backlog

name	backlog
description	Manage project backlog items as individual markdown files with YAML frontmatter. Use when user says "/cortex-backlog:backlog", "backlog add", "backlog list", "backlog pick", "add to backlog", "show backlog", "archive backlog item", "what's ready", "pick a backlog item", or asks to create/view/manage/select items.
inputs	["subcommand: string (required) — add|list|pick|ready|archive|reindex","title: string (optional, with add) — title of the new backlog item to create","item: string (optional, with archive) — slug or number of item to archive"]
outputs	["cortex/backlog/NNN-slug.md — for add subcommand","stdout — for list and ready subcommands","/cortex-core:lifecycle {{item}} invocation — for pick subcommand"]
preconditions	["Run from project root","cortex/backlog/ directory exists"]
argument-hint	<subcommand> [args]

Backlog

Manage a file-based project backlog: standalone markdown files with YAML frontmatter in cortex/backlog/ (active) or cortex/backlog/archive/ (complete/abandoned).

Subcommand: $ARGUMENTS (first word = subcommand, remainder = args; empty = list backlog).

Schema & Filenames

Read ${CLAUDE_SKILL_DIR}/references/schema.md when creating or validating items — field table and enum values. Files are named NNN-slug.md: NNN is a zero-padded three-digit sequential ID (the stable cross-reference used in blocks: [7]); slug is lowercase-kebab-case and may drift cosmetically after retitling.

Subcommands

No {{subcommand}} (bare /cortex-backlog:backlog): present the subcommands below via AskUserQuestion.

add

cortex-create-backlog-item --title "{{title}}" --status backlog --type {{type}} --priority {{priority}} (type defaults feature, priority medium unless specified; --parent NNN for a parent epic; --tags/--areas space-separated when specified), then open the created file for review.

new

Invoke /backlog-author interview "{{title}}" for a fully authored body, then cortex-create-backlog-item --title "{{title}}" --status backlog --type {{type}} --body "..." with it (unlike add, not opened for editing — already authored).

list

If cortex/backlog/index.md is missing, run cortex-generate-backlog-index (a local, non-version-controlled cache); read and present it as a summary table.

archive

cortex-update-item {{item}} --status complete or --status abandoned updates frontmatter in place (no file move), cascades blocked-by cleanup, auto-closes parent epics when all children are terminal, and regenerates the index. Warn before closing a backlog or in_progress item — it closes regardless of status.

pick

Run cortex-backlog-ready (error handling: see ready). Take the first non-empty priority group (critical → contingent) and present it via AskUserQuestion: one item → offer directly; several → top 4 by priority noting omissions, each labeled "NNN — Title" (priority, type); none → the backlog is clear. Then ask what to do via a second AskUserQuestion: Start lifecycle (/cortex-core:lifecycle {{item}}), View details (read and present it), or Mark in-progress (set status in_progress, bump updated).

ready

Run cortex-backlog-ready; on non-zero exit, parse the error JSON and report it (suggest /cortex-backlog:backlog reindex if malformed). For each non-empty group, render ### {Priority Title} (e.g. ### Critical) then - **{id}** {title} bullets, in order. If all groups are empty, report Backlog is clear.

reindex

Run cortex-generate-backlog-index; report the item count for both index.json and index.md.