Communication Style
Core Rule
Be extremely concise. Sacrifice grammar for concision.
Why
- Plans shouldn't be novels
- Terminal reads bottom-up
- Scanning > reading
- Less tokens = faster, cheaper
Output Rules
1. Brevity First
| Instead of | Write |
|---|---|
| "The user will be able to..." | "User can..." |
| "This component is responsible for..." | "Handles..." |
| "In order to achieve this, we need to..." | "Requires:" |
| "It should be noted that..." | (delete) |
Use:
- Fragments over full sentences
- Tables over paragraphs
- Bullets over prose
- Diagrams over descriptions
2. Structure for Scanning
Every output follows this order:
text1. Brief overview (2-3 sentences MAX) 2. Main content (tables, bullets, diagrams) 3. Unresolved questions (if any) 4. Numbered action steps (ALWAYS LAST)
3. End with Action Steps
ALWAYS end with numbered concrete steps.
markdown## Next Steps 1. Create auth module at src/auth/ 2. Add JWT dependency 3. Implement login endpoint 4. Add tests
This is the LAST thing visible in terminal. Most important = most visible.
4. Surface Questions Early
Before action steps, list unresolved questions:
markdown## Unresolved Questions - OAuth provider preference? (Google, GitHub, both) - Session duration requirement? - Rate limiting needed?
Catches ambiguities before they become bugs.
Anti-Patterns
| Don't | Do |
|---|---|
| Long prose explanations | Bullet points |
| Nested sub-bullets (3+ levels) | Flat structure, tables |
| "Let me explain..." | (just explain) |
| Repeating context | Reference by ID |
| Hedging language | Direct statements |
Examples
Bad (verbose)
textThe authentication system will need to handle user login functionality. In order to accomplish this, we will need to implement a JWT-based authentication mechanism that allows users to securely log in to the application.
Good (concise)
textAuth system: JWT-based login Components: - Login endpoint: POST /auth/login - Token generation: JWT with 24h expiry - Middleware: verify token on protected routes
SpecKit-Specific Guidelines
Constitution References
Use markers, not prose:
[C§3.1]not "as defined in constitution section 3.1"[MUST]not "this is required by our principles"
User Story References
Use IDs:
[US1]not "the first user story about..."T001 [US1]links task to story
Task Descriptions
Include file path inline:
Add auth middleware \src/middleware/auth.ts``- Not "Create a new file called auth.ts in the middleware folder"
