Deft Directive xBRIEF — on-demand create/verify

Create and verify dense xBRIEF artifacts (json|md|both) at an explicit path. Pack templates load on use — not an always-on novel.

Legend (from RFC2119): !=MUST, ~=SHOULD, ≉=SHOULD NOT, ⊗=MUST NOT, ?=MAY.

When to Use

• Need a dense SoT brief (scope, playbook, mission, project) without freestyling long prose
• Operator or agent says xbrief create, xbrief verify, or compress into xbrief
• ⊗ Scope lifecycle work (promote / activate / complete) — use scope:* / intake instead

How (CLI)

deft xbrief:create -- --format <json|md|both> --out <path> [--style scope|playbook|mission|project] [--title T] [--id ID] [--force]
deft xbrief:verify -- --format <json|md|both> --out <path> [--style scope|playbook|mission|project]

• ! --format and --out are required
• ! both writes a stem pair: *.xbrief.json + *.xbrief.md
• ! Paths expand portably (~, %USERPROFILE%); writes stay under project root (fail closed)
• ! create/verify do not move lifecycle folders

Pack on use

• ~ Full grammar + templates: task packs:slice skills by-trigger --trigger xbrief (or this skill path)
• ~ Schema spine: content/vbrief/schemas/xbrief-core-0.8.schema.json
• ⊗ Dump pack novels into always-on bootstrap or into SoT artifacts

Create vs lifecycle

Verb	Meaning
xbrief:create / xbrief:verify	Write or check an artifact at --out
scope:* / intake	Lifecycle birth and folder/status transitions
xbrief:preflight	Implementation-intent gate (unchanged)

Token budget

• ! Keep this skill postcard-sized; load pack/CLI help only when creating or verifying
• ⊗ Inline full schema manuals or multi-style novels into the always-on body

Anti-Patterns

• ⊗ Overload scope:promote (or any lifecycle verb) to mean "compress text"
• ⊗ Invent xbrief:promote for create
• ⊗ Escape project root with --out
• ⊗ Auto-write to personal memory stores from this skill

Exit

deft-directive-xbrief complete — create/verify done; chain to scope:* only when lifecycle is intended.