git-learn/openspec/archive/2026-07-05-validate-sm-flow-explicit-trigger/proposal.md

Validate SM Flow Explicit Trigger

Why

Recent edits simplified sm-flow so it should only run when the user explicitly invokes it. The same cleanup also centralized scale rules in references/scales.md, removed time-based metrics, and split fallback/glossary concepts out of the top-level skill.

This change validates those protocol decisions through a real micro sm-flow run instead of another informal review.

What Changes

• Verify sm-flow only triggers on /sm-flow, /sm-flow explore, /sm-flow apply, /sm-flow archive, or an explicit natural-language request to use sm-flow.
• Verify task type alone does not trigger sm-flow, even when the task mentions OpenSpec, devflow, cross-module work, or clarification.
• Verify micro / standard / complex definitions live only in references/scales.md.
• Verify the skill has no time/minute-based metrics.
• Verify fallback usage is recorded when external OpenSpec capabilities are unavailable.

Design Notes

• Scale: micro.
• Interface impact: L1 internal documentation/protocol validation only.
• No business code changes.
• Independent design.md is intentionally omitted; this section is the micro design artifact.
• OpenSpec CLI and external OpenSpec child skills are not directly callable in the current tool surface, so this run uses references/fallbacks.md and records that capability source in devflow.

Scope

In scope:

• .agents/skills/sm-flow/SKILL.md
• .agents/skills/sm-flow/references/*.md
• Validation OpenSpec and devflow records for this change

Out of scope:

• Business code
• Rewriting historical OpenSpec archives
• Changing the four visible checkpoints or nine internal phases
• Adding automatic trigger heuristics

Risks

• A future edit may duplicate scale rules outside references/scales.md.
• The frontmatter description may drift from the top-level trigger rule.
• Validation can prove current text consistency, but cannot force future agents to obey it without continued review.