DevSpark
Build high-quality software faster with AI-driven lifecycle management.
An Adaptive System Life Cycle Development (ASLCD) Toolkit — agent-agnostic, multi-user, and full-lifecycle. DevSpark combines specification-driven development with constitution-powered quality assurance and right-sized workflows for tasks of any complexity.
Three Pillars
🔀 Agent-Agnostic by Default
Every AI coding assistant is a first-class citizen. Canonical command prompts live in .documentation/commands/ — a single source of truth — while each platform receives only thin shims. Switch agents, use multiple agents on the same project, or onboard new team members on different tools.
👥 Multi-User Personalization
Teams share prompts, but individuals can customize any command via /devspark.personalize. Personalized overrides live in .documentation/{git-user}/commands/, are committed to git, and take priority over shared defaults. Delete the override to revert.
🔄 Full Lifecycle Coverage
From greenfield creation through brownfield discovery, ongoing maintenance, documentation cleanup, release management, and constitution evolution — every phase of the SDLC is supported.
About DevSpark
DevSpark is a structured development process for AI coding assistants — 21 prompt templates + helper scripts that give any AI agent a repeatable workflow from requirements through release.
The ASLCD Vision
Traditional spec-driven development works well for greenfield projects with major features. But real-world development includes bug fixes, hotfixes, brownfield codebases, and documentation that drifts over time. Adaptive System Life Cycle Development addresses these gaps:
| Challenge | ASLCD Solution |
|---|---|
| Greenfield bias | /devspark.discover-constitution generates constitutions from existing code |
| Task overhead | /devspark.quickfix provides lightweight workflow for small tasks |
| Documentation drift | /devspark.release archives artifacts and maintains living documentation |
| Repo clutter | /devspark.harvest consolidates knowledge and archives obsolete artifacts |
| Constitution staleness | /devspark.evolve-constitution proposes amendments from PR findings |
| Context management | Right-sized workflows optimize AI agent effectiveness |
What's Included
| Feature | Status |
|---|---|
| Core SDD Workflow | ✅ Full support |
/devspark.constitution |
✅ Included |
/devspark.discover-constitution |
✅ Brownfield discovery |
/devspark.pr-review |
✅ Constitution-based PR review |
/devspark.site-audit |
✅ Full codebase auditing |
/devspark.critic |
✅ Adversarial risk analysis |
/devspark.quickfix |
✅ Lightweight workflow |
/devspark.release |
✅ Release documentation |
/devspark.evolve-constitution |
✅ Constitution evolution |
/devspark.harvest |
✅ Knowledge harvest and cleanup |
| Agent-agnostic architecture | ✅ Canonical prompts + thin shims |
| Multi-user personalization | ✅ /devspark.personalize per-user overrides |
| Multi-agent support | ✅ 17+ AI agents |
Getting Started
Prompt Bootstrap — The Fastest Way
No installation required. Open a chat with your AI agent in your target repository and paste the command for your agent:
| Agent | Command to paste |
|---|---|
| GitHub Copilot | @workspace Follow the instructions at https://raw.githubusercontent.com/markhazleton/devspark/main/quickstart/devspark_quickstart_copilot.md |
| Claude Code | Follow the instructions at https://raw.githubusercontent.com/markhazleton/devspark/main/quickstart/devspark_quickstart_claudecode.md |
| Cursor | Follow the instructions at https://raw.githubusercontent.com/markhazleton/devspark/main/quickstart/devspark_quickstart_cursor.md |
| Any other agent | Follow the instructions at https://raw.githubusercontent.com/markhazleton/devspark/main/quickstart/devspark_quickstart_generic.md |
The agent asks a few questions about your project, then scaffolds the full DevSpark structure. See the Quick Start Guide for the full workflow.
Prefer a CLI or manual setup? See Other Ways to Get Started — ordered lightest to heaviest.
Guides
- Quick Start Guide — Prompt bootstrap + 5-step workflow
- Other Ways to Get Started — Manual, one-shot CLI, and installed CLI
- Upgrade Guide — Updating to the latest version
Core Concepts
The Constitution
The constitution is the foundational document defining your project's architecture, coding standards, and development guidelines. All DevSpark commands reference the constitution for validation.
