BMAD-METHOD/devKalla-Fordonscervice/_wds/workflows/9-agent-dialogs/workflow.md

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Agent Dialog Workflow Create structured agent dialog folders for implementation tasks with isolated context and reproducible instructions true

Agent Dialog Workflow

Goal: Create structured, documented agent dialog folders that enable isolated, reproducible implementation tasks.

Your Role: Guide the user through creating an agent dialog structure that captures scope, context, and step-by-step instructions for implementation work.


OVERVIEW

Agent Dialogs solve these problems:

Problem Solution
Context window limits Each step is a fresh agent dialog
Lost planning work Everything documented in files
Handoff to others Complete instructions, anyone can execute
Resumability Pick up where you left off
Reproducibility Same inputs → same outputs

Key Insight: By structuring implementation work into documented dialog folders, we create:

  • Isolation — Each step can run in a fresh context
  • Traceability — Clear record of what was planned and executed
  • Replayability — Instructions can be rerun if needed
  • Handoff — Different agents or humans can continue the work

The Bridge Role

Agent Dialogs bridge the gap between specifications and development:

┌─────────────────────┐         ┌─────────────────────┐         ┌─────────────────────┐
│   SPECIFICATION     │         │   AGENT DIALOG      │         │   DEVELOPMENT       │
│                     │         │                     │         │                     │
│ • What to build     │────────▶│ • What's in scope   │────────▶│ • How to build      │
│ • Object IDs        │         │ • Step breakdown    │         │ • Code files        │
│ • Requirements      │         │ • Traceability      │         │ • Components        │
│ • Translations      │         │ • Progress tracking │         │ • Tests             │
└─────────────────────┘         └─────────────────────┘         └─────────────────────┘
     Single Source                   Navigation                    Implementation
      of Truth                         Layer

The specification is the single source of truth. Dialogs do not duplicate spec content — they map implementation tasks to spec sections via Object IDs


WHEN TO USE

Use this workflow when:

  • Implementing features from specifications
  • Making changes across multiple files
  • Work that benefits from step-by-step documentation
  • Tasks that might need to be resumed later
  • Work that could be handed off to another agent/person
  • Saving ideas for later — Capture work when you don't have time now

Skip this workflow when:

  • Simple one-file changes
  • Quick fixes that don't need documentation
  • Exploratory work where the path is unclear

AGENT STARTUP PROTOCOL

When an agent is awakened, it should check for pending dialogs.

Startup Check

1. Check: docs/F-Agent-Dialogs/
2. Find dialogs where:
   - Status = "Not Started" or "In Progress"
   - Agent matches the awakened agent
3. Present pending dialogs to user:
   "You have X pending dialogs:
    - [DATE] Feature Name (Status)
    - [DATE] Feature Name (Status)

    Would you like to continue one of these?"

Dialog States

Status Meaning
Not Started Dialog created but no steps executed
In Progress Some steps complete, work ongoing
Blocked Waiting on external dependency
On Hold Deliberately paused
Complete All steps finished

This ensures no captured work is forgotten.


CAPTURE DIALOGS

When you have an idea but no time to execute:

Capture Flow

  1. Create minimal dialog — Just the main file
  2. Capture the essence:
    • What's the idea/task?
    • What specification is it based on?
    • Any initial thoughts on approach?
  3. Set status: "Not Started"
  4. Done — Pick it up later

Minimal Dialog Structure

For "save for later" dialogs, you can skip step files initially:

F-Agent-Dialogs/
└── 2026-01-23-booking-details-drawer/
    └── 2026-01-23-booking-details-drawer-dialog.md  ← Just this file

When you return:

  1. Agent startup check finds it
  2. You continue with Step 2 (Analyze Scope)
  3. Create step files as needed

DIALOG TYPES

Choose the right template for your work. See templates/dialog-types/INDEX.md.

Type Icon Use When
Prototype Implementation 🔧 Building UI from specifications
Bug Fix 🐛 Fixing issues and defects
Design Exploration 🎨 Exploring visual/UX directions
Capture 💾 Saving ideas for later
Generic 📋 Anything else

Each type has a specialized template with relevant sections pre-configured.


FOLDER STRUCTURE

docs/F-Agent-Dialogs/
└── {DATE}-{agent}-{feature-name}/
    ├── {DATE}-{agent}-{feature-name}-dialog.md    ← Main file (meta, purpose, setup, progress)
    └── steps/
        ├── 01-{step-name}.md                      ← Self-contained step instructions
        ├── 02-{step-name}.md
        └── ...

Naming Convention:

  • Date format: YYYY-MM-DD
  • Agent name: lowercase (e.g., freya, saga, eira)
  • Feature name: lowercase, hyphenated (e.g., booking-details-drawer)
  • Step files: numbered prefix with descriptive name

Examples:

  • 2026-01-23-freya-booking-details-overlay/
  • 2026-01-23-saga-course-workflow-integration/
  • 2026-01-23-eira-visual-design-exploration/

THE DIALOG FILE

The main dialog file ({DATE}-{agent}-{feature-name}-dialog.md) contains everything needed to understand and manage the implementation work.

Required Sections

  1. Meta — Date, agent, feature, specification reference, status
  2. Purpose — What this dialog accomplishes
  3. About This Dialog — Explains the bridge role between spec and development
  4. Where to Find What — Navigation table for agents/humans
  5. Setup Context — All context an agent needs to start fresh
  6. Scope — What's in/out, dependencies
  7. Steps Overview — Table tracking progress across all steps
  8. Progress Log — Chronological record of work done
  9. Spec Changes Discovered — Track any spec updates made during implementation

See template: templates/dialog.template.md


STEP FILES

Each step file is self-contained — an agent with no prior context can execute it.

