Tool Development Standards - Adding New Tools to the Platform

Purpose: Comprehensive standards and workflow for adding new educational tools to the MyStoryFlow Tools App platform.

Last Updated: July 16, 2025
Version: 1.0
Target Audience: Development Teams, Product Managers, QA Teams
Prerequisites: Familiarity with tools-app/CLAUDE.md

📋 Table of Contents

• Development Workflow
• Architecture Requirements
• Business Rules Documentation
• Testing Requirements
• Performance Standards
• Launch Checklist
• Maintenance Standards

Development Workflow

Phase 1: Planning & Design

Step 1: Tool Concept Definition

Required Deliverables:

• Tool Purpose Statement: Clear educational objective
• Target Audience: Specific grade levels or user types
• Core Features: 3-5 main features with user stories
• Success Metrics: Measurable outcomes and KPIs

Business Rules:

• BR-TD-001: All tools must serve educational purposes
• BR-TD-002: Tools must be accessible to K-12 audiences
• BR-TD-003: Tools must integrate with existing platform architecture

Step 2: Technical Architecture Design

Required Components:

• Database Schema: Following tools_ naming convention
• API Endpoints: RESTful structure with consistent patterns
• AI Integration: OpenAI service class if AI-powered
• Export System: Support for multiple formats
• Analytics: Comprehensive event tracking

Business Rules:

• BR-TD-004: All tools must follow the standard API structure
• BR-TD-005: Database tables must use tools_ prefix
• BR-TD-006: AI integration must include cost tracking

Step 3: Business Documentation Creation

Required Documents:

• Business Rules Document: Complete BR-XXX-XXX specifications
• Test Case Specifications: Comprehensive TC-XXX-XXX scenarios
• User Flow Documentation: Step-by-step user journey
• API Documentation: Endpoint specifications and schemas

Business Rules:

• BR-TD-007: Business rules must be documented before implementation
• BR-TD-008: Test cases must reference specific business rules
• BR-TD-009: Documentation must be updated in docs-app

Phase 2: Implementation

Step 4: Core Development

Implementation Order:

• Database Schema: Create migration files
• API Endpoints: Implement core CRUD operations
• AI Service: Create tool-specific AI integration
• Frontend Components: Build user interface
• Export System: Implement multi-format export
• Analytics: Add comprehensive tracking

Business Rules:

• BR-TD-010: Implementation must follow tools-app/CLAUDE.md standards
• BR-TD-011: All code must include proper error handling
• BR-TD-012: AI services must include retry logic and fallbacks

Step 5: Testing Implementation

Required Test Types:

• Unit Tests: >80% coverage for core functions
• Integration Tests: All API endpoints and database operations
• E2E Tests: Complete user workflows
• Performance Tests: Response time and concurrent usage
• Accessibility Tests: WCAG 2.1 AA compliance

Business Rules:

• BR-TD-013: All business rules must have corresponding test cases
• BR-TD-014: Performance tests must meet response time requirements
• BR-TD-015: Accessibility tests must pass for all user interfaces

Phase 3: Quality Assurance

Step 6: Code Review Process

Review Criteria:

• Architecture Compliance: Follows tool development standards
• Business Rules Coverage: All rules implemented correctly
• Test Coverage: Meets coverage requirements
• Performance Standards: Meets response time requirements
• Security Standards: Proper input validation and sanitization

Business Rules:

• BR-TD-016: Code review must verify business rules implementation
• BR-TD-017: Performance requirements must be validated
• BR-TD-018: Security review must be completed

Step 7: Documentation Review

Review Items:

• Business Rules: Complete and accurate
• Test Cases: Comprehensive coverage
• API Documentation: Complete endpoint specifications
• User Guide: Clear instructions for educators

Business Rules:

• BR-TD-019: Documentation must be reviewed before launch
• BR-TD-020: Business rules must be validated by product team
• BR-TD-021: Test cases must be validated by QA team

Phase 4: Deployment

Step 8: Pre-Launch Validation

Validation Checklist:

