plan

name	plan
description	Implementation planning methodology and patterns. Triggers on: "plan", "design", "architect", "structure", "how should I implement", "before I start coding", "implementation plan", "feature planning", "break down this feature". Provides planning patterns, templates, and analysis strategies.

Implementation Planning Skill

Guidelines for creating effective implementation plans.

When to Use Planning

Plan When

• Feature spans multiple files/components
• Architecture decisions needed
• Multiple valid approaches exist
• Dependencies need coordination
• Risk of rework is high

Skip Planning When

• Single file change
• Bug fix with clear solution
• Following existing pattern exactly
• Simple CRUD operation

Planning Phases

1. Requirements Clarification

• What exactly needs to be built?
• What are the acceptance criteria?
• What constraints exist? (performance, security, compatibility)
• Is TDD expected?

2. Codebase Analysis

• Explore existing structure
• Find similar implementations
• Identify patterns and conventions
• Map dependencies

3. Solution Design

• Break into logical phases
• Order by dependencies
• Define atomic tasks
• Add verification steps

4. Documentation

• Save structured plan
• Include specific file paths
• Add verification commands

Plan File Location

.claude/plans/{YYYYMMDD}-{HHMMSS}-{slug}.md

Analysis Strategies

Standard Analysis

1. Read CLAUDE.md for conventions
2. Use Grep/Glob to find similar code
3. Read key files to understand patterns
4. Map where new code should live

Serena-Enhanced Analysis

1. get_symbols_overview() - file structure
2. find_symbol() - locate classes/functions
3. find_referencing_symbols() - dependency mapping
4. read_memory() - project knowledge

Task Granularity

Good task:

### Task 1.1: Create User Model
- **File**: app/Models/User.php
- **Action**: Create
- **Verification**: `php artisan tinker` → `new User()` works

Too vague:

### Task 1.1: Set up user system
- **Action**: Create everything for users

Verification Types

Type	Example
Command	php artisan test --filter=UserTest
File Check	File exists at expected path
Syntax	No errors when loading file
Manual	User confirms behavior

Reference

For detailed plan format, see references/plan-format.md.