What is delphi-spec-kit?

An opinionated ecosystem of rules, skills, and steerings to elevate Delphi development to a state-of-the-art level with Artificial Intelligence.. It is open-source on GitHub.

Is delphi-spec-kit free to use?

delphi-spec-kit is open-source under the MIT license, so it is free to use.

What category does delphi-spec-kit belong to?

delphi-spec-kit is listed under skills in the Claudeers registry of Claude-compatible tools.

🚀 Delphi AI Spec-Kit

An opinionated ecosystem of rules, skills and steerings to elevate Delphi development to state-of-the-art with Artificial Intelligence.

Sponsorship

Delphi/Lazarus components <www.inovefast.com.br>

Integrations with payment platforms and services (Asaas, MercadoPago, Cielo, PagSeguro, D4sign, Webstore, MelhorEnvio, Groq)

i9DBTools <www.inovefast.com.br/i9dbTools/> Manage MySQL, PostgreSQL, Firebird and SQLite in one place, with AI to generate and explain SQL in natural language, optimize queries and create Brazilian fake data in seconds.

💡 What is this project?

The Delphi AI Spec-Kit is not a code framework — it's a set of behavior guidelines for your favorite AI. It "teaches" the wizard to write Delphi code:

✅ Clean — no god classes, no business logic in OnClick
✅ Secure — zero memory leaks with try..finally and (ARC) interfaces
✅ Testable — TDD with DUnitX, Fakes via interface, without real bench in tests
✅ Architected — SOLID, DDD, Repository/Service Pattern and clean architecture

Say goodbye to AI that mixes database access with the presentation layer, forgets try..finally or ignores Dependency Injection.

🤔 Why use it?

Without Spec-Kit	With the Spec-Kit
AI generates code with logic in `OnClick`	AI isolates layers correctly
`TStringList.Create` without `try..finally`	Memory gold standard always applied
Tests coupled to the real bank	Fakes via interface, quick and isolated tests
Inconsistent naming	`A`-params, `F`-fields, `T`-types, verbs in methods
`with` statement and global variables	Code smells blocked proactively

🤖 Supported AI Tools

Tool	Configuration File	How It Works
GitHub Copilot	`.github/copilot-instructions.md`	Pre-prompt injected into Workspace/Chat
Cursor	`.cursor/rules/*.md`	Rules loaded by context
Claude Code	`.claude/`	Rules by context and skills in the terminal
Google Gemini / Antigravity	`.gemini/skills/*/SKILL.md`	Modular skills by domain
Kiro AI	`.kiro/steering/*.md`	Stack and architectural constraints
Any AI	`AGENTS.md`	Universal rules (project root)

🌟 Key Guidelines Taught to AI

🧠 Memory Management Zero-Leak

The AI enforces the pattern: every .Create without Owner requires try..finally on the immediately subsequent line. Also teaches the use of Interfaces (ARC) for native Garbage Collection — without Free manual.

//✅ Gold Standard — ALWAYS generated by AI with Spec-Kit
var LList: TStringList;
begin
  LList := TStringList.Create;
  try
    LList.Add('item');
  finally
    LList.Free;
  end;
end;

🧪 TDD with DUnitX

Red-Green-Refactor flow with Fakes isolated per interface. No coupling to the database in tests.

[Test]
procedure ProcessOrder_WithoutStock_RaisesException;
begin
  Assert.WillRaise(
    procedure begin FSut.Process(FEmptyOrder); end,
    EInvalidOrderException
  );
end;

🏛️ SOLID and DDD

S — One class, one responsibility. TCustomerValidator does not save to the bank.
O — Extension via interfaces, without modifying existing code.
L — Inheritance only with a clear contract. Preferred interfaces.
I — Small and specific interfaces. Avoid giant interfaces.
D — Dependency injection in the constructor, never hardcoded concrete instances.

