jikime-workflow-task-format

name	jikime-workflow-task-format
description	Structured task format with Do/Files/Done-when/Verify/Commit fields and quality checkpoints for systematic task tracking
version	1.0.0
tags	["workflow","task","format","checkpoint","quality"]
triggers	{"keywords":["task format","structured task","task breakdown","checkpoint","verify task"],"phases":["plan","run"],"agents":["manager-ddd","manager-spec","planner"],"languages":[]}
progressive_disclosure	{"enabled":true,"level1_tokens":"~100","level2_tokens":"~2500"}
user-invocable	false
context	fork
agent	planner
allowed-tools	["Read","Write","Edit","Bash","Grep","Glob","TodoWrite"]

Structured Task Format

Systematic task decomposition with 5-field structure and quality checkpoints.

Overview

Every implementation task is decomposed into structured units with clear acceptance criteria. This format ensures nothing is forgotten and quality is verified at regular intervals.

Task Structure (5 Fields)

Each task follows this mandatory format:

### Task N: [Title]

**Do**: What to implement (specific action)
**Files**: Which files to create or modify
**Done when**: Measurable acceptance criteria
**Verify**: How to verify completion (test command, manual check)
**Commit**: Commit message when task is complete

Field Rules

Field	Required	Description
Do	Yes	Single, actionable implementation step
Files	Yes	Explicit file paths (create/modify/delete)
Done when	Yes	Measurable criteria (test passes, build succeeds, output matches)
Verify	Yes	Concrete verification command or check
Commit	Yes	Conventional commit message (feat/fix/refactor/test/docs)

Example Task

### Task 1: Create user authentication API

**Do**: Implement POST /api/auth/login endpoint with JWT token generation
**Files**: src/api/auth/login.ts (create), src/types/auth.ts (create)
**Done when**: POST /api/auth/login returns 200 with valid JWT for correct credentials, 401 for invalid
**Verify**: `npm test -- --grep "auth login"` passes
**Commit**: feat(auth): add login endpoint with JWT generation

Quality Checkpoints ([VERIFY])

Insert a [VERIFY] checkpoint task after every 2-3 implementation tasks.

Checkpoint Format

### Task N: [VERIFY] Quality Checkpoint

**Do**: Run full verification suite
**Files**: (none - verification only)
**Done when**: All checks pass with zero errors
**Verify**:
  - `npm run build` (zero errors)
  - `npm test` (all passing)
  - `npm run lint` (zero warnings)
  - Manual: feature works as expected
**Commit**: (no commit - checkpoint only)

Checkpoint Rules

1. Frequency: Insert [VERIFY] after every 2-3 tasks
2. Blocking: Do NOT proceed to next task if checkpoint fails
3. Fix First: If checkpoint fails, create fix tasks before continuing
4. No Skip: [VERIFY] tasks cannot be skipped or deferred

Checkpoint Insertion Pattern

Task 1: Implementation
Task 2: Implementation
Task 3: Implementation
Task 4: [VERIFY] Quality Checkpoint   <-- after 3 tasks
Task 5: Implementation
Task 6: Implementation
Task 7: [VERIFY] Quality Checkpoint   <-- after 2 tasks
Task 8: Implementation
...
Task N: [VERIFY] Final Checkpoint     <-- always at the end

TodoWrite Integration

All tasks MUST be tracked using TodoWrite:

1. Task discovered → TodoWrite: add with "pending" status
2. Task started → TodoWrite: change to "in_progress"
3. Task completed → TodoWrite: change to "completed"
4. [VERIFY] failed → TodoWrite: add fix tasks with "pending"

TodoWrite Format

[pending] Task 1: Create user authentication API
[in_progress] Task 2: Add password hashing
[completed] Task 3: Create login form
[pending] Task 4: [VERIFY] Quality Checkpoint

Task Sizing Guidelines

Size	Description	Example
XS	Single function/method	Add validation helper
S	Single file change	Create API endpoint
M	2-3 file changes	Feature with tests
L	4+ file changes	Split into smaller tasks

Rule: If a task touches more than 3 files, split it into smaller tasks.

DDD Task Format

When working with existing code (DDD workflow), tasks follow ANALYZE-PRESERVE-IMPROVE:

### Task N: [ANALYZE] Understand current auth flow

**Do**: Read and document current authentication implementation
**Files**: src/auth/ (read only)
**Done when**: Current behavior documented with edge cases identified
**Verify**: Documentation matches actual code behavior
**Commit**: (no commit - analysis only)

### Task N+1: [PRESERVE] Add characterization tests

**Do**: Write tests that capture current behavior exactly
**Files**: tests/auth.test.ts (create)
**Done when**: Tests pass against current implementation
**Verify**: `npm test -- --grep "auth characterization"` all pass
**Commit**: test(auth): add characterization tests for existing auth flow

### Task N+2: [IMPROVE] Refactor to JWT-based auth

**Do**: Replace session-based auth with JWT tokens
**Files**: src/auth/login.ts (modify), src/auth/middleware.ts (modify)
**Done when**: All characterization tests still pass with new implementation
**Verify**: `npm test` all pass, no behavior change
**Commit**: refactor(auth): migrate from session to JWT authentication

Integration with Other Skills

Skill	Integration Point
jikime-workflow-poc	POC phases generate tasks in this format
jikime-workflow-tdd	RED-GREEN-REFACTOR maps to task sequences
jikime-workflow-ddd	ANALYZE-PRESERVE-IMPROVE maps to task prefixes
jikime-workflow-loop	Loop iterations track progress via TodoWrite

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Version: 1.0.0 Last Updated: 2026-02-27 Source: Adapted from smart-ralph structured task format