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MetaSpec

πŸ€– Meta-Specification Framework for generating Spec-Driven X (SD-X) speckits for AI Agents

License: MIT Python: 3.11+ Status: Alpha Tests: 151 Passing Coverage: 90.99%


🎯 What is Spec-Driven?

Spec-Driven is using structured specifications to drive workflows - from requirements to implementation. Define specs first, validate and generate, then execute. This ensures clarity, consistency, and enables AI agents to understand and assist throughout the process.

πŸ’‘ What is MetaSpec?

MetaSpec is a meta-specification framework that enables AI Agents to automatically generate production-ready speckits (Spec-Driven X toolkits).

Define your speckit once β†’ Get complete development environment with CLI, parser, validator, templates, and AI agent support.

What are Speckits?

  • Specialized toolkits generated by MetaSpec
  • Carry domain specifications as core assets
  • Include built-in MetaSpec commands for development
  • Follow spec-driven architecture patterns
What you can generate:
  βœ… SD-Development  - Spec-driven development
  βœ… SD-Design       - Spec-driven design systems  
  βœ… SD-Testing      - Spec-driven testing frameworks
  βœ… SD-Documentation - Spec-driven documentation
  βœ… SD-Operations   - Spec-driven operations
  βœ… SD-X            - Spec-driven generation for any domain

🌟 Key Features

1. Meta-Level - A meta-specification framework that generates speckits

2. Any Domain - Supports any domain, not limited to development

3. Full Lifecycle - Covers complete lifecycle (creation, updates, maintenance)

4. Precision-Guided Navigation - Built-in line-number navigation across 6 core commands lets AI jump directly to relevant sections with read_file(offset, limit), cutting token usage by 84-99%


🧭 Token Optimization

MetaSpec 0.5.4 introduces precision-guided navigation so AI agents can read just the slices of large command templates they need.

  • How it works: Every enhanced command begins with a πŸ“– Navigation Guide listing line ranges. Combine it with read_file(target_file, offset, limit) to stream only that segment.
  • Coverage: specify (SDS/SDD), implement (SDS/SDD), tasks (SDS), plan (SDD) β€” 8615 lines of navigation guidance overall.
  • Savings: Real-world scenarios show 84-99% token reductions (language-specific sections reach 97-99%).
  • More examples: See AGENTS.md β†’ Token Optimization: Precision-Guided Navigation for full tables and best practices.
# Jump straight to CLI design section of SDD/specify
read_file("src/metaspec/templates/meta/sdd/commands/specify.md.j2", offset=390, limit=273)

# Grab Python-specific implementation steps only (97% savings)
read_file("src/metaspec/templates/meta/sdd/commands/implement.md.j2", offset=210, limit=25)

πŸš€ Quick Start

Installation

# Recommended: Use uv (10-100x faster) ⚑
uv pip install git+https://github.com/ACNet-AI/MetaSpec.git

# Or use pip
pip install git+https://github.com/ACNet-AI/MetaSpec.git
Other installation methods

Development mode:

git clone https://github.com/ACNet-AI/MetaSpec.git && cd MetaSpec
uv pip install -e .

Coming soon: pip install metaspec πŸš€

Create Your First Speckit

Option 1: Interactive (Recommended)

metaspec init                       # Interactive wizard - guides you through

Option 2: Quick start

metaspec init my-spec-kit     # One command, done!

Option 3: Preview first

metaspec init my-spec-kit --dry-run    # Preview
metaspec init my-spec-kit              # Create

Result: Complete speckit with CLI, parser, validator, templates, and AI agent support!



🌱 Why MetaSpec?

The Journey: From Practice to Insight

MetaSpec was born from real-world experience building spec-driven development tools:

πŸ”§ Phase 1: Universal SDD Tools

  • Built spec-kit and OpenSpec - covering 0β†’1β†’N generic spec-driven development workflows
  • Proved SDD methodology works across different project scales

πŸ’‘ Phase 2: The Domain Insight

  • Discovery: While practicing SDD, we realized AI needs domain-specific specifications to generate expected results
  • Example: To help AI develop MCP projects effectively, we need MCP domain specifications - not just generic development specs
  • Vision: Modular domain specifications 🧩 that can be combined and composed to guide AI to generate content matching our expectations

πŸš€ Phase 3: Beyond Development

  • Realization: This pattern isn't limited to software development
  • Breakthrough: Any domain can benefit from specification-driven workflows
  • Vision: A meta-framework that generates spec toolkits for ANY domain

