Universal Development Standards

Language: English | 繁體中文 | 简体中文

Version: 5.12.1 | Released: 2026-05-14 | License: Dual License (CC BY 4.0 + MIT)

Language-agnostic, framework-agnostic development standards for software projects. Ensure consistency, quality, and maintainability across diverse technology stacks with AI-native workflows.

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🚀 Quick Start

Install via npm (Recommended)

# Install globally (stable)
npm install -g universal-dev-standards

# Initialize your project
uds init

Looking for beta or RC versions? See Pre-release Versions.

Or use npx (No installation required)

npx universal-dev-standards init

Note: Copying standards alone won't enable AI assistance. Use uds init to automatically configure your AI tool or manually reference standards in your tool's configuration file.

🗺️ What's Next?

I want to...	Command
Understand an existing codebase	/discover
Build a new feature with specs	/sdd
Work with legacy code	/reverse
Choose a development methodology	/methodology
Make a clean commit	/commit

Tip: Type /dev-workflow for a complete guide to all development phases and available commands.

See also: Daily Workflow Guide

📚 Documentation

I want to...	Document
New to UDS? Set up in 5 minutes	docs/user/GETTING-STARTED.md
Browse all 54 skills by Tier & Category	docs/user/SKILLS-INDEX.md
See all slash commands	docs/user/COMMANDS-INDEX.md
Quick reference card	docs/user/CHEATSHEET.md
Common questions	docs/user/FAQ.md
Troubleshoot problems	docs/user/TROUBLESHOOTING.md
Understand UDS terminology	docs/user/GLOSSARY.md

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✨ Features

Category	Count	Description
Core Standards	125	Universal development guidelines
AI Skills	54	Interactive skills
Slash Commands	48	Quick actions
CLI Commands	6	list, init, configure, check, update, skills

What's New in 5.0? See Pre-release Notes for details on new features.

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🏗️ Architecture

UDS uses a Dual-Layer Execution Model designed for both high-speed interactive development and deep technical compliance.

graph TD
    A[AI Agent / Developer] --> B{Action Layer}
    B -- "Daily Tasks" --> C["Skills Layer (.ai.yaml)"]
    B -- "Deep Review" --> D["Standards Layer (.md)"]
    
    C --> C1[Token-Efficient]
    C --> C2[Interactive Wizards]
    
    D --> D1[Comprehensive Theory]
    D --> D2[Tool Configurations]
    
    C1 -. "Fallback" .-> D1

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Aspect	Skills (Execution)	Core Standards (Knowledge)
Format	YAML-optimized	Full Markdown
Goal	High-speed interactive lookup	Deep understanding & Rationale
Token Usage	Minimal (AI-Friendly)	Detailed (Reference)

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🤖 AI Tool Support

AI Tool	Status	Skills	Slash Commands	Configuration
Claude Code	✅ Complete	29	33	CLAUDE.md
OpenCode	✅ Complete	29	33	AGENTS.md
Cursor	✅ Complete	Core	Simulated	.cursorrules
Roo Code	✅ Complete	Core	Workflow	.roo/rules/
Gemini CLI	🧪 Preview	18+	20+	GEMINI.md
Cline	🔶 Partial	Core	Workflow	.clinerules
Windsurf	🔶 Partial	Core	Rulebook	.windsurfrules
GitHub Copilot	🔶 Partial	Core	Prompts	.github/copilot-instructions.md
OpenAI Codex	🔶 Partial	Core	—	AGENTS.md
Aider	🔶 Partial	—	—	AGENTS.md
Continue	🔶 Partial	—	—	.continue/config.json
Google Antigravity	⚠️ Minimal	—	—	.antigravity/rules.md

Status Legend: ✅ Complete | 🧪 Preview | 🔶 Partial | ⚠️ Minimal | ⏳ Planned

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📦 Installation Methods

CLI Tool (Primary)

npm (Recommended)

npm install -g universal-dev-standards
uds init        # Interactive initialization
uds check       # Check adoption status
uds update      # Update to latest version
uds config      # Manage preferences (language, mode)
uds uninstall   # Remove standards from project

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⚙️ Configuration

Use uds config to manage your preferences:

Parameter	Command	Description
Commit Language	uds config --lang zh-TW	Set preferred language for AI commits
Standards	uds init	Install all available standards
Tool Mode	uds config --mode skills	Choose between Skills, Standards, or Both

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👥 Contributing

1. Suggest Improvements: Open an issue with problem and solution.
2. Add Examples: Submit real-world usage examples.
3. Extend Standards: Contribute language/framework extensions.

See CONTRIBUTING.md for detailed guidelines.

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📄 License

Component	License
Documentation	CC BY 4.0
CLI Tool	MIT

Acknowledgments

UDS draws architectural inspiration from these outstanding open-source projects:

Project	Inspiration	License
Superpowers	Systematic debugging, agent dispatch, verification evidence	MIT
GSD	Structured task definition, traceability matrix, verification loop cap	MIT
PAUL	Plan-Apply-Unify loop, acceptance-driven development	MIT
CARL	Context-aware loading, dynamic rule injection	MIT
CrewAI	Multi-agent communication protocol, context budget tracking	MIT
LangGraph	Workflow state protocol, HITL interrupt checkpoints	MIT
OpenHands	Event sourcing, action-observation stream patterns	MIT
DSPy	Agent signatures, structured I/O contracts	MIT

Note: UDS adopts concepts and methodologies only — no source code from these projects is included.

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Maintained with ❤️ by the open-source community