start-task

name	start_task
description	Creates a GitHub Issue, branch, and draft PR before implementation begins. Use before any non-trivial task to keep work traceable — one issue, one branch, one PR.
when_to_use	Use when the user says "start work on X", "create a ticket for Y", or "begin a new task". Do not use for trivial one-off changes that don't need tracking.
argument-hint	[task title]
allowed-tools	Bash(gh *) Bash(git *) Read

Before starting any non-trivial task, create a GitHub Issue, a dedicated branch, and a draft PR. This keeps work traceable and every PR maps to exactly one issue.

Mandatory scripts

Action	Script	Never use
Start issue + branch + draft PR	.claude/scripts/start_issue.sh <n> <type>	bare git checkout -b + bare gh pr create
Push branch	.claude/scripts/push_branch.sh	bare git push
Push + promote + merge (all-in-one)	.claude/scripts/finish_pr.sh <n>	gh pr ready, bare gh pr merge, gh pr checks --watch

Steps

1. Clarify scope — if $ARGUMENTS is empty or vague, ask the user for:

   • Task title (one line, imperative: "Add X", "Fix Y", "Refactor Z")
   • Work type: feat / fix / chore / docs / test

2. Check for existing issue and PR — run gh issue list and gh pr list. If an issue already exists, use its number. If a draft PR already exists for that issue, use it — do not create a second PR. Skip to step 5.

3. Create the issue — load .claude/skills/create_issue/SKILL.md and follow it. It gathers priority, area, size, references, dependencies, and acceptance criteria before running:

   ISSUE_NUMBER=$(.claude/scripts/create_issue.sh <type> "<title>" --priority <priority> --area "<area>" --size <size> --acceptance "<criterion>")
   echo "Created issue #$ISSUE_NUMBER"
   

4. Start work — create the branch, push, and open a draft PR:

   .claude/scripts/start_issue.sh <issue-number> <type>
   

   This derives the branch name (<issue_type>/<project_abbr>-<issue_number>-<slug>) from the issue title, pushes it, and opens a draft PR with the correct [PROJECT-123][type] title and Closes #n body.

5. Proceed — only begin implementation after the scripts have run successfully.

6. When ready to merge — load .claude/skills/github_workflow/SKILL.md for the full push → promote → monitor/merge lifecycle and review-cycle protocol.

Rules

• Every non-trivial task must have a GitHub Issue, a branch, and a draft PR — all before the first line of implementation code.
• One issue → one branch → one PR.
• board-automation.yml moves the board card to In Progress automatically when the PR is opened. No manual board move needed.