incremental-implementation

Incremental Implementation

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Overview

Build in thin vertical slices — implement one piece, test it, verify it, then expand. Avoid implementing an entire feature in one pass. Each increment should leave the system in a working, testable state. This is the execution discipline that makes large features manageable.

When to Use

• Implementing any multi-file change
• Building a new feature from a task breakdown
• Refactoring existing code
• Any time you're tempted to write more than ~100 lines before testing

When NOT to use: Single-file, single-function changes where the scope is already minimal.

The Increment Cycle

┌──────────────────────────────────────┐
│                                      │
│   Implement ──→ Test ──→ Verify ──┐  │
│       ▲                           │  │
│       └───── Commit ◄─────────────┘  │
│              │                       │
│              ▼                       │
│          Next slice                  │
│                                      │
└──────────────────────────────────────┘

For each slice:

1. Implement the smallest complete piece of functionality
2. Test — run the test suite (or write a test if none exists)
3. Verify — confirm the slice works as expected (tests pass, build succeeds, manual check)
4. Commit -- save your progress with a descriptive message (see git-workflow-and-versioning for atomic commit guidance)
5. Move to the next slice — carry forward, don't restart

Slicing Strategies