Spec Driven Development
In the rapidly evolving world of software development, a new term has emerged to describe the current state of AI-assisted programming: "Vibe Coding." It refers to the unstructured, chaotic process of chatting with an LLM (like Claude or ChatGPT), pasting code back and forth, and hoping the AI "gets the vibe" of what you're trying to build.
While fun for prototypes, vibe coding is a nightmare for complex or long-term projects. Context gets lost, requirements drift, and you end up with a "spaghetti chat" history that no one can audit.
Enter OpenSpec
In a recent deep-dive, I explored OpenSpec, a new open-source tool that brings engineering discipline back to AI coding through Spec-Driven Development (SDD).
Unlike context-driven frameworks (like BMAT) which can be overly complex, OpenSpec is lightweight and focuses on one core principle: Agree on the plan before writing the code.
How It Works
OpenSpec flips the script. Instead of asking an AI to "write a function," you ask it to "create a proposal."
The Proposal: The AI generates a structured plan (
proposal.md) and a task list (tasks.md).The Review: You (the human) review these files. This is your chance to catch logic errors before a single line of code is written.
The Implementation: Once approved, the AI agent (works with Cloud Code, Windsurf, Cursor, etc.) executes the plan step-by-step.
The Archive: The change is merged and archived, keeping your active context clean.
Why OpenSpec Wins for Beginners
Many AI tools require you to start a project from scratch ("Greenfield"). OpenSpec, however, can be initialized in a repository with thousands of lines of code (Similar to GitHub SpecKit but simpler). It respects your existing structure; it only adds a .openspec folder to manage future changes and all the definitions.
Conclusion
If you are tired of repeating yourself to your AI assistant, it's time to adopt a spec-driven workflow. OpenSpec offers a professional, scalable, and free way to harness the power of AI without losing control of your codebase.
Ready to try it? Check out the Fission-AI/OpenSpec repository on GitHub.
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