 ProcessWriting Design high-risk releases with stop-loss metrics, rollout windows, rollback types, ownership, monitoring, and evidence that teams can use under pressure. https://spec-coding.dev/blog/writing-edge-cases-that-qa-can-test https://spec-coding.dev/blog/writing-edge-cases-that-qa-can-test Sun, 01 Mar 2026 00:00:00 +0000 Daniel Marsh 2026-05-11 WritingProcess Write edge cases QA can execute with concrete inputs, starting states, expected outputs, failure paths, and examples that turn vague risks into tests. https://spec-coding.dev/blog/common-mistakes-in-software-specifications https://spec-coding.dev/blog/common-mistakes-in-software-specifications Wed, 25 Feb 2026 00:00:00 +0000 Daniel Marsh 2026-05-11 WritingProcess Avoid ten specification mistakes that hide decisions, blur acceptance criteria, skip failure paths, and push scope arguments into implementation. https://spec-coding.dev/blog/spec-review-checklist-before-coding https://spec-coding.dev/blog/spec-review-checklist-before-coding Wed, 25 Feb 2026 00:00:00 +0000 Daniel Marsh 2026-05-11 ProcessWriting Use this pre-coding review checklist to separate blockers from preferences, record accepted risks, and attach test evidence before implementation begins. https://spec-coding.dev/blog/what-is-spec-first-development-complete-guide https://spec-coding.dev/blog/what-is-spec-first-development-complete-guide Wed, 25 Feb 2026 00:00:00 +0000 Daniel Marsh 2026-05-11 FoundationsProcess What is spec-first development? A complete guide to surfacing hidden decisions about scope, contracts, edge cases, and acceptance criteria before coding starts. https://spec-coding.dev/blog/ai-coding-spec-packet-before-code-generation https://spec-coding.dev/blog/ai-coding-spec-packet-before-code-generation Sun, 03 May 2026 00:00:00 +0000 Daniel Marsh 2026-05-06 AiWritingProcessResource A copy-ready packet for giving AI coding tools a bounded task, acceptance criteria, file ownership, tests, and review evidence before code generation starts. https://spec-coding.dev/blog/same-refund-feature-vibe-coding-vs-spec-coding https://spec-coding.dev/blog/same-refund-feature-vibe-coding-vs-spec-coding Sat, 11 Apr 2026 00:00:00 +0000 Daniel Marsh 2026-05-06 Foundations Same refund feature built two ways: vibe coding ships fast but misses edge cases, while spec coding defines scope, acceptance criteria, tests, and rollout proof. https://spec-coding.dev/blog/superpowers-spec-first-ai-agent-skills https://spec-coding.dev/blog/superpowers-spec-first-ai-agent-skills Thu, 02 Apr 2026 00:00:00 +0000 Daniel Marsh 2026-05-06 Foundations Superpowers enforces spec-first discipline for AI coding agents through brainstorming, specs, plans, TDD, verification, and repeatable review evidence. https://spec-coding.dev/blog/ai-coding-governance-with-spec-driven-prompts https://spec-coding.dev/blog/ai-coding-governance-with-spec-driven-prompts Tue, 10 Mar 2026 00:00:00 +0000 Daniel Marsh 2026-05-06 ProcessFoundations Govern AI-assisted coding with spec-driven prompts: define scope, boundaries, evidence, and audit trails before generated code reaches review. https://spec-coding.dev/blog/ai-coding-pr-review-with-acceptance-criteria https://spec-coding.dev/blog/ai-coding-pr-review-with-acceptance-criteria Tue, 10 Mar 2026 00:00:00 +0000 Daniel Marsh 2026-05-06 WritingProcess Review AI-generated pull requests against acceptance criteria: inspect the diff, run evidence checks, and catch failures a quick skim misses.