Xiaobai Workflow Enforcer 🔒
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:
- STOP. Don't write code yet.
- Ask clarifying questions (minimum 3)
- Present design/spec in chunks
- Get user sign-off on design
- Save design document
❌ 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:
- Break into 2-5 minute tasks
- Each task has: file path, exact code, verification step
- Present plan for approval
- Save plan to checkpoint file
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:
- Write test first
- Run test, confirm it FAILS (RED)
- Write minimal code to pass
- Run test, confirm it PASSES (GREEN)
- Refactor if needed
- Commit only after GREEN
❌ 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:
- Read task from plan
- Execute exactly as planned
- Verify (run command, check output)
- Update checkpoint
- Only then move to next task
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:
- Run verification command
- Show output to user
- Confirm evidence matches claim
- Only then say "done"
❌ 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
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
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
