ln-500-story-quality-gate

SKILL.md

Paths: File paths (references/, ../ln-*) are relative to this skill directory.

Type: L2 Coordinator
Category: 5XX Quality

Story Quality Gate

Runtime-backed gate coordinator. Owns fast-track routing, quality/test summaries, final Story verdict, and branch finalization.

Inputs

Input
Required
Source
Description

storyId
Yes
args, git branch, kanban, user
Story to process

Resolution: Story Resolution Chain.

Status filter: To Review

Purpose & Scope

Invoke ln-510-quality-coordinator

Invoke ln-520-test-planner when needed

Wait deterministically for test-task readiness

Calculate gate verdict: PASS | CONCERNS | FAIL | WAIVED

Move Story to Done only on passing outcomes

Persist resumable gate runtime in .hex-skills/story-gate/runtime/

Runtime Contract

MANDATORY READ: Load references/environment_state_contract.md, references/storage_mode_detection.md, references/input_resolution_pattern.md
MANDATORY READ: Load references/coordinator_runtime_contract.md, references/story_gate_runtime_contract.md, references/coordinator_summary_contract.md, references/loop_health_contract.md
MANDATORY READ: Load references/git_worktree_fallback.md
MANDATORY READ: Load references/minimum_quality_checks.md

Runtime CLI:

node references/scripts/story-gate-runtime/cli.mjs start --story {storyId} --manifest-file .hex-skills/story-gate/manifest.json
node references/scripts/story-gate-runtime/cli.mjs status
node references/scripts/story-gate-runtime/cli.mjs record-quality --payload '{...}'
node references/scripts/story-gate-runtime/cli.mjs record-test-status --payload '{...}'
node references/scripts/story-gate-runtime/cli.mjs record-stage-summary --story {storyId} --payload '{...}'
node references/scripts/story-gate-runtime/cli.mjs checkpoint --phase PHASE_6_VERDICT --payload '{...}'
node references/scripts/story-gate-runtime/cli.mjs advance --to PHASE_7_FINALIZATION

4-Level Gate Model

Verdict
Meaning
Action

PASS
All checks passed
Story -> Done

CONCERNS
Minor issues, accepted risk
Story -> Done with comment

FAIL
Blocking issues found
Create follow-up tasks; Story does not go to Done

WAIVED
User-approved exception
Story -> Done with waiver evidence

Workflow

Phase 0: Config

Resolve storyId and task_provider.

Check for prior Stage 3 artifact at .hex-skills/runtime-artifacts/runs/*/story-quality/{storyId}.json:

If found with verdict=FAIL, load payload.metadata.rework_hint as previous_cycle context.

Record cycle_number (1-based, incremented from prior artifact count).

Build gate manifest:

story_id

task_provider

project_root

worktree_dir

branch

fast_track_policy

nfr_policy

test_task_policy

previous_cycle (null or loaded rework_hint)

cycle_number

Start runtime and checkpoint PHASE_0_CONFIG.

Phase 1: Discovery

Load Story metadata and child task metadata.

Detect existing test task and its current status.

Capture readiness inputs if available from upstream pipeline.

Checkpoint PHASE_1_DISCOVERY.

Phase 2: Fast-Track

Determine fast_track=true only when readiness explicitly allows it.

Checkpoint PHASE_2_FAST_TRACK with:

fast_track

gate scope summary

Phase 3: Quality Checks

Compute:

childRunId = {parent_run_id}--ln-510--{storyId}

childSummaryArtifactPath = .hex-skills/runtime-artifacts/runs/{parent_run_id}/story-quality/{storyId}.json

Materialize child manifest and start child coordinator runtime:

node references/scripts/quality-runtime/cli.mjs start --story {storyId} --manifest-file .hex-skills/story-gate/ln-510--{storyId}_manifest.json --run-id {childRunId}

Checkpoint PHASE_3_QUALITY_CHECKS with:

child_run.worker=ln-510

child_run.run_id={childRunId}

child_run.summary_artifact_path={childSummaryArtifactPath}

child_run.phase_context=quality_checks

Invoke ln-510-quality-coordinator with managed transport inputs:

full mode: Skill(skill: "ln-510-quality-coordinator", args: "{storyId} --run-id {childRunId} --summary-artifact-path {childSummaryArtifactPath}")

fast-track: Skill(skill: "ln-510-quality-coordinator", args: "{storyId} --fast-track --run-id {childRunId} --summary-artifact-path {childSummaryArtifactPath}")

full mode with prior cycle: append --previous-cycle-focus "{blocking_categories}" when previous_cycle is not null

Read child story-quality artifact only, then record-quality.

