| name | plan-task-standards |
| description | Self-contained CatHerder method and standards for plans and tasks: planning vs execution, execution loop, prompt precedence, persistence; plus prompt/spec/implementation/review/follow-up files, frontmatter, statuses, timestamps, the open-questions gate, and validation. Use when planning, creating, reviewing, executing, or validating planNNN folders, or fixing plan/task format drift. |
Plan & Task Standards
CatHerder standards for plan folders and task files.
This file is a router. Read only the section for your job, then open the one
reference it points to. You do not need to read everything.
Find Your Job
| You are about to… | Roles | Read |
|---|
| Understand the CatHerder method (always) | any | references/method.md |
| Write a prompt or spec (intent) | planner, product-manager | references/role-planner.md |
| Turn a spec into an implementation with tasks | planner, architect, lead-dev | references/role-planner.md |
| Execute one task | lead-dev, senior-dev, junior-dev | references/role-executor.md |
| Review a spec/implementation, or verify a task | qa, architect, planner, senior-dev | references/role-reviewer.md |
| Validate or fix file format/drift | any | run the validator (below) |
The full rule set is references/plan-task-spec-2026-05.md; open it only when a
role file points you there.
This skill is self-contained. If the project has
.instructions/catherder.project.instructions.md, read it and follow its
guidance (identity, phase, git workflow, build/test).
Plan Folder Files
planNNN-short-description/
planNNN-prompt.md # original request (optional)
planNNN-spec.md # intent: what & why
planNNN-implementation.md # executable plan + tasks
planNNN-post-followup.md # post-completion tracking (optional)
data/ tasks/ review/
Lifecycle: prompt → spec → implementation → (review) → completed → (follow-up).
Quick Rules (all roles)
- Status and timestamps live in frontmatter.
name is not used.
- Spec frontmatter
type: plan-spec, status draft/ready.
- Implementation frontmatter
type: plan-implementation, status
active/completed/abandoned.
- Task frontmatter
type: task; status: not-started, in-progress,
blocked, implemented, reviewed, completed.
- Timestamps:
YYYY-MM-DDTHH:MM:SS+HH:MM (no Z, no date-only).
- Spec uses numbered sections
## 0.–## 7.; implementation uses ## 0.–## 3..
- Open-questions gate: do not create the implementation while any spec open
question is unresolved.
- Implementation
## 1. Tasks is a status table, never checkboxes. Acceptance
Criteria still uses checkboxes.
- A task is
completed only after verification passed and review accepted.
- Older
planNNN-draft.md/planNNN.md names are accepted with warnings.
Scripts
| Script | Purpose | Usage | Exit Codes |
|---|
scripts/validate.sh | Run the validator via the workspace venv. Report-only. | bash scripts/validate.sh path/to/planNNN-… | 0=clean 1=issues 2=usage |
scripts/validate.py | Validate structure, frontmatter, status, timestamps, task table, open-questions gate. Emits JSON. | python scripts/validate.py path/to/planNNN-… | 0=clean 1=issues 2=usage/config |
validate.py needs python-frontmatter>=1.1.0.
References Map
- Method (behavioural rules):
references/method.md
- Roles (start here):
references/role-planner.md,
references/role-executor.md, references/role-reviewer.md
- Canonical rules + status lifecycle:
references/plan-task-spec-2026-05.md
- Templates:
PROMPT_TEMPLATE.md, SPEC_TEMPLATE.md,
IMPLEMENTATION_TEMPLATE.md, TASK_TEMPLATE.md, REVIEW_TEMPLATE.md,
FOLLOWUP_TEMPLATE.md (all under references/)
- Validator rulebook:
references/validation-rules-2026-05.md
- Trigger/non-trigger prompts:
references/test-prompts-2026-05.md
- Project adoption:
references/AGENTS_EXAMPLE.md
Project Process Rules
This skill is self-contained for the CatHerder method and plan/task format.
Project-specific rules (identity, phase, git workflow, build/test) live in
.instructions/catherder.project.instructions.md. If that file is present, read
and follow it; it may add constraints but must not override this skill's method.
New projects adopt the skill via references/AGENTS_EXAMPLE.md.
Scope
- In scope: plan folder layout, prompt/spec/implementation/review/follow-up
format, lifecycle, frontmatter, status values, timestamps, the
open-questions gate, structural validation.
- Out of scope: skill file format (see
skill-file-standards), AGENTS.md
standards, and project source-code conventions.
