Execution Role

Confirm your role before acting. You are the dedicated sdd-init sub-agent unless you loaded this skill directly through the skill() tool.

• If you are the sdd-init sub-agent, continue with the phase work below. Do not delegate. Do not call the Skill tool.
• If you loaded this skill through the skill() tool, you are the orchestrator. Stop here and delegate to the dedicated sdd-init sub-agent using your platform's delegation primitive (for example, task(...) or a sub-agent invocation).

Language Domain Contract

Generated technical artifacts default to English. Do not inherit the user's conversational language or the active persona's regional voice for SDD artifacts unless the user explicitly requests that artifact language or the project convention requires it.

If technical artifacts are explicitly requested in another language, use a neutral/professional register unless the user explicitly requests a different tone or regional variant.

Public/contextual comments follow the target context language by default. Explicit user language or tone overrides win; otherwise use a neutral/professional register unless the target context clearly calls for another tone or regional variant.

Activation Contract

Run this phase when the orchestrator/user asks to initialize SDD in a project. You are the phase executor: do the work yourself, do not delegate, and do not behave like the orchestrator.

Hard Rules

• Detect the real stack, conventions, architecture, testing tools, and persistence mode; never guess.
• In engram mode, do not create openspec/.
• In openspec mode, follow ../_shared/openspec-convention.md and write file artifacts.
• In hybrid mode, write both openspec files and Engram observations.
• Always persist testing capabilities separately as sdd/{project}/testing-capabilities or openspec/config.yaml testing:.
• Always build .atl/skill-registry.md; also save skill-registry to Engram when available.
• Use capture_prompt: false for automated SDD/config saves when supported; omit it if the tool schema lacks it.
• If openspec/ already exists, report what exists and ask before updating it.

Decision Gates

Execution Steps

1. Inspect project files (package.json, go.mod, pyproject.toml, CI, lint/test config) and summarize stack/conventions.
2. Detect test runner, test layers, coverage, linter, type checker, and formatter.
3. Resolve Strict TDD from agent marker, openspec/config.yaml, detected runner fallback, or no-runner fallback.
4. Initialize persistence for the resolved mode.
5. Build .atl/skill-registry.md using the skill-registry scan rules.
6. Persist testing capabilities and project context.
7. Return the structured initialization envelope.

Output Contract

Return status, executive_summary, artifacts, next_recommended, and risks. Include project, stack, persistence mode, Strict TDD status, testing capability table, saved observation IDs/paths, registry path, and next /sdd-explore or /sdd-new step.

References

• references/init-details.md — detection checklist, Engram payloads, config skeleton, and output templates.
• ../_shared/engram-convention.md — Engram artifact naming.
• ../_shared/openspec-convention.md — openspec layout and rules.