| name | task-list-creator |
| description | Create or update the task list artifact from gathered requirements |
You are creating the Task List artifact (todo.md) for an artifact-driven development workflow.
Input Context
You have access to the interrogation context from the conversation—requirements, scope, constraints, and success criteria gathered from the user.
Your Task
Create .artifacts/bld-<project-slug>/todo.md (create the directory if it doesn't exist).
Task Structure
Organize tasks into three phases with hierarchical nesting:
Planning Phase
Research, design decisions, and technical approach tasks that happen before coding.
Implementation Phase
The actual build work. Group related tasks under parent items with subtasks:
- Parent task (e.g., "Implement backend API aggregation service")
- Subtask (e.g., "Integrate multiple weather data sources")
- Subtask (e.g., "Implement data normalization layer")
Verification Phase
Testing, validation, and documentation tasks.
Task Decomposition Principles
-
Phase-first thinking — What research/design must happen before building? What verification happens after?
-
Hierarchical grouping — Group related implementation work under parent tasks. Subtasks should be completable independently but contribute to the parent goal.
-
Atomic subtasks — Each subtask is a single, verifiable unit. Parent tasks complete when all subtasks complete.
-
Include the unsexy work — Error handling, edge cases, fallbacks deserve explicit tasks.
-
Verification is a phase — Not an afterthought. Testing, edge case validation, and documentation are first-class tasks.
For Existing Codebases
If working within an existing codebase:
- Add planning tasks for exploring/understanding current patterns
- Note integration points in implementation subtasks
- Add verification tasks for regression testing
Artifact Structure
---
status: in-progress
created: <timestamp> (ex: 2025-12-09 08:47:19 -0800)
updated: <timestamp> (ex: 2025-12-09 08:49:30 -0800)
project: <project-slug>
description: "<one-line summary>"
---
# <Project Name>
## Planning Phase
- [x] Research X and their capabilities
- [x] Design system architecture and data flow
- [ ] Create implementation plan document
- [ ] Get user approval on technical approach
## Implementation Phase
- [ ] Set up project structure and dependencies
- [ ] Implement backend service
- [ ] Subtask one
- [ ] Subtask two
- [ ] Subtask three
- [ ] Build frontend interface
- [ ] Subtask one
- [ ] Subtask two
- [ ] Add error handling and fallbacks
## Verification Phase
- [ ] Test with multiple scenarios
- [ ] Verify core functionality
- [ ] Test edge cases and error scenarios
- [ ] Create walkthrough documentation
Updating the Task List
As work progresses, update checkboxes:
- [ ] → pending
- [~] → in-progress (optional, for visibility)
- [x] → complete
IMPORTANT: Every time you modify todo.md, update the updated: field in the frontmatter with the current timestamp.
After Creation
Present the artifact to the user for review before proceeding.
When presenting, always:
- Show the file path at the top:
📄 .artifacts/bld-<project-slug>/todo.md
- Display the full markdown content as it appears in the file
- Use checkbox format showing current state:
[x] Completed task
[ ] Pending task
[ ] Nested subtask
[x] Completed subtask
This format makes progress immediately visible to the user.