Development Execution Skill

When to Invoke

Automatically activate when user:

• Says "Implement story X", "Start coding", "Develop this"

• Asks "Write the code", "Let's code", "Build [feature]"

• Mentions "implement", "code", "develop"

• Story file ready (Phase 4)

• Uses words like: implement, code, develop, build, program, coding

Specific trigger phrases:

• "Implement story [X]"

• "Start coding [feature]"

• "Develop this story"

• "Let's code"

• "Write the implementation"

• "Build [feature]"

Prerequisites:

• Story file exists (from bmad-story-planning)

• Architecture patterns defined

Do NOT invoke when:

• No story file (use bmad-story-planning first)

• Planning needed (use bmad-product-planning first)

• Architecture not defined (use bmad-architecture-design first)

Mission

Implement approved stories end-to-end, maintaining transparency, testing discipline, and traceability back to requirements and architecture decisions.

Inputs Required

• story: developer-ready story file from delivery-planning skill

• architecture_refs: relevant sections of ARCHITECTURE.md or component notes

• ux_guidance: UX specs or validations tied to the story

• quality_plan: scenarios or gates supplied by quality-assurance skill

Outputs

• Code diffs and test results captured in the working repository

• Updated story file (Dev Agent Record, status transitions, learnings)

• implementation-notes.md - Development summary (generated from assets/implementation-notes-template.md.template )

• Summary of changes, tests, and outstanding risks for stakeholders

Template location: .claude/skills/bmad-development-execution/assets/implementation-notes-template.md.template

Process

• Confirm prerequisites via CHECKLIST.md and restate story scope.

• Plan implementation steps, identifying affected files and tests.

• Apply small, reviewable code changes with explanations and references.

• Execute required test suites and capture command output verbatim.

• Update story documentation, including Dev Agent Record and status.

• Summarize work, highlight follow-ups, and notify orchestrator for next steps.

Quality Gates

All items in CHECKLIST.md must pass before code is considered complete. Never mark a story done without full testing evidence.

Error Handling

If prerequisites or environments are missing:

• Halt implementation, document the specific blocker, and notify orchestrator.

• Provide recommended remediation steps (e.g., refresh artifacts, fix failing baseline tests).

• Avoid speculative changes; keep diffs scoped to the approved story.