Skip to content
Arness

Quick Fixes with Swift

Not every change needs the full spec-plan-execute pipeline. Arness Code offers three ceremony tiers that match process depth to change scope.

When to Use What

Section titled “When to Use What”
TierScopeFilesUse when
SwiftSmall1-8Bug fixes, config changes, small refactors, hotfixes, renames
StandardMedium4-15Feature additions, moderate refactors, API changes
ThoroughComplex15+New features, architectural changes, cross-cutting work

Arness detects complexity automatically when you run /arn-planning and suggests the right tier. You can always override.

The Swift Workflow

Section titled “The Swift Workflow”
/arn-code-swift

Or let /arn-planning route you there based on scope assessment.

Swift is a lightweight, pattern-aware workflow:

  1. Architectural assessment — Arness reads your codebase patterns and understands the conventions
  2. Inline plan — a brief description of what will change and why (no separate plan file)
  3. Execution — implements the change following your project’s patterns
  4. Verification — runs relevant tests
  5. Review — quick quality check

The output is a SWIFT_<name>.md change record and a SWIFT_REPORT.json — lightweight but sufficient for traceability. Every change gets documented, even the small ones.

The Standard Workflow

Section titled “The Standard Workflow”
/arn-code-standard

Standard bridges swift and thorough. It includes:

  • A spec-lite — lighter than a full feature spec but more structured than swift’s inline plan
  • Task-tracked execution — work is broken into tracked tasks
  • Review — quality check against patterns

The output is a STANDARD_<name>.md and STANDARD_REPORT.json.

UI Previews with Sketch

Section titled “UI Previews with Sketch”

For any change that involves UI components:

/arn-code-sketch

Sketch creates a preview of the UI change using your project’s actual framework and styling system. It works for web, CLI, and TUI applications. Use it during feature spec to validate a design, or during implementation to check your work.

Retroactive Documentation

Section titled “Retroactive Documentation”

Made a change outside the Arness pipeline? A 2am hotfix, an emergency patch, a quick manual edit?

/arn-code-catch-up

Catch-up examines recent commits and generates lightweight artifact records after the fact. This ensures the artifact trail remains complete even when the pipeline was bypassed.

Scope Routing in Practice

Section titled “Scope Routing in Practice”

When you run /arn-planning and describe your change, Arness assesses:

  • How many files are likely affected
  • Whether it crosses module/service boundaries
  • Whether it involves new patterns or follows existing ones
  • Whether there are test implications

Based on this, it suggests swift, standard, or thorough — and explains why. You always have the final say.

Next Steps

Section titled “Next Steps”