nw-execute
Dispatches a single roadmap step to a specialized agent for TDD execution. Use when implementing a specific step from a roadmap.json plan.
Best use case
nw-execute is best used when you need a repeatable AI agent workflow instead of a one-off prompt.
Dispatches a single roadmap step to a specialized agent for TDD execution. Use when implementing a specific step from a roadmap.json plan.
Teams using nw-execute should expect a more consistent output, faster repeated execution, less prompt rewriting.
When to use this skill
- You want a reusable workflow that can be run more than once with consistent structure.
When not to use this skill
- You only need a quick one-off answer and do not need a reusable workflow.
- You cannot install or maintain the underlying files, dependencies, or repository context.
Installation
Claude Code / Cursor / Codex
Manual Installation
- Download SKILL.md from GitHub
- Place it in
.claude/skills/nw-execute/SKILL.mdinside your project - Restart your AI agent — it will auto-discover the skill
How nw-execute Compares
| Feature / Agent | nw-execute | Standard Approach |
|---|---|---|
| Platform Support | Not specified | Limited / Varies |
| Context Awareness | High | Baseline |
| Installation Complexity | Unknown | N/A |
Frequently Asked Questions
What does this skill do?
Dispatches a single roadmap step to a specialized agent for TDD execution. Use when implementing a specific step from a roadmap.json plan.
Where can I find the source code?
You can find the source code on GitHub using the link provided at the top of the page.
SKILL.md Source
# NW-EXECUTE: Atomic Task Execution
**Wave**: EXECUTION_WAVE | **Agent**: Dispatched agent (specified by caller)
## Overview
Dispatch a single roadmap step to an agent. Orchestrator extracts step context from roadmap so agent never loads the full roadmap.
## Syntax
```
/nw-execute @{agent} "{feature-id}" "{step-id}"
```
## Context Files Required
- `docs/feature/{feature-id}/deliver/roadmap.json` — Orchestrator reads once, extracts step context
- `docs/feature/{feature-id}/deliver/execution-log.json` — Agent appends only (never reads)
## Rigor Profile Integration
Before dispatching the agent, read rigor config from `.nwave/des-config.json` (key: `rigor`). If absent, use standard defaults.
- **`agent_model`**: Pass as `model` parameter to Agent tool. If `"inherit"`, omit `model` (inherits from session).
- **`tdd_phases`**: If `["RED_UNIT", "GREEN"]` (lean), modify the TDD_PHASES section in the DES template to only include those 2 phases. Remove PREPARE/RED_ACCEPTANCE/COMMIT instructions.
- **`refactor_pass`**: If `false`, skip COMMIT phase refactoring instructions.
## Dispatcher Workflow
1. **Parse Parameters** — Extract agent name, feature ID, and step ID from invocation. Gate: all three parameters present and non-empty.
2. **Load Rigor Profile** — Read `.nwave/des-config.json` key `rigor` (default: standard if absent). Gate: config loaded or default applied.
3. **Validate Context Files** — Confirm `docs/feature/{feature-id}/deliver/roadmap.json` and `execution-log.json` exist. Gate: both files present; report path-not-found if missing.
4. **Extract Step Context** — Grep roadmap for `step_id: "{step-id}"` with ~50 lines context. Gate: step found; report available step IDs if missing.
5. **Invoke Agent** — Call Agent tool with DES template below, applying rigor model and phases from step 2. Gate: Agent tool called, not executed inline.
## Agent Invocation
@{agent}
Use this DES template verbatim. Fill `{placeholders}` from roadmap. Without DES markers, hooks cannot validate.
```
<!-- DES-VALIDATION : required -->
<!-- DES-PROJECT-ID : {feature-id} -->
<!-- DES-STEP-ID : {step-id} -->
# DES_METADATA
Step: {step-id}
Feature: {feature-id}
Command: /nw-execute
# AGENT_IDENTITY
Agent: {agent-name}
# SKILL_LOADING
Before starting TDD phases, read your skill files for methodology guidance.
