flow-next-plan

name	flow-next-plan
description	Plan a feature into a flow-next spec with tasks in .flow/. Use when asked to plan, spec out, or break down work (fn-N ids).
user-invocable	false

Flow plan

Turn a rough idea into a spec with tasks in .flow/. This skill does not write code.

Follow this skill and linked workflows exactly. Deviations cause drift, bad gates, retries, and user frustration.

IMPORTANT: This plugin uses .flow/ for ALL task tracking. Do NOT use markdown TODOs, plan files, TodoWrite, or other tracking methods. All task state must be read and written via flowctl.

Preamble

CRITICAL: flowctl is BUNDLED — NOT installed globally. which flowctl will fail (expected). Define once; subsequent blocks (here and in steps.md) use $FLOWCTL:

FLOWCTL="$HOME/.codex/scripts/flowctl"
[ -x "$FLOWCTL" ] || FLOWCTL=".flow/bin/flowctl"

Pre-check: Local setup version

Compare .flow/meta.json setup_version to the plugin version; on mismatch, escalate once per plugin version. Fail-open throughout: a missing jq, .flow/meta.json, or plugin manifest silently continues.

SETUP_MODE=$(jq -r '.setup_mode // empty' .flow/meta.json 2>/dev/null)
SETUP_VER=$(jq -r '.setup_version // empty' .flow/meta.json 2>/dev/null)
PLUGIN_JSON="${DROID_PLUGIN_ROOT:-${CLAUDE_PLUGIN_ROOT:-$HOME/.codex}}/.codex-plugin/plugin.json"
PLUGIN_VER=$(jq -r '.version' "$PLUGIN_JSON" 2>/dev/null || echo "unknown")
VERSION_ACK=$(jq -r '.version_ack // empty' .flow/meta.json 2>/dev/null)
if [[ "$SETUP_MODE" == "plugin" ]]; then
 # fn-121 plugin mode: no local copies exist to go stale - the version compare is
 # moot. Check only the CLAUDE.md snippet contract (sentinel vs the plugin's
 # expected v1; keep the literal in sync with SNIPPET_SCHEMA_VERSION in flowctl.py).
 SNIP_ACK=$(jq -r '.snippet_ack // empty' .flow/meta.json 2>/dev/null)
 SNIP_VER=$(grep -m1 -o 'flow-next:snippet:v[0-9]*' CLAUDE.md 2>/dev/null | grep -o '[0-9]*$')
 if [[ "${SNIP_VER:-missing}" != "1" ]]; then
 if [[ "${FLOW_RALPH:-}" == "1" || -n "${REVIEW_RECEIPT_PATH:-}" || "${FLOW_AUTONOMOUS:-}" == "1" || "${ARGUMENTS:-}" == *mode:autonomous* \
 || "$SNIP_ACK" == "1" ]]; then
 echo "CLAUDE.md flow-next snippet contract v${SNIP_VER:-missing} != plugin v1. Refresh via /flow-next:setup or the interactive ask." >&2
 else
 echo "FLOW_SNIPPET_ASK ${SNIP_VER:-missing} 1"
 fi
 fi
elif [[ -n "$SETUP_VER" && "$PLUGIN_VER" != "unknown" && "$SETUP_VER" != "$PLUGIN_VER" ]]; then
 if [[ "${FLOW_RALPH:-}" == "1" || -n "${REVIEW_RECEIPT_PATH:-}" \
 || "${FLOW_AUTONOMOUS:-}" == "1" || "${ARGUMENTS:-}" == *mode:autonomous* \
 || "$VERSION_ACK" == "$PLUGIN_VER" ]]; then
 echo "Local setup v${SETUP_VER} differs from plugin v${PLUGIN_VER}. Run /flow-next:setup to refresh local scripts." >&2
 else
 echo "FLOW_SETUP_ASK ${SETUP_VER} ${PLUGIN_VER}"
 fi
fi

Ask the user via plain text. Render the options below as a numbered list 1. … N., followed by a final option N+1. Other — type your own answer. Print the question, then the numbered list, then stop and wait for the user's next message before continuing. Parse the reply as: a bare number 1–N+1 → that option; the literal text of an option label → that option; free text after Other → custom answer.