• All business rules implemented and tested
• Performance requirements met
• Security review completed
• Documentation updated
• Analytics tracking implemented

Business Rules:

• BR-TD-022: All validation items must be completed before launch
• BR-TD-023: Performance tests must pass under load
• BR-TD-024: Security vulnerabilities must be addressed

Step 9: Launch & Monitor

Launch Activities:

• Database Migration: Apply schema changes
• Feature Flag: Enable new tool gradually
• Analytics Setup: Configure monitoring dashboards
• User Communication: Announce new tool availability

Business Rules:

• BR-TD-025: Launch must be gradual with monitoring
• BR-TD-026: Analytics must be actively monitored
• BR-TD-027: User feedback must be collected and analyzed

Architecture Requirements

Database Design Standards

Schema Requirements

-- Standard table structure for all tools
CREATE TABLE tools_[tool_name] (
  -- Core identity fields
  id UUID PRIMARY KEY DEFAULT gen_random_uuid(),
  title TEXT NOT NULL,
  share_code TEXT UNIQUE NOT NULL,
  
  -- Ownership and access
  user_id UUID REFERENCES auth.users(id),
  session_id TEXT NOT NULL,
  
  -- Visibility and content management
  is_public BOOLEAN DEFAULT FALSE,
  is_featured BOOLEAN DEFAULT FALSE,
  is_reviewed BOOLEAN DEFAULT FALSE,
  
  -- Engagement tracking
  view_count INTEGER DEFAULT 0,
  share_count INTEGER DEFAULT 0,
  export_count INTEGER DEFAULT 0,
  
  -- SEO and discovery
  seo_title TEXT,
  seo_description TEXT,
  keywords TEXT[],
  
  -- AI integration
  is_ai_generated BOOLEAN DEFAULT TRUE,
  ai_generation_prompt TEXT,
  ai_confidence DECIMAL(3,2) DEFAULT 0.8,
  
  -- Standard timestamps
  created_at TIMESTAMPTZ DEFAULT NOW(),
  updated_at TIMESTAMPTZ DEFAULT NOW(),
  expires_at TIMESTAMPTZ, -- for anonymous content
  
  -- Tool-specific fields
  -- Add custom fields here
);
 
-- Required indexes for performance
CREATE INDEX idx_[tool_name]_share_code ON tools_[tool_name](share_code);
CREATE INDEX idx_[tool_name]_session_id ON tools_[tool_name](session_id);
CREATE INDEX idx_[tool_name]_user_id ON tools_[tool_name](user_id);
CREATE INDEX idx_[tool_name]_public ON tools_[tool_name](is_public) WHERE is_public = TRUE;
CREATE INDEX idx_[tool_name]_featured ON tools_[tool_name](is_featured) WHERE is_featured = TRUE;

Business Rules for Database Design

• BR-TD-028: All tool tables must include standard fields
• BR-TD-029: Required indexes must be created for performance
• BR-TD-030: RLS policies must be implemented
• BR-TD-031: Foreign key relationships must be properly defined

API Design Standards

Endpoint Structure

// Standard API structure for all tools
/api/[tool-name]/
├── generate/          # POST - Main generation endpoint
├── [id]/             # GET, PATCH, DELETE - Resource management
├── [id]/export/      # POST - Export functionality
├── [id]/share/       # POST - Create shareable link
└── collections/      # GET - Browse curated content (if applicable)

Request/Response Patterns

// Standard request validation
const requestSchema = z.object({
  // Tool-specific fields
  content: z.string().min(1).max(50000),
  options: z.object({
    // Generation options
  }),
  metadata: z.object({
    title: z.string().optional(),
    tags: z.array(z.string()).optional(),
    category: z.string().optional(),
    isPublic: z.boolean().default(false)
  })
})
 
// Standard response format
interface ToolResponse<T = any> {
  success: boolean
  data?: T
  error?: string
  meta?: {
    remainingLimit?: number
    generationTime?: number
    analytics?: AnalyticsData
  }
}

