Bewerbungszauberer/openspec/changes/archive/2025-11-03-add-application-validation/proposal.md

# Proposal: Application Validation

## Why

Currently, users can create and populate applications using `/new-application` and `/populate-application`, but there's no validation mechanism to ensure the application.md files are complete before generating professional documents (CV, cover letter, email).

**Problems without validation:**
- Users might try to generate documents with placeholder text like `[To be filled]` still present
- Incomplete job information could lead to poorly targeted applications
- No quality gate to catch missing critical information before document generation
- Users might forget to run `/populate-application` after adding input documents

**Similar to `/validate-profile`**, we need a validation command that acts as a quality gate, ensuring application.md files are ready for document generation.

## What

Add a `/validate-application` slash command that validates the completeness of application.md files.

### Core Functionality

1. **Auto-detection**: When run without parameters, detect if current directory is inside an application folder
2. **Explicit path**: Accept optional application folder name/path as parameter
3. **Required section validation**: Check that critical sections are filled (Organization Info, Job Info, Job Description Summary)
4. **Placeholder detection**: Identify unfilled template placeholders like `[To be filled]`, `[...]`, bracket patterns
5. **Population awareness**: Warn if `input/` folder is empty or application seems unpopulated
6. **Binary pass/fail**: Clear ✅ PASSED or ❌ FAILED status (consistent with `/validate-profile`)
7. **Actionable errors**: Show specific issues with quoted placeholder text and guidance on how to fix

### Optional Sections

These can remain incomplete without causing validation failure:
- Match Strategy
- Key Messages
- Tone of Voice
- Research Notes
- Document Checklist

### User Experience

```bash
# Run from inside application folder
cd applications/pending/2025-11-02-TechCorp-Senior-Developer
/validate-application

# Or provide path from anywhere
/validate-application 2025-11-02-TechCorp-Senior-Developer
```

**Success output:**
```
✅ Application Validation: PASSED

Your application is complete and ready for document generation!

Summary:
- Organization: TechCorp
- Position: Senior Developer
- Job requirements: 12 identified
- Match strategy: Complete
- Input documents: 3 files analyzed

You can now proceed with generating tailored CV, cover letter, and application email.
```

**Failure output:**
```
❌ Application Validation: FAILED

Your application has incomplete sections that need attention.

Issues found:

## Organization Information
- [ ] Organization Name: Contains placeholder "[To be filled]"

## Job Description Summary
- [ ] Responsibilities: No responsibilities documented
- [ ] Required Skills: Contains placeholder "[List required skills]"

## Population Status
⚠️  Input folder appears empty. Consider:
1. Adding job posting and related documents to input/
2. Running /populate-application to extract information

Please update application.md, then run /validate-application again.
```

## Impact

### Benefits
- **Quality gate**: Prevents generating documents with placeholder text
- **User guidance**: Clear feedback on what's missing and how to fix it
- **Workflow integration**: Natural step before document generation
- **Consistency**: Matches `/validate-profile` pattern users already know
- **Error prevention**: Catches incomplete applications early

### Changes Required
- New slash command: `/validate-application`
- Documentation updates in `src/CLAUDE.md`
- No changes to existing commands or templates

### User Workflow Update
```
1. Validate profile (/validate-profile)
2. Initialize application (/new-application)
3. Add documents to input/ folder
4. Populate application (/populate-application)
5. **Validate application (/validate-application)** ← NEW
6. Generate documents (future: CV, cover letter, email)
```

## Implementation Approach

Follow the same pattern as `/validate-profile`:
- Read application.md and parse sections
- Check for bracket patterns: `\[([^\]]+)\]`
- Validate required sections have real content
- Check input/ folder exists and has files
- Provide structured, actionable error messages
- Use encouraging tone and clear next steps