If the block printed a FLOW_SNIPPET_ASK line (plugin mode only; suppressed to the stderr note under the autonomy markers above), before proceeding ask the user with plain-text numbered prompt (the CLAUDE.md flow-next snippet block is on an older contract than this plugin version; refresh the marker block?), offering exactly the options Refresh now, Remind me next version, Skip this run, then continue the skill whichever is chosen:

• Refresh now: run "$HOME/.codex/scripts/flowctl" setup-block apply --file CLAUDE.md --template "$HOME/.codex/skills/flow-next-setup/templates/claude-md-snippet-plugin.md" --json; if it returns action: ask, re-run as setup-block resolve with the same --file/--template plus --choice overwrite --json - this question WAS the consent. Marker-bounded: content outside the block is never touched.
• Remind me next version: record the acknowledgement so this contract version is not re-asked (fail-open: on any error, continue anyway):

rm -f .flow/meta.json.tmp && jq '.snippet_ack = "1"' .flow/meta.json > .flow/meta.json.tmp && mv .flow/meta.json.tmp .flow/meta.json

• Skip this run: continue without writing anything; the next invocation asks again.

If the block printed a FLOW_SETUP_ASK line, before proceeding ask the user with plain-text numbered prompt (local setup differs from the plugin; refresh now?), offering exactly the options Refresh now, Remind me next version, Skip this run, then continue the skill whichever is chosen:

• Refresh now: pause and have the user run /flow-next:setup in this session (do not run setup yourself), then continue once it finishes.
• Remind me next version: record the acknowledgement so this version is not re-asked (only a later plugin version re-arms it), then continue. Run this self-contained write (fail-open: on any error, continue anyway):

PJ="${DROID_PLUGIN_ROOT:-${CLAUDE_PLUGIN_ROOT:-$HOME/.codex}}/.codex-plugin/plugin.json"
PV=$(jq -r '.version' "$PJ" 2>/dev/null)
[[ -n "$PV" && "$PV" != "null" ]] && rm -f .flow/meta.json.tmp && jq --arg v "$PV" '.version_ack = $v' .flow/meta.json > .flow/meta.json.tmp && mv .flow/meta.json.tmp .flow/meta.json

• Skip this run: continue without writing anything; the next invocation asks again.

Any other output (the one-line differs notice, or nothing) is non-blocking: continue.

Role: product-minded planner with strong repo awareness. Goal: produce a spec with tasks that match existing conventions and reuse points. Task size: every task must fit one /flow-next:work iteration (~100k tokens max). If it won't, split it.

The Golden Rule: No Implementation Code

Plans are specs, not implementations. Do NOT write the code that will be implemented.

Code IS allowed:

• Signatures/interfaces (what, not how): function validate(input: string): Result
• Patterns from this repo (with file:line ref): "Follow pattern at src/auth.ts:42"
• Recent/surprising APIs (from docs-scout): "React 19 changed X — use useOptimistic instead"
• Non-obvious gotchas (from practice-scout): "Must call cleanup() or memory leaks"

Code is FORBIDDEN:

• Complete function implementations
• Full class/module bodies
• "Here's what you'll write" blocks
• Copy-paste ready snippets (>10 lines)

Why: Implementation happens in /flow-next:work with fresh context. Writing it here wastes tokens in planning, review, AND implementation — then causes drift when the implementer does it differently anyway.

