| name | create-task |
| description | Create a new task planning document for SRAT. Use when: adding a feature, planning a fix, documenting a refactor, or creating a new TODO item. Produces a <TaskID>_<Title>.md file in docs/tasks/ using the project task template. Triggers on: "create task", "new task", "add task", "plan feature", "create todo", "new issue task", "document work item". |
| argument-hint | Brief task title or description (e.g., "Add dark mode toggle to settings") |
Create Task
Produces a structured task document in docs/tasks/ using the project task template.
When to Use
- Planning a new feature, bug fix, refactor, or documentation item
- Capturing implementation notes and acceptance criteria before starting work
- If you need to ask questions to clarify the task details before creating the document, do so in the chat first, then use this skill once you have the necessary information.
- Converting a GitHub issue or request into a tracked work item
- Any time the user says "create task", "new task", "plan this", or "add a TODO"
Procedure
1. Gather Information
Collect the following (ask the user for anything not provided):
| Field | Notes |
|---|
| Type | FEATURE, FIX, DOCS, or REFACTOR |
| Title | Short descriptive name (used in filename and heading) |
| Objective | One-paragraph purpose statement |
| Inputs / Outputs | What goes in, what comes out |
| Dependencies | Modules, APIs, external repos |
| Implementation Notes | Pseudo-code, key decisions, constraints |
| Code References | TODOs or FIXMEs in the codebase |
2. Determine the Next TaskID
Scan docs/tasks/ for existing files matching the pattern NNN_*.md:
ls docs/tasks/*.md 2>/dev/null | grep -oP '^\d+' | sort -n | tail -1
- If no files exist, start at
001.
- Otherwise increment the highest found number, zero-padded to three digits (e.g.,
007 → 008).
3. Build the Filename
Format: <TaskID>_<kebab-case-title>.md
Rules (same as git branch naming in copilot-instructions.md):
- Lowercase only
- Spaces and underscores → hyphens
- Strip emojis, special characters, common stop-words (
a, the, of, for, with)
Examples:
- "Add Dark Mode Toggle" →
007_add-dark-mode-toggle.md
- "Fix user login validation bug" →
008_fix-user-login-validation-bug.md
4. Populate the Template
Use task-template.md as the base. Fill in:
# [FEATURE/FIX/DOCS/REFACTOR]: <Title>
**Target Repo:** `srat`
**Status:** 📅 Planned
**Issue Link:** [Optional]
## 🎯 Objective
...
## 🛠️ Technical Specifications
- **Inputs:** ...
- **Outputs:** ...
- **Dependencies:** ...
## 📝 Task List
- [ ] Task 1: ...
- [ ] Task 2: ...
- [ ] Task 3: Unit testing
- [ ] Task 4: Integration and documentation
- [ ] Task 5: Accessibility (if applicable)
- [ ] Task 6: Code review and cleanup
- [ ] Task 7: Final testing and validation
- [ ] Task 8: Capture the lessons learned and update documentation
- [ ] Task 9: Ask to create a PR with the task implementation and link it here for tracking
## 🧠 Implementation Notes (Copilot Context)
...
## 🔗 Code References & TODOs
...
Leave any section as a placeholder (_TBD_) if the user hasn't provided enough detail — do not invent specifics.
5. Create the File
Write the populated content to docs/tasks/<TaskID>_<title>.md.
Create the docs/tasks/ directory if it does not yet exist.
6. Confirm
Report the full relative path of the created file and summarise the task in one sentence.
Suggest to the user:
- A Git branch name following the convention in
copilot-instructions.md (e.g., feature/add-dark-mode-toggle)
- Next steps: assign tasks, link to a GitHub issue, or start implementation
Quality Checklist