Step files link to specifications rather than copying content:

## Object ID Implementation Map

| Object ID | Spec Section | Lines |
|-----------|--------------|-------|
| `booking-detail-header` | Drawer Header | L149-L158 |
| `booking-detail-close` | Close Button | L159-L168 |

This ensures:

  • Specification remains the single source of truth
  • No drift between spec and step files
  • Clear traceability from code → Object ID → spec section

Required Sections

  1. Meta — Agent, step number, focus area
  2. Single Source of Truth — Link to specification with warning to read first
  3. Object ID Implementation Map — Table mapping Object IDs to spec line numbers
  4. Task — Clear description of what to implement
  5. Files to Modify — Explicit list of files
  6. Implementation Checklist — Per Object ID: Read → Implement → Verify
  7. Acceptance Criteria — All Object IDs present and match spec

See template: templates/step.template.md


WORKFLOW PHASES

Phase 1: Dialog Initialization

What: Create the dialog folder and main file

Steps:

  1. Determine the feature/implementation to work on
  2. Create folder: docs/F-Agent-Dialogs/{DATE}-{feature-name}/
  3. Create main dialog file from template
  4. Fill in Meta, Purpose, and Setup Context sections

Go to: steps/step-01-initialize-dialog.md


Phase 2: Scope Analysis

What: Analyze the specification and determine scope

Steps:

  1. Read the relevant specification(s)
  2. Identify what needs to be implemented
  3. Note any spec changes or clarifications needed
  4. Document in the Scope section

Go to: steps/step-02-analyze-scope.md


Phase 3: Step Breakdown

What: Break the work into discrete, implementable steps

Steps:

  1. Identify logical sections/features to implement
  2. Order them by dependencies (what must come first)
  3. Create step files for each
  4. Update Steps Overview table in dialog file

Go to: steps/step-03-create-steps.md


Phase 4: Step Execution

What: Execute each step (can be in fresh agent dialogs)

Steps:

  1. Open step file
  2. Execute the instructions
  3. Verify against acceptance criteria
  4. Update status in dialog file
  5. Log progress
  6. Repeat for next step

Go to: steps/step-04-execute-steps.md


Phase 5: Completion

What: Finalize the dialog and capture learnings

Steps:

  1. Verify all steps complete
  2. Document any spec changes discovered
  3. Note learnings for future dialogs
  4. Update final status

Go to: steps/step-05-complete-dialog.md


INITIALIZATION

First Step Execution

To begin, load and execute steps/step-01-initialize-dialog.md.

User Input Needed:

  • What feature/implementation are we working on?
  • Which specification(s) are relevant?
  • What's the target location for the dialog folder?

BEST PRACTICES

Single Source of Truth

  • Never duplicate spec content — Link to spec sections with line numbers
  • Object IDs are the contract — Every implementation maps to an Object ID
  • Spec changes update the spec — Not the dialog or step files
  • Verify against spec — Not against copied content in step files

Dialog Files

  • Be thorough in Setup Context — Assume the agent has zero prior knowledge
  • Include file paths — Always use absolute or project-relative paths
  • "Where to Find What" table — Help agents navigate between spec, dialog, and code
  • Track progress — Update the Steps Overview table after each step

Step Files

  • Object ID Implementation Map — Every step lists its Object IDs with spec line refs
  • One clear task — Each step should accomplish one thing
  • Implementation Checklist — Read spec → Implement → Verify (per Object ID)
  • Self-contained — Include all context needed to execute

Execution

  • Read spec first — Before implementing any Object ID
  • Fresh context is fine — Steps are designed to work in isolation
  • Update as you go — Don't wait to update progress
  • Capture discoveries — Note spec changes or issues found

EXAMPLES

Example: Feature Implementation Dialog (Freya)

2026-01-23-freya-booking-details-drawer/
├── 2026-01-23-freya-booking-details-drawer-dialog.md
└── steps/
    ├── 01-drawer-shell.md
    ├── 02-date-display.md
    ├── 03-dog-info-section.md
    ├── 04-status-badge.md
    ├── 05-action-buttons.md
    └── 06-state-transitions.md

Example: Bug Fix Dialog (Dev Agent)

2026-01-23-dev-calendar-scroll-fix/
├── 2026-01-23-dev-calendar-scroll-fix-dialog.md
└── steps/
    ├── 01-reproduce-issue.md
    ├── 02-implement-fix.md
    └── 03-verify-fix.md

Example: Capture Dialog (SAGA)

2026-01-23-saga-user-settings-page/
└── 2026-01-23-saga-user-settings-page-dialog.md   ← Just this file, expand later

INTEGRATION WITH OTHER WORKFLOWS

Agent Dialogs can be created from:

  • UX Design Workflow — Specification implementation becomes a dialog
  • Design System Workflow — Component creation becomes a dialog
  • Testing Workflow — Validation tasks become a dialog

The Agent Dialog structure provides a consistent way to document and execute implementation work from any source.

Note: This workflow IS the Agentic Development approach. Interactive Prototypes, Prototype Implementation, Bug Fixes, and Design Exploration are all output types of this workflow.


Agent Dialog Workflow — Structured, reproducible implementation with isolated context