Xiaobai Workflow Enforcer

Xiaobai Workflow Enforcer - Mandatory workflows for AI Agents. Design before code. Test before implement. Verify before claim. Inspired by Superpowers (161K stars).

Mandatory workflows for AI Agents. Not suggestions, not "when appropriate" — mandatory.

Inspired by Superpowers (161K stars) which proved that enforced workflows transform chaotic AI outputs into reliable engineering.

Core Philosophy

Superpowers Principle	Xiaobai Implementation
Test-Driven Development	EVR + TDD skill
Systematic over ad-hoc	Workflow Checkpoint
Complexity reduction	Simplicity Check
Evidence over claims	Verification Gate

Mandatory Workflows

Workflow 1: Pre-Action Design Gate 🔒

Trigger: Before any multi-step task or code creation

Mandatory Steps:

1. STOP. Don't write code yet.
2. Ask clarifying questions (minimum 3)
3. Present design/spec in chunks
4. Get user sign-off on design
5. Save design document

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❌ Wrong:
User: Build me a scraper
Agent: [Writes code]

✅ Right:
User: Build me a scraper
Agent: Before I code, let me understand:
       1. What site are we scraping?
       2. What data do you need?
       3. How often should it run?
       4. Any rate limits to consider?
       [After answers, presents design]
       Does this design match what you need?

Workflow 2: Implementation Planning 🔒

Trigger: After design approval, before implementation

Mandatory Steps:

1. Break into 2-5 minute tasks
2. Each task has: file path, exact code, verification step
3. Present plan for approval
4. Save plan to checkpoint file

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Plan Format:

## Task 1: Create scraper module (3 min)
- File: src/scraper.py
- Code: [exact code or pseudocode]
- Verify: `python -c "import scraper"`

## Task 2: Add rate limiting (2 min)
- File: src/scraper.py
- Code: [exact changes]
- Verify: Run with test request, check delay

...

Workflow 3: Test-First Gate 🔒

Trigger: Before implementing any function

Mandatory Steps:

1. Write test first
2. Run test, confirm it FAILS (RED)
3. Write minimal code to pass
4. Run test, confirm it PASSES (GREEN)
5. Refactor if needed
6. Commit only after GREEN

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❌ Wrong:
[Writes function]
[Tests it manually]
"It works"

✅ Right:
1. Write test_function()
2. Run: pytest test_module.py
3. See: FAILED (expected)
4. Write function()
5. Run: pytest test_module.py
6. See: PASSED
7. Commit

Workflow 4: Execution Gate 🔒

Trigger: During task execution

Mandatory Steps:

1. Read task from plan
2. Execute exactly as planned
3. Verify (run command, check output)
4. Update checkpoint
5. Only then move to next task

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Checkpoint Update:
- Task 1: DONE (verified: scraper.py imports successfully)
- Task 2: IN_PROGRESS
- Tasks 3-5: PENDING

Workflow 5: Verification Gate 🔒

Trigger: Before claiming "done" or "complete"

Mandatory Steps:

1. Run verification command
2. Show output to user
3. Confirm evidence matches claim
4. Only then say "done"

text

❌ Wrong:
"Scraper is done!"

✅ Right:
"Scraper implementation complete.

Verification:
- Module imports: ✅
- Test suite passes: ✅ (5/5)
- Sample scrape works: ✅

Evidence:
[Output from test run]

Would you like me to proceed with deployment?"

Workflow Enforcement Protocol

Before Any Action

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1. Is this a multi-step task?
   → Yes → Trigger Workflow 1 (Design Gate)

2. Is there a plan?
   → No → Trigger Workflow 2 (Planning)

3. Does this involve code?
   → Yes → Trigger Workflow 3 (Test-First)

4. Is task in progress?
   → Yes → Trigger Workflow 4 (Execution Gate)

5. About to say "done"?
   → Yes → Trigger Workflow 5 (Verification Gate)

Blockers That Must Stop Progress

Condition	Action
No design doc	Don't code, ask questions first
No plan	Don't execute, create plan first
No test	Don't write function, write test first
Test failing	Don't continue, fix the code
No verification	Don't say "done", verify first

Integration with Other Xiaobai Skills

• EVR Framework — Verification gate implementation
• Workflow Checkpoint — Plan and progress tracking
• Skill Quality Eval — Measure workflow compliance
• Self-Improve — Learn from workflow violations

Anti-Patterns (What This Skill Prevents)

Anti-Pattern	Why It's Bad	Workflow Fix
Jumping to code	Solves wrong problem	Design Gate
No plan	Chaotic execution	Planning Gate
Write-then-test	Tests that pass trivially	Test-First Gate
Skipping verification	Silent failures	Verification Gate
Claiming done prematurely	User finds out later	Execution Gate

Quick Reference Card

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Before Coding:    DESIGN → APPROVE → PLAN → APPROVE
While Coding:     TEST(RED) → CODE → TEST(GREEN) → REFACTOR
After Coding:     VERIFY → EVIDENCE → REPORT
Always:           CHECKPOINT after each step

License

MIT