/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: !find docs/blueprint -maxdepth 1 -name 'manifest.json' -type f

• PRDs present: !find docs/prds -name "*.md" -type f

• Rules directory: !find .claude -maxdepth 1 -name 'rules' -type d

• 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:

• If Blueprint initialized = "NO" → Error: "Blueprint not initialized. Run /blueprint:init first"

• If PRDs present = "0" → Error: "No PRDs found. Create at least one PRD in docs/prds/ before generating rules"

• 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:

• Architecture Patterns: Project structure, dependency injection, error handling, module boundaries, layering, code organization

• Testing Strategies: TDD workflow, test types (unit, integration, e2e), mocking patterns, coverage requirements

• Implementation Guides: Patterns for implementing feature types (APIs, UI, database, external services)

• 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:

• architecture-patterns.md

• Project structure, design patterns, dependency management, error handling, integration patterns

• testing-strategies.md

• TDD workflow, test structure, test types, mocking patterns, coverage requirements

• quality-standards.md

• Code review checklist, performance baselines, security standards, style, documentation

One optional advanced rule (if applicable):

• 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:

• /blueprint:init

• Initialize Blueprint Development structure

• /blueprint:generate-rules

• Generate project rules from PRDs (main entry point)

• /blueprint:generate-commands

• Generate workflow commands based on project type

• /blueprint:work-order

• Create isolated work-order for subagent execution

• /project:continue

• Analyze state and resume development

• /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:

• Test rules apply: Check that Claude follows architecture-patterns, testing-strategies, and quality-standards during development

• Test commands execute: Run each command to verify it works as expected

• Verify output quality: Check that generated rules match PRD requirements and include concrete examples

• 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:

• Review generated rules for accuracy

• Add project-specific additions or clarifications

• Run /project:continue to begin Blueprint Development workflow

• 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.

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