Business Rules for API Design

• BR-TD-032: All endpoints must follow standard structure
• BR-TD-033: Request validation must use Zod schemas
• BR-TD-034: Response format must be consistent
• BR-TD-035: Error handling must be comprehensive

AI Integration Standards

AI Service Structure

// Standard AI service class
export class ToolNameAI {
  private static openai = new OpenAI({
    apiKey: process.env.OPENAI_API_KEY
  })
 
  static async generateContent(options: GenerationOptions): Promise<GeneratedContent> {
    // Step 1: Build educational prompt
    const systemPrompt = this.buildSystemPrompt(options)
    const userPrompt = this.buildUserPrompt(options)
    
    // Step 2: Make API call with proper error handling
    try {
      const response = await this.openai.chat.completions.create({
        model: 'gpt-4-turbo-preview',
        messages: [
          { role: 'system', content: systemPrompt },
          { role: 'user', content: userPrompt }
        ],
        temperature: 0.7,
        max_tokens: 2000,
        response_format: { type: 'json_object' }
      })
      
      // Step 3: Validate and transform response
      return this.validateAndTransformResponse(response)
    } catch (error) {
      // Step 4: Handle errors gracefully
      throw new AIGenerationError(`Generation failed: ${error.message}`)
    }
  }
  
  private static buildSystemPrompt(options: GenerationOptions): string {
    return `You are an expert educational content generator...`
  }
  
  private static validateAndTransformResponse(response: any): GeneratedContent {
    // Validate structure and sanitize content
    return sanitizeContent(response)
  }
}

Business Rules for AI Integration

• BR-TD-036: AI services must include educational focus
• BR-TD-037: AI responses must be validated and sanitized
• BR-TD-038: AI usage must be tracked for cost analysis
• BR-TD-039: AI errors must be handled gracefully

Business Rules Documentation

Documentation Structure

Business Rules Format

#### BR-[TOOL]-[NUMBER]: [Rule Name]
- **Rule**: Detailed description of the business rule
- **Implementation**: Code reference (file:line)
- **Test**: How to verify the rule works
- **Rationale**: Why this rule exists
- **Related**: Links to related rules or test cases
- **Priority**: P0 (Critical), P1 (High), P2 (Medium), P3 (Low)

Test Case Format

#### TC-[TOOL]-[NUMBER]: [Test Description]
- **Tests**: BR-[TOOL]-001, BR-[TOOL]-002 (business rule references)
- **Scenario**: Detailed test scenario
- **Expected**: Expected outcome
- **Implementation**: Test file reference
- **Priority**: P0 (Critical), P1 (High), P2 (Medium), P3 (Low)
- **Type**: Unit | Integration | E2E | Performance | Security

Required Documentation Sections

Tool Overview

• Purpose: Educational objective and target audience
• Flow Types: Different user paths and scenarios
• Core Principles: Design principles and constraints
• User Journey: Step-by-step user experience

Business Rules Categories

• Input Validation: Content requirements and constraints
• Processing Rules: AI generation and content processing
• Output Standards: Quality and format requirements
• Access Control: User permissions and rate limiting
• Data Management: Storage and lifecycle rules

API Documentation

• Endpoint Specifications: Request/response schemas
• Authentication: User and session requirements
• Rate Limiting: Limits and enforcement
• Error Handling: Error codes and messages

Business Rules Implementation Standards

Rule Categorization

• BR-[TOOL]-001-099: Input validation and user interface rules
• BR-[TOOL]-100-199: Processing and business logic rules
• BR-[TOOL]-200-299: Output and presentation rules
• BR-[TOOL]-300-399: Data persistence and management rules
• BR-[TOOL]-400-499: API and integration rules
• BR-[TOOL]-500-599: Security and access control rules
• BR-[TOOL]-600-699: Performance and scalability rules
• BR-[TOOL]-700-799: Analytics and monitoring rules

