Why I Shipped Two Artifact Mechanisms In My VS Code Extension — Not One

Short summary

SPECLAN now supports two artifact mechanisms with different governance: spec artifacts (pinned to requirements, subject to change request review on locked specs) and project artifacts (shared reference material with unrestricted file operations). This dual approach emerged from recognizing that governance only makes sense for entities with release status—specs have release cycles, project folders don't.

• •Split artifact governance into two models: spec artifacts (change-request gated on locked specs) vs. project artifacts (direct file ops)
• •Design decision reflects core insight that only entities with release-lifecycle status can anchor governance rules effectively
• •Prevents artifact drift in released specs while avoiding ceremony overhead for shared, unowned reference materials

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