Before another quality/rework cycle, compare FAIL evidence against prior cycle:

progress = new quality artifact, new fix tasks, code delta, status delta, or changed blocking category

same FAIL with no new evidence = record loop health and pause before another rework cycle

Checkpoint PHASE_3_QUALITY_CHECKS with the recorded quality summary.

If the quality summary already implies hard FAIL, you may jump directly to PHASE_6_VERDICT.

Phase 4: Test Planning

Decide whether planning is needed:

no test task -> invoke ln-520

fast-track -> invoke simplified ln-520

test task already exists and is terminal (Done | SKIPPED | VERIFIED) -> checkpoint as reused

When invoking ln-520, compute:

childRunId = {parent_run_id}--ln-520--{storyId}

childSummaryArtifactPath = .hex-skills/runtime-artifacts/runs/{parent_run_id}/story-tests/{storyId}.json

Materialize child manifest and start child coordinator runtime:

node references/scripts/test-planning-runtime/cli.mjs start --story {storyId} --manifest-file .hex-skills/story-gate/ln-520--{storyId}_manifest.json --run-id {childRunId}

Checkpoint PHASE_4_TEST_PLANNING with:

child_run.worker=ln-520

child_run.run_id={childRunId}

child_run.summary_artifact_path={childSummaryArtifactPath}

child_run.phase_context=test_planning

Invoke ln-520-test-planner with managed transport inputs:

normal mode: Skill(skill: "ln-520-test-planner", args: "{storyId} --run-id {childRunId} --summary-artifact-path {childSummaryArtifactPath}")

simplified mode: Skill(skill: "ln-520-test-planner", args: "{storyId} --simplified --run-id {childRunId} --summary-artifact-path {childSummaryArtifactPath}")

Read child story-tests artifact only, then record-test-status.

Checkpoint PHASE_4_TEST_PLANNING.

Phase 5: Test Verification

If test task exists but is not Done, pause runtime:

phase = PAUSED

resume_action = wait for test task completion

When resumed, verify:

test task terminal status is Done, SKIPPED, or VERIFIED

coverage summary exists

planned scenarios and Story AC coverage are machine-readable

Checkpoint PHASE_5_TEST_VERIFICATION with:

test_task_status

verification result

Phase 6: Verdict

Calculate quality_score.

Evaluate NFR validation:

full gate: security, performance, reliability, maintainability

fast-track: security mandatory, others may downgrade to concerns-only scope

End-to-End Scenario Completeness Walkthrough: For each AC where an actor (user, bot, scheduler, handler, pipeline) must invoke or consume a mechanism, trace all 5 segments of the interaction path:

(1) Actor trigger — what initiates the scenario (user sends message, timer fires, webhook arrives, event is enqueued)

(2) Entry point — the named mechanism (MCP tool, API endpoint, CLI command, UI component, chat handler, config file, cron handler)

(3) Discovery — how the actor's system finds/loads the mechanism at runtime (config registration, route mounting, plugin loading, system prompt, environment variable)

(4) Usage context — what the actor's system needs to correctly invoke the mechanism (instructions, prompts, schemas, type hints, documentation, parameter guidance)

(5) Observable outcome — the verifiable result (response message, state change, log entry, notification)
If any segment is missing, create an AC- prefixed issue. Common failures: infrastructure exists but nothing exposes it (missing segment 2), mechanism exists but the actor's system can't find it (missing segment 3), mechanism is discoverable but the actor's system doesn't know when or how to use it (missing segment 4). If any AC- issue is found: verdict MUST be FAIL; create fix tasks for the missing segments.

Determine final verdict.

For FAIL:

create follow-up tasks

keep Story out of Done

Checkpoint PHASE_6_VERDICT with:

final_result

quality_score

nfr_validation

fix_tasks_created

Phase 7: Finalization

For PASS | CONCERNS | WAIVED:

Commit and push verified branch if needed.

Move Story to Done.

Post gate comment.

Cleanup worktree when caller does not own it.

For FAIL:

Do not finalize branch as accepted.

Create follow-up tasks from blocking issues.

Checkpoint PHASE_7_FINALIZATION with status=requires_rework.

Record resulting Story status, follow-up task IDs.

After finalization, write a Stage 3 coordinator artifact with:

summary_kind=pipeline-stage

stage=3

story_id

status=completed

final_result

story_status

verdict

quality_score

warnings

metadata.rework_hint — when verdict is FAIL, include:

rework_tasks: list of created follow-up task IDs

blocking_categories: list of issue categories that caused FAIL (e.g. ac_gap, security, regression)

suggested_focus: concise one-line description of what the rework cycle should prioritize

Phase 8: Self-Check

Build final checklist from runtime state:

 Config, discovery, and fast-track checkpoints exist

 Quality summary recorded from ln-510

 Test-planning and test-verification state are deterministic

 Final verdict checkpoint exists

 Story final status recorded

 Branch finalization recorded or skipped by verdict

 Stage 3 coordinator artifact recorded

Checkpoint PHASE_8_SELF_CHECK with pass=true|false.
Complete runtime only after pass=true.

