AI-Assisted Software Specification: Co-Writing Documentation Before Implementation

Posted by u/linewhite8 months agoCurated from Reddit

Project Information

Project Type
Medium
Type of Project
Software Development Process Improvement
Problem Type
Development Workflow Optimization

Tags

software-specification
ai-collaboration
documentation
best-practices
development-workflow
project-planning
visualization

AI Models Mentioned

Cursor AI
Software specification and documentation assistance

Summary

A methodology for collaborating with AI to create comprehensive software specifications before beginning implementation. The approach involves maintaining separate human and AI-editable specification documents, leveraging AI for best practices validation, and using tools like Cursor and Mermaid for visualization. This process helps prevent mid-development course corrections and maintains project alignment.

Prompt

Create a comprehensive software specification document for [PROJECT_NAME] that includes:

1. System Overview
2. Core Requirements (human-edited only)
3. Technical Architecture
4. Component Relationships
5. Best Practices Implementation
6. Potential Risk Areas

Generate a Mermaid diagram showing the system architecture and component relationships.

Validate the specification against common software development patterns and highlight any potential issues or areas for improvement. Reference the human-provided requirements while maintaining their original intent.

Best Practices

Separate Human and AI Documentation

critical

Maintain distinct specification documents for human input and AI-generated content

Pre-implementation Specification Review

important

Question and validate decisions with AI before writing any code

Visual Specification Documentation

nice_to_have

Use Mermaid to create visual documentation of the final system design

Common Mistakes to Avoid

Rely Solely on AI for Specifications

critical

Don't allow AI to modify or create initial human requirements and decisions

Proceed Without Specification Validation

important

Don't start coding without thoroughly reviewing and questioning the specification with AI assistance

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