//✅ DIP in practice
constructor TOrderService.Create(
  ARepo: IOrderRepository;
  ANotifier: INotificationService);
begin
  FRepo := ARepo;
  FNotifier := ANotifier;
end;

📖 Clean Code — Pascal Guide

Consistent and mandatory nomenclatures:

Category	Convention	Example
Parameters	Prefix `A`	`ACustomerName`
Private fields	Prefix `F`	`FCustomerName`
Local variables	Prefix `L`	`LCustomer`
Classes	Prefix `T`	`TCustomerService`
Interfaces	Prefix `I`	`ICustomerRepository`
Exceptions	Prefix `E`	`ECustomerNotFound`

🛠️ Supported Frameworks and Libraries

Framework	Domain	Rules Included
Horse	Minimalist REST APIs	Controller/Service/Repository structure, middleware
Dext Framework	.NET-style APIs, ORM, DI, Async	Minimal APIs, Entity ORM, `TAsyncTask.Run`
DelphiMVC (DMVC)	REST APIs with Attributes	`[MVCPath]`, Active Record, JWT, RQL
ACBR	Commercial Automation (NFe, CF-e, Boleto)	Tax isolation, without crossing with UI
Intraweb	Stateful WebApps in Delphi	`UserSession`, no global session variables
DevExpress	Advanced Enterprise UI	`TcxGrid`, `TdxLayoutControl`, skins and export
Firebird Database	Corporate Database	FireDAC Connection, PSQL, generators, transactions, migrations
PostgreSQL Database	Modern Database	FireDAC Connection, UPSERT, JSONB, Full-Text Search, PL/pgSQL
MySQL / MariaDB	Popular Database	FireDAC Connection, AUTO_INCREMENT, UPSERT, JSON, FULLTEXT
DUnitX	Unit Tests	Red-Green-Refactor, Fakes via interface
Design Patterns GoF	Design Patterns	Creational, Structural and Behavioral with interfaces and ARC
Threading	Multi-Threading	TThread, TTask, Synchronize/Queue, TCriticalSection, PPL
Code Refactoring	Code Smells and Techniques	Extract Method/Class, Guard Clauses, Strategy, Parameter Object

