iflow-pick

name	iflow-pick
description	Front door: choose the next issue, create the issue branch, and run /iflow-init.
disable-model-invocation	true
issue-flow-version	0.4.2a4

issue-flow — pick next issue (/iflow-pick)

Follow this skill to help the user choose what to work on next (parked work first, else ranked open GitHub issues) and get set up to start.

Do not use this skill from /iflow, /iflow-start, or /iflow-close. /iflow-pick is explicit-only because it creates GitHub issues and branches.

Input

• (nothing) — survey candidates and ask which to pick.
• fix — create a new general-fixes GitHub issue (a fresh one every time) and use it.
• a hint (milestone / label / topic) — bias the candidate ranking.

Invoke: type iflow pick in chat, or /iflow-pick from the slash menu (iflow-pick also works).

MODEL & EXECUTION DIRECTIVE

Profile: reasoning — Prioritize deep thinking and careful trade-offs over speed or token economy.

In Cursor: switch to a thinking-capable model before invoking this step (not Auto-only).

Keep scope tight to what this step requires.

Resolve project root (multi-root workspaces)

Before any git, gh, or .issueflows/ path operation in this workflow:

Resolution order (stop when unambiguous):

1. Explicit hints in slash input — root:<path>, repo:<folder-basename> (directory name, e.g. cellpy-core), or repo:owner/name.
2. CLI fast path — issue-flow agent resolve [-C <start>] [--from-file <active-file>] [--json]. Use the returned project_root and repo; pass -C <project_root> to other issue-flow agent … subcommands. When the answer came from the workspace registry, the payload sets resolved_via_workspace_default: true.
3. Branch context — exactly one workspace repo whose branch matches ^\d+- → that root.
4. Single scaffold — exactly one .issueflows/ tree visible in the workspace → that root.
5. Workspace default — an issueflow-workspace.toml at the workspace root (created with issue-flow workspace init) may name a default member repo; use it when no scaffold matched above. Tell the user the default was used.
6. Ambiguous → stop and ask; never guess between sibling repos.

After resolution, treat the result as <project_root> and <owner/repo>:

• Git: git -C <project_root> … (or issue-flow agent … -C <project_root> for supported ops).
• GitHub: always gh … --repo <owner/repo> — never rely on gh's implicit cwd default.
• Paths: all .issueflows/… paths are under <project_root>.

When .issueflows/04-designs-and-guides/multi-repo-workspaces.md exists, read it for layout and cross-repo guidance.

Instructions

Phase 1 — choose the issue

1. Preflight. Detect the default branch (gh repo view --json defaultBranchRef -q .defaultBranchRef.name; fall back to git symbolic-ref --quiet --short refs/remotes/origin/HEAD, else main). Run git fetch --prune. Report current branch + clean/dirty tree (git status --porcelain).

2. fix shortcut. If the user passed fix, skip selection and go to step 5 (create a new general-fixes issue), then Phase 2.

3. Source candidates (precedence):

   • Parked work first — list issue<n>_* groups in .issueflows/02-partly-solved-issues/ as the primary candidates (already-started work to finish first).
   • Active epic next — if an epic plan under .issueflows/05-epics/ has open issues (or the user named one, e.g. epic 144), prefer its current stage's unblocked issues. Use the fast path issue-flow agent epic-status <N> --json when the CLI is on PATH — its next_candidates are exactly the open, dependency-satisfied issues of the current stage. Surface those at the top of the shortlist so an epic advances stage by stage instead of stalling.
   • Else GitHub — gh issue list --state open --json number,title,labels,milestone,updatedAt (add --repo owner/repo if ambiguous). Drop issues already captured under 01-current-issues/, 02-partly-solved-issues/, or 03-solved-issues/.

4. Rank and present. Rank by epic membership (an active epic's current-stage next_candidates first) + milestone (nearest/active, honour any hint) + labels (match recent work / hint) + topical similarity to recently solved issues (skim .issueflows/03-solved-issues/ and recent branch names). Show a numbered shortlist (~3–7) with number, title, labels, milestone, and (for epic issues) the epic + stage, and ask the user to confirm the pick or override. Never pick silently.

5. Create a fix issue (only when requested). Use gh issue create (e.g. chore: general fixes), confirm title/body first, capture the new number. A fresh issue is created each time — never reuse an existing open general-fixes issue.

6. Over-large issue (note only). If the chosen issue is too big for one PR, mention that breaking it into sub-issues is possible and tracked as a follow-up (Phase B of issue #63). Do not auto-create sub-issues here.

7. Label-driven yolo flow. If the chosen issue carries the yolo label (case-insensitive), announce it and fold /iflow-yolo's consolidated confirm into the pick confirmation (one prompt: branch + full init → plan → start → close yolo chain). On yes, run Phase 2 then follow the iflow-yolo skill instead of the Phase 3 handoff — its preflight still applies, but do not re-ask its confirm. Configurable via label_flows / yolo_label under [issueflow] in .issueflows/config.toml (re-run issue-flow update after changing).

Phase 2 — create the branch

1. Require a clean tree (git status --porcelain). If dirty, stop and ask the user to commit/stash.
2. Branch off the default — switch to default, fast-forward, then git switch -c <N>-<short-slug> (GitHub numeric convention). Confirm a non-obvious slug.
3. Run /iflow-init for the now-known <N> by following the iflow-init skill. Do not duplicate its fetch/archive logic.

Phase 3 — hand off

1. Ask whether to continue with /iflow-plan. Do not auto-run it.

2. Exception: when the yolo-label routing was confirmed in Phase 1, skip this handoff — the iflow-yolo chain (which includes /iflow-init) takes over after the branch is created.

Constraints

• Off-path: never auto-dispatch from /iflow, /iflow-start, or /iflow-close.
• Never create a GitHub issue or branch without explicit confirmation; show what will be created first.
• Branch off the detected default; never force-push or delete branches from this skill.
• Phase B is out of scope: no automated sub-issue creation or sibling parking under 02-partly-solved-issues/. Only mention the option.
• Delegate issue capture to /iflow-init rather than re-implementing it.