Core Philosophy

MetaSpec is built on two fundamental concepts:

1️⃣ Domain Refinement

  • Specifications refine from general to specific through multiple levels
  • Example: Development Spec β†’ MCP Development Spec β†’ Weather Query MCP Spec
  • Each level adds more context and constraints, enabling more precise AI guidance

2️⃣ Modular Composition

  • Specifications are independent, reusable modules that can be composed in two ways:
    • Compose specs: Combine sub-domain specs into a complete domain spec (Full-stack Web = Frontend + Backend + Database)
    • Compose usage: Apply multiple specs to one project (MetaSpec uses SDS + SDD; MCP project uses MCP + Python + Testing)
  • This enables flexible reuse across different contexts and domains

Together, these create a flexible specification network where AI agents navigate domain knowledge through structured specs, combining them as needed to produce exactly what you envision.


πŸ“¦ Features

Simple, powerful commands:

Command Description
metaspec init [name] πŸš€ Create spec-driven speckit (interactive or template-based)
metaspec search <query> πŸ” Search community speckits
metaspec install <name> πŸ“¦ Install speckit from community
metaspec list πŸ“‹ List installed speckits
metaspec info <name> ℹ️ Show speckit information
metaspec contribute [--check-only] 🀝 Validate & contribute to community

Common usage:

# Create speckit (interactive)
metaspec init

# Create with quick start (fast)
metaspec init my-api-speckit

# Preview before creating
metaspec init my-spec-kit --dry-run

# Discover and install speckits
metaspec search "api"                # Search community
metaspec install api-speckit         # Install from community
metaspec list                        # List installed speckits

# Use installed speckits directly
api-speckit info                     # Direct usage (no metaspec prefix!)

What you get: CLI tools, parser, validator, templates, AGENTS.md, constitution, and full Python package structure.

🌟 Generated Speckits

MetaSpec generates independent, production-ready toolkits:

# Each generated speckit is a standalone CLI tool
cd my-speckit
./scripts/init.sh              # Install dependencies
my-speckit info                # Use directly (no metaspec prefix!)

# Generated speckits include built-in MetaSpec commands (AI-assisted development)
# MetaSpec Commands: /metaspec.sds.*, /metaspec.sdd.*, /metaspec.* (19 commands total)

Key Principle: MetaSpec is a generator, not a runtime. Generated speckits are independent tools.

Built-in MetaSpec Workflow: Every speckit includes 19 MetaSpec commands for complete development lifecycle (8 SDS + 8 SDD + 3 Evolution)

Iteration-Aware Design: Commands check for existing output and support update/new/append modes, preserving history and tracking progress across iterations (Constitution Principle #6)


🌐 Community

Discover and share speckits with the community:

πŸ“¦ Awesome Spec Kits - A curated list of community speckits

For Users

# Search community speckits
metaspec search "api validation"

# Install from community
metaspec install <speckit-name>

# List installed speckits
metaspec list

# Get detailed information
metaspec info <command>

For Developers

# Validate your speckit before contributing
metaspec contribute --check-only
# β†’ Validates requirements (pyproject.toml, README, LICENSE, etc.)
# β†’ Shows what's missing with fix suggestions

# Contribute your speckit (one command!)
metaspec contribute --open
# β†’ Validates your project
# β†’ Opens pre-filled GitHub issue in browser
# β†’ Bot automatically extracts metadata from your repo
# β†’ Done in ~30 seconds!

# Or just get the URL
metaspec contribute
# β†’ Shows registration URL to paste in browser

# Preview metadata (optional)
metaspec contribute --save-json
# β†’ Generates JSON file for preview
# β†’ Note: Bot extracts from repo, JSON is optional

Join the community:


πŸ€– AI Assistant Ready

MetaSpec is designed for AI agents with strong reasoning capabilities. Speckit creation requires meta-level system design, entity modeling, and domain research.

πŸ‘‰ Complete AI workflow guide: AGENTS.md


🀝 Works Well With

MetaSpec generates speckits. Since generated speckits are also projects, you can use spec-driven methodologies to develop them.

