03-work

name	03-work
description	Execute plan units with TDD enforcement and checkpoint resume. Use when a plan path is ready for implementation.

Work

Use this skill when there is a plan path or tightly scoped bare prompt ready for execution.

See shared pipeline instructions for model routing and pipeline behavior.

Core rules

1. Load project rules (4 steps):
   • Load rules/common/development-workflow.md and rules/common/testing.md
   • Detect project language via language detection
   • Load matching language-specific rules
   • If frontend/browser concerns, also load rules/web/ files
2. Priority: project-level {repo-root}/rules/ overrides package defaults
3. Distinguish input: plan path vs bare prompt
4. Derive tasks from plan implementation units
5. Execution mode: inline mode — all plan units execute inline in the current session. No built-in subagent tools.
6. Use session_checkpoint to track progress and enable resume
7. Use task_splitter to analyze dependencies before execution
8. If in worktree (via 07-worktree), execute inside it
9. End by recommending 04-review
10. When designing/restructuring modules, use the deep-module vocabulary (../references/module-design.md) — evaluate depth and seam placement.

Advanced: If you need external child agent delegation (background runs, parallel audits), install pi-subagents separately. Super Pi does not require it.

Hard gates — TDD enforcement

Every step follows RED → GREEN → REFACTOR:

Blocking violations — stop and ask if:

• Code written before RED test
• RED fails for wrong reason
• Missing evidence test failed before implementation
• Missing evidence test passed after implementation
• Tests added only after code

Stop-the-line rule (Hard gate)

When any unexpected failure occurs during execution:

1. STOP adding features or making changes
2. PRESERVE evidence (error output, repro steps)
3. DIAGNOSE root cause — follow debug discipline (references/debug-discipline.md): build feedback loop first, then reproduce → hypothesise → instrument → fix
4. FIX the root cause, not the symptom
5. GUARD with a regression test
6. RESUME only after verification passes

Anti-rationalization — when a gate fails or evidence is missing:

• Do not rationalize, downgrade, or explain away the failure.
• Stop, report the blocker with evidence, and either fix the root cause or ask for direction.
• Do not continue unrelated implementation after failed verification.

This is a hard gate — do not push past a failing test or broken build to continue implementation. Errors compound.

Error compaction after recovery

After a stop-the-line failure is diagnosed, fixed, and verified:

1. Replace full traces in handoff/context with ERROR(resolved): <root cause>
2. Keep only the final repro, root cause, fix summary, and verification result
3. Remove intermediate debug output and failed exploratory runs that are no longer relevant
4. Update session_checkpoint with the compacted state only

If the same tool, command, or implementation unit fails 3 consecutive times, stop retrying and ask the user for direction with a concise evidence summary.

Workflow

1. Load context: consume latest handoff before any broad file reads — context_handoff load or read .context/compound-engineering/handoffs/latest.md. If found, use activeFiles, blocker, verification, activeRules as starting point. If not found, proceed normally. Read CONTEXT.md if it exists at root — see ../references/domain-language.md.
2. Detect input type (plan path vs bare prompt)
3. Read implementation units if plan path
4. Load session_checkpoint to skip completed units
5. Use task_splitter for dependency analysis
6. Execute: inline mode — all units run in the current session
7. Follow TDD per unit: RED → minimal code → GREEN → refactor → unit-level verification
8. Source-driven gate: Before implementing framework/library-specific code, verify the API or pattern against official documentation. Flag unverified patterns as UNVERIFIED in output.
9. Record progress via references/progress-update-format.md
10. Save session_checkpoint after each unit
11. On failure: session_checkpoint fail → retry → follow strategy
12. Provide completion report (see references/completion-report.md)
13. Save handoff: context_handoff save with current stage, next stage, activeFiles, blocker, verification, activeRules
14. Handoff to 04-review using references/handoff.md

Before finishing this skill, apply the completion checklist in shared pipeline instructions.