Input

Full request: $ARGUMENTS

Accepts:

• Feature/bug description in natural language
• Flow spec ID fn-N-slug (e.g., fn-1-add-oauth) or legacy fn-N/fn-N-xxx to refine existing spec
• Flow task ID fn-N-slug.M (e.g., fn-1-add-oauth.2) or legacy fn-N.M/fn-N-xxx.M to refine specific task
• Resolvable tracker handle — a tracker key like wor-17 / wor-17.2 that flowctl show resolves to the linked spec/task (fn-52.10). Treated as the existing spec/task, never as a new idea (R16). See the handle-recognition rule in Step 1.
• Chained instructions like "then review with /flow-next:plan-review"

Examples:

• /flow-next:plan Add OAuth login for users
• /flow-next:plan fn-1-add-oauth
• /flow-next:plan fn-1 (legacy formats fn-1, fn-1-xxx still supported)
• /flow-next:plan fn-1-add-oauth then review via /flow-next:plan-review

If empty, ask: "What should I plan? Give me the feature or bug in 1-5 sentences." Under autonomous mode, do not ask — report NEEDS_HUMAN: no planning input provided and stop.

FIRST: Parse Options or Ask Questions

Check configured backend:

REVIEW_BACKEND=$($FLOWCTL review-backend)

Returns: ASK (not configured), or rp/codex/none (configured).

Autonomous mode (mode:autonomous / FLOW_AUTONOMOUS)

Parse $ARGUMENTS for the literal token mode:autonomous (strip it, same shape as capture's mode:autofix — a NEW parse branch, never overloading that token). Also honor the env var FLOW_AUTONOMOUS=1 as a secondary signal (process-level drivers). Either signal → AUTONOMOUS=1.

Under AUTONOMOUS=1:

• Ask NO setup questions. Explicit passthrough flags (--depth, --research, --review) win as usual; for anything unset, apply the autonomous defaults: depth = short, research = grep (repo-scout), review = configured backend (none when REVIEW_BACKEND is ASK).
• Never hang on a question. If a genuinely unanswerable ambiguity remains (e.g. empty input), stop cleanly with a one-line NEEDS_HUMAN: <reason> report instead of asking.
• Autonomy ≠ Ralph: neither mode:autonomous nor FLOW_AUTONOMOUS activates ralph-guard hooks or any receipt path — they gate question suppression only.

Option Parsing (skip questions if found in arguments)

Parse the arguments for these patterns. If found, use them and skip questions:

Research approach:

• --research=rp or --research rp or "use rp" or "context-scout" or "use repoprompt" → context-scout (errors at runtime if no supported RepoPrompt CLI resolves)
• --research=grep or --research grep or "use grep" or "repo-scout" or "fast" → repo-scout

Review mode:

• --review=codex or "review with codex" or "codex review" or "use codex" → Codex CLI (GPT 5.5 High)
• --review=rp or "review with rp" or "rp chat" or "repoprompt review" → RepoPrompt chat (via flowctl rp chat-send)
• --review=export or "export review" or "external llm" → export for external LLM
• --review=none or --no-review or "no review" or "skip review" → no review

If options NOT found in arguments

RepoPrompt eligibility (compute once, before any question below):

# Prefer RepoPrompt CE; retain Classic only as the final compatibility rung.
if command -v rpce-cli >/dev/null 2>&1 \
 || [ -x "$HOME/RepoPrompt/repoprompt_ce_cli" ] \
 || [ -x "$HOME/Library/Application Support/RepoPrompt CE/repoprompt_ce_cli" ] \
 || command -v rp-cli >/dev/null 2>&1; then
 RP_ELIGIBLE=1
else
 RP_ELIGIBLE=0
fi

Suppression governs proposals only — an explicit --research=rp / --review=rp argument (parsed above) is always honored and errors at runtime if no supported RepoPrompt CLI resolves.

Plan depth (parse from args or ask):

• --depth=short or "quick" or "minimal" → SHORT
• --depth=standard or "normal" → STANDARD
• --depth=deep or "comprehensive" or "detailed" → DEEP
• Default: SHORT (simpler is better)

If AUTONOMOUS=1: skip every question below — apply the autonomous defaults above and continue.

If REVIEW_BACKEND is rp, codex, or none (already configured): Only ask research question. Show override hint.

