| name | catherder-plan-task-standards |
| description | Validate and verify plans and tasks in .instructions folder against CatHerder standards. Use when creating, reviewing, updating, verifying or validating plans and/or tasks. |
Plan & Task Standards
Use this skill when working with CatHerder plan folders.
Detailed rules live in references/; this file is a compact index + checklist.
Quick Rules
- Folder name:
planNNN-short-description.
- Plan files:
planNNN-prompt.md, planNNN-draft.md, planNNN.md.
- Plans use frontmatter
type: plan + description (prompt stage frontmatter is optional).
- Task files under
tasks/ are named taskNNN-NN-short-name.md and use frontmatter type: task + description.
- Timestamps in body must use
YYYY-MM-DDTHH:MM:SS+HH:MM.
- Draft stage is intent-only: no concrete
## Tasks checklist.
- Active plan is executable: includes task checklist + acceptance criteria.
Authoring Checklist
- Folder and files use matching
NNN prefix.
- Status value matches stage (
draft for draft file; active/completed/abandoned for active file).
- Required sections exist for the file stage.
- If active status is
completed, all task/acceptance checkboxes are checked.
- Separate task files are referenced from the active plan when used.
Scripts
| Script | Purpose | Usage | Exit Codes | Dependencies / Notes |
|---|
scripts/validate.sh | Run validate.py via the workspace venv. Report-only; does not modify files. | bash scripts/validate.sh path/to/planNNN-… | 0=clean 1=issues-found 2=usage-error | Prefers ../../../../.venv/bin/python; falls back to python3. |
scripts/validate.py | Validate plan folder structure, frontmatter, status, timestamps, and task files. Emits JSON with error/warning severities. | python scripts/validate.py path/to/planNNN-… | 0=clean 1=issues-found 2=usage-or-config-error | Requires python-frontmatter>=1.1.0. |
References Map
- Canonical rules and lifecycle:
references/plan-task-spec-2026-03.md
- Validator rulebook (checks + severities):
references/validation-rules-2026-03.md
- Task-file template for per-plan
tasks/: references/TASK_TEMPLATE.md
- Trigger/non-trigger sanity prompts:
references/test-prompts-2026-03.md
Related Process Rules
This skill covers plan/task format and structure. For behavioural rules that apply during plan authoring and task execution, see catherder.instructions.md (copied into each enabled project). Key related concepts:
- Planning vs execution mode — when to modify plans vs execute tasks.
- Prompt precedence — how to resolve conflicts between instruction sources.
- Persistence norms — prefer durable artifacts over ephemeral chat.
Scope
- In scope: CatHerder plan folder layout, plan/task file format, lifecycle stages, frontmatter keys, status values, timestamps, and structural validation.
- Out of scope: skill file format (see
skill-file-standards), AGENTS.md standards, and project source-code conventions.
