mycelium-view

name	mycelium-view
description	Previews complete workflow plan without execution (dry-run mode). Use when user says "show me the plan", "what would this look like", "preview [task]", "dry run", or wants to see task breakdown before committing. Supports --verbose to display workflow diagram. No implementation, tests, or reviews executed.
license	MIT
version	0.9.0
argument-hint	[task description] | [track_id] [--verbose]
allowed-tools	["Skill","Read","Write","Bash","Glob","Grep"]
metadata	{"author":"Jason Hsieh","category":"planning","tags":["preview","dry-run","planning"],"documentation":"https://github.com/jason-hchsieh/mycelium"}

Mycelium View (Dry-Run Preview)

Preview the complete workflow plan that would be generated for a task without executing any implementation, tests, or reviews.

Purpose

This skill provides a "dry-run" mode that:

• Shows exactly what work would be planned
• Displays the task breakdown and dependencies
• Estimates effort and complexity
• Identifies which agents/skills would be used
• Does NOT execute any implementation

Your Task

1. Parse arguments:

   • task description: The feature/fix/optimization to preview (generates a new plan)
   • track_id: An existing plan's track ID to view (e.g., auth_20260211)
   • --verbose: Show extended details with workflow diagram (optional)
   • To distinguish: if the argument (after removing --verbose flag) matches a track_id in session_state.plans[] or a plan file in .mycelium/plans/, treat it as an existing plan view. Otherwise, treat it as a new task description.
   • Extract --verbose flag if present and set verbose_mode boolean

2. Route by argument type:

View Existing Plan

If track_id was provided:

1. Find the plan file: check session_state.plans[] for the plan_file, or glob .mycelium/plans/*{track_id}*.md
2. Read the plan file and parse its frontmatter and content
3. Display the plan (same format as step 5 below, but from the existing file)
4. Show plan status from plans[] registry (in_progress, paused, completed, etc.)
5. Suggest next action based on status:
   • paused → /mycelium-plan --switch {track_id} to resume
   • in_progress → /mycelium-work to continue implementation
   • completed → /mycelium-capture {track_id} to capture learnings
   • preview → /mycelium-go "{description}" to execute

Generate New Preview

If task description was provided:

1. Update session state - Write invocation_mode: "view" to .mycelium/state.json

2. Execute planning workflow (see mycelium-plan)

3. Generate plan - Follow the planning workflow:

   • Clarify requirements if ambiguous
   • Discover available capabilities
   • Create detailed task breakdown
   • Define test strategy
   • Identify dependencies

4. Display preview - Show the complete plan. Format depends on verbose_mode:

   Brief mode (default):

   ## Workflow Preview: [Feature Name]
   
   ### Overview
   [Brief description of what would be built]
   
   ### Success Criteria
   [Measurable outcomes that define "done"]
   
   ### Phases & Tasks
   
   #### Phase 1: [Phase Name]
   - Task 1.1: [Task title] (Complexity: S/M/L, Agent: general-purpose)
   - Task 1.2: [Task title] (Complexity: S/M/L, Agent: bash)
   
   #### Phase 2: [Phase Name]
   - Task 2.1: [Task title] (blockedBy: [1.1], Complexity: M)
   
   ### Parallel Execution Plan
   [Show which tasks can run in parallel]
   
   ### Estimated Timeline
   - Total tasks: X
   - Parallel-capable: Y
   - Sequential-only: Z
   
   ### Test Strategy
   [TDD approach for each phase]
   
   ### Git Strategy
   - Branch: feature/[name]
   - Worktrees: [if multiple features]
   

   Verbose mode (--verbose flag):

   ## Workflow Preview: [Feature Name]
   
   ### Overview
   [Brief description of what would be built]
   
   ### Success Criteria
   [Measurable outcomes that define "done"]
   
   ### Workflow Diagram
   [ASCII art diagram showing phase flow and task dependencies - see below]
   
   ### Phases & Tasks
   
   #### Phase 1: [Phase Name]
   
   ##### Task 1.1: [Task title]
   - **Complexity:** S (50-200 lines, 1-2 files, 30-120 min)
   - **Agent:** general-purpose
   - **Skills:** tdd, verification
   - **Model:** sonnet
   - **Blocked by:** None (or task IDs)
   - **Blocks:** [1.2, 2.1] (or "None")
   
   **Description:**
   [Full task description from plan]
   
   **Acceptance Criteria:**
   - [ ] Criterion 1
   - [ ] Criterion 2
   
   **Test Plan:**
   [How to verify this works]
   
   ---
   
   ##### Task 1.2: [Task title]
   [Same detailed format...]
   
   #### Phase 2: [Phase Name]
   [Same detailed format for all tasks...]
   
   ### Parallel Execution Plan
   [Show which tasks can run in parallel]
   
   ### Estimated Timeline
   - Total tasks: X
   - Parallel-capable: Y
   - Sequential-only: Z
   
   ### Test Strategy
   [TDD approach for each phase]
   
   ### Git Strategy
   - Branch: feature/[name]
   - Worktrees: [if multiple features]
   

5. Generate workflow diagram (if verbose_mode is true):

   Create ASCII art diagram showing:

   • Phase flow: Plan → Work → Review → Capture (horizontal boxes with arrows)
   • Task layout: Tasks grouped by phase, with dependencies shown vertically
   • Parallel execution: Tasks at same vertical level = can run in parallel
   • Status indicators: [ ] pending, [~] in progress, [✓] completed