Tool Purpose Built-in? Access Method
MetaSpec Commands Complete spec-driven workflow (19 commands) βœ… Yes /metaspec.sds.*, /metaspec.sdd.*, /metaspec.* slash commands in generated speckits

Complete Workflow:

# 1️⃣ CREATE: Generate speckit
metaspec init my-spec-kit

# 2️⃣ DEVELOP: Use built-in MetaSpec slash commands (no installation needed)
cd my-spec-kit

# SDS Commands (8) - Define domain specification
# 
# Core Flow (2-5 commands depending on complexity):
#   Simple: constitution β†’ specify β†’ [clarify] β†’ [checklist]
#   Complex: constitution β†’ specify β†’ [clarify] β†’ plan β†’ [checklist] β†’ tasks β†’ [analyze] β†’ implement
#
# /metaspec.sds.constitution - Define specification design principles (required)
# /metaspec.sds.specify      - Define specification entities and operations (required)
# /metaspec.sds.clarify      - Clarify ambiguities (recommended, BEFORE plan, input quality gate)
# /metaspec.sds.plan         - Plan specification architecture (if complex) ⭐
# /metaspec.sds.checklist    - Validate requirements completeness (recommended, AFTER plan, quality gate)
# /metaspec.sds.tasks        - Break down specification work (if complex) ⭐
# /metaspec.sds.analyze      - Check task consistency (if complex, AFTER tasks, BEFORE implement, checkpoint) ⭐
# /metaspec.sds.implement    - Write specification documents, NOT code (if complex) ⭐

# SDD Commands (8) - Develop spec-driven toolkit (follows spec-kit workflow)
#   Complete: constitution β†’ specify β†’ [clarify] β†’ plan β†’ [checklist] β†’ tasks β†’ [analyze] β†’ implement
#
# /metaspec.sdd.constitution - Define toolkit implementation principles (required)
# /metaspec.sdd.specify      - Define toolkit specifications (required)
# /metaspec.sdd.clarify      - Clarify technical decisions (recommended, BEFORE plan, input quality gate)
# /metaspec.sdd.plan         - Plan implementation architecture (required)
# /metaspec.sdd.checklist    - Validate requirements completeness (recommended, AFTER plan, quality gate)
# /metaspec.sdd.tasks        - Break down implementation work (required)
# /metaspec.sdd.analyze      - Check architecture consistency (recommended, AFTER tasks, BEFORE implement, checkpoint)
# /metaspec.sdd.implement    - Build your speckit - write code (required)

# Evolution Commands (3) - Controlled changes (shared)
# /metaspec.proposal "change" --type sds|sdd - Create change proposals
# /metaspec.apply <proposal-id>              - Apply approved changes
# /metaspec.archive <proposal-id>            - Archive completed changes

Advantages:

  • βœ… Complete workflow built-in - Everything you need from day one
  • βœ… AI-assisted - MetaSpec commands guide development
  • βœ… No external dependencies - All tools included

πŸš€ Ecosystem Vision

MetaSpec is not just a generatorβ€”it's a platform for speckits:

  1. Create speckits with metaspec init
  2. Develop with built-in MetaSpec commands
  3. Publish to community registry
  4. Install and use directly - no prefix needed!
# Example: Developer workflow
metaspec init api-speckit
cd api-speckit
# ... develop using MetaSpec commands ...
metaspec contribute api-speckit

# User workflow  
metaspec search "api"
metaspec install api-speckit

# Use directly (no metaspec prefix!)
api-speckit init my-api.json
api-speckit validate my-api.json

Future roadmap: Enhanced community features, version management, analytics

πŸ“– Complete guide: See AGENTS.md


πŸ“– Example

Create Your First Speckit

# Step 1: Interactive creation (recommended)
metaspec init

# Or quick start with defaults
metaspec init my-spec-kit

# Step 2: What you get
# my-spec-kit/
#   β”œβ”€β”€ src/my_spec_kit/           # Python package
#   β”‚   β”œβ”€β”€ cli/                    # CLI commands
#   β”‚   β”œβ”€β”€ parser.py               # Parser
#   β”‚   └── validator.py            # Validator
#   β”œβ”€β”€ .metaspec/
#   β”‚   β”œβ”€β”€ commands/               # MetaSpec commands (19 total)
#   β”‚   └── templates/              # MetaSpec templates
#   β”œβ”€β”€ specs/                      # Feature specifications
#   β”œβ”€β”€ templates/                  # User project templates
#   β”œβ”€β”€ AGENTS.md                   # AI workflow guide
#   β”œβ”€β”€ README.md                   # User documentation
#   └── pyproject.toml              # Package config

