dev-workflow-initialize

name	dev-workflow-initialize
description	Start working on a ticket/issue by fetching details and creating a git branch in a new worktree. Reads .project-settings.md to determine target (Jira or GitHub). Use when the user wants to start a ticket, begin work on an issue, or create a branch for a task. For unticketed work, asks for a short description to build the branch name.

Start Ticket

Start working on a ticket or issue by fetching its details and creating a feature branch in a new worktree based on origin/main. Reads .project-settings.md to determine whether the project uses Jira or GitHub Issues.

Workflow

Step 1: Resolve Project Settings

Read .project-settings.md to determine the target system. Follow the lookup order from the project-settings.mdc rule:

1. Project root: <workspace-root>/.project-settings.md — if it exists, use it.

2. User home: ~/.project-settings.md — if it exists and the current workspace directory name appears in the Workspaces table, use it.

3. Not found: Prompt the user to create one. Use AskQuestion:

   • Title: "No Project Settings Found"
   • Question: "No .project-settings.md found. This file tells skills whether to use GitHub Issues or Jira. Want me to create one?"
   • Options:
     • id: "github", label: "Create for GitHub Issues (recommended for this repo)"
     • id: "jira", label: "Create for Jira"
     • id: "skip", label: "Skip — just use GitHub with current repo defaults"

   Based on the response:

   • "github" → Read the template at ~/.cursor/skills/write-tickets/templates/project-settings.md, fill in the GitHub example using the current repo name and git remote get-url origin, write to <workspace-root>/.project-settings.md. Use it.
   • "jira" → Ask for project key and Jira base URL, fill in the Jira example from the template, write to <workspace-root>/.project-settings.md. Use it.
   • "skip" → Default to github target with current repo.

Extract from the matching project block:

Field	Used for
Target	github or jira — determines ticket system
Repo (GitHub)	GitHub repo for gh commands (default: current repo)
Project Key (Jira)	Jira project key for ticket prefixes and fetching
JIRA base URL (Jira)	For constructing ticket links

Step 2: Get Ticket Number

If the user hasn't provided a ticket number, ALWAYS use the AskQuestion tool.

If target is github:

• Title: "Which Issue?"
• Question: "What GitHub issue would you like to start?"
• Options:
  • id: "ticket", label: "Specify an issue number (e.g., #5)"
  • id: "unticketed", label: "Unticketed work (no issue)"

If target is jira:

• Title: "Which Ticket?"
• Question: "What Jira ticket would you like to start?"
• Options:
  • id: "ticket", label: "Specify a ticket number (e.g., PROJ-123)"
  • id: "unticketed", label: "Unticketed work (no ticket)"

Based on the response:

• "ticket" → Ask conversationally for the ticket/issue number
• "unticketed" → Ask for a brief description of the work to generate a branch name (e.g., "add widget background settings")

Step 3: Fetch Ticket Details

Skip this step for unticketed work.

If target is github:

gh issue view [NUMBER] --repo [REPO]

Present: issue number, title, state, labels, body (condensed).

If target is jira:

Use the jira-expert subagent to fetch issue [TICKET_NUMBER].

Present: ticket key, type, status, priority, summary, description (condensed), sprint and epic info if available.

Step 4: Generate Branch Name

Generate a kebab-case summary:

1. Take the ticket title/summary (or the user's description for unticketed work)
2. Convert to lowercase
3. Replace spaces and special characters with hyphens
4. Remove consecutive hyphens
5. Keep it concise (3-5 words max)

Branch name format depends on the source:

Source	Format	Example
GitHub issue	[NUMBER]-[kebab-summary]	5-add-widget-background
Jira ticket	[KEY]-[kebab-summary]	RETIRE-123-add-user-auth
Unticketed	[kebab-summary]	widget-background-settings

Step 5: Determine Worktree Paths

• [MAIN_WORKTREE] = current workspace root
• [PROJECT_NAME] = basename of main worktree (e.g., mobile-app)
• [BRANCH_NAME] = generated branch name from Step 4
• [WORKTREES_DIR] = ../worktrees/[PROJECT_NAME] (e.g., Developer/worktrees/mobile-app)
• [NEW_WORKTREE] = [WORKTREES_DIR]/[BRANCH_NAME]

Ensure the worktrees directory exists:

mkdir -p [WORKTREES_DIR]

Step 6: Check Prerequisites

git branch --list [BRANCH_NAME]
git worktree list | grep [BRANCH_NAME]

If branch or worktree exists, ALWAYS use the AskQuestion tool:

• Title: "Branch/Worktree Already Exists"
• Question: "A branch or worktree named [BRANCH_NAME] already exists. How would you like to proceed?"
• Options:
  • id: "switch", label: "Switch to existing worktree"
  • id: "suffix", label: "Create with suffix (e.g., [BRANCH_NAME]-2)"
  • id: "abort", label: "Abort"

Based on the response:

• "switch" → Navigate to existing worktree
• "suffix" → Create new worktree with numeric suffix
• "abort" → Stop the workflow

Step 7: Create Worktree with New Branch

git fetch origin main
git worktree add [NEW_WORKTREE] -b [BRANCH_NAME] origin/main

Step 8: Copy Required Files & Install Dependencies

Only run each sub-step if the relevant file exists in the main worktree:

# Copy .env if it exists
[ -f [MAIN_WORKTREE]/.env ] && cp [MAIN_WORKTREE]/.env [NEW_WORKTREE]/.env

# Trust mise config if .mise.toml exists
[ -f [NEW_WORKTREE]/.mise.toml ] && cd [NEW_WORKTREE] && mise trust

# Install dependencies based on what dependency manager the project uses
cd [NEW_WORKTREE]
if [ -f package.json ]; then npm install; fi
if [ -f Podfile ]; then pod install; fi
if [ -f Package.swift ]; then swift package resolve; fi

Skip sub-steps cleanly when files don't exist — no warnings needed.

Step 9: Report Success

Started [TICKET_REF]: "[Summary]"

Worktree created!
Branch: [BRANCH_NAME]
Location: [NEW_WORKTREE]
Based on: origin/main

Where [TICKET_REF] is:

• GitHub: #N with link to the issue
• Jira: KEY-N with link to Jira
• Unticketed: the description the user provided

Step 10: Open in Cursor

Always open the new worktree in a new Cursor window automatically — never prompt.

cursor [NEW_WORKTREE]

Step 11: Prompt to Start Work

ALWAYS use the AskQuestion tool:

• Title: "Start Implementation?"
• Question: "Would you like me to start working on this ticket now?"
• Options:
  • id: "start", label: "Yes, start implementing"
  • id: "stop", label: "No, I'll do it myself"

Based on the response:

• "start" → Begin analyzing the codebase and implementing the requirements from the ticket description
• "stop" → End the workflow

Error Handling

• Ticket/issue not found: Report the error and ask for a valid number
• Branch exists: Ask if user wants to switch to existing worktree or create with suffix
• Worktree exists: Ask to remove/recreate or use existing
• Missing .env in main worktree: Skip silently (only copy if it exists)
• mise trust fails: Warn but continue (not critical)
• Dependency install fails: Show error and suggest cleanup commands
• Dirty working directory: Warn about uncommitted changes (informational)

Cleanup

When done with a ticket:

git worktree remove [NEW_WORKTREE]
git branch -d [BRANCH_NAME]