Overview
AIOX uses a story-driven development approach where all work starts from a story file indocs/stories/. This ensures traceability, consistent quality, and clear acceptance criteria.
Story-Driven Development
Core Principle
Every feature, bug fix, or enhancement begins with a story. Stories provide:- Clear requirements - Acceptance criteria define what “done” means
- Task tracking - Checkboxes track progress
- Traceability - Link code changes to requirements
- Context - Maintain understanding across sessions
Story Structure
The Story Development Cycle
Phase 1: Story Creation
Agent: @sm (Scrum Master)- Ask about the feature/requirement
- Create a story file in
docs/stories/ - Define acceptance criteria
- Break down into tasks
Phase 2: Story Validation
Agent: @po (Product Owner)- Story ID is unique and follows convention
- Title is clear and descriptive
- Description explains “what” and “why”
- Acceptance criteria are testable
- Tasks are well-defined
- Dependencies are documented
- Risks are identified
- Estimate is reasonable
- Story is properly sized
- Story aligns with product goals
Phase 3: Implementation
Agent: @dev (Developer)- Read the story file
- Implement code according to acceptance criteria
- Write tests for each criterion
- Update checkboxes as tasks complete:
[ ]→[x] - Update the File List section
- Change story status to “Ready for Review”
Phase 4: QA Review
Agent: @qa (Quality Assurance)- Run all quality gates (lint, typecheck, tests)
- Verify test coverage meets threshold (80%+)
- Check acceptance criteria are met
- Review code quality and patterns
- Validate error handling
Phase 5: Git Operations
Agent: @devops (DevOps)- Stage changes
- Create commit with story reference
- Push to remote
- Create pull request if needed
Daily Development Workflow
Starting Your Day
During Development
Before Committing
End of Day
Working with Tasks
Task Categories
| Category | Examples |
|---|---|
| Development | develop-story, code-review, refactor |
| Quality | run-tests, validate-code, security-scan |
| Documentation | generate-docs, update-readme |
| Workflow | create-story, manage-sprint |
Executing Tasks
Task-First Architecture
Working with Workflows
Available Workflows
| Workflow | Use Case | Agents Involved |
|---|---|---|
story-development-cycle | Standard feature dev | SM → PO → Dev → QA |
greenfield-fullstack | New full-stack project | All agents |
brownfield-integration | Add to existing project | dev, architect |
qa-loop | Quality assurance cycle | QA → Dev |
Running Workflows
Workflow State
Workflows persist state across sessions in.aiox/{instance-id}-state.yaml:
Agent Collaboration
Command Authority
Each command has exactly one authoritative agent owner:| Command | Owner | Purpose |
|---|---|---|
*create-prd | @pm | Create product requirements |
*create-epic | @pm | Create epic |
*draft | @sm | Create story |
*validate-story-draft | @po | Validate story |
*develop | @dev | Implement feature |
*review | @qa | Quality review |
*push | @devops | Git push operations |
Agent Handoffs
Typical handoff sequence:Code Quality Standards
Pre-commit Checks
Before every commit, these checks run automatically:Coverage Requirements
- Minimum: 80% overall coverage
- Statements: 80%
- Branches: 75%
- Functions: 80%
- Lines: 80%
Code Style
Follow the coding standards in.aiox-core/framework/coding-standards.md:
- Use absolute imports
- Follow TypeScript strict mode
- Write descriptive variable names
- Add JSDoc comments for public APIs
- Keep functions small and focused
Story Status Management
Status Flow
Status Definitions
| Status | Meaning | Who Sets |
|---|---|---|
ready | Validated and ready to start | @po |
in progress | Implementation started | @dev |
Ready for Review | Implementation complete, needs QA | @dev |
completed | QA passed, merged to main | @devops |
Updating Status
Best Practices
Story Creation
- Keep stories small - 1-3 days of work maximum
- Clear acceptance criteria - Must be testable
- Include “why” - Document the business value
- Link dependencies - Reference related stories
Implementation
- Work from the story - Read it before coding
- Update as you go - Check off tasks immediately
- Test each criterion - One test per acceptance criterion
- Update file list - Track all changed files
Quality
- Run checks frequently - Don’t wait for pre-commit
- Fix issues immediately - Don’t accumulate technical debt
- Review your own code - Before requesting @qa review
- Write meaningful tests - Not just for coverage
Collaboration
- Use the right agent - Follow command authority
- Clear handoffs - Document what’s ready for next agent
- Ask questions - Use
*helpwhen unsure - Document decisions - Keep notes in story file
Troubleshooting
Story Validation Fails
Quality Gate Fails
Agent Not Responding
- Verify agent file exists:
ls .aiox-core/development/agents/ - Sync IDE:
npm run sync:ide - Restart IDE/CLI session
- Check agent syntax:
*help
Next Steps
- Git Workflow Guide - Learn the multi-layer validation system
- Quality Gates Guide - Deep dive into quality assurance
- Custom Workflows - Create your own workflows
- Squad Development - Build domain-specific extensions