plan-task-standards

name	plan-task-standards
description	Self-contained CatHerder method and standards for plans and tasks: planning vs execution, execution loop, prompt precedence, persistence; plus prompt/spec/implementation/review/follow-up files, frontmatter, statuses, timestamps, the open-questions gate, and validation. Use when planning, creating, reviewing, executing, or validating planNNN folders, or fixing plan/task format drift.
metadata	{"version":"1.6"}

Plan & Task Standards

CatHerder standards for plan folders and task files.

This file is a router. Read only the section for your job, then open the one reference it points to. You do not need to read everything.

This skill targets worker agents. An orchestrator (human or deterministic driver) directs sequencing and dispatches work; it is not bound by this skill (see references/method.md).

Posture

CatHerder is deliberately strict on structure, loose on content and process.

• Strict (validator-enforced): frontmatter keys, status vocabularies, required sections, the implementation task-table shape, the open-questions gate, and timestamps. These are machine-checked so a human+agent team can trust a plan's state without re-reading it.
• Loose (guidance only): what you write in each section, how you split work into tasks, how granular tasks are, and how you verify. These are judgement calls, not rules.

The structure exists to make the process lightweight and reliable, not to add ceremony. It is a standard for the artifacts, not a rigid procedure for how you must work.

Canonical Defaults

Directory	Purpose
.agents/	Agent-facing assets: agent definitions, instruction files, skills, and MCP configuration
.catherder/	CatHerder process artifacts: plans and decisions

Semantic names used after defaults are established:

Semantic name	Default location
agent instructions	.agents/
plans folder	.catherder/plans/
decisions folder	.catherder/decisions/
project CatHerder guidance	.agents/catherder.project.instructions.md

These are canonical defaults. Projects may vary when they have a reason.

Find Your Job

Each row below is a separate dispatch. Do the one you were dispatched for, then stop — do not start the next stage unless your dispatch includes it.

You are about to…	Role	Read
Understand the CatHerder method (always)	any	references/method.md
Write the prompt and spec (intent)	planner	references/role-planner.md
Turn a spec into an implementation with tasks (a separate dispatch)	planner	references/role-planner.md
Execute a task	executor	references/role-executor.md
Review a spec/implementation, or verify a task	reviewer	references/role-reviewer.md
Validate or fix file format/drift	any	run the validator (below)

The full rule set is references/plan-task-spec-2026-05.md; open it only when a role file points you there.

This skill is self-contained. If the project has project CatHerder guidance, read it and follow its guidance (identity, phase, git workflow, build/test).

Plan Folder Files

planNNN-short-description/
  planNNN-prompt.md           # original request
  planNNN-spec.md             # intent: what & why
  planNNN-implementation.md   # executable plan + tasks
  planNNN-post-followup.md    # post-completion tracking (optional)
  data/  tasks/  review/

Lifecycle: prompt → spec → implementation → (review) → completed → (follow-up).

Plans live in the plans folder. Decisions (ADRs) live in the decisions folder.

Quick Rules (all roles)

• Status, timestamps, and type live in frontmatter (name is not used).
• Open-questions gate: a spec is ready only when every open question is resolved. Resolving questions is required for ready, not a green light to build the implementation — that still needs a dispatch.
• A task is completed only after verification passed and review accepted.

Status values, timestamp format, required sections, and the task-table shape are in references/plan-task-spec-2026-05.md.

Nested Projects

A nested project (e.g. a Git submodule) is its own CatHerder project with its own skills/plans — see references/method.md.

Scripts

Script	Purpose	Usage	Exit Codes
scripts/validate.sh	Run the validator via the workspace venv. Report-only.	bash scripts/validate.sh path/to/planNNN-…	0=clean 1=issues 2=usage
scripts/validate.py	Validate structure, frontmatter, status, timestamps, task table, open-questions gate. Emits JSON.	python scripts/validate.py path/to/planNNN-…	0=clean 1=issues 2=usage/config

validate.py needs python-frontmatter>=1.1.0.

References Map

• Method (behavioural rules): references/method.md
• Roles (start here): references/role-planner.md, references/role-executor.md, references/role-reviewer.md
• Canonical rules + status lifecycle: references/plan-task-spec-2026-05.md
• Templates: PROMPT_TEMPLATE.md, SPEC_TEMPLATE.md, IMPLEMENTATION_TEMPLATE.md, TASK_TEMPLATE.md, REVIEW_TEMPLATE.md, FOLLOWUP_TEMPLATE.md (all under references/)
• Validator rulebook: references/validation-rules-2026-05.md
• Trigger/non-trigger prompts: references/test-prompts-2026-05.md
• Project adoption: references/AGENTS_EXAMPLE.md

Project Process Rules

This skill is self-contained for the CatHerder method and plan/task format. Project-specific rules (identity, phase, git workflow, build/test) live in project CatHerder guidance. If that file is present, read and follow it; it may add constraints but must not override this skill's method. New projects adopt the skill via references/AGENTS_EXAMPLE.md.

Scope

• In scope: plan folder layout, prompt/spec/implementation/review/follow-up format, lifecycle, frontmatter, status values, timestamps, the open-questions gate, structural validation.
• Out of scope: skill file format (see skill-file-standards), AGENTS.md standards, and project source-code conventions.