Configuration Examples

Part of spec: 018-spec-validation

Configuration examples for different use cases of lean-spec validate.

Strict Mode (CI/CD)

Use for production/CI environments where you want maximum validation:

{
  "validate": {
    "mode": "comprehensive",
    "autoValidate": false,
    "rules": {
      "frontmatter": {
        "required": ["status", "created", "priority"],
        "allowedStatus": ["planned", "in-progress", "complete", "archived"],
        "allowedPriority": ["low", "medium", "high", "critical"]
      },
      "structure": {
        "requireReadme": true,
        "requiredSections": ["Overview", "Design", "Plan", "Test"],
        "forbidEmptySections": true
      },
      "content": {
        "minLength": 200,
        "forbidTodoInComplete": true,
        "validateLinks": true
      },
      "corruption": {
        "detectDuplicateSections": true,
        "validateCodeBlocks": true,
        "validateJsonYaml": true,
        "detectFragments": true
      },
      "staleness": {
        "inProgressMaxDays": 30,
        "noUpdateMaxDays": 90,
        "plannedMaxDays": 60
      }
    }
  },
  "ignorePaths": [
    "archived/**",
    "drafts/**"
  ]
}

Relaxed Mode (Early Development)

Use for early-stage projects or rapid prototyping:

{
  "validate": {
    "mode": "quick",
    "autoValidate": false,
    "rules": {
      "frontmatter": {
        "required": ["status"],
        "allowedStatus": ["planned", "in-progress", "complete", "archived"]
      },
      "structure": {
        "requireReadme": true,
        "requiredSections": [],
        "forbidEmptySections": false
      },
      "content": {
        "minLength": 50,
        "forbidTodoInComplete": false,
        "validateLinks": false
      },
      "corruption": {
        "detectDuplicateSections": true,
        "validateCodeBlocks": false,
        "validateJsonYaml": false,
        "detectFragments": false
      },
      "staleness": {
        "inProgressMaxDays": 90,
        "noUpdateMaxDays": 180,
        "plannedMaxDays": 120
      }
    }
  }
}

Custom Workflow (Sprint-Based)

Example for teams using sprint-based workflow:

{
  "validate": {
    "mode": "comprehensive",
    "rules": {
      "frontmatter": {
        "required": ["status", "created", "team", "sprint"],
        "allowedStatus": ["backlog", "sprint", "review", "done"],
        "allowedPriority": ["p0", "p1", "p2", "p3"]
      },
      "structure": {
        "requiredSections": ["Problem", "Solution", "Acceptance Criteria"],
        "forbidEmptySections": true
      },
      "content": {
        "minLength": 150,
        "forbidTodoInComplete": true,
        "validateLinks": true
      }
    }
  },
  "ignorePaths": [
    "archived/**",
    "experiments/**"
  ]
}

Minimal Configuration

Bare minimum for validation (uses most defaults):

{
  "validate": {
    "mode": "quick"
  }
}

Feature-Specific Examples

Enforce Custom Fields

{
  "validate": {
    "rules": {
      "frontmatter": {
        "required": ["status", "created", "owner", "cost_estimate"],
        "customFields": {
          "owner": { "type": "string", "pattern": "^[a-z]+$" },
          "cost_estimate": { "type": "number", "min": 0 }
        }
      }
    }
  }
}

Template-Specific Validation

{
  "validate": {
    "templateRules": {
      "feature": {
        "requiredSections": ["Use Cases", "Technical Design", "Rollout Plan"]
      },
      "bug": {
        "requiredSections": ["Root Cause", "Fix", "Prevention"]
      },
      "spike": {
        "requiredSections": ["Questions", "Findings", "Recommendation"]
      }
    }
  }
}

Ignore Patterns

{
  "validate": {
    "mode": "comprehensive"
  },
  "ignorePaths": [
    "archived/**",
    "drafts/**",
    "experiments/**",
    "**/*.backup.md",
    "temp-*/**"
  ]
}

Usage with Examples

Apply Strict Mode

# Add to .lean-spec/config.json, then run:
lean-spec validate

# Or override via CLI:
lean-spec validate --mode comprehensive

Apply Relaxed Mode

# Use during early development:
lean-spec validate --mode quick

# Or with specific rules disabled:
lean-spec validate --no-links --no-staleness

Custom Workflow

# Configure custom status values:
# .lean-spec/config.json with custom allowedStatus
# Then validate normally:
lean-spec validate

Tips

1. Start relaxed, tighten gradually - Begin with quick mode, add rules as project matures
2. Use strict mode in CI - Catch issues before merge
3. Customize for your workflow - Adapt allowedStatus and requiredSections to match your process
4. Use ignore paths wisely - Don't validate archived or experimental specs
5. Test configuration - Run lean-spec validate --dry-run to preview changes