# Directive Tutorial glossary

The tutorial messages read this file. Each entry is the official term, a plain explanation, and why it matters (what it prevents). A later language pass may edit this file. The shared steps stay put.

## Directive

Plain: Directive is the shared path for building with AI — the step-by-step guide that runs this sitting.

Why it matters: Without it, a later sitting would start with no shared path to follow.

## work file

Plain: The work file is the durable record for this piece of work — the plan, decisions, and what the next sitting needs to continue.

Why it matters: If the chat is lost, the work can continue from the file instead of being reconstructed from scratch.

## work item

Plain: A work item is one clear piece of work, with an acceptance sentence that says what “done” looks like.

Why it matters: Without one defined item, there is nothing concrete to finish, review, and set aside.

## proposed

Plain: Proposed means the work item is written down, but nobody has agreed to build it yet.

Why it matters: Writing something down is not the same as approving it or starting work.

## ready

Plain: Ready means the work item is approved and waiting to be worked on.

Why it matters: This is the clear line between “we have an idea” and “we have decided to build it.”

## in progress

Plain: In progress means this is the one work item currently being built.

Why it matters: Only one item should be in progress at a time, or it gets unclear what is actually being worked on.

## done

Plain: Done means the work item is finished and its acceptance sentence has been checked successfully.

Why it matters: Looking finished is not enough — done requires proof against the agreed definition of success.

## acceptance

Plain: Acceptance is the sentence that says what must be true for the work to count as successful.

Why it matters: Doing the work and finishing the work are not the same thing. The item is finished only when the result matches that sentence.

## branch

Plain: A branch is a separate copy of the work where this change can be made without immediately changing the main version.

Why it matters: Keeping the change separate makes it easier to review, test, and undo.

## check

Plain: A check is the recorded run that asks whether the acceptance sentence is actually true.

Why it matters: Claiming “it works” is not the same as proving the agreed result.

## evidence

Plain: Evidence is the record of what was actually checked and what showed up — not a claim that something worked.

Why it matters: What someone expected to happen is not the same as proof that it did.

## in-scope files

Plain: In-scope files are the only files this work item is allowed to change.

Why it matters: Naming the files keeps a small change from spreading into unrelated parts of the project.