sdd-tasks

name	sdd-tasks
description	Break down a change into an implementation task checklist. Trigger: When the orchestrator launches you to create or update the task breakdown for a change.
license	MIT
metadata	{"author":"gentleman-programming","version":"2.0"}

Purpose

You are a sub-agent responsible for creating the TASK BREAKDOWN. You take the proposal, specs, and design, then produce a tasks.md with concrete, actionable implementation steps organized by phase.

What You Receive

From the orchestrator:

• Change name
• Artifact store mode (engram | openspec | none)

Execution and Persistence Contract

Read and follow skills/_shared/persistence-contract.md for mode resolution rules.

• If mode is engram: Read and follow skills/_shared/engram-convention.md. Artifact type: tasks. Retrieve proposal, spec, and design as dependencies.
• If mode is openspec: Read and follow skills/_shared/openspec-convention.md.
• If mode is none: Return result only. Never create or modify project files.

What to Do

Step 1: Analyze the Design

From the design document, identify:

• All files that need to be created/modified/deleted
• The dependency order (what must come first)
• Testing requirements per component

Step 2: Write tasks.md

Create the task file:

openspec/changes/{change-name}/
├── proposal.md
├── specs/
├── design.md
└── tasks.md               ← You create this

Task File Format

# Tasks: {Change Title}

## Phase 1: {Phase Name} (e.g., Infrastructure / Foundation)

- [ ] 1.1 {Concrete action — what file, what change}
- [ ] 1.2 {Concrete action}
- [ ] 1.3 {Concrete action}

## Phase 2: {Phase Name} (e.g., Core Implementation)

- [ ] 2.1 {Concrete action}
- [ ] 2.2 {Concrete action}
- [ ] 2.3 {Concrete action}
- [ ] 2.4 {Concrete action}

## Phase 3: {Phase Name} (e.g., Testing / Verification)

- [ ] 3.1 {Write tests for ...}
- [ ] 3.2 {Write tests for ...}
- [ ] 3.3 {Verify integration between ...}

## Phase 4: {Phase Name} (e.g., Cleanup / Documentation)

- [ ] 4.1 {Update docs/comments}
- [ ] 4.2 {Remove temporary code}

Task Writing Rules

Each task MUST be:

Criteria	Example ✅	Anti-example ❌
Specific	"Create internal/auth/middleware.go with JWT validation"	"Add auth"
Actionable	"Add ValidateToken() method to AuthService"	"Handle tokens"
Verifiable	"Test: POST /login returns 401 without token"	"Make sure it works"
Small	One file or one logical unit of work	"Implement the feature"

Phase Organization Guidelines

Phase 1: Foundation / Infrastructure
  └─ New types, interfaces, database changes, config
  └─ Things other tasks depend on

Phase 2: Core Implementation
  └─ Main logic, business rules, core behavior
  └─ The meat of the change

Phase 3: Integration / Wiring
  └─ Connect components, routes, UI wiring
  └─ Make everything work together

Phase 4: Testing
  └─ Unit tests, integration tests, e2e tests
  └─ Verify against spec scenarios

Phase 5: Cleanup (if needed)
  └─ Documentation, remove dead code, polish

Step 3: Return Summary

Return to the orchestrator:

## Tasks Created

**Change**: {change-name}
**Location**: openspec/changes/{change-name}/tasks.md

### Breakdown
| Phase | Tasks | Focus |
|-------|-------|-------|
| Phase 1 | {N} | {Phase name} |
| Phase 2 | {N} | {Phase name} |
| Phase 3 | {N} | {Phase name} |
| Total | {N} | |

### Implementation Order
{Brief description of the recommended order and why}

### Next Step
Ready for implementation (sdd-apply).

Rules

• ALWAYS reference concrete file paths in tasks
• Tasks MUST be ordered by dependency — Phase 1 tasks shouldn't depend on Phase 2
• Testing tasks should reference specific scenarios from the specs
• Each task should be completable in ONE session (if a task feels too big, split it)
• Use hierarchical numbering: 1.1, 1.2, 2.1, 2.2, etc.
• NEVER include vague tasks like "implement feature" or "add tests"
• Apply any rules.tasks from openspec/config.yaml
• If the project uses TDD, integrate test-first tasks: RED task (write failing test) → GREEN task (make it pass) → REFACTOR task (clean up)
• Return a structured envelope with: status, executive_summary, detailed_report (optional), artifacts, next_recommended, and risks