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RFC Process

The PromptPack specification evolves through a Request for Comments (RFC) process that allows community members to propose, discuss, and implement changes.

Overview​

The RFC process provides a structured way to:

  • Propose new features and capabilities
  • Modify existing specification behavior
  • Deprecate or remove functionality
  • Document design decisions and rationale

When to Submit an RFC​

Submit an RFC when you want to make a substantial change to PromptPack, such as:

  • New entity types (beyond prompts, tools, workflows, personas, fragments)
  • Breaking changes to existing schemas or behavior
  • Major new features that affect multiple parts of the specification
  • Significant changes to validation rules or processing requirements

For smaller changes like documentation fixes, clarifications, or minor schema additions, consider opening a regular issue or pull request instead.

RFC Lifecycle​

1. Pre-RFC Discussion​

Before writing a formal RFC, consider:

  1. Search existing issues to see if your idea has been discussed
  2. Open a discussion issue to gauge community interest
  3. Prototype your idea to validate feasibility
  4. Gather feedback from other community members

2. RFC Submission​

  1. Fork the repository - altairalabs/promptpack-spec
  2. Copy the RFC template from rfcs/0000-template.md
  3. Name your file - rfcs/0000-my-feature.md (use next available number)
  4. Fill out the template with detailed proposal information
  5. Submit a pull request with your RFC

3. Community Review​

  • Public discussion happens in the pull request comments
  • Clarifications and revisions are made based on feedback
  • Technical concerns are addressed through discussion
  • Alternative approaches may be suggested and evaluated

4. Decision Process​

The specification maintainers will:

  1. Review technical merit and alignment with project goals
  2. Consider implementation complexity and maintenance burden
  3. Evaluate community consensus and feedback
  4. Make a final decision to accept, reject, or defer

5. Implementation​

For accepted RFCs:

  1. RFC is merged and assigned a permanent number
  2. Implementation work begins (may be done by RFC author or others)
  3. Specification updates are made in separate pull requests
  4. Implementation is reviewed and tested
  5. Changes are released in the next version

RFC Template​

Each RFC should follow this structure:

# RFC 0000: [Title]

- **Status:** Draft | Under Review | Accepted | Rejected | Implemented
- **Author(s):** [Your name and email]
- **Created:** [Date]
- **Updated:** [Date]

## Summary

[One paragraph explanation of the feature]

## Motivation

[Why are we doing this? What use cases does it support?]

## Detailed Design

[This is the bulk of the RFC. Explain the design in enough detail 
for someone to implement it.]

## Examples

[Provide concrete examples of how this would work]

## Drawbacks

[What are the drawbacks of this approach?]

## Alternatives

[What other approaches were considered?]

## Unresolved Questions

[What parts of the design are still TBD?]

Review Criteria​

RFCs are evaluated based on:

Technical Quality​

  • Correctness - Does the proposal solve the stated problem?
  • Completeness - Are all edge cases and interactions considered?
  • Clarity - Is the specification unambiguous and implementable?

Alignment​

  • Goals - Does it align with PromptPack's mission and values?
  • Consistency - Is it consistent with existing specification patterns?
  • Scope - Is it appropriately scoped (not too narrow or broad)?

Impact​

  • Breaking changes - What is the migration path for existing users?
  • Implementation cost - How much work is required to implement?
  • Maintenance burden - What ongoing maintenance is required?

Community​

  • Demand - Is there clear community need for this feature?
  • Consensus - Is there general agreement on the approach?
  • Feedback - Has community feedback been addressed?

Getting Help​

  • Discussion Forum - Use GitHub Discussions for questions
  • Office Hours - Attend monthly community calls
  • Mentorship - Request guidance from experienced contributors

RFC Index​

A complete list of submitted and accepted RFCs will be available here once the RFC process is established.