Rule Implementation Standards

• BR-TD-040: Every business rule must have a unique identifier
• BR-TD-041: Business rules must reference implementation code
• BR-TD-042: Business rules must have corresponding test cases
• BR-TD-043: Business rules must be validated before launch

Testing Requirements

Test Coverage Standards

Unit Testing Requirements

// Required unit test coverage
describe('ToolNameAI', () => {
  describe('generateContent', () => {
    test('generates valid content with proper options', async () => {
      const result = await ToolNameAI.generateContent(validOptions)
      expect(result).toMatchSchema(contentSchema)
    })
    
    test('handles API errors gracefully', async () => {
      mockOpenAI.mockRejectedValue(new Error('API Error'))
      await expect(ToolNameAI.generateContent(options)).rejects.toThrow()
    })
    
    test('validates and sanitizes AI responses', async () => {
      const result = await ToolNameAI.generateContent(options)
      expect(result.content).not.toContain('<script>')
    })
  })
})

Integration Testing Requirements

// Required integration tests
describe('POST /api/[tool-name]/generate', () => {
  test('successful generation with valid payload', async () => {
    const response = await request(app)
      .post('/api/tool-name/generate')
      .send(validPayload)
    
    expect(response.status).toBe(200)
    expect(response.body.success).toBe(true)
    expect(response.body.data).toBeDefined()
  })
  
  test('rate limiting enforcement', async () => {
    // Exhaust rate limit
    for (let i = 0; i < 11; i++) {
      await request(app).post('/api/tool-name/generate').send(validPayload)
    }
    
    const response = await request(app)
      .post('/api/tool-name/generate')
      .send(validPayload)
    
    expect(response.status).toBe(429)
    expect(response.body.error).toContain('Rate limit exceeded')
  })
})

E2E Testing Requirements

// Required end-to-end tests
describe('Tool Generation Flow', () => {
  test('complete user journey', async () => {
    // Navigate to tool
    await page.goto('/tool-name')
    
    // Fill in generation form
    await page.fill('[data-testid="content-input"]', testContent)
    await page.selectOption('[data-testid="options-select"]', 'intermediate')
    
    // Generate content
    await page.click('[data-testid="generate-button"]')
    
    // Verify results
    await expect(page.locator('[data-testid="results-container"]')).toBeVisible()
    await expect(page.locator('[data-testid="generated-content"]')).toContainText(testContent)
  })
})

Performance Testing Standards

Response Time Requirements

• BR-TD-044: API endpoints must respond within 500ms for simple operations
• BR-TD-045: AI generation must complete within 10 seconds
• BR-TD-046: Page loads must complete within 2 seconds
• BR-TD-047: Export generation must complete within 5 seconds

Load Testing Requirements

// Required load testing
describe('Load Testing', () => {
  test('handles concurrent users', async () => {
    const concurrentUsers = 50
    const requests = Array(concurrentUsers).fill(0).map(() => 
      request(app).post('/api/tool-name/generate').send(validPayload)
    )
    
    const responses = await Promise.all(requests)
    const successRate = responses.filter(r => r.status === 200).length / concurrentUsers
    
    expect(successRate).toBeGreaterThan(0.95) // 95% success rate
  })
})

Test Implementation Standards

Test Organization

/src/__tests__/
├── unit/
│   ├── ai-services/
│   │   └── [tool-name]-ai.test.ts
│   ├── components/
│   │   └── [tool-name]-generator.test.tsx
│   └── utils/
├── integration/
│   ├── api/
│   │   └── [tool-name].test.ts
│   └── database/
│       └── [tool-name]-schema.test.ts
├── e2e/
│   └── [tool-name]-flow.test.ts
└── performance/
    └── [tool-name]-load.test.ts

Business Rules for Testing

• BR-TD-048: All test files must follow naming conventions
• BR-TD-049: Test coverage must exceed 80% for new tools
• BR-TD-050: E2E tests must cover all critical user paths
• BR-TD-051: Performance tests must validate response time requirements

