Use the OpenSpec-inspired Change-Driven project template in Manager to change existing code one proposal at a time, with delta specs merged into living specs in your wiki.
A change proposal describes only the difference, so you never have to spec the whole system first.
Each proposal lists what is added, modified, removed or renamed. That list is the contract for the implementation.
Archiving merges the delta into the spec pages, so the wiki describes the system as it runs today.
OpenSpec gives coding agents a spec to work from instead of chat history: you agree on what to build before any code is written. It is made for brownfield work, and any step can run whenever it is needed.
Specs live in openspec/specs/, one folder per capability. Each change gets a folder in openspec/changes/ with proposal.md, design.md, tasks.md and delta specs. /opsx:explore thinks it through, /opsx:propose writes it, /opsx:apply builds it and /opsx:archive merges the deltas into the specs.
Adapted from OpenSpec, MIT © 2024 OpenSpec Contributors (github.com/Fission-AI/OpenSpec). Not affiliated with or endorsed by OpenSpec.
Where each OpenSpec artifact and command lives in your project.
| OpenSpec | In Manager |
|---|---|
| openspec/specs/ | Spec pages in a Specs folder of the wiki, with revision history. |
| Change folder | A Change Proposal; its Change Slug field holds the kebab-case name. |
| proposal.md | The Change Proposal's description: why and what. |
| Delta spec, design.md | Wiki pages linked to the proposal; the delta lists ADDED, MODIFIED, REMOVED and RENAMED requirements. |
| tasks.md | Task children of the Change Proposal. |
| /opsx:* commands | The skills explore, propose, apply, sync and archive, mirrored by the proposal statuses. |
| changes/archive/ | The Archived status; the Changes saved filter lists every proposal. |
Connect your agent over MCP and have it create a project from the Change-Driven template. Keep the Wiki on: your living specs go there.
Say to your agentManager: Create a project for this codebase from the Change-Driven template.
No need to spec the codebase first. The explore skill reads the code and existing spec pages and weighs options with you. Skip it if the approach is already clear.
Say to your agentManager: Let's think through my next change with the explore skill, and ask me what it is first.
The propose skill creates the Change Proposal, writes the delta and design on the wiki and adds the tasks. Read the delta before any code gets written.
Say to your agentManager: Run the propose skill for this change.
The apply skill works the tasks strictly to the delta. If the code needs a different spec, the delta changes first.
Say to your agentManager: Run the apply skill for this change proposal.
Once all tasks are done, the archive skill merges the delta into the spec pages and moves the proposal to Archived. Run the optional sync skill to merge before the change is finished.
Say to your agentManager: Run the archive skill for this change proposal once all its tasks are done.
A project created from the Change-Driven template starts with these work item types and statuses. You can adapt all of them to your team later.
A proposed change carrying a delta spec against the living specs.
A unit of work implementing part of a change.
These skills come with the template in Manager:
exploreThinks a change through against code and specs, without writing code.
proposeCreates the proposal, delta spec, design and tasks.
applyImplements the tasks strictly to the delta spec.
syncOptional: merges the delta into the specs without closing the change.
archiveMerges the delta into the specs and moves the proposal to Archived.
Living specs are wiki pages, so enable the Wiki feature. Without it, the skills record deltas as comments on the Change Proposal.
Specs are wiki pages instead of repository files, and changes are work items on the board. The skills cover the core commands, from explore to archive.
Pick Change-Driven for changes to existing systems. Spec-Driven suits work planned in releases and phases, Test-Driven test-first features, Governed Spec features held to a constitution.
Proposals, deltas and living specs sit in one project, so your team can review what the agent will change and what it changed.
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