📂 Kit Structure

delphi-spec-kit/
│
├── AGENTS.md                        # 🌐 Universal rules (Copilot, Kiro, Antigravity, Gemini)
│
├── .claude/
│   ├── CLAUDE.md                    # 🧠 Master system prompt for Claude
│   ├── settings.json                # Permission settings
│   ├── commands/
│   │   └── review.md                # Slash-command: /project:review
│   ├── rules/                       # Context-specific rules (auto-loaded by glob)
│   │   ├── delphi-conventions.md    # Naming conventions and code style
│   │   ├── memory-exceptions.md     # Memory management and exception patterns
│   │   ├── tdd-patterns.md          # TDD and DUnitX
│   │   ├── solid-patterns.md        # SOLID and DDD
│   │   ├── design-patterns.md       # Design Patterns GoF (Creational, Structural, Behavioral)
│   │   ├── refactoring.md           # Code refactoring (Extract Method, Guard Clauses, Strategy)
│   │   ├── horse-patterns.md        # Horse REST Framework
│   │   ├── dmvc-patterns.md         # DelphiMVC Framework
│   │   ├── dext-patterns.md         # Dext Framework
│   │   ├── acbr-patterns.md         # Commercial Automation (ACBr)
│   │   ├── intraweb-patterns.md     # Intraweb WebApps
│   │   ├── firebird-patterns.md     # Firebird Database (connection, PSQL, transactions)
│   │   ├── postgresql-patterns.md   # PostgreSQL Database (UPSERT, JSONB, FTS)
│   │   ├── mysql-patterns.md        # MySQL/MariaDB (AUTO_INCREMENT, JSON, UPSERT)
│   │   └── threading-patterns.md    # Threading (TThread, TTask, Synchronize/Queue)
│   └── skills/                      # On-demand skills (SKILL.md per folder — Claude docs standard)
│       ├── clean-code/              # Clean Code and Pascal Guide
│       ├── delphi-memory-exceptions/# Memory management and try..finally
│       ├── delphi-patterns/         # Repository, Service, Factory
│       ├── design-patterns/         # Design Patterns GoF (23 patterns)
│       ├── refactoring/             # Refactoring (10 techniques, before/after)
│       ├── tdd-dunitx/              # TDD with DUnitX
│       ├── horse-framework/         # Horse REST API
│       ├── dmvc-framework/          # DelphiMVC Framework
│       ├── dext-framework/          # Dext Framework
│       ├── acbr-components/         # ACBr components
│       ├── intraweb-framework/      # Intraweb WebApps
│       ├── devexpress-components/   # DevExpress UI
│       ├── dunitx-testing/          # Unit testing
│       ├── firebird-database/       # Firebird Database (connection, PSQL, generators)
│       ├── postgresql-database/     # PostgreSQL Database (UPSERT, JSONB, FTS, PL/pgSQL)
│       ├── mysql-database/          # MySQL/MariaDB (AUTO_INCREMENT, JSON, FULLTEXT)
│       ├── threading/               # Threading (TThread, TTask, PPL, thread-safety)
│       └── code-review/             # Code review
│
├── .github/
│   └── copilot-instructions.md      # 🤖 Pre-prompt for GitHub Copilot
│
├── .cursor/
│   └── rules/                       # Same rule files as .claude/rules/ (Cursor format)
│
├── .gemini/
│   └── skills/                      # Same skill folders as .claude/skills/ (Gemini format)
│
├── .kiro/
│   └── steering/
│       ├── product.md               # Product vision
│       ├── tech.md                  # Technology stack
│       ├── structure.md             # Layer architecture
│       └── frameworks.md            # Framework guides
│
├── .specify/                        # AI-assisted spec templates
│   ├── constitution.md              # Project constitution and constraints
│   ├── plan-template.md             # Implementation plan template
│   ├── spec-template.md             # Feature specification template
│   └── tasks-template.md            # Task breakdown template
│
├── tools/                           # Utility scripts
│   ├── neural_translate_en.py       # Neural translation helper
│   ├── translate_comment_markers_en.py # Comment marker translation
│   └── translate_to_en_us.ps1       # PowerShell translation script
│
└── examples/
    ├── clean-unit-example.pas        # Well-organized unit (Golden Path)
    ├── memory-exception-example.pas  # Correct memory and exception patterns
    ├── repository-pattern.pas        # Complete Repository Pattern
    ├── service-pattern.pas           # Complete Service Pattern
    ├── design-patterns-example.pas   # Design Patterns GoF in practice
    ├── refactoring-example.pas       # Refactoring before/after (6 techniques)
    ├── tdd-dunitx-example.pas        # TDD and DUnitX in practice
    ├── horse-api-example.pas         # REST API with Horse
    ├── dmvc-controller-example.pas   # DMVC Controller with Attributes
    ├── dext-api-example.pas          # Minimal API with Dext
    ├── acbr-service-example.pas      # NF-e issuance with ACBr
    ├── intraweb-form-example.pas     # Intraweb Form with UserSession
    ├── firebird-repository-example.pas  # Repository with FireDAC + Firebird
    ├── postgresql-repository-example.pas # Repository with FireDAC + PostgreSQL
    ├── mysql-repository-example.pas  # Repository with FireDAC + MySQL
    ├── threading-example.pas         # Threading patterns (TTask, BackgroundWorker, Producer-Consumer)
    ├── file-copy-app/                # 📦 Complete app example: file copy with service layer
    └── i18n-app/                     # 📦 Complete app example: internationalization (i18n)

⚡ Quick Start

1. Clone or download the kit

git clone https://github.com/delphicleancode/delphi-spec-kit.git

2. Copy to the root of your Delphi project

YourProject/
├── MyApp.dpr
├── AGENTS.md          ← copy from the root
├── .claude/           ← copy the folder
├── .github/           ← copy the folder
├── .cursor/           ← copy the folder
├── .gemini/           ← copy the folder
├── .kiro/             ← copy the folder
└── .specify/          ← copy the folder (optional — spec templates)

