issue-folding

name	issue-folding
description	Classify whether an issue should stay actionable, close as duplicate or superseded work, fold into another issue, or no-op close out with evidence-backed routing.

Issue Folding

This skill is an issue disposition classifier and closeout-routing helper.

Its job is to:

• inspect one bounded issue packet or task bundle
• detect evidence that the issue is still actionable or should fold cleanly
• preserve linked issue or PR references for duplicate, superseded, or absorbed work
• recommend the correct closeout handoff without pretending implementation happened
• record whether any bound worktree should be retired when the issue is a true no-op

It does not implement the folded work, silently close the issue, or widen into repo-wide cleanup.

Required Inputs

At minimum, gather:

• repo_root
• one concrete target:
  • issue_number
  • task_bundle_path
  • source_issue_prompt_path
• mode
• policy

Useful additional inputs:

• issue_state
• pr_state
• source_prompt_path
• stp_path
• sip_path
• sor_path
• closure_hints

If there is no concrete issue packet or task-bundle target, stop with blocked.

Classification Model

Supported classifications:

• actionable
  • the issue still needs dedicated execution
• duplicate
  • the work is already tracked elsewhere and should close as duplicate
• superseded
  • the issue has been replaced by a newer bounded issue or PR
• absorbed
  • the work was folded into another issue or PR and no longer needs a standalone path
• already_satisfied
  • the intended result is already present on main or otherwise complete with no new PR
• obsolete
  • the issue is no longer relevant because the premise expired or the policy changed
• blocked
  • evidence conflicts or is too weak to close safely

If multiple non-actionable classes appear with conflicting evidence, classify as blocked and preserve the uncertainty.

Workflow

1. Resolve the Target

Prefer this order:

1. task bundle path
2. issue number with resolved repo surfaces
3. source issue prompt path

Only inspect one issue target per invocation.

2. Gather Evidence

Read the bounded issue packet:

• source issue prompt
• stp.md
• sip.md
• sor.md

Look for explicit closure cues such as:

• duplicate
• superseded by #<n>
• covered by #<n>
• absorbed into #<n>
• already satisfied on main
• obsolete

For deterministic local classification, use:

python3 adl/tools/skills/issue-folding/scripts/classify_issue_folding.py --task-bundle <path> --source-prompt <path> --out <path>

3. Classify and Preserve References

For every non-actionable outcome:

• preserve the matching evidence line
• preserve linked issue or PR references when they exist
• map the class to a recommended closeout outcome
• recommend whether any bound worktree can be retired

Default closeout mapping:

• duplicate -> duplicate
• superseded -> superseded
• absorbed -> superseded
• already_satisfied -> closed_no_pr
• obsolete -> closed_no_pr

4. Handoff

Recommend:

• workflow-conductor or normal execution for actionable
• pr-closeout for duplicate, superseded, absorbed, already-satisfied, or obsolete outcomes
• operator review for blocked

This skill stops after classification and handoff guidance. It does not mutate GitHub or perform the closeout itself.

Stop Boundary

Stop after:

• one truthful classification
• evidence capture
• recommended closure outcome
• worktree-retirement guidance
• handoff recommendation

Do not:

• implement fixes
• merge or close issues directly
• rewrite milestone plans
• silently prune unrelated worktrees

Output

Use the structured contract in references/output-contract.md.