Overview The /sdd-continue command analyzes the current change state and launches the next appropriate sub-agent based on the dependency graph. It’s designed for step-by-step progression through the SDD workflow.
This command is smart - it detects which artifacts exist and determines the next phase automatically.
Usage /sdd-continue [change-name]
Optional. The change to continue. If omitted, continues the most recent active change.
What It Does 1. Checks Current State Scans for existing artifacts:
✓ proposal.md exists?
✓ specs/ directory with spec files?
✓ design.md exists?
✓ tasks.md exists?
✓ Tasks marked complete?
✓ Verification report exists?
2. Determines Next Phase Follows the dependency graph:
proposal → [specs ∥ design] → tasks → apply → verify → archive
If only proposal.md exists → Launch specs and design sub-agents in parallel
If specs + design exist → Launch tasks sub-agent
If tasks exist but incomplete → Launch apply sub-agent
If all tasks complete → Launch verify sub-agent
If verification passed → Launch archive sub-agent
3. Launches Appropriate Sub-Agent Delegates to the next phase with fresh context:
Reads all prerequisite artifacts
Executes phase-specific work
Returns structured result
4. Reports Progress Shows:
Phase completed
Artifacts created
Next recommended action
Example Usage Continuing from Proposal to Specs # After /sdd-new add-dark-mode and reviewing the proposal: /sdd-continue
Output: ## Analyzing current state... ✓ Proposal exists: add-dark-mode ✓ Next phase: specs + design (parallel) --- ## Launching spec writer sub-agent... ✓ specs/ui/theme-toggle.md created - 3 requirements (MUST: 2, SHOULD: 1) - 7 scenarios (Given/When/Then format) ✓ specs/core/theme-system.md created - 4 requirements (MUST: 3, SHOULD: 1) - 9 scenarios --- ## Launching designer sub-agent... ✓ design.md created - Component architecture (ThemeProvider, useTheme hook) - CSS variable naming convention - localStorage schema - System preference detection strategy - Sequence diagram for theme switching --- ### Artifacts Created - openspec/changes/add-dark-mode/specs/ui/theme-toggle.md - openspec/changes/add-dark-mode/specs/core/theme-system.md - openspec/changes/add-dark-mode/design.md ### Next Step Run `/sdd-continue` to generate implementation tasks.
Continuing from Specs to Tasks Output: ## Analyzing current state... ✓ Proposal exists ✓ Specs exist (2 files, 11 scenarios) ✓ Design exists ✓ Next phase: tasks --- ## Launching task planner sub-agent... ✓ tasks.md created - Phase 1: Foundation (3 tasks) - Phase 2: Implementation (4 tasks) - Phase 3: Testing & Polish (2 tasks) - Total: 9 tasks --- ### Artifacts Created - openspec/changes/add-dark-mode/tasks.md ### Next Step Review tasks.md, then run `/sdd-apply` to start implementation.
Continuing to Implementation Output: ## Analyzing current state... ✓ Proposal, specs, design, tasks all exist ✓ Tasks: 0/9 complete ✓ Next phase: apply --- ## Launching implementer sub-agent... Implementing Phase 1: Foundation ✓ 1.1 Create ThemeContext and provider - Created src/context/ThemeContext.tsx (87 lines) - Includes theme state, persistence, system detection ✓ 1.2 Add CSS custom properties - Modified src/styles/globals.css - Added --color-* variables for light/dark modes ✓ 1.3 Wrap app with ThemeProvider - Modified src/components/Layout.tsx - Added theme class to root element --- Phase 1 complete (3/9 tasks done). Continue with Phase 2? (or run /sdd-continue again)
Dependency Graph The command follows this exact progression:
Proposal
Created by /sdd-new. Must exist before anything else.
Specs + Design (Parallel)
Both can run simultaneously. No dependency between them.
Tasks
Requires both specs AND design to be complete.
Apply
Requires tasks. Implements code iteratively.
Verify
Requires all tasks complete. Validates implementation.
Archive
Requires successful verification. Closes the cycle.
When to Use
Deliberate Progress When you want to review artifacts between phases
Checkpoint Reviews Pause for feedback after each phase
Learning the Flow First time using SDD - see each phase individually
Collaborative Work Multiple people reviewing artifacts before proceeding
Use /sdd-ff instead of repeated /sdd-continue if you want to fast-forward through planning phases.
State Detection The orchestrator checks for artifacts in this order:
openspec/changes/{change-name}/ ├── proposal.md ← Phase 1 ├── specs/ ← Phase 2a │ └── *.md ├── design.md ← Phase 2b └── tasks.md ← Phase 3
Reads files to determine completion.
sdd/{change-name}/proposal ← Phase 1 sdd/{change-name}/spec ← Phase 2a sdd/{change-name}/design ← Phase 2b sdd/{change-name}/tasks ← Phase 3
Searches Engram observations by topic_key.
Tracks state in orchestrator memory only.
Not persistent across sessions.
Parallel Phase Execution When continuing from proposal, /sdd-continue launches specs and design sub-agents in parallel:
proposal.md exists │ ├──→ specs sub-agent } │ }→ Both run simultaneously └──→ design sub-agent } │ (wait for both) │ ↓ tasks sub-agent
This saves time since specs and design have no dependency on each other.
Error Handling If no active change is found: ❌ No active SDD change found. Run /sdd-new <name> to start a change, or specify: /sdd-continue <change-name>
If multiple changes are active: ⚠️ Multiple active changes found: - add-dark-mode (at tasks phase) - fix-auth-bug (at apply phase) Specify which to continue: /sdd-continue <change-name>
If change is already complete: ✓ Change "add-dark-mode" is complete and verified. Run /sdd-archive to close and archive this change.
