ndx-reshape

name	ndx-reshape
description	Restructure the PRD hierarchy — regroup epics, change levels, merge overlaps, create new containers

Restructure the PRD hierarchy to keep it organized as a coherent product spec.

Use this when the PRD has grown organically and needs cleanup: too many top-level epics, features that should be tasks, overlapping areas that should be merged, or items that belong under different parents.

Process

1. Call get_prd_status (rex MCP) to see the full epic/feature structure and item counts

2. Analyze the current structure for problems:

   • Too many epics — related epics that should be features under a broader epic
   • Wrong levels — epics with no children that are really tasks, features that are really subtasks
   • Overlapping areas — multiple epics/features covering the same domain
   • Orphaned items — tasks at root level that belong under an existing epic
   • Naming inconsistency — similar items with different naming conventions

3. Propose a target structure to the user:

   • Group related epics into ~7-12 top-level epics max (one per product area)
   • Each epic should have 3-15 features; each feature should have 2-10 tasks
   • Suggest new parent epics if needed to group scattered items
   • Suggest level changes (epic->feature, feature->task, etc.)
   • Suggest merges for overlapping items

4. After user approval, execute the restructuring:

   • Create new parent epics/features with add_item (rex MCP)
   • Reparent items with move_item (rex MCP)
   • Change levels with edit_item (rex MCP) using the level field
   • Merge overlapping items with merge_items (rex MCP)
   • Rename items for consistency with edit_item (rex MCP)

5. Run reorganize (rex MCP) with mode fast to verify no structural issues remain

6. Show the updated structure via get_prd_status

7. Commit: run git status --porcelain against the project root — this catches every MCP-driven write under .rex/prd_tree/ (move_item, merge_items, edit_item, add_item, and reorganize all mutate the folder tree). If the output is empty, print "Working tree clean — nothing to commit." and stop. Otherwise stage all changes with git add -A and commit with the n-dx authorship + model audit trailer block via a HEREDOC:

   git commit -m "$(cat <<'EOF'
   ndx-reshape: restructure PRD hierarchy
   
   N-DX: skill/ndx-reshape
   Co-Authored-By: En Dash's n-dx <[e-mail]>
   EOF
   )"
   

   Keep the N-DX: and Co-Authored-By: trailer lines exactly as shown — they form the audit trail used by downstream tooling.

Guidelines

• Batch by area: restructure one domain at a time, confirm with the user, then move on
• Preserve meaning: when changing levels or merging, keep the original intent clear in descriptions
• Natural groupings: organize by product area (e.g., SourceVision, Rex, Hench, Web, CLI, Infrastructure) rather than by work type (bugfixes, features, refactors)
• Living spec: the PRD should read as a product spec, not a task backlog. Epic titles should describe product capabilities, not work items
• Level cascade: when demoting an epic to a feature, its children may need to move down too (features->tasks, tasks->subtasks)

MCP Tools Used

• get_prd_status — read current structure
• add_item — create new parent containers
• move_item — reparent items under new parents
• edit_item — change level, rename, update descriptions
• merge_items — consolidate overlapping items
• reorganize — verify structural health after changes