- Create:
/devspark.constitution- Define principles for new projects - Discover:
/devspark.discover-constitution- Generate from existing code - Evolve:
/devspark.evolve-constitution- Propose amendments - Learn More: Constitution Guide
Right-Sized Workflows
Match process overhead to task complexity:
| Task Type | Workflow | When to Use |
|---|---|---|
| Major Feature | Full Spec | Multiple files, architectural impact |
| Bug Fix | Quickfix | Single file, clear root cause |
| Hotfix | Quickfix (expedited) | Production emergency |
| Minor Feature | Quickfix or Spec | Depends on scope |
Adaptive Documentation
Documentation evolves with your system:
- Development: Specs, plans, tasks guide implementation
- Release: Artifacts archived, decisions extracted as ADRs
- Maintenance: Constitution updated as architecture evolves
Command Categories
Constitution Commands
| Command | Purpose | Guide |
|---|---|---|
/devspark.constitution |
Create/update constitution | Constitution Guide |
/devspark.discover-constitution |
Generate from existing code | Constitution Guide |
/devspark.evolve-constitution |
Propose amendments | Constitution Guide |
Full Spec Workflow
For major features and architectural changes.
| Command | Purpose | Next Step |
|---|---|---|
/devspark.specify |
Define requirements | /devspark.plan |
/devspark.plan |
Technical planning | /devspark.tasks |
/devspark.tasks |
Task breakdown | /devspark.critic |
/devspark.critic |
Risk analysis | /devspark.implement |
/devspark.implement |
Execute tasks | PR Review |
Lightweight Workflow
For bug fixes, hotfixes, and small features.
| Command | Purpose |
|---|---|
/devspark.quickfix |
Create, validate, and track quick fixes |
Quality Assurance
Constitution-powered quality commands that work independently.
| Command | Purpose | Guide |
|---|---|---|
/devspark.pr-review |
Review PRs against constitution | PR Review Guide |
/devspark.site-audit |
Codebase compliance audit | Site Audit Guide |
/devspark.critic |
Adversarial risk analysis | Critic Guide |
Lifecycle Commands
| Command | Purpose |
|---|---|
/devspark.release |
Archive artifacts, generate release docs |
/devspark.harvest |
Knowledge-preserving cleanup for stale docs |
/devspark.repo-story |
Evidence-based repository narrative generation |
/devspark.clarify |
Clarify specification requirements |
/devspark.checklist |
Generate quality checklists |
/devspark.analyze |
Artifact consistency checking |
/devspark.personalize |
Create per-user prompt customizations |
Development Phases
| Phase | Commands | Activities |
|---|---|---|
| Project Initiation | constitution, discover-constitution |
Establish governing principles |
| Baseline Assessment | site-audit |
Quantify technical debt |
| Feature Development | devspark, plan, tasks, implement |
Full spec workflow |
| Production Support | quickfix |
Rapid fixes with validation |
| Code Review | pr-review |
Constitution compliance |
| Risk Analysis | critic |
Pre-implementation assessment |
| Release | release |
Archive and document |
| Maintenance | site-audit, evolve-constitution |
Monitor and evolve |
Technical Debt as a Metric
Site audits quantify technical debt through compliance scores:
| Category | Score | Status |
|----------|-------|--------|
| Constitution Compliance | 87% | ⚠️ PARTIAL |
| Security | 95% | ✅ PASS |
| Code Quality | 72% | ⚠️ PARTIAL |
| Dependencies | 85% | ⚠️ PARTIAL |
Track trends over time by running regular audits and comparing results.
Future Direction
DevSpark is actively developed with plans for:
- Enhanced Debt Tracking - Structured metrics storage and visualization
- Business Value Alignment - Link features to business goals
- CI/CD Integration - Run audits as pipeline steps
- Cross-Project Governance - Organizational-level consistency
Contributing
DevSpark welcomes contributions:
- Issues: Report bugs or request features
- Discussions: Ask questions or share ideas
- Pull Requests: Fork, branch, and submit
See CONTRIBUTING.md for setup instructions.
Credit & Attribution
DevSpark is maintained by Mark Hazleton and the open-source community.