Skills path: ~/.claude/skills/nw-{skill-name}/SKILL.md
Always load at PREPARE: tdd-methodology.md, quality-framework.md
Load on-demand per phase as specified in your Skill Loading Strategy table.
# TASK_CONTEXT
{step context from roadmap - name|description|acceptance_criteria|test_file|scenario_name|quality_gates|implementation_notes|dependencies|estimated_hours|deliverables|files_to_modify}
# DESIGN_CONTEXT
{Summary of architectural decisions relevant to this step, extracted by the orchestrator from docs/product/architecture/brief.md and wave-decisions.md. Include: component structure, dependency boundaries, technology choices, and any design constraints that affect implementation. If no design artifacts exist, write "No design artifacts available — use project conventions."}
# TDD_PHASES
Execute in order:
0. PREPARE - Load context, verify prerequisites
1. RED_ACCEPTANCE - Activate or write acceptance test (PRIMARY TBU DEFENSE)
If TASK_CONTEXT includes test_file: locate it, remove @skip/@ignore/@pending/xit/.skip/[Ignore] marker
from the target scenario, run it — must fail for business logic reason (not import/syntax error).
If no test_file in TASK_CONTEXT: write a new failing acceptance test from acceptance_criteria.
PORT-TO-PORT PRINCIPLE: The acceptance test exercises the scenario through
the driving port (application service, orchestrator, CLI handler, API controller),
not a decomposed helper or internal class. A correctly-written port-to-port test
makes TBU structurally impossible — if a new function were missing or unwired,
THIS test stays RED. That is the entire point: GREEN is unreachable without wiring.
Litmus test: "If I delete the call-site that wires the new code, does this test fail?"
If no → the test is at the wrong level. Fix it before proceeding.
2. RED_UNIT - Write failing unit test (or integration test for adapter/infrastructure
code — adapters use real infrastructure, never mocked unit tests)
3. GREEN - Minimal code to pass tests
After GREEN: run FULL test suite. If all pass, proceed to COMMIT immediately.
Smell test: if any new function is only called from test code, your acceptance
test is at the wrong abstraction level — go back to RED_ACCEPTANCE and fix it.
Never move to new task or stop without committing green code.
4. COMMIT - Stage and commit with conventional message
Include git trailer: `Step-ID: {step-id}` (required for DES verification)
Example:
```
feat(feature-id): implement feature X
Step-ID: 02-01
```
# QUALITY_GATES
- All tests pass before COMMIT
- No skipped phases without blocked_by reason
- Coverage maintained or improved
# OUTCOME_RECORDING
After ACTUALLY EXECUTING each phase, record via DES CLI:
PYTHONPATH=$HOME/.claude/lib/python $(command -v python3 || command -v python) -m des.cli.log_phase \
--project-dir docs/feature/{feature-id}/deliver \
--step-id {step-id} \
--phase {PHASE_NAME} \
--status EXECUTED \
--data PASS
For SKIPPED phases (genuinely not applicable):
PYTHONPATH=$HOME/.claude/lib/python $(command -v python3 || command -v python) -m des.cli.log_phase \
--project-dir docs/feature/{feature-id}/deliver \
--step-id {step-id} \
--phase {PHASE_NAME} \
--status SKIPPED \
--data "NOT_APPLICABLE: reason"
CLI enforces real UTC timestamps and validates phase names.
Do NOT manually edit execution-log.json.
Use the DES CLI to record phase outcomes and create log files.
Python resolution: `$(command -v python3 || command -v python)` — works on macOS (python3 only), Linux, and Windows.
CRITICAL: Only the executing agent calls the CLI.
Orchestrator MUST NEVER write phase entries — only the agent that performed the work. A log entry without actual execution is a **violation that DES detects and that will cause integrity verification to fail**, blocking finalize.
