Skip to content

fix(rules): Unmix signals about question format (file/inline)#167

Closed
t1h0 wants to merge 1 commit intoawslabs:prompt-eng/review-aidlc-rulesfrom
t1h0:prompt-eng/review-aidlc-rules
Closed

fix(rules): Unmix signals about question format (file/inline)#167
t1h0 wants to merge 1 commit intoawslabs:prompt-eng/review-aidlc-rulesfrom
t1h0:prompt-eng/review-aidlc-rules

Conversation

@t1h0
Copy link
Copy Markdown

@t1h0 t1h0 commented Apr 2, 2026

Summary

Fixes the next highest-priority finding from #156

Problem: The question-format-guide and core-workflow rules sent contradictory signals — they stated "NEVER ask questions in chat" while other stage rules required inline stage-completion prompts and approval requests. AI agents following the workflow received conflicting instructions about when file-based vs. inline questions were appropriate.

Fix: Distinguish between question types: requirements-gathering and clarification questions must go in dedicated .md files, while stage-completion prompts and approval requests may be presented inline in chat. Updated all references to reflect this distinction.

Changes

  • question-format-guide.md: Replaced blanket "Never Ask Questions in Chat" rule with two explicit rules — one permitting inline stage-completion/approval prompts, one requiring file-based format for requirements-gathering and clarification questions. Updated the summary checklist to match. Updated headlines for consistency.
  • core-workflow.md: Renamed section from "Question File Format" to "Question Format" to reflect that not all questions are file-based.

User experience

Before: An AI agent following AIDLC rules encounters "NEVER ask questions in chat" but is also told to present approval prompts inline. The agent either violates the blanket rule or awkwardly puts simple yes/no approval prompts into files.

After: The rules clearly separate question types. The agent knows to use files for requirements-gathering and clarification, and may present stage-completion prompts and approval requests inline — no contradiction.

Checklist

  • I have reviewed the contributing guidelines
  • I have performed a self-review of this change
  • Changes have been tested
  • Changes are documented

Test Plan

  • Run AI-DLC evaluator and verify stage-completion/approval prompts appear only inline and requirements-gathering and clarification only in-file.

Acknowledgment

By submitting this pull request, I confirm that you can use, modify, copy, and redistribute this contribution, under the terms of the project license.

@t1h0 t1h0 requested review from a team as code owners April 2, 2026 13:44
@t1h0 t1h0 marked this pull request as draft April 2, 2026 13:44
@t1h0 t1h0 changed the title Unmix signals about question format (file/inline) fix(rules): Unmix signals about question format (file/inline) Apr 2, 2026
@t1h0 t1h0 closed this Apr 2, 2026
Sign up for free to join this conversation on GitHub. Already have an account? Sign in to comment

Labels

None yet

Projects

None yet

Development

Successfully merging this pull request may close these issues.

1 participant