task-start

name	task-start
description	Start a work item with a clear baseline before editing. Use when beginning an approved task, starting implementation after a plan, recording git state, noting existing dirty files, confirming intended scope, or preparing a task so task-end can distinguish pre-existing changes from new changes.

Task Start

Quick Start

Use this skill immediately before editing files for an approved task.

Goal: establish the starting baseline, intended scope, and existing dirty state.

Workflow

1. Restate the approved task in one or two sentences.

2. Inspect baseline:

git status --short
git branch --show-current
git rev-parse --short HEAD

3. Classify existing dirty files, if any:

   • Pre-existing user changes
   • Generated/runtime artifacts
   • Unknown changes that require clarification

4. State intended scope:

   • Files/directories expected to change
   • Files/directories explicitly out of scope
   • Validation expected at the end

5. Create or update the active task manifest for approved implementation work:

mise run active-task -- start \
  --id <task-id> \
  --title "<task title>" \
  --in <path> \
  --out <path> \
  --validation "<command>"

Use repeated --in, --out, and --validation flags as needed. Use --force only when intentionally replacing a closed or stale manifest after inspecting mise run active-task -- status.

6. Stop and ask before editing if:

   • Existing dirty files overlap the intended scope.
   • The task scope is unclear.
   • The baseline cannot be inspected.
   • An active task manifest already exists for unrelated work.

7. Begin implementation only after the baseline, scope, and active task manifest are clear.

For trivial one-line edits, task-start may omit manifest creation at the parent agent's judgment. Do not use that exception for harness spec changes, multi-file changes, framework structure changes, or any work that already required task-plan.

Output Shape

Report:

• Task summary
• Branch and HEAD
• Existing dirty state
• Intended file scope
• Validation plan
• Active task manifest status
• Any blockers before editing