FAQ
Practical answers. No platform fog.
DevSpecs is local, CLI-first, and clear about what ships today.
Is DevSpecs an agent?
No. DevSpecs is a local CLI. It prepares bounded context and prompts for the agents you already use.
Does DevSpecs execute the task?
No. `ds task` creates the workspace and boundary. `ds apply` prints the next prompt. Your editor, terminal, or agent does the work.
Do agent commands ship today?
Yes, as thin repo-local adapter files from `ds init`. Generic skill files expose `$ds-task` and `$ds-apply`; Cursor, Claude, and Windsurf-style files expose `/ds-task` and `/ds-apply`. They route back to the local CLI.
Does it upload code?
No. Code and documents stay local. CLI telemetry excludes paths, repo names, remotes, raw queries, document text, and source code.
What should I run first?
If you know the goal, run `ds task "your bounded goal"`. Use `ds map`, `ds recent`, or `ds find` when you need evidence before choosing the goal.
How is this different from grep or ripgrep?
Search finds strings. DevSpecs creates a durable task slice, packs related context, and records the decision gate.
How is this different from Cursor, Codex, or Claude memory?
DevSpecs is tool-neutral. Task files live in your repo, and the local index can be rebuilt.
What is packed context?
`ds find` and `ds task` group likely source, tests, docs, receipts, and exclusions so the agent starts from a smaller working set.
Why not just ask the LLM to inspect the repo?
You can. DevSpecs helps when broad inspection turns into scope drift. It gives the agent a smaller start and a stop condition.
Should task artifacts be committed?
Commit task artifacts when they explain durable work. Keep local databases, private notes, and scratch output out of public repos.
What happens to existing plans?
Today they can be scanned and queried in place. Planned adoption wrappers will make old artifacts addressable without mutating originals by default.
Has ds adopt shipped?
No. `ds adopt` is planned. The shipped trust layer is `ds map`, `ds recent`, `ds find`, and exact artifact export with `ds context` when needed.
Why is the first demo FastAPI?
FastAPI is recognizable, source/test heavy, and a good fit for showing a bounded task slice with packed implementation and regression-test context.
Can this work in teams?
Yes, by Git. Teams can version durable task and intent files while each developer keeps a local SQLite index.
What is public versus private eval evidence?
Public claims should be backed by small reproducible fixtures and documented behavior. Private research runs, holdouts, scout scripts, and failed experiments stay in the research archive until a narrow public artifact is intentionally derived. See EVALS.md.