From 43546aaa7b27cdbddba313e05ed73d2927721384 Mon Sep 17 00:00:00 2001
From: Lukas <lukas.richter@maibornwolff.de>
Date: Mon, 30 Mar 2026 01:06:35 +0200
Subject: [PATCH] Add artifact lifecycle guidance to constitution (v3.2.0)

Clarify that spec.md is a living capability document, plan.md/tasks.md
are bounded work packages, and tests are the executable ground truth.

Co-Authored-By: Claude Opus 4.6 (1M context) <noreply@anthropic.com>
---
 .specify/memory/constitution.md | 18 +++++++++++++++---
 1 file changed, 15 insertions(+), 3 deletions(-)

diff --git a/.specify/memory/constitution.md b/.specify/memory/constitution.md
index dd57eab..d6e300f 100644
--- a/.specify/memory/constitution.md
+++ b/.specify/memory/constitution.md
@@ -1,9 +1,9 @@
 <!--
   Sync Impact Report
   ───────────────────
-  Version change: 3.0.0 → 3.1.0 (MINOR — new principle II-A: context-based state flow)
+  Version change: 3.1.0 → 3.2.0 (MINOR — artifact lifecycle guidance)
   Modified sections:
-    - Core Principles: added II-A. Context-Based State Flow (max 8 props, context over prop drilling)
+    - Development Workflow: added artifact lifecycle rules (spec.md living, plan/tasks bounded, tests authoritative)
   Templates requiring updates: none
 -->
 # Encounter Console Constitution
@@ -113,6 +113,18 @@ architecture, and quality — not product behavior.
   (which creates a feature branch for the full speckit pipeline);
   changes to existing features update the existing spec via
   `/integrate-issue`.
+- **Artifact lifecycles differ by type**:
+  - `spec.md` is a **living capability document** — it describes what
+    the feature does and is updated whenever the feature meaningfully
+    changes. It survives across multiple rounds of work.
+  - `plan.md` and `tasks.md` are **bounded work packages** — they
+    describe what to do for a specific increment of work. After
+    completion they become historical records. The next round of work
+    on the same feature gets a new plan, not an update to the old one.
+  - Tests are the **executable ground truth**. When a spec's
+    acceptance criteria and the tests disagree, the tests are
+    authoritative. Spec prose captures intent and context; tests
+    capture actual behavior.
 - The full pipeline (spec → plan → tasks → implement) applies to new
   features and significant additions. Bug fixes, tooling changes,
   and trivial UI adjustments do not require specs.
@@ -156,4 +168,4 @@ MUST comply with its principles.
 **Compliance review**: Every spec and plan MUST include a
 Constitution Check section validating adherence to all principles.
 
-**Version**: 3.1.0 | **Ratified**: 2026-03-03 | **Last Amended**: 2026-03-19
+**Version**: 3.2.0 | **Ratified**: 2026-03-03 | **Last Amended**: 2026-03-30