Performance Standards

Response Time Requirements

API Performance Standards

// Performance test examples
describe('API Performance', () => {
  test('generation endpoint responds within 10 seconds', async () => {
    const startTime = Date.now()
    const response = await request(app)
      .post('/api/tool-name/generate')
      .send(validPayload)
    const duration = Date.now() - startTime
    
    expect(response.status).toBe(200)
    expect(duration).toBeLessThan(10000) // 10 seconds
  })
  
  test('browse endpoint responds within 500ms', async () => {
    const startTime = Date.now()
    const response = await request(app).get('/api/tool-name')
    const duration = Date.now() - startTime
    
    expect(response.status).toBe(200)
    expect(duration).toBeLessThan(500) // 500ms
  })
})

Frontend Performance Standards

// Frontend performance monitoring
describe('Frontend Performance', () => {
  test('page load time under 2 seconds', async () => {
    const startTime = Date.now()
    await page.goto('/tool-name')
    await page.waitForSelector('[data-testid="content-loaded"]')
    const duration = Date.now() - startTime
    
    expect(duration).toBeLessThan(2000) // 2 seconds
  })
  
  test('bundle size optimization', () => {
    const bundleSize = getBundleSize('tool-name')
    expect(bundleSize).toBeLessThan(500 * 1024) // 500KB
  })
})

Scalability Requirements

Database Performance

• BR-TD-052: Database queries must complete within 100ms
• BR-TD-053: Database must support 1000+ concurrent connections
• BR-TD-054: Indexes must be optimized for common query patterns

AI Service Performance

• BR-TD-055: AI service must handle 10+ concurrent requests
• BR-TD-056: AI service must implement request queuing
• BR-TD-057: AI service must track usage and costs

Performance Monitoring

Required Metrics

// Performance monitoring setup
const performanceMetrics = {
  apiResponseTime: histogram({
    name: 'api_response_time',
    help: 'API response time in milliseconds',
    buckets: [100, 500, 1000, 5000, 10000]
  }),
  
  aiGenerationTime: histogram({
    name: 'ai_generation_time',
    help: 'AI generation time in milliseconds',
    buckets: [1000, 3000, 5000, 8000, 10000]
  }),
  
  concurrentUsers: gauge({
    name: 'concurrent_users',
    help: 'Number of concurrent users'
  })
}

Business Rules for Performance

• BR-TD-058: Performance metrics must be actively monitored
• BR-TD-059: Performance degradation must trigger alerts
• BR-TD-060: Performance reports must be generated weekly

Launch Checklist

Pre-Launch Validation

Technical Validation

• Database Schema: Migration tested and ready
• API Endpoints: All endpoints tested and documented
• AI Integration: AI service working with proper error handling
• Frontend Components: All UI components tested and accessible
• Export System: All export formats working correctly
• Analytics: Event tracking implemented and tested
• Performance: Response times meet requirements
• Security: Input validation and sanitization implemented

Business Validation

• Business Rules: All rules implemented and tested
• Test Cases: All test cases passing
• Documentation: Business rules and API docs complete
• User Experience: UI/UX reviewed and approved
• Content Quality: AI-generated content meets standards
• Educational Value: Tool serves educational objectives

Operational Validation

• Monitoring: Analytics and error tracking configured
• Alerting: Performance and error alerts configured
• Backup: Data backup and recovery procedures tested
• Rollback: Rollback procedures tested and ready
• Support: Support documentation and procedures ready

Launch Process

Phase 1: Internal Testing

• Duration: 1-2 weeks
• Scope: Development and QA teams
• Validation: Technical functionality and performance
• Criteria: All tests passing, performance requirements met

Phase 2: Beta Testing

• Duration: 1-2 weeks
• Scope: Selected educators and power users
• Validation: User experience and educational value
• Criteria: Positive user feedback, no critical issues

Phase 3: Gradual Rollout

• Duration: 1-2 weeks
• Scope: Gradual increase in user access
• Validation: System stability under load
• Criteria: Stable performance, no system errors