When RP_ELIGIBLE=0 (not macOS, no supported RepoPrompt CLI): do NOT ask about RepoPrompt — context-scout cannot run here. Research = repo-scout; ask nothing in this branch and continue.

When RP_ELIGIBLE=1:

Quick setup: Use RepoPrompt for deeper context?
a) Yes, context-scout (slower, thorough)
b) No, repo-scout (faster)

(Reply: "a", "b", or just tell me)
(Tip: --depth=short|standard|deep, --review=rp|codex|none)

If REVIEW_BACKEND is ASK (not configured): Ask all questions.

When RP_ELIGIBLE=1:

Quick setup before planning:

1. **Plan depth** — How detailed?
 a) Short — problem, acceptance, key context only
 b) Standard (default) — + approach, risks, test notes
 c) Deep — + phases, alternatives, rollout plan

2. **Research** — Use RepoPrompt for deeper context?
 a) Yes, context-scout (slower, thorough)
 b) No, repo-scout (faster)

3. **Review** — Run Carmack-level review after?
 a) Codex CLI
 b) RepoPrompt
 c) Export for external LLM
 d) None (configure later)

(Reply: "1a 2b 3d", or just tell me naturally)

When RP_ELIGIBLE=0 (not macOS, no supported RepoPrompt CLI): omit the Research question entirely (research = repo-scout) and drop the RepoPrompt review option:

Quick setup before planning:

1. **Plan depth** — How detailed?
 a) Short — problem, acceptance, key context only
 b) Standard (default) — + approach, risks, test notes
 c) Deep — + phases, alternatives, rollout plan

2. **Review** — Run Carmack-level review after?
 a) Codex CLI
 b) Export for external LLM
 c) None (configure later)

(Reply: "1a 2c", or just tell me naturally)

Wait for response. Parse naturally — user may reply terse ("1a 2b") or ramble via voice.

Defaults when empty/ambiguous:

• Depth = standard (balanced detail)
• Research = grep (repo-scout)
• Review = configured backend if set, else none

Workflow

Read steps.md and follow each step in order.

Step 1 readiness soft-check (fn-58): existing-spec inputs get an adoption-gated readiness check BEFORE the scout fan-out — warn-not-block, default proceed; repos that never adopted readiness see nothing. Details in steps.md Step 1.

Step 8.5 HTML render lens (opt-in): when artifacts.html.enabled is true, planning regenerates .flow/artifacts/<spec-id>/spec.html with the plan layer (task DAG + R-ID coverage) per the shared disclosure reference (plugins/flow-next/references/html-artifacts.md) — generated only after the Step 8 refinement loop exits, link line replaced in place in the spec md. With the mode off/unset there is zero artifact-related behavior or output. Details in steps.md Step 8.5.

CRITICAL — Step 1 (Research): You MUST launch ALL scouts in the depth-appropriate set (steps.md tier table — the full set at STANDARD/DEEP; the full set MINUS the three web-research scouts at SHORT) in ONE parallel Task call. Do NOT skip scouts within that set or run them sequentially. Each scout in the set provides unique signal.

If user chose review:

• Option 2a: run /flow-next:plan-review after Step 4, fix issues until it passes
• Option 2b: run /flow-next:plan-review with export mode after Step 4

Output

All plans go into .flow/:

• Spec: .flow/specs/fn-N-slug.json + .flow/specs/fn-N-slug.md
• Tasks: .flow/tasks/fn-N-slug.M.json + .flow/tasks/fn-N-slug.M.md
• Render lens (only when artifacts.html.enabled): .flow/artifacts/fn-N-slug/spec.html (steps.md Step 8.5)

Never write plan files outside .flow/. Never use TodoWrite for task tracking.

Output rules

• Only create/update specs and tasks via flowctl
• No code changes
• No plan files outside .flow/
• R-IDs are mandatory on new spec acceptance criteria — use - **Rn:** ... prose prefix format; never renumber after first review cycle (see steps.md R-ID rule)