3. AI automatically takes over the rules

Claude Code — Applies .claude/CLAUDE.md and uses direct rules/skills in the terminal
Cursor — Reads .cursor/rules/*.md automatically by context
GitHub Copilot — Reads .github/copilot-instructions.md in workspace
Antigravity / Gemini — Skills in .gemini/skills/ are activated on demand
Kiro — Reads .kiro/steering/*.md as fixed product context

No additional configuration required. Open the project, use your preferred AI and notice the difference.

💡 Examples of Good Practices

Layer Architecture

src/
├── Domain/         ← Entities, Value Objects, Repository Interfaces
├── Application/    ← Services, Use Cases, DTOs
├── Infrastructure/ ← FireDAC Repositories, external APIs
└── Presentation/   ← VCL/FMX Forms, ViewModels
tests/
└── Unit/           ← DUnitX projects with isolated Fakes

Dependency rule: Presentation → Application → Domain ← Infrastructure Domain never depends on other layers.

Guard Clauses (no unnecessary nesting)

procedure ProcessOrder(AOrder: TOrder);
begin
  if not Assigned(AOrder) then
    raise EArgumentNilException.Create('AOrder cannot be nil');
  if AOrder.Items.Count = 0 then
    raise EBusinessRuleException.Create('Order must have at least one item');
  if not AOrder.IsValid then
    raise EValidationException.Create('Order validation failed');

  //real logic here, no nesting
  FRepository.Save(AOrder);
  FNotifier.Send(AOrder.Customer.Email);
end;

Test with Fake via Interface

type
  TFakeOrderRepository = class(TInterfacedObject, IOrderRepository)
  private
    FOrders: TObjectList<TOrder>;
  public
    constructor Create;
    destructor Destroy; override;
    procedure Save(AOrder: TOrder);
    function FindById(AId: Integer): TOrder;
  end;

[TestFixture]
TOrderServiceTest = class
private
  FSut: TOrderService;
  FRepo: IOrderRepository;
public
  [Setup]
  procedure SetUp;
  [Test]
  procedure PlaceOrder_ValidOrder_SavesToRepository;
  [Test]
  procedure PlaceOrder_EmptyItems_RaisesException;
end;

🚫 AI Ignore / Context Checklist

This project enforces a multi-layer strategy to control what AI agents index and use as context. Before submitting a PR:

Build output folders of any new subproject are covered by .gitignore
.cursorignore includes any new heavy or binary paths
Essential instruction files (AGENTS.md, rules, skills, examples) are NOT excluded
.vscode/settings.json excludes are up to date for new artifact types
No secrets (*.key, *.pfx, .env) are committed or referenced

See docs/ai-ignore-strategy.md for the full rationale and maintenance guide.

🤝 Contributions

Pull Requests are welcome! If your favorite Delphi framework or library needs a guide for AI, add:

Claude Rule → .claude/rules/your-framework.md
Claude Skill → .claude/skills/your-framework/SKILL.md
Cursor Rule → .cursor/rules/your-framework.md
Gemini Skill → .gemini/skills/your-framework/SKILL.md
Reference → mention in AGENTS.md

How to contribute

# Fork and clone
git fork https://github.com/delphicleancode/delphi-spec-kit
git clone https://github.com/YOUR-FORK/delphi-spec-kit

# Create a descriptive branch
git checkout -b feat/add-remobjects-patterns

# Commit and Pull Request
git commit -m "feat: add RemObjects SDK patterns"
git push origin feat/add-remobjects-patterns

Buy the author a coffee via Pix: [email protected] ☕

Made with ❤️ for the Delphi community.

If this kit helped you, leave a ⭐ in the repository!

Platforms	cli, api
Operating systems	—
AI compatibility	claude
License	MIT
Pricing	open-source
Language	—

delphi-spec-kit