Phase 4: Full Launch

• Duration: Ongoing
• Scope: All users
• Validation: Continuous monitoring and improvement
• Criteria: Meets all success metrics

Post-Launch Monitoring

Week 1: Critical Monitoring

• Metrics: Error rates, response times, user adoption
• Frequency: Hourly monitoring
• Escalation: Immediate for critical issues
• Reviews: Daily team reviews

Week 2-4: Stability Monitoring

• Metrics: Performance trends, user feedback, feature usage
• Frequency: Daily monitoring
• Escalation: 4-hour response for issues
• Reviews: Weekly team reviews

Month 1+: Optimization Monitoring

• Metrics: User engagement, educational outcomes, cost analysis
• Frequency: Weekly monitoring
• Escalation: Standard support process
• Reviews: Monthly business reviews

Business Rules for Launch

• BR-TD-061: Launch must be gradual with monitoring
• BR-TD-062: Critical issues must be addressed immediately
• BR-TD-063: User feedback must be collected and analyzed
• BR-TD-064: Success metrics must be tracked and reported

Maintenance Standards

Ongoing Development

Regular Updates

• Bug Fixes: Address issues within 48 hours
• Feature Updates: Monthly feature improvements
• Security Updates: Immediate security patches
• Performance Optimization: Quarterly performance reviews

Content Management

• Quality Assurance: Regular content quality reviews
• User Feedback: Incorporate user suggestions
• Educational Standards: Align with curriculum updates
• AI Model Updates: Upgrade AI models as available

Business Rules for Maintenance

• BR-TD-065: Critical bugs must be fixed within 48 hours
• BR-TD-066: Security updates must be applied immediately
• BR-TD-067: Performance must be monitored continuously
• BR-TD-068: User feedback must be addressed monthly

Documentation Maintenance

Regular Reviews

• Business Rules: Monthly review and updates
• Test Cases: Quarterly review and expansion
• API Documentation: Updates with every change
• User Documentation: Quarterly user guide updates

Change Management

• Version Control: All documentation changes tracked
• Review Process: Changes require team review
• Approval Process: Business rule changes require approval
• Communication: Changes communicated to all teams

Long-term Strategy

Quarterly Reviews

• Performance Analysis: Review metrics and optimization opportunities
• User Feedback: Analyze user suggestions and requests
• Technology Updates: Evaluate new technologies and frameworks
• Business Alignment: Ensure tools support business objectives

Annual Planning

• Feature Roadmap: Plan major feature additions
• Technology Upgrades: Plan infrastructure improvements
• Educational Trends: Align with educational technology trends
• Business Strategy: Align with overall business strategy

Business Rules for Long-term Success

• BR-TD-069: Tools must evolve with educational needs
• BR-TD-070: Technology stack must be regularly updated
• BR-TD-071: Business alignment must be maintained
• BR-TD-072: Innovation must be balanced with stability

Success Metrics

Technical Metrics

• Uptime: >99.9% availability
• Response Time: <2s page loads, <10s AI generation
• Error Rate: <0.1% error rate
• Performance: No performance degradation over time

User Metrics

• Adoption: >1000 monthly active users per tool
• Engagement: >5 minutes average session duration
• Retention: >40% users return within 7 days
• Satisfaction: >4.5/5 user satisfaction rating

Business Metrics

• Educational Impact: Positive teacher feedback
• Conversion: 15% tool users explore main app
• Cost Efficiency: AI costs < $0.50 per generation
• Quality: >95% content quality rating

Business Rules for Success

• BR-TD-073: Success metrics must be tracked continuously
• BR-TD-074: Metrics must be reported monthly
• BR-TD-075: Poor performance must trigger improvement plans
• BR-TD-076: Success criteria must be updated annually

This document serves as the comprehensive guide for adding new tools to the MyStoryFlow Tools App platform. All development teams must follow these standards to ensure consistency, quality, and educational value.

Last Updated: July 16, 2025
Maintained by: Tools Development & Architecture Teams