plan-step-tracker

name	plan-step-tracker
description	Query step status (pending/done) in plan/<topic>/<topic>.step.md with minimal token cost and explicit blocking when incomplete.
complexity	medium
risk_profile	["external_tooling"]
inputs	["topic name that maps to plan/<topic>/<topic>.step.md",{"operation":"read_all, read_not_run, read_success, or check_all_succeeded"}]
outputs	["Python CLI stdout with matching step lines or success/blocked summary","exit code 0 or 1 that the caller can use as a workflow gate","stderr warning/error text for lowercase [x] or missing files"]
use_when	["you need a read-only status query for one topic's .step.md file","you need exit-code blocking before continuing a workflow or review step","you need fallback grep guidance when the Python CLI cannot run"]
do_not_use_when	["you need to modify step files or mark steps complete","you need to aggregate multiple topics or verify evidence outside the checkbox file","you need live monitoring or richer states than done versus pending"]

Purpose

Provide a low-token, read-only way to query plan/<topic>/<topic>.step.md and enforce blocking when incomplete work remains.

Trigger / When to use

Use this skill when:

• you need the status of one topic's .step.md file without reading the whole file
• you need a blocking gate that stops follow-on work when any step is still pending
• you need the canonical Python CLI contract for step queries
• you need grep fallback guidance because the Python CLI cannot run

Do not use this skill when:

• you need to edit .step.md files or change checkbox markers
• you need to query more than one topic in one pass
• you need to prove that external artifacts exist beyond what the checkbox file declares
• you need a watcher, daemon, or real-time progress monitor

Inputs

• <topic>: required topic name; resolves to plan/<topic>/<topic>.step.md
• <operation>: one of read_all, read_not_run, read_success, check_all_succeeded
• current working directory at repository root so the Python CLI and fallback paths resolve correctly

Process

1. Resolve plan/<topic>/<topic>.step.md and keep the interaction read-only.
2. Prefer the Python CLI:

   python .github/skills/plan-step-tracker/scripts/step_tracker.py <operation> <topic>
   

3. Interpret checkbox markers exactly as the CLI does:
   • [X] = done
   • [ ] = pending
   • [x] = pending, with a warning on stderr
4. Preserve the command contract by honoring exit codes:
   • read_all, read_not_run, read_success return exit code 0 on successful reads
   • check_all_succeeded returns exit code 0 only when nothing is pending
   • missing .step.md returns exit code 1 and is blocking
5. If Python CLI execution is unavailable, use the grep fallback from reference.md, and explicitly note that grep cannot reproduce the lowercase [x] warning by itself.
6. Never modify .step.md, normalize checkbox casing, or continue past a blocking check_all_succeeded result.

Examples

Positive: Use the blocking command before a gated handoff

$ python .github/skills/plan-step-tracker/scripts/step_tracker.py check_all_succeeded my-feature
❌ BLOCKED: 2 steps pending (exit code 1)
[ ] implementation-review
[x] code-review

The caller stops and reports the pending steps.

Negative: Treat lowercase [x] as complete or ignore exit code 1

$ python .github/skills/plan-step-tracker/scripts/step_tracker.py check_all_succeeded my-feature
Warning: Found lowercase [x] at line 18; treating as pending
❌ BLOCKED: 1 steps pending (exit code 1)
[x] code-review

Wrong follow-up: continuing anyway or rewriting the file inside this skill.

Outputs

• read_all: all parsed checkbox lines on stdout; exit code 0
• read_not_run: pending lines on stdout, including lowercase [x]; exit code 0
• read_success: completed [X] lines on stdout; exit code 0
• check_all_succeeded: success summary with exit code 0, or blocked summary plus pending lines with exit code 1
• errors: Error: File not found: plan/<topic>/<topic>.step.md on stderr with exit code 1

Validation

Required Checks

• run only one of the four supported operations
• keep the command path as python .github/skills/plan-step-tracker/scripts/step_tracker.py <operation> <topic>
• treat exit code 1 from check_all_succeeded or missing files as blocking
• treat lowercase [x] as pending, not done
• keep the workflow read-only

Quality Checks (best effort)

• prefer the Python CLI over grep so warning and exit-code semantics stay exact
• if fallback grep is used, disclose the lowercase [x] limitation explicitly
• keep output concise by returning only the requested subset of steps

On Soft Fail

• mark the result INCOMPLETE when the caller's desired operation is unclear
• state any fallback limitations explicitly
• do not fabricate completion state beyond the file contents

Failure Handling

Missing Context

• if <topic> is missing or does not resolve to a single expected path, mark the result BLOCKED and request the exact topic name
• if the caller does not specify an operation and intent does not clearly imply one, mark the result INCOMPLETE

Ambiguous Requirement

• if the caller asks a broad question like "check the plan" without saying whether they need pending steps, completed steps, all steps, or a blocking gate, do not guess when that choice could change downstream behavior
• if a fallback command is used, say that warning behavior for lowercase [x] must be checked manually

Execution Limitation

• if Python CLI execution is unavailable, fall back to grep guidance from reference.md
• if neither Python nor grep can be run safely, stop at BLOCKED rather than inferring status from memory

Verification

• verify exit code 0 from check_all_succeeded before continuing a gated workflow
• verify exit code 1 blocks continuation when any pending step or missing file is reported
• verify lowercase [x] remains pending and produces a warning when the Python CLI is used
• verify fallback grep guidance is presented as an approximation, not as a replacement for the CLI warning behavior

Boundaries

• read-only only; this skill does not update step files
• single-topic only; no aggregation across multiple plan folders
• checkbox-state only; no evidence validation for artifacts outside the .step.md file
• no extra status model beyond done versus pending
• no behavior changes to the local Python CLI contract

Local references

• reference.md: stable CLI contract, path rules, exit-code semantics, and grep fallback limitations
• examples.md: detailed command examples, blocking cases, edge cases, and fallback usage patterns
• scripts/step_tracker.py: local Python CLI that implements the preserved command and exit-code contract
• tests/: pytest coverage for parsing, filtering, blocking, missing-file handling, and lowercase [x] behavior