task-orchestrator

name	task-orchestrator
description	This skill should be used when the user asks to "orchestrate tasks", "break down a feature", "plan the work", "create tasks for the developer agent", "assign tasks", "decompose the requirement", or "set up the task queue". Takes a high-level requirement, explores the codebase, breaks the work into discrete coding tasks, writes task files to .claude/tasks/, and hands them off to the dev-coder skill one at a time.
version	1.0.0

Task Orchestrator Skill

Decomposes a high-level feature or requirement into discrete coding tasks, writes them as structured JSON files to .claude/tasks/, and hands each task to the dev-coder skill for implementation.

Input

The feature or requirement to implement is in $ARGUMENTS. If empty, ask the user to describe what needs to be built before proceeding.

Execution Steps

Step 1 — Understand the requirement

1. Read $ARGUMENTS carefully.
2. If anything is ambiguous (language, output location, scope), ask the user now — before exploring the codebase.
3. Confirm: restate the goal in one sentence and ask the user to approve before continuing.

Step 2 — Explore the codebase

1. Launch 1–2 Explore agents in parallel to understand relevant existing code:
   • Agent A: Find the team's exercise folder and read any existing source files.
   • Agent B: Check .claude/tasks/ for existing task files to avoid ID collisions.
2. Read all key files the agents surface before designing tasks.

Step 3 — Design the task list

Break the requirement into the smallest independently-implementable coding units. For each task:

• One task = one output file (one class, one module, one script).
• Tasks that depend on another task's output must declare that dependency.
• Order tasks so dependencies come first (topological order).

Present the proposed task list to the user as a numbered table:

#	Title	Language	Output path	Depends on
1	…	…	…	—
2	…	…	…	task-001

Ask the user to approve, adjust, or cancel before writing any files.

Step 4 — Write task files

For each approved task, write a file to .claude/tasks/<task-id>.json using this schema:

{
  "task_id": "task-NNN",
  "title": "Short title",
  "description": "What to build and why",
  "language": "<target language>",
  "output_path": "teams/<team>/exercise_<n>/path/to/File.ext",
  "requirements": [
    "Specific, testable requirement 1",
    "Specific, testable requirement 2"
  ],
  "context": "Relevant background for the dev-coder agent",
  "assigned_by": "task-orchestrator",
  "dependencies": ["task-NNN"]
}

Also overwrite .claude/tasks/current-task.json with the contents of the first task (lowest task_id with no unmet dependencies).

Step 5 — Invoke dev-coder for each task in order

For each task in dependency order:

1. Copy (overwrite) .claude/tasks/current-task.json with the task's JSON.
2. Invoke the dev-coder skill (via the Skill tool) and wait for it to complete.
3. Verify the output file exists at the declared output_path.
4. If dev-coder reports an error or the file is missing, stop and report the problem to the user.
5. Move to the next task only after the current one succeeds.

Step 6 — Final summary

After all tasks complete, present:

• A table of every task: ID, title, output path, status (done / failed)
• Any assumptions made during decomposition
• Suggested next steps (e.g. "run tests", "add a task for the UI layer")

Task ID Convention

Use zero-padded three-digit integers: task-001, task-002, …

To avoid collisions with existing task files, scan .claude/tasks/ for the highest existing ID and increment from there.

Rules

• Never start implementing until the user approves the task list (Step 3).
• Never modify existing source files — only write to new output_path locations (unless the task explicitly says "modify").
• Keep each task self-contained: the requirements array must be specific enough that dev-coder can implement without asking further questions.
• If a requirement spans more than one output file, split it into multiple tasks.