state-model-beads

name	state-model-beads
description	Define state machines and lifecycles, then create Beads issues from the findings. Converts ambiguous states, silent transitions, and undefined exits into trackable Beads tasks with priorities and dependencies.

Run a State Model Review on the current prototype, then create Beads issues from the findings so they become trackable tasks.

This is an add-on to state-model. Run the full review first, produce the complete artifact, then pipe findings into Beads.

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Phase 1: Run the State Model Review

Define the state machines and lifecycles for this scope:

$ARGUMENTS

Use ultrathink. Work from the repo, routes, components, database schemas, API endpoints, and visible UI states. If details are missing, infer conservatively and mark assumptions.

Output

Write docs/hci/state-model.md unless the user asked for another path. Create the directory if it does not exist.

Required process

1) Identify stateful entities

Find every object in the system that has a lifecycle -- anything that changes state over time. Common examples: requests, tasks, users, sessions, approvals, documents, payments, invitations.

2) For each entity, define:

States

| State | Meaning | User-visible cue | Entry condition | Exit condition |

Allowed transitions

| From | To | Trigger | Who can trigger | Side effects |

Invalid transitions

| From | To | Why invalid | What happens if attempted |

Ambiguous or undefined states

Flag any state that is:

• implied but never named
• named differently in different places
• missing a user-visible cue
• reachable but with no defined exit

3) Diagrams

Create Mermaid state diagrams for each entity. Include:

• all states as nodes
• transitions as labeled edges
• guard conditions where applicable
• terminal states clearly marked

4) Cross-entity dependencies

Identify where one entity's state depends on another's. Document:

• which entities are coupled
• what happens when a parent entity changes state
• cascading transitions
• orphaned states (child entity stuck when parent moves)

5) UI state coverage

For each state, check:

• Is there a distinct visual treatment?
• Can the user tell what state they are in?
• Can the user tell what actions are available in this state?
• Is the transition feedback clear?

Create a coverage table: | Entity | State | Has visual cue | Has available actions | Has transition feedback | Gap |

Synthesis

End with:

• entities with the most ambiguous state models
• states that users cannot distinguish visually
• transitions that happen silently without feedback
• invalid transitions that the UI does not prevent
• recommendations for simplifying overly complex lifecycles

Quality bar

• Be specific. Reference actual database fields, API statuses, component props, or CSS classes where possible.
• Distinguish between backend state and user-perceived state. Both matter.
• A well-defined state model should make it impossible to ask "what state is this in?" while looking at the screen.

Deliverable style

• Clear headings
• Markdown tables
• Mermaid diagrams where useful
• Direct language
• No filler

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Phase 2: Beads Integration

Step 1 -- Detect Beads

Check if the bd CLI is available:

command -v bd

If bd is not found: Stop here. Output the State Model only, and append:

## Beads Integration: Skipped

`bd` CLI not found. To install Beads and create trackable issues from this review:

  pip install beads-cli
  # or see https://github.com/steveyegge/beads

Then re-run: /state-model-beads

If bd is found: Continue to Step 2.

Step 2 -- Initialize Beads (if needed)

Check if the repo is already initialized:

bd ready --json

If that fails (no .beads/ directory, not initialized):

bd init --stealth

Use --stealth so Beads metadata is not committed to the main repo.

Step 3 -- Create parent issue

Create one parent issue to group all findings from this review:

bd create "State Model Review: <branch> — <scope>" -p 1 --json

Capture the parent issue ID from the JSON output. Store scope and summary:

bd update <parent-id> --description "<1-2 sentence scope summary>" --acceptance "<quality bar from the review>" --notes "Review date: <today>. Scope: <arguments>."

Step 4 -- Create child issues per finding

For each finding (ambiguous states, silent transitions, undefined exits, missing visual cues):

MAJOR findings -- always create:

Undefined states, silent transitions, and dead-end states:

bd create "[MAJOR] <finding-title>" -p 0 --json

MINOR findings -- create only if the user passed --include-minor. Otherwise skip and note them in the output.

Missing transition feedback and weak visual cues:

bd create "[MINOR] <finding-title>" -p 2 --json

For each created issue, update with structured fields (do NOT use bd edit):

bd update <child-id> --description "<what/why + evidence>" --notes "<location and context>" --acceptance "<fix recommendation or verification>"

Then link child to parent:

bd dep add <child-id> <parent-id>

Step 5 -- Show next actions

bd ready --json

---

Output

Return a combined report with two sections:

Section A: State Model

1. Stateful entities identified
2. States, transitions, and invalid transitions per entity
3. Mermaid state diagrams
4. Cross-entity dependencies
5. UI state coverage table
6. Synthesis and recommendations

Section B: Beads Integration Summary

1. Status: initialized | already-initialized | skipped (with reason)
2. Parent bead: <id> -- <title>
3. Created beads: table of Bead ID | Severity | Finding Title | Priority
4. Skipped findings: list with reasons (e.g., "MINOR, --include-minor not set")
5. Next actions: output of bd ready --json