| name | plan-task-standards |
| description | Defines CatHerder standards for plan folders and task files (naming, lifecycle stages, frontmatter, status values, timestamps, and validation). Use when creating, reviewing, activating, or validating planNNN folders and task files, or when fixing plan/task format drift. |
Plan & Task Standards
Use this skill when working with CatHerder plan folders.
Detailed rules live in references/; this file is a compact index + checklist.
Quick Rules
- Folder name:
planNNN-short-description.
- Plan files:
planNNN-prompt.md, planNNN-draft.md, planNNN.md.
- Plans use frontmatter
type: plan + description (prompt stage frontmatter is optional).
- Task files under
tasks/ are named taskNNN-NN-short-name.md and use frontmatter type: task + description.
- Timestamps in body must use
YYYY-MM-DDTHH:MM:SS+HH:MM.
- Draft stage is intent-only: no concrete
## Tasks checklist.
- Active plan is executable: includes task checklist + acceptance criteria.
Authoring Checklist
- Folder and files use matching
NNN prefix.
- Status value matches stage (
draft for draft file; active/completed/abandoned for active file).
- Required sections exist for the file stage.
- If active status is
completed, all task/acceptance checkboxes are checked.
- Separate task files are referenced from the active plan when used.
Scripts
| Script | Purpose | Usage | Exit Codes | Dependencies / Notes |
|---|
scripts/validate.sh | Run validate.py via the workspace venv. Report-only; does not modify files. | bash scripts/validate.sh path/to/planNNN-… | 0=clean 1=issues-found 2=usage-error | Prefers ../../../../.venv/bin/python; falls back to python3. |
scripts/validate.py | Validate plan folder structure, frontmatter, status, timestamps, and task files. Emits JSON with error/warning severities. | python scripts/validate.py path/to/planNNN-… | 0=clean 1=issues-found 2=usage-or-config-error | Requires python-frontmatter>=1.1.0. |
References Map
- Canonical rules and lifecycle:
references/plan-task-spec-2026-03.md
- Validator rulebook (checks + severities):
references/validation-rules-2026-03.md
- Task-file template for per-plan
tasks/: references/TASK_TEMPLATE.md
- Trigger/non-trigger sanity prompts:
references/test-prompts-2026-03.md
Related Process Rules
This skill covers plan/task format and structure. For behavioural rules that apply during plan authoring and task execution, see catherder.instructions.md (copied into each enabled project). Key related concepts:
- Planning vs execution mode — when to modify plans vs execute tasks.
- Prompt precedence — how to resolve conflicts between instruction sources.
- Persistence norms — prefer durable artifacts over ephemeral chat.
Scope
- In scope: CatHerder plan folder layout, plan/task file format, lifecycle stages, frontmatter keys, status values, timestamps, and structural validation.
- Out of scope: skill file format (see
skill-file-standards), AGENTS.md standards, and project source-code conventions.
