| name | todo-utilities |
| description | Shared TodoWrite patterns for consistent progress tracking across all BCOS skills.
This is a PATTERN LIBRARY, not an invocable skill. Skills copy these patterns inline.
WHY INLINE, NOT INVOKED:
If todo-utilities were invoked as a Task(), its TodoWrite calls would execute in an
isolated context — invisible to the user. Patterns must run IN the parent skill's
main context where TodoWrite is visible.
WHEN TO REFERENCE:
- Building a new skill that tracks multi-step progress
- Adding agent delegation to an existing skill
- Implementing approval gates or error recovery
|
Todo Utilities
Purpose
This is a PATTERN LIBRARY, not a skill you invoke.
Skills read these patterns and copy them inline into their own workflows. This ensures every skill tracks progress the same way — consistent user experience, no reinventing the wheel.
Why not invoke as a Task? Because TodoWrite calls inside a Task() are invisible to the user. The whole point of progress tracking is user visibility.
Core Principle
TodoWrite = display layer (what the user sees).
Always update TodoWrite:
- BEFORE invoking an agent → mark task
in_progress
- AFTER agent returns → mark task
completed
- On error → update activeForm to show what's happening, don't hide failures
Patterns
See: references/todo-patterns.md
The full pattern library with examples. Contains:
- Sequential Agent Invocation — Tasks run one after another
- Parallel Agent Invocation — Multiple independent agents
- Error Recovery — Graceful failure with visible retry
- Workflow Gate — User approval required before continuing
- Long-Running Progress — Show progress counts during bulk operations
Anti-Patterns
What NOT to do. Common mistakes that break user visibility:
How Skills Reference This
Each BCOS skill that uses agent delegation or multi-step workflows should include:
### Progress Tracking
This skill follows the TodoWrite patterns from `todo-utilities`.
See `.claude/skills/todo-utilities/references/todo-patterns.md` for the full library.
Then copy the relevant pattern inline. The pattern is the source of truth — if it changes, update the patterns doc and all skills inherit the intent.