Worker Invocation (MANDATORY)

Host Skill Invocation: Skill(skill: "...", args: "...") is mandatory delegation.

Claude: call the Skill tool exactly as shown.

Codex: if no Skill tool exists, locate the named skill in available skills, read its SKILL.md, treat args as $ARGUMENTS, execute that skill workflow, then return here with its result/artifact.

Do not inline worker logic or mark the worker complete without executing the target skill.

Phase
Worker
Purpose

3
ln-510-quality-coordinator
Code quality, agent review, regression, log analysis

4
ln-520-test-planner
Research/manual/auto test planning

childRunId = "{parent_run_id}--ln-510--{storyId}"
childSummaryArtifactPath = ".hex-skills/runtime-artifacts/runs/{parent_run_id}/story-quality/{storyId}.json"
node references/scripts/quality-runtime/cli.mjs start --story {storyId} --manifest-file .hex-skills/story-gate/ln-510--{storyId}_manifest.json --run-id {childRunId}
node references/scripts/story-gate-runtime/cli.mjs checkpoint --phase PHASE_3_QUALITY_CHECKS --payload '{"child_run":{"worker":"ln-510","run_id":"{childRunId}","summary_artifact_path":"{childSummaryArtifactPath}","phase_context":"quality_checks"}}'
Skill(skill: "ln-510-quality-coordinator", args: "{storyId} --run-id {childRunId} --summary-artifact-path {childSummaryArtifactPath}")

childRunId = "{parent_run_id}--ln-520--{storyId}"
childSummaryArtifactPath = ".hex-skills/runtime-artifacts/runs/{parent_run_id}/story-tests/{storyId}.json"
node references/scripts/test-planning-runtime/cli.mjs start --story {storyId} --manifest-file .hex-skills/story-gate/ln-520--{storyId}_manifest.json --run-id {childRunId}
node references/scripts/story-gate-runtime/cli.mjs checkpoint --phase PHASE_4_TEST_PLANNING --payload '{"child_run":{"worker":"ln-520","run_id":"{childRunId}","summary_artifact_path":"{childSummaryArtifactPath}","phase_context":"test_planning"}}'
Skill(skill: "ln-520-test-planner", args: "{storyId} --run-id {childRunId} --summary-artifact-path {childSummaryArtifactPath}")

TodoWrite format (mandatory)

- Start ln-500 runtime (pending)
- Load Story/test-task metadata (pending)
- Decide fast-track mode (pending)
- Start ln-510 child runtime, checkpoint child_run, and record quality summary (pending)
- Start or reuse ln-520 child runtime, checkpoint child_run, and record test-planning summary (pending)
- Verify test task readiness (pending)
- Calculate final verdict (pending)
- Finalize Story/branch state and Stage 3 artifact (pending)
- Run runtime self-check and complete (pending)

Critical Rules

Runtime state is the gate orchestration SSOT.

ln-510 and ln-520 are consumed only through summary JSON artifacts.

Child coordinator runtime status is resume-only metadata; phase completion still depends on the recorded child artifact.

Test-task waiting is a deterministic pause, not an implicit stop.

FAIL is a valid terminal gate result if follow-up actions are recorded correctly.

ln-1000 consumes the Stage 3 coordinator artifact, not free-text stage output.

Story may go to Done only on PASS, CONCERNS, or WAIVED.

Definition of Done

 Runtime started and config/discovery checkpoints recorded

 Fast-track decision checkpointed

 ln-510 summary recorded in runtime

 ln-520 summary recorded or reused deterministically

 Test verification reached terminal state or deterministic pause

 Final verdict checkpointed with quality score and NFR results

 Story moved to Done only for passing outcomes, or follow-up tasks created for FAIL

 Stage 3 coordinator artifact recorded before completion

 Self-check passed and runtime completed

Phase 9: Meta-Analysis

Optional reference: load references/meta_analysis_protocol.md only when the user asks for post-run meta-analysis or protocol-formatted run reflection.

Skill type: execution-orchestrator. When requested, run after phases complete. Output to chat using the execution-orchestrator format.

Reference Files

references/coordinator_runtime_contract.md

references/story_gate_runtime_contract.md

references/coordinator_summary_contract.md

references/minimum_quality_checks.md

../ln-510-quality-coordinator/SKILL.md

../ln-520-test-planner/SKILL.md

Version: 7.0.0
Last Updated: 2026-02-09