planning

name	planning
description	Use when you have a spec or requirements for a multi-step task. Covers both writing implementation plans and executing them task-by-task with review checkpoints.

Planning & Execution

Part 1: Writing the Plan

Write comprehensive implementation plans assuming the engineer has zero codebase context and questionable taste. Document everything: which files to touch, complete code, testing, verification commands.

Plans should probably be persisted. Ask the user where to.

Plan Document Header

# [Feature Name] Implementation Plan

**Goal:** [One sentence]
**Architecture:** [2-3 sentences about approach]
**Tech Stack:** [Key technologies]

---

Bite-Sized Task Granularity

Each step is one action (2-5 minutes):

• "Write the failing test" — step
• "Run it to confirm it fails" — step
• "Implement minimal code to pass" — step
• "Run tests to confirm pass" — step
• "Commit" — step

Task Structure

### Task N: [Component Name]

**Files:**
- Create: `exact/path/to/file.py`
- Modify: `exact/path/to/existing.py`
- Test: `tests/exact/path/to/test.py`

**Step 1: Write the failing test**
[Complete code]

**Step 2: Run test to verify it fails**
Run: `exact command`
Expected: FAIL with "specific message"

**Step 3: Write minimal implementation**
[Complete code]

**Step 4: Run test to verify it passes**
Run: `exact command`
Expected: PASS

**Step 5: Commit**

Plan Requirements

• Exact file paths always
• Complete code in plan (not "add validation")
• Exact commands with expected output
• DRY, YAGNI, TDD, frequent commits

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Part 2: Executing the Plan

Setup

1. Create a progress checklist from the plan:

Record each task from the plan in working notes or status updates, grouped by phase when useful. Keep it concise and update it as work progresses.

2. Review plan critically — identify questions or concerns before starting

Execution Loop

For each task:

1. Mark the current checklist item as in progress in your notes or status update
2. Follow each step exactly (plan has bite-sized steps)
3. Run verifications as specified
4. Self-review (see checklist below)
5. Mark the checklist item as completed after verification passes

After every 3 tasks, STOP and report:

• What was implemented
• Verification output
• Any concerns
• Say: "Ready for feedback."

Wait for human response before continuing.

Self-Review Checklist (per task)

After completing each task, before marking done:

Spec compliance:

• Did I implement everything requested?
• Did I build anything NOT requested? (Remove it)
• Did I interpret requirements correctly?

Code quality:

• Names clear and accurate?
• Code clean and maintainable?
• Following existing codebase patterns?
• No over-engineering (YAGNI)?

Testing:

• Tests verify behavior, not mocks?
• TDD followed (test-first)?
• Edge cases covered?

When to Stop

STOP executing immediately when:

• Hit a blocker (missing dependency, unclear instruction)
• Verification fails repeatedly
• Plan has critical gaps

Ask for clarification rather than guessing.

Completion

After all tasks verified:

1. Run full test suite
2. Present completed tasks and verification summary
3. Ask what the user wants next (for example: more review, PR preparation, merge, or cleanup)

Red Flags

• Skipping verifications
• Guessing when blocked instead of asking
• Not tracking progress
• Implementing on main/master without consent
• Marking tasks done without running verification