# RECORDING_INTEGRITY
Valid Skip Prefixes: NOT_APPLICABLE, BLOCKED_BY_DEPENDENCY, APPROVED_SKIP, CHECKPOINT_PENDING
Anti-Fraud Rules:
- NEVER write EXECUTED for phases you did not actually perform
- NEVER invent timestamps — DES CLI generates real UTC timestamps
- DES audits all entries; integrity violations block finalize
# BOUNDARY_RULES
- Only modify files listed in step's files_to_modify
- Do not load roadmap.json
- Do not modify execution-log.json structure (append only)
- NEVER write execution-log entries for phases you did not execute
# TIMEOUT_INSTRUCTION
Target: 30 turns max. If approaching limit, COMMIT current progress.
If GREEN complete (all tests pass), MUST commit before returning — even at turn limit.
```
**Configuration:**
- subagent_type: extracted agent name
- Turn limits are defined in each agent's `maxTurns` frontmatter field (not as a tool parameter)
## Error Handling
1. **Invalid Agent** — Report available agents from the agent registry. Gate: error message returned, no invocation attempted.
2. **Missing Context Files** — Report exact path not found for roadmap or execution-log. Gate: clear path reported.
3. **Step Not in Roadmap** — Report available step IDs from roadmap. Gate: list of valid IDs returned.
4. **Dependency Failure** — Explain which blocking tasks are incomplete. Gate: blocking step IDs named explicitly.
## Resume vs Restart
When subagent times out:
| Last Completed Phase | Action | Rationale |
|---------------------|--------|-----------|
| GREEN (or later) | Resume | Only COMMIT remains (~5 turns) |
| RED_UNIT with partial GREEN | Resume | Preserves implementation progress |
| PREPARE or RED_ACCEPTANCE | Restart | Little context worth replaying |
Resume costs ~50% more tokens/call due to context replay (measured: 3.7K vs 2.5K tokens/call). For <5 remaining turns, resume is efficient. For 15+ turns, restart is cheaper.
## Examples
```bash
/nw-execute @nw-software-crafter "des-us007-boundary-rules" "02-01"
/nw-execute @nw-researcher "auth-upgrade" "01-01"
/nw-execute @nw-software-crafter "des-us007" "03-01" # retry after failure
```
## TDD_PHASES
<!-- Schema v4.0 — canonical source: TDDPhaseValidator.MANDATORY_PHASES -->
<!-- Build system injects mandatory phases from step-tdd-cycle-schema.json -->
{{MANDATORY_PHASES}}
## Success Criteria
- [ ] Agent invoked via Agent tool (dispatcher does not execute the work)
- [ ] Step context extracted from roadmap and passed in prompt
- [ ] Agent appended phase events to execution-log.json
- [ ] Agent did not load roadmap.json
## Next Wave
**Handoff To**: /nw-review for post-execution review
**Deliverables**: Updated execution-log.json|implementation artifacts|git commitsRelated Skills
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nw-ux-principles
Core UX principles for product owners. Load when evaluating interface designs, writing acceptance criteria with UX requirements, or reviewing wireframes and mockups.
nw-ux-emotional-design
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nw-ux-desktop-patterns
Desktop application UI patterns for product owners. Load when designing native or cross-platform desktop applications, writing desktop-specific acceptance criteria, or evaluating panel layouts and keyboard workflows.
nw-user-story-mapping
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nw-tr-review-criteria
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nw-tlaplus-verification
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nw-test-refactoring-catalog
Detailed refactoring mechanics with step-by-step procedures, and test code smell catalog with detection patterns and before/after examples
nw-test-organization-conventions
Test directory structure patterns by architecture style, language conventions, naming rules, and fixture placement. Decision tree for selecting test organization strategy.
nw-test-design-mandates
Four design mandates for acceptance tests - hexagonal boundary enforcement, business language abstraction, user journey completeness, walking skeleton strategy, and pure function extraction
nw-tdd-review-enforcement
Test design mandate enforcement, test budget validation, 5-phase TDD validation, and external validity checks for the software crafter reviewer