   Example diagram:

   Workflow Diagram:
   
   ┌─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐
   │                         MYCELIUM WORKFLOW                            │
   └─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┘
   
     ┌──────────┐      ┌──────────┐      ┌──────────┐      ┌──────────┐
     │   PLAN   │─────▶│   WORK   │─────▶│  REVIEW  │─────▶│ CAPTURE  │
     └──────────┘      └──────────┘      └──────────┘      └──────────┘
         │                  │                  │                  │
         ▼                  ▼                  ▼                  ▼
   
     Phase 1            Phase 2            Phase 3            Phase 4
     ───────            ───────            ───────            ───────
   
     [ ] 1.1            [ ] 2.1            [ ] 3.1            [ ] 4.1
      │                  ┌┴─┐               │                  │
      ▼                  ▼  ▼               ▼                  ▼
     [ ] 1.2       [ ] 2.2  2.3          [ ] 3.2            [ ] 4.2
      │                  └┬─┘
      ▼                   ▼
     [ ] 1.3            [ ] 2.4
   
     Legend:
     ─────▶  Sequential flow (phase to phase)
     │ ▼     Dependency (task to task)
     ┌──┐    Parallel tasks (same vertical level)
     [ ]     Pending task
     [~]     In progress
     [✓]     Completed
   

   Diagram generation algorithm:

   1. Parse plan to extract tasks, statuses, and blockedBy dependencies
   2. Group tasks by phase (based on task ID prefix: 1.x → Phase 1, 2.x → Phase 2, etc.)
   3. Within each phase, calculate vertical levels:
      • Level 0: Tasks with blockedBy: [] (no dependencies, can start immediately)
      • Level N: Tasks blocked only by tasks at level N-1
      • Tasks at same level can execute in parallel
   4. Render using box-drawing characters: ─ │ ┌ ┐ └ ┘ ├ ┤ ┬ ┴ ┼ ▶ ▼
   5. Use task status from plan frontmatter if viewing existing plan, or [ ] for new previews

6. Save preview - Write plan to .mycelium/plans/preview-YYYY-MM-DD-{track-id}.md with status: preview in frontmatter

7. Prompt next action:

   ✅ Workflow preview complete!
   
   To execute this plan:
   - Run full workflow: /mycelium-go "[task description]"
   - Run phases individually: /mycelium-plan, /mycelium-work, etc.
   
   To modify the plan:
   - Edit: .mycelium/plans/preview-[timestamp].md
   - Re-run: /mycelium-view "[modified description]"
   

Quick Examples

# Preview a feature workflow (generates new plan)
/mycelium-view "Add user authentication with JWT"

# View an existing plan by track_id
/mycelium-view auth_20260211

# Preview with extended details and workflow diagram
/mycelium-view "Add user authentication with JWT" --verbose
/mycelium-view --verbose auth_20260211

# Preview a bug fix workflow
/mycelium-view "Fix memory leak in session handler"

# Preview a refactoring workflow (verbose mode)
/mycelium-view --verbose "Refactor API layer to use repository pattern"

Differences from /mycelium-go

Feature	/mycelium-view	/mycelium-go
Creates plan	✓	✓
Executes implementation	✗	✓
Runs tests	✗	✓
Runs review	✗	✓
Captures learnings	✗	✓
Makes code changes	✗	✓
Git commits	✗	✓

Use Cases

Use /mycelium-view when:

• Estimating effort before committing
• Understanding scope and complexity
• Getting approval for approach
• Learning about mycelium's planning process
• Checking if requirements are clear enough

Use /mycelium-go when:

• Ready to execute the full workflow
• Requirements are clear
• Want autonomous implementation

Important

• Read-only mode - No code changes, commits, or state mutations (except state.json and preview plan file)
• Clarification allowed - Will ask questions if requirements are ambiguous
• Fast execution - Only planning phase runs (~30-60 seconds)
• Repeatable - Safe to run multiple times with different descriptions
• Preview state - Plans marked with status: preview won't interfere with active work
• Verbose mode - Use --verbose flag for extended details, workflow diagram, and full task specifications
• Diagram compatibility - ASCII art diagram uses standard box-drawing characters compatible with all terminals

Session State

The session state is updated to indicate view mode:

{
  "invocation_mode": "view",
  "current_phase": "planning",
  "preview_mode": true,
  "last_preview": "YYYY-MM-DD-preview-{track-id}.md"
}

This prevents accidental execution if /mycelium-continue is called after a preview.

Output Format

The skill outputs:

1. Terminal display - Formatted markdown preview (brief or verbose depending on --verbose flag)
2. File output - .mycelium/plans/preview-YYYY-MM-DD-{track-id}.md
3. Workflow diagram - ASCII art visualization (only in --verbose mode)
4. Next steps - Clear instructions on how to proceed

Skills Used

• mycelium-plan: Requirements gathering and task decomposition (same workflow, preview mode)

Notes

• Preview plans are saved separately from execution plans
• The preview doesn't consume git commits or create branches
• Safe to use in dirty working directories
• Can be used as documentation for stakeholders

References

• .mycelium/ directory structure
• Session state docs
• Session state schema
• Plan template
• Plan frontmatter schema