DevFlow Structured Development Workflow

Progressive disclosure workflow with gate-based verification. Use for staged development where tests must pass before advancing.

Sby Skills Guide Bot
DevelopmentIntermediate
008/4/2026
Claude CodeCursorWindsurfCopilotCodex
#devflow#gate-based#progressive-disclosure#cli-workflow#development-process

Recommended for


name: devflow description: Use when a task requires structured development workflow with gate-based verification, progressive disclosure, or step-by-step advancement. Use for feature development, debugging, or any task where tests must pass before proceeding to the next step.

DevFlow

DevFlow is a CLI-driven progressive disclosure workflow. You advance one verified step at a time.

When to Use

  • Task requires writing requirements, design docs, or code in stages
  • You need gate-based verification (tests must pass before advancing)
  • User mentions devflow commands or .devflow/ directory
  • Structured feature development or systematic debugging is needed

When NOT to use: The task is a simple one-off change that doesn't need staged workflow.

Quick Start

devflow --help          # Verify CLI is installed

If devflow is not found, install first:

pip install agent-devflow     # From PyPI

Or from source:

pip install -e .

If the project does not have a .devflow/ directory, initialize it:

devflow init --language <language> --name "<project-name>"

Then start the workflow:

devflow list-workflows              # See available workflows
devflow select-workflow MODE-A      # Pick one
devflow current                     # Read current step

Core Loop (ALWAYS follow this)

1. devflow current     → Read what to do
2. Execute the step    → Write code, create docs, run tests
3. devflow done        → Check gates → advance or retry
4. Repeat until "Workflow complete!"

Core rule: Only advance through devflow done. Never skip steps. Never create files for future steps.

Commands

| Command | Purpose | |---------|---------| | devflow current | Show current step instruction | | devflow done | Check gates and advance | | devflow back | Go back one step | | devflow approve ITEM | Mark item as user-approved | | devflow set KEY VALUE | Set state variable | | devflow list-workflows | List available workflows | | devflow select-workflow ID | Select and start a workflow | | devflow run | Start autonomous Ralph Loop |

Gate Types

Gates block advancement until satisfied:

  • file_exists:path — File must exist
  • file_contains:path:content — File must contain text
  • command_success:{test_command} — Command exits 0
  • user_approved:ITEM — Requires devflow approve ITEM
  • state_set:var — State variable must be set

Fail Routes

When gates fail, the workflow may route based on failure count:

fails 1-2 → retry or fallback step
fails 3+  → escalate to human

Fail count persists across visits (resets only when gates pass).

Common Mistakes

| Mistake | Fix | |---------|-----| | Writing code before devflow current | Stop. Run devflow current first | | Creating files for future steps | Only create what the current step asks for | | Skipping devflow done | All advancement must go through devflow done | | Ignoring gate failures | Fix the issue, then devflow done again |

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