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SKILL.md 7.5 KB
---
name: create-github-action-workflow-specification
description: 'Create a formal specification for an existing GitHub Actions CI/CD workflow, optimized for AI consumption and workflow maintenance.'
---

# Create GitHub Actions Workflow Specification

Create a comprehensive specification for the GitHub Actions workflow: `${input:WorkflowFile}`.

This specification serves as a specification for the workflow's behavior, requirements, and constraints. It must be implementation-agnostic, focusing on **what** the workflow accomplishes rather than **how** it's implemented.

## AI-Optimized Requirements

- **Token Efficiency**: Use concise language without sacrificing clarity
- **Structured Data**: Leverage tables, lists, and diagrams for dense information
- **Semantic Clarity**: Use precise terminology consistently throughout
- **Implementation Abstraction**: Avoid specific syntax, commands, or tool versions
- **Maintainability**: Design for easy updates as workflow evolves

## Specification Template

Save as: `/spec/spec-process-cicd-[workflow-name].md`

```md
---
title: CI/CD Workflow Specification - [Workflow Name]
version: 1.0
date_created: [YYYY-MM-DD]
last_updated: [YYYY-MM-DD]
owner: DevOps Team
tags: [process, cicd, github-actions, automation, [domain-specific-tags]]
---

## Workflow Overview

**Purpose**: [One sentence describing workflow's primary goal]
**Trigger Events**: [List trigger conditions]
**Target Environments**: [Environment scope]

## Execution Flow Diagram

```mermaid
graph TD
    A[Trigger Event] --> B[Job 1]
    B --> C[Job 2]
    C --> D[Job 3]
    D --> E[End]
    
    B --> F[Parallel Job]
    F --> D
    
    style A fill:#e1f5fe
    style E fill:#e8f5e8
```

## Jobs & Dependencies

| Job Name | Purpose | Dependencies | Execution Context |
|----------|---------|--------------|-------------------|
| job-1 | [Purpose] | [Prerequisites] | [Runner/Environment] |
| job-2 | [Purpose] | job-1 | [Runner/Environment] |

## Requirements Matrix

### Functional Requirements
| ID | Requirement | Priority | Acceptance Criteria |
|----|-------------|----------|-------------------|
| REQ-001 | [Requirement] | High | [Testable criteria] |
| REQ-002 | [Requirement] | Medium | [Testable criteria] |

### Security Requirements
| ID | Requirement | Implementation Constraint |
|----|-------------|---------------------------|
| SEC-001 | [Security requirement] | [Constraint description] |

### Performance Requirements
| ID | Metric | Target | Measurement Method |
|----|-------|--------|-------------------|
| PERF-001 | [Metric] | [Target value] | [How measured] |

## Input/Output Contracts

### Inputs

```yaml
# Environment Variables
ENV_VAR_1: string  # Purpose: [description]
ENV_VAR_2: secret  # Purpose: [description]

