Create story branch and scope commit. Use to begin story work.
Initialize a story with a dedicated branch from the development branch and a scope commit that documents boundaries and done criteria.
When to use: Starting a new story from the backlog or epic scope.
When to skip: Quick bug fixes (direct branch). Continuation of already-started story.
Inputs: Story ID (S{N}.{M}), epic scope document (if part of an epic), clear understanding of story scope.
Branch config: Read branches.development from for . Default: .
.raise/manifest.yaml{dev_branch}mainIf this story belongs to an epic, verify the epic directory and scope exist:
ls work/epics/e{N}-{name}/scope.md
| Condition | Action |
|---|---|
| Epic scope exists | Continue — verify story is listed in scope |
| Epic scope missing | Run /rai-epic-start first |
| Standalone story | No epic verification needed |
Always branch from {dev_branch}:
git checkout {dev_branch} && git pull origin {dev_branch}
git checkout -b story/s{N}.{M}/{story-slug}
| Condition | Action |
|---|---|
| M/L story | Create dedicated story/ branch |
| S/XS story | Create branch anyway — all stories branch from {dev_branch} |
| Standalone | Same — story/s{N}.{M}/{slug} from {dev_branch} |
Create TWO artifacts:
work/epics/e{N}-{name}/stories/s{N}.{M}-story.md using templates/story.md — user story (Connextra), Gherkin AC, SbE examples. For XS stories, informal AC is acceptable.work/epics/e{N}-{name}/stories/s{N}.{M}-scope.md — in scope/out of scope, done criteria (observable outcomes).Commit:
git add -A
git commit -m "feat(s{N}.{M}): initialize story scope
In scope:
- {item 1}
- {item 2}
Done when:
- {criteria 1}
- {criteria 2}
Co-Authored-By: Rai <[email protected]>"
If the story has a backlog ticket (Jira key or local key):
rai backlog transition {story_key} in_progress
| Condition | Action |
|---|---|
| Story has ticket | Transition to in_progress |
| No ticket found | Skip backlog transition (not all stories are tracked externally) |
| Transition fails | Log warning and continue — backlog errors are non-blocking for lifecycle |
Show the developer:
/rai-story-design — design is not optional (PAT-186)| Item | Destination |
|---|---|
| Story branch | story/s{N}.{M}/{slug} from {dev_branch} |
| User Story | stories/s{N}.{M}-story.md (Connextra + Gherkin AC) |
| Scope commit | On story branch |
| Backlog update | via rai backlog transition (best-effort) |
| Next | /rai-story-design |
{dev_branch} (never from an epic branch)templates/story.md (Connextra + Gherkin AC){dev_branch}/rai-story-design (always — PAT-186)/rai-story-closework/epics/e{N}-{name}/scope.mdCLAUDE.md § Branch Model