| name | task-decomposition |
| description | Breaks down complex software, writing, or research tasks into small, atomic, independently completable units with dependency graphs and milestone breakdowns. Use when the user asks to plan a project, decompose a feature, create subtasks, split up work, or needs help organizing a large piece of work into a step-by-step plan. Triggered by phrases like "break down", "decompose", "where do I start", "too big", "split into tasks", "work breakdown", or "task list". |
| version | 1.0.0 |
| triggers | ["break down","decompose","split into tasks","too big","where to start","complex task"] |
| tags | ["planning","decomposition","tasks","organization"] |
| difficulty | beginner |
| estimatedTime | 10 |
| relatedSkills | ["planning/design-first","planning/verification-gates"] |
Task Decomposition
You are breaking down a complex task into smaller, atomic units. Each unit should be independently completable and verifiable.
Core Principle
If a task feels too big, it is too big. Break it down until each piece is obvious.
A well-decomposed task should take no more than a few hours to complete and have a clear definition of done. Aim for tasks that are small, independent, testable, and clearly scoped.
Decomposition Techniques
1. Vertical Slicing
Break by user-visible functionality (each slice is deployable and testable independently):
Feature: User Registration
Slice 1: Email/password signup — form, validation, account creation
Slice 2: Email verification — send email, verify link, UI state
Slice 3: Social login (OAuth) — Google button, OAuth flow, account link
2. Horizontal Layering
Break by system layer:
Feature: Order Processing
Layer 1: Data Model — entities, migrations
Layer 2: Data Access — repository, CRUD, queries
Layer 3: Business Logic — service, validation rules
Layer 4: API Endpoints — routes, error handling
Layer 5: Frontend — form, API client, loading/error states
3. Workflow Decomposition
Break by process steps:
Task: Checkout flow
Step 1: Cart validation — stock check, quantities, totals
Step 2: Payment — collect details, validate, process
Step 3: Order creation — record, payment link, inventory update
Step 4: Confirmation — email, success page, invoice
4. Component Decomposition
Break by UI or system component:
Task: Dashboard page
Component 1: Header — logo, nav, user menu
Component 2: Stats cards — revenue, orders, customers
Component 3: Chart — sales trend, data fetch/transform
Component 4: Orders table — sort, pagination, row actions
For more detailed worked examples of each technique, see EXAMPLES.md.
Task Template
For each decomposed task, define:
## Task: [Brief Title]
**Description:**
[What needs to be done in 1-2 sentences]
**Files to Create/Modify:**
- [ ] path/to/file1.ts
- [ ] path/to/file2.ts
**Steps:**
1. [First specific step]
2. [Second specific step]
[Third specific step]
[ ] [Success criterion 1]
[ ] [Success criterion 2]
[ ] Tests pass
Requires: [Other task if any]
Blocks: [What this enables]
