brachnha-insight/_bmad/bmb/workflows/workflow/steps-v/step-03-menu-validation.md

name, description, nextStepFile, targetWorkflowPath, validationReportFile, menuHandlingStandards

name	description	nextStepFile	targetWorkflowPath	validationReportFile	menuHandlingStandards
step-03-menu-validation	Validate menu handling compliance across all step files	./step-04-step-type-validation.md	{workflow_folder_path}	{workflow_folder_path}/validation-report-{datetime}.md	../data/menu-handling-standards.md

Validation Step 3: Menu Handling Validation

STEP GOAL:

To validate that EVERY step file's menus follow the menu handling standards - proper handlers, execution rules, appropriate menu types.

MANDATORY EXECUTION RULES (READ FIRST):

Universal Rules:

• 🛑 DO NOT BE LAZY - LOAD AND REVIEW EVERY FILE
• 📖 CRITICAL: Read the complete step file before taking any action
• 🔄 CRITICAL: When loading next step, ensure entire file is read
• ✅ Validation does NOT stop for user input - auto-proceed through all validation steps
• ⚙️ If any instruction references a subprocess, subagent, or tool you do not have access to, you MUST still achieve the outcome in your main context

Step-Specific Rules:

• 🎯 Validate EVERY step file's menus using subprocess optimization - per-file deep analysis pattern (Pattern 2)
• 🚫 DO NOT skip any files or checks - DO NOT BE LAZY
• 💬 Subprocess must either update validation report directly OR return structured findings to parent for aggregation
• 🚪 This is validation - systematic and thorough, leveraging per-file subprocess for menu structure analysis

EXECUTION PROTOCOLS:

• 🎯 Load menu standards first
• 💾 Check EVERY file's menu structure using subprocess optimization when available - per-file deep analysis for menu structure validation
• 📖 Append findings to validation report (subprocesses either update report OR return findings for parent aggregation)
• 🚫 DO NOT halt for user input - validation runs to completion

CONTEXT BOUNDARIES:

• All step files in steps-c/ must be validated
• Load {menuHandlingStandards} for validation criteria
• Check for: handler section, execution rules, reserved letters, inappropriate A/P

MANDATORY SEQUENCE

CRITICAL: Follow this sequence exactly. Do not skip or shortcut.

1. Load Menu Standards

Load {menuHandlingStandards} to understand validation criteria:

Reserved Letters: A (Advanced Elicitation), P (Party Mode), C (Continue/Accept), X (Exit/Cancel)

Required Structure:

1. Display section
2. Handler section (MANDATORY)
3. Execution Rules section

When To Include A/P:

• DON'T: Step 1 (init), validation sequences, simple data gathering
• DO: Collaborative content creation, user might want alternatives, quality gates

2. Check EVERY Step File

DO NOT BE LAZY - For EVERY file in steps-c/, launch a subprocess that:

1. Loads that step file
2. Loads {menuHandlingStandards} to understand validation criteria
3. Validates menu structure deeply (handler section, execution rules, A/P appropriateness, reserved letter compliance)
4. EITHER updates validation report directly with findings
5. OR returns structured validation findings to parent for aggregation

SUBPROCESS VALIDATION PATTERN - Each subprocess checks for:

Check 1: Handler Section Exists

• ✅ Handler section immediately follows Display
• ❌ If missing: mark as violation

Check 2: Execution Rules Section Exists

• ✅ "EXECUTION RULES" section present
• ✅ Contains "halt and wait" instruction
• ❌ If missing: mark as violation

Check 3: Non-C Options Redisplay Menu

• ✅ A/P options specify "redisplay menu"
• ❌ If missing: mark as violation

Check 4: C Option Sequence

• ✅ C option: save → update frontmatter → load next step
• ❌ If sequence wrong: mark as violation

Check 5: A/P Only Where Appropriate

• Step 01 should NOT have A/P (inappropriate for init)
• Validation sequences should auto-proceed, not have menus
• ❌ If A/P in wrong place: mark as violation

RETURN FORMAT: Each subprocess should return validation findings for its assigned file including:

• File name
• Whether a menu is present
• Results of all 5 checks (handler section, execution rules, redisplay menu, C sequence, A/P appropriateness)
• List of any violations found
• Overall status (PASS/FAIL/WARN)

Context savings estimate: Each subprocess returns structured findings vs full file content. Parent aggregates all findings into final report table.

3. Aggregate Findings and Document Results

After ALL files have been validated (either via subprocess or main context), document the menu handling validation results in the validation report, including:

• Overall assessment of menu handling compliance across all step files
• Summary of files checked and their menu status
• Files that passed all menu validation checks
• Files with warnings or issues that need attention
• Files that failed validation with specific violations

4. List Violations

Compile and document all violations found during validation, organizing them by file and providing clear descriptions of each issue, such as:

• Missing handler sections
• Incomplete execution rules
• Improper A/P usage
• Missing redisplay menu instructions
• Any other menu handling standard violations

5. Append to Report

Update {validationReportFile} - replace "## Menu Handling Validation Pending..." with actual findings.

6. Save Report and Auto-Proceed

CRITICAL: Save the validation report BEFORE loading next step.

Then immediately load, read entire file, then execute {nextStepFile}.

Display: "Menu Handling validation complete. Proceeding to Step Type Validation..."

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🚨 SYSTEM SUCCESS/FAILURE METRICS

✅ SUCCESS:

• Menu standards loaded and understood
• EVERY step file's menus validated via subprocess (per-file deep analysis) OR main context
• All violations documented across handler sections, execution rules, A/P appropriateness
• Findings aggregated into validation report (subprocesses either updated report OR returned findings)
• Report saved before proceeding
• Next validation step loaded

❌ SYSTEM FAILURE:

• Not checking every file's menus
• Skipping menu structure checks
• Not documenting violations
• Not saving report before proceeding
• Loading full file contents into parent context instead of using subprocess analysis

Master Rule: Validation is systematic and thorough. DO NOT BE LAZY. Use subprocess optimization (Pattern 2) - each file in its own subprocess for deep menu structure analysis. Subprocess returns only findings to parent. Auto-proceed through all validation steps.