# Repository Triggers
paths: [list of path filters]
branches: [list of branch patterns]
```

### Outputs

```yaml
# Job Outputs
job_1_output: string  # Description: [purpose]
build_artifact: file  # Description: [content type]
```

### Secrets & Variables

| Type | Name | Purpose | Scope |
|------|------|---------|-------|
| Secret | SECRET_1 | [Purpose] | Workflow |
| Variable | VAR_1 | [Purpose] | Repository |

## Execution Constraints

### Runtime Constraints

- **Timeout**: [Maximum execution time]
- **Concurrency**: [Parallel execution limits]
- **Resource Limits**: [Memory/CPU constraints]

### Environmental Constraints

- **Runner Requirements**: [OS/hardware needs]
- **Network Access**: [External connectivity needs]
- **Permissions**: [Required access levels]

## Error Handling Strategy

| Error Type | Response | Recovery Action |
|------------|----------|-----------------|
| Build Failure | [Response] | [Recovery steps] |
| Test Failure | [Response] | [Recovery steps] |
| Deployment Failure | [Response] | [Recovery steps] |

## Quality Gates

### Gate Definitions

| Gate | Criteria | Bypass Conditions |
|------|----------|-------------------|
| Code Quality | [Standards] | [When allowed] |
| Security Scan | [Thresholds] | [When allowed] |
| Test Coverage | [Percentage] | [When allowed] |

## Monitoring & Observability

### Key Metrics

- **Success Rate**: [Target percentage]
- **Execution Time**: [Target duration]
- **Resource Usage**: [Monitoring approach]

### Alerting

| Condition | Severity | Notification Target |
|-----------|----------|-------------------|
| [Condition] | [Level] | [Who/Where] |

## Integration Points

### External Systems

| System | Integration Type | Data Exchange | SLA Requirements |
|--------|------------------|---------------|------------------|
| [System] | [Type] | [Data format] | [Requirements] |

### Dependent Workflows

| Workflow | Relationship | Trigger Mechanism |
|----------|--------------|-------------------|
| [Workflow] | [Type] | [How triggered] |

## Compliance & Governance

### Audit Requirements

- **Execution Logs**: [Retention policy]
- **Approval Gates**: [Required approvals]
- **Change Control**: [Update process]

### Security Controls

- **Access Control**: [Permission model]
- **Secret Management**: [Rotation policy]
- **Vulnerability Scanning**: [Scan frequency]

## Edge Cases & Exceptions

### Scenario Matrix

| Scenario | Expected Behavior | Validation Method |
|----------|-------------------|-------------------|
| [Edge case] | [Behavior] | [How to verify] |

## Validation Criteria

### Workflow Validation

- **VLD-001**: [Validation rule]
- **VLD-002**: [Validation rule]

### Performance Benchmarks

- **PERF-001**: [Benchmark criteria]
- **PERF-002**: [Benchmark criteria]

## Change Management

### Update Process

1. **Specification Update**: Modify this document first
2. **Review & Approval**: [Approval process]
3. **Implementation**: Apply changes to workflow
4. **Testing**: [Validation approach]
5. **Deployment**: [Release process]

### Version History

| Version | Date | Changes | Author |
|---------|------|---------|--------|
| 1.0 | [Date] | Initial specification | [Author] |

## Related Specifications

- [Link to related workflow specs]
- [Link to infrastructure specs]
- [Link to deployment specs]

```

## Analysis Instructions

When analyzing the workflow file:

1. **Extract Core Purpose**: Identify the primary business objective
2. **Map Job Flow**: Create dependency graph showing execution order
3. **Identify Contracts**: Document inputs, outputs, and interfaces
4. **Capture Constraints**: Extract timeouts, permissions, and limits
5. **Define Quality Gates**: Identify validation and approval points
6. **Document Error Paths**: Map failure scenarios and recovery
7. **Abstract Implementation**: Focus on behavior, not syntax

## Mermaid Diagram Guidelines

### Flow Types
- **Sequential**: `A --> B --> C`
- **Parallel**: `A --> B & A --> C; B --> D & C --> D`
- **Conditional**: `A --> B{Decision}; B -->|Yes| C; B -->|No| D`

### Styling
```mermaid
style TriggerNode fill:#e1f5fe
style SuccessNode fill:#e8f5e8
style FailureNode fill:#ffebee
style ProcessNode fill:#f3e5f5
```

### Complex Workflows
For workflows with 5+ jobs, use subgraphs:
```mermaid
graph TD
    subgraph "Build Phase"
        A[Lint] --> B[Test] --> C[Build]
    end
    subgraph "Deploy Phase"  
        D[Staging] --> E[Production]
    end
    C --> D
```

## Token Optimization Strategies

1. **Use Tables**: Dense information in structured format
2. **Abbreviate Consistently**: Define once, use throughout
3. **Bullet Points**: Avoid prose paragraphs
4. **Code Blocks**: Structured data over narrative
5. **Cross-Reference**: Link instead of repeat information

Focus on creating a specification that serves as both documentation and a template for workflow updates.

License (MIT)

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MIT License

Copyright GitHub, Inc.

Permission is hereby granted, free of charge, to any person obtaining a copy of this software and associated documentation files (the "Software"), to deal in the Software without restriction, including without limitation the rights to use, copy, modify, merge, publish, distribute, sublicense, and/or sell copies of the Software, and to permit persons to whom the Software is furnished to do so, subject to the following conditions:

The above copyright notice and this permission notice shall be included in all copies or substantial portions of the Software.

THE SOFTWARE IS PROVIDED "AS IS", WITHOUT WARRANTY OF ANY KIND, EXPRESS OR IMPLIED, INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO THE WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY, FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE AND NONINFRINGEMENT.