| name | starting-the-task |
| description | A short checklist for kicking off work effectively: plan, branch, track with bd, and set up validation. |
Starting the Task
Use this checklist any time you begin work on a bd issue (or whenever the user says “start working on …”). It ensures the effort is grounded, observable, and reversible.
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Understand the Task
- Read the bd issue (and any linked discoveries or docs) end-to-end.
- Confirm acceptance criteria, dependencies, and blockers. Ask clarifying questions before touching code.
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Environment Readiness
- Run
cargo test (or the project’s canonical smoke suite) on main to ensure the baseline is green before you diverge.
- If tests fail, stop and coordinate—don’t start stacking new work on a broken branch.
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Branch & Tracking
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Open a Draft PR (immediately)
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Sync & Tooling
- Ensure
git pull --rebase (or equivalent) so you’re working from the latest remote main.
- Verify
gh auth status so PR creation won’t fail later.
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Plan Tests Early
- Decide how you’ll prove the change works (unit tests, integration, manual steps). Capture this in notes or the eventual PR description so reviewers know what to expect.
Only after these steps are complete should you begin coding. If circumstances prevent any step (e.g., CI down, baseline broken), note it explicitly in bd and get confirmation before proceeding.