/blueprint:development

Guide and reference for the Blueprint Development methodology that generates project-specific behavioral rules and workflow commands from PRDs (Product Requirements Documents).

When to Use This Skill

Use this skill when...	Use alternative when...
Starting Blueprint Development in a project	Project is already using Blueprint (use /blueprint:status)
Need to generate rules from PRDs	Starting a brand new project with no PRD yet
Want project-specific behavioral guidelines	Using generic development practices
Creating workflow automation for a project	Working on isolated tasks without project context

For detailed rule templates, command templates, and generation guidelines, see REFERENCE.md.

Context

• Blueprint initialized: !test -f docs/blueprint/manifest.json
• PRDs present: !find docs/prds -name "*.md" -type f
• Rules directory: !test -d .claude/rules
• Existing rules: !find .claude/rules -maxdepth 1 -name "*.md"
• Project type: !find . -maxdepth 1 \( -name 'package.json' -o -name 'pyproject.toml' -o -name 'Cargo.toml' -o -name 'go.mod' \) -type f -print -quit

Execution

Execute the complete Blueprint Development setup and rule generation workflow:

Step 1: Verify project readiness

Check context values above:

1. If Blueprint initialized = "NO" → Error: "Blueprint not initialized. Run /blueprint:init first"
2. If PRDs present = "0" → Error: "No PRDs found. Create at least one PRD in docs/prds/ before generating rules"
3. If Rules directory = "NO" → Create: mkdir -p .claude/rules

Step 2: Analyze PRDs and extract patterns

Read all PRD files in docs/prds/ and extract:

1. Architecture Patterns: Project structure, dependency injection, error handling, module boundaries, layering, code organization
2. Testing Strategies: TDD workflow, test types (unit, integration, e2e), mocking patterns, coverage requirements
3. Implementation Guides: Patterns for implementing feature types (APIs, UI, database, external services)
4. Quality Standards: Code review checklist, performance baselines, security requirements, style standards

See REFERENCE.md for specific extraction patterns for each category.

Step 3: Generate four behavioral rules in .claude/rules/

Create project-specific rules that guide Claude's behavior during development:

Three required core rules:

1. architecture-patterns.md - Project structure, design patterns, dependency management, error handling, integration patterns
2. testing-strategies.md - TDD workflow, test structure, test types, mocking patterns, coverage requirements
3. quality-standards.md - Code review checklist, performance baselines, security standards, style, documentation

One optional advanced rule (if applicable):

4. implementation-guides.md - Step-by-step patterns for implementing specific feature types from PRDs

For each rule file:

• Use templates from REFERENCE.md
• Extract content directly from PRDs
• Include code examples and specific references
• Document rationale for architectural choices
• Use imperative language ("Use...", "Follow...", "Ensure...")

See REFERENCE.md for detailed guidelines on creating effective rules.

Step 4: Generate workflow commands

Create project-specific workflow commands in .claude/skills/ or docs/blueprint/:

Six core commands:

1. /blueprint:init - Initialize Blueprint Development structure
2. /blueprint:generate-rules - Generate project rules from PRDs (main entry point)
3. /blueprint:generate-commands - Generate workflow commands based on project type
4. /blueprint:work-order - Create isolated work-order for subagent execution
5. /project:continue - Analyze state and resume development
6. /project:test-loop - Run automated TDD cycle

For each command:

• Determine project type and language
• Extract test runners, build commands, development workflows
• Customize command implementations using REFERENCE.md
• Verify with expected allowed-tools permissions

Step 5: Create mapping in manifest

Update docs/blueprint/manifest.json with:

{
  "generated": {
    "rules": [
      "architecture-patterns.md",
      "testing-strategies.md",
      "quality-standards.md",
      "implementation-guides.md"
    ],
    "commands": [
      "blueprint-init.md",
      "blueprint-generate-rules.md",
      "blueprint-generate-commands.md",
      "blueprint-work-order.md",
      "project-continue.md",
      "project-test-loop.md"
    ]
  },
  "source_prds": ["project-overview.md"],
  "last_generated": "ISO-8601-timestamp"
}

This enables regeneration without losing track of what was auto-generated vs. manually created.

Step 6: Test and validate

Verify rules and commands work correctly:

1. Test rules apply: Check that Claude follows architecture-patterns, testing-strategies, and quality-standards during development
2. Test commands execute: Run each command to verify it works as expected
3. Verify output quality: Check that generated rules match PRD requirements and include concrete examples
4. Refine as needed: Update rules and commands based on feedback and actual project development

Step 7: Report results and next steps

Create summary report:

• Rules generated: {count} in .claude/rules/
• Commands created: {count} (use /project:continue to start development)
• Manifest updated with tracking metadata
• Next steps:
  1. Review generated rules for accuracy
  2. Add project-specific additions or clarifications
  3. Run /project:continue to begin Blueprint Development workflow
  4. Use /blueprint:work-order to create isolated tasks for team members

Integration with Blueprint Development

This skill enables the core Blueprint Development workflow:

PRDs (requirements) - Rules (behavioral guidelines) - Commands (workflow automation) - Work-orders (isolated tasks)

By generating project-specific rules and commands from PRDs, Blueprint Development creates a self-documenting, AI-native development environment where behavioral guidelines, patterns, and quality standards are first-class citizens.

GitHub Work Order Integration

Work orders can be linked to GitHub issues for transparency and cooperative development. See REFERENCE.md for workflow modes (--no-publish, --from-issue N), label setup, completion workflow, and work order file format.

Agentic Optimizations

Context	Action
Check if rules exist	find .claude/rules -maxdepth 1 -name "*.md" | wc -l
List existing rules	ls -1 .claude/rules/*.md 2>/dev/null
Count PRDs	ls docs/prds/*.md 2>/dev/null | wc -l
Extract PRD sections	Use Grep to find specific sections by heading pattern
Fast generation	Skip manual review step, proceed with standard templates

Examples

See .claude/docs/blueprint-development/ for complete workflow documentation and examples.

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For detailed rule templates, command examples, extraction patterns, and project-specific customization, see REFERENCE.md.