complete-action

name	complete-action
description	Use when the user says they have finished a task that corresponds to an action item ("I'm done with the outline", "that's shipped", "rerun is complete"). Updates `state/action_items.yaml` so status becomes `complete`, with completion timestamp and completer recorded. Keeps history — the entry is never deleted.

Mark an action item complete

Action items in state/action_items.yaml track outstanding work. When something gets done, we record it — both for accountability and so the next agenda doesn't surface stale items.

Steps

1. Resolve the action id. If the user said "I'm done with the outline":

   • Read state/action_items.yaml and find the matching open action by text similarity and assignee (likely the current user).
   • If the match is unambiguous, proceed with its id (e.g., A-014).
   • If ambiguous or no match, ask the user which A-NNN they mean and list the open candidates.

2. Invoke the action. Two equivalent paths (see TRACKING.md):

   • MCP (preferred when available): call complete_action(id="A-014", by="<user-id>"). Pass cairn="<name>" if more than one cairn is registered.
   • CLI:

   cairn action complete A-014
   # If a different collaborator finished it on someone else's behalf:
   cairn action complete A-014 --by <other-id>
   

   The command refuses if the id doesn't exist, or if it's already complete. It records:

   • status: complete
   • completed_at (UTC ISO timestamp)
   • completed_by (collaborator id) …and keeps the original entry in place (we don't delete).

3. Ask about follow-ups. Completing an action often implies a follow-up — a finding to log, a decision to record, a related open question now answered. Prompt the user:

   • "Want to record what you learned as a finding?" (deferred — Phase 2)
   • "Did this answer Q-NNN? If so, we should update its status."
   • "Should this become a recorded decision (cairn decision add)?"

   Don't act on these without the user's say-so.

Acceptance criteria (US-A-04)

• The completed action keeps its history (not deleted).
• status, completed_at, completed_by are recorded.
• If completion implies a follow-up, the user is prompted to capture it.
• The commit message references the action id for traceability.