# Step 3: Install and develop
cd my-spec-kit
pip install -e .

# Step 4: Use built-in MetaSpec commands for AI-assisted development
#
# Phase 1: Define domain specification (SDS - 8 commands)
#   Simple Path: constitution β†’ specify β†’ [clarify] β†’ [checklist]
#   Complex Path: constitution β†’ specify β†’ [clarify] β†’ plan β†’ [checklist] β†’ tasks β†’ [analyze] β†’ implement
#
# Core (required):
# /metaspec.sds.constitution  - Define specification design principles
# /metaspec.sds.specify       - Define specification entities
#
# Quality gates (recommended):
# /metaspec.sds.clarify       - Clarify ambiguities (BEFORE plan, input quality gate)
#
# If complex (splitting needed):
# /metaspec.sds.plan          - Plan specification architecture ⭐
# /metaspec.sds.checklist     - Validate requirements completeness (AFTER plan, quality gate)
# /metaspec.sds.tasks         - Break down specification work ⭐
# /metaspec.sds.analyze       - Check task consistency (AFTER tasks, BEFORE implement, checkpoint) ⭐
# /metaspec.sds.implement     - Write specification documents (NOT code) ⭐

# Phase 2: Develop toolkit (SDD - 8 commands)
#   Complete Path: constitution β†’ specify β†’ [clarify] β†’ plan β†’ [checklist] β†’ tasks β†’ [analyze] β†’ implement
#   (Same as spec-kit workflow - toolkit development always needs full process)
#
# Core (required):
# /metaspec.sdd.constitution  - Define toolkit implementation principles
# /metaspec.sdd.specify       - Define toolkit specifications
#
# Quality gates (recommended):
# /metaspec.sdd.clarify       - Clarify technical decisions (BEFORE plan, input quality gate)
#
# Core (required) - continued:
# /metaspec.sdd.plan          - Plan implementation architecture
# /metaspec.sdd.checklist     - Validate requirements completeness (AFTER plan, quality gate)
# /metaspec.sdd.tasks         - Break down implementation work
# /metaspec.sdd.analyze       - Check architecture consistency (AFTER tasks, BEFORE implement, checkpoint)
# /metaspec.sdd.implement     - Build your speckit (write code)

# Step 5: Share with community
metaspec contribute my-spec-kit

πŸ“‚ More examples: See examples/ directory

πŸ‘‰ Community speckits: Check out Awesome Spec Kits for community-contributed toolkits


πŸ› οΈ Commands

# Generation
metaspec init [NAME] [OPTIONS]     # Create speckit (interactive or template-based)

# Community
metaspec search <query>            # Search community speckits
metaspec install <name>            # Install from community
metaspec contribute [--check-only] # Validate & contribute to community

# Information
metaspec list                      # List installed speckits
metaspec info <name>               # Show speckit details
metaspec version                   # Show MetaSpec version

# Maintenance (run in speckit directory)
metaspec sync                      # Sync commands to latest MetaSpec version
metaspec sync --check-only         # Check version without updating

# Examples
metaspec init                      # Interactive mode
metaspec init my-speckit           # Quick start (uses 'default')
metaspec init my-speckit default   # Explicit (same as above)
metaspec search "api"              # Search community
metaspec install api-speckit       # Install
metaspec list                      # List installed

Use metaspec --help or metaspec <command> --help for detailed options


πŸ§ͺ Development

# Clone and install
git clone https://github.com/ACNet-AI/MetaSpec.git && cd MetaSpec
uv pip install -e ".[dev]"

# Run tests
uv run pytest                  # 151 tests, 90.99% coverage

# Code quality checks
uv run ruff check .            # Lint
uv run mypy src/metaspec       # Type check

πŸ“– Contributing Guide


πŸ“š Documentation

Iteration & Decision Guides:


πŸ“ Release Notes

Current Version: v0.9.5 (Alpha) πŸš€

Latest: Documentation optimization & logical consistency fixes. See CHANGELOG.md for full release history.


🀝 Contributing

Contributions welcome! See contributing.md for guidelines.

git clone https://github.com/ACNet-AI/MetaSpec.git
git checkout -b feature/your-feature
# Make changes, test, commit
git push origin feature/your-feature

πŸ“„ License

MIT License - see LICENSE


πŸ™ Acknowledgments

Inspired by Spec-Kit, Protocol Buffers, and OpenAPI.


A Meta-Specification Framework for Generating Spec-Driven Toolkits

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Meta-specification framework for AI Agents to generate Spec-driven X toolkits automatically.

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