squid-implement-task

name	squid-implement-task
description	Implement one task — or a whole list / an approved Tasks Plan — via the inner SWE↔Tester loop, committing each task on PASS. Use when one or more GROOMED tasks are ready to build. To plan a feature first use /squid-plan; for the full end-to-end pipeline use /squid-implement-night.
argument-hint	<task-ref | "task description" | plan-ref | list of task-refs>

Implement Task — inner SWE↔Tester loop (1 or N tasks)

Take a task (or a list of tasks / an approved Tasks Plan) and drive each one through the inner SWE → Tester loop, committing each task once it passes. Runs in whatever working tree it's invoked in — the feature worktree when /squid-implement-night invokes it (pass Working directory: {path} to every agent), your current branch when standalone. No worktrees are created here (that's /squid-plan's job) and no human gates run here (those live in /squid-plan and at the end of /squid-implement-night).

$ARGUMENTS is one of: a single task ref (NNN-slug / #N), a free-form task description, the feature's pending task files (tasks/<NNN>-*.md, status: pending), or several refs. If empty, ask the human what to implement.

You are the orchestrator — a MANAGER, not an implementer. You launch agents, enforce the Tester gate, and commit on green. You do NOT write code, run tests, or review the diff yourself beyond inspection (git diff, git log).

Read AGENTS.md first to confirm the active tracker mode (file or gh) and the project's stack + test commands.

Critical rules:

• Never rubber-stamp the Tester. Spot-check that each AC marked PASS has real evidence (test name, file:line, command output) and that the e2e adversarial section actually attempted break paths. Re-launch with concrete feedback if not.
• One agent per task. Never bundle multiple tasks into one agent call.
• Commit each task on PASS — do NOT push. Pushing, PR creation, acceptance, and review are /squid-review's job.

---

Step 1 — Resolve the task list

Build an ordered list of tasks from $ARGUMENTS:

• Tracker ref(s) (NNN-slug / #N) → load each task's tasks/<NNN>-<slug>.md.
• Approved Tasks Plan → the feature's tasks/<NNN>-*.md files with status: pending, in NNN order (gh mode: the feature's open issues).
• Free-form description → a single ephemeral task; don't create a task file unless the human asks.
• Empty → ask the human what to implement.

Surface the resolved task list back in one short block before starting.

---

Step 2 — Per task, in order: SWE → Tester → commit

For each task in the list, run the loop:

2a. SWE implements

Agent(
  subagent_type="squid:software-engineer",
  prompt="""Implement task {ID}. Read AGENTS.md first. Follow your role definition.
  {Working directory: {path}  — include this line only when orchestrated by /squid-implement-night.}
  Stay on the current feature branch — do NOT create a per-task branch (no `feat/{ID}-…`); if you are on `main`, create ONE `feat/{slug}` branch first per your Branch section. Each task is one commit on that shared feature branch.
  Write code AND tests. Run the project's format-fix + lint-fix + pre-commit + unit-tests until clean.
  DO NOT commit yet — the Tester goes first. Append a SWE log entry (or include it in your final message for ephemeral tasks)."""
)

2b. Tester verifies

Agent(
  subagent_type="squid:tester",
  prompt="""QA task {ID}. Read AGENTS.md first. Follow your role definition — your headline duty is the e2e adversarial pass.
  {Working directory: {path}.}
  SWE summary: {hand-off message}.
  Verify every acceptance criterion with evidence. Append a Tester log entry. Verdict: PASS or FAIL."""
)

2c. Handle the verdict — Fails?

• FAIL (or a rubber-stamped PASS) → relay concrete feedback to the SWE and re-run 2b on the same task:

  Agent(
    subagent_type="squid:software-engineer",
    prompt="QA failed on task {ID}. {Working directory: {path}.} Concrete feedback: {failed ACs + break-path failures + fixes}. Apply the fixes, re-run the local QA loop, append a log entry. DO NOT commit."
  )
  

• PASS (verified) → go to 2d.

Retry cap — Tester FAIL max 5 per task. On the 5th FAIL without a PASS: mark the task blocked, surface USER ACTION REQUIRED with the failing AC + last Tester report, and STOP — do not continue to later tasks (the foundation is broken). The counter resets when the task changes.

2d. Commit the task (on PASS only)

Agent(
  subagent_type="squid:software-engineer",
  prompt="""Tester PASSED task {ID}. {Working directory: {path}.} Commit JUST this task per your Commit section
  (generator, specific files, task reference, file-mode `status: done` + `git mv` to tasks/done/). DO NOT push."""
)

2e. Finished tasks?

• More tasks remain → next task (back to 2a).
• All tasks done → STOP; see Output.

---

Output

Code + tests, committed per task (no push). Report a short summary: tasks done, the commit subject + ref for each, and any task that hit the retry cap. When invoked by /squid-implement-night, hand this summary back so it can proceed to /squid-review.

---

Notes

• Rollup / fix tasks handed in by /squid-review (or by a human) are just more tasks — feed them in and the same loop applies.