PRD to App Spec Converter

Transform Product Requirements Documents (PRDs) into structured XML application specifications optimized for AI coding agents.

When to Activate This Skill

• Convert a PRD to app spec format
• Generate XML specification from requirements document
• Transform technical PRD for agent consumption
• Prepare documentation for AI coding agent
• Create app_spec.txt from existing PRD

What This Skill Does

Converts developer-focused PRDs (with code snippets, TDD plans, implementation details) into declarative XML specifications that AI coding agents can consume more effectively.

Input: PRD with technical details, code examples, architecture decisions Output: Structured app_spec.txt in XML format

How to Execute

Run the /convert-prd workflow, which provides:

1. PRD file location (prompts if not provided)
2. Section-by-section extraction and transformation
3. Pydantic models → database schema conversion
4. Implementation code → feature descriptions
5. Epics/tasks → numbered implementation steps
6. Test assertions → success criteria
7. Final XML output with validation

Core Transformations

| PRD Has | App Spec Gets | |---------|---------------| | Function implementations | Feature descriptions | | Pydantic field validators | Data constraints in prose | | Try/except patterns | Error handling requirements | | Test assertions | Success criteria | | CLI commands | API/command summaries | | Directory structure | Technology stack context |

Output Template Structure

<project_specification>
  <project_name>...</project_name>
  <overview>...</overview>
  <technology_stack>...</technology_stack>
  <core_features>...</core_features>
  <database_schema>...</database_schema>
  <api_endpoints_summary>...</api_endpoints_summary>
  <implementation_steps>...</implementation_steps>
  <success_criteria>...</success_criteria>
</project_specification>

Key Principle

• PRD: Shows HOW (implementation details)
• App Spec: Describes WHAT (requirements and expectations)

The app_spec tells an agent WHAT to build without dictating exact implementation.

Full Workflow Reference

For complete step-by-step instructions: workflows/convert-prd.md