iterate

Iterate Command

Update any phase document when requirements or design changes (Cross-Phase)

Usage

/iterate <file> "<change-description>"

Examples

/iterate BRAINSTORM_SEARCH_API.md "Consider ElasticSearch instead of PostgreSQL full-text search"
/iterate DEFINE_SEARCH_API.md "Add support for fuzzy matching, not just exact search"
/iterate DESIGN_SEARCH_API.md "Services need to be self-contained, no shared common/"
/iterate .claude/sdd/features/DEFINE_AUTH.md "Change from JWT to session-based auth"

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What This Command Works On

/iterate updates the document phases of the SDD workflow:

Phase 0: /brainstorm → BRAINSTORM_{FEATURE}.md ← /iterate can update
Phase 1: /define     → DEFINE_{FEATURE}.md     ← /iterate can update
Phase 2: /design     → DESIGN_{FEATURE}.md     ← /iterate can update
Phase 3: /build      → (code)                  ← update DESIGN, then /build
Phase 4: /ship       → (archive)               ← N/A

Important: to change code during Phase 3, update the DESIGN document first — the cascade to code triggers a rebuild via /build. This ensures traceability.

Scope check: more than ~50% change, a different problem, or different target users is a new /define, not an iterate — the skill carries the thresholds.

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What Happens

1. Load the skill — read .claude/skills/sdd-iterate/SKILL.md; it owns the full methodology.
2. Classify the change — additive, modifying, removing, or architectural, with impact level.
3. Analyze cascades — walk the downstream documents (BRAINSTORM → DEFINE → DESIGN → CODE) for required updates.
4. Confirm with the user — present the cascade options; never apply cascading edits silently.
5. Apply — update the target (and confirmed downstream documents) with version bumps and change notes.

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Output

Artifact	Location
Updated document	Same location as input
Cascade updates	Downstream documents (if confirmed)