sdd-tasks

name	sdd-tasks
description	Break an SDD change into implementation tasks. Trigger: orchestrator launches task planning for a change.
disable-model-invocation	true
user-invocable	false
license	MIT
metadata	{"author":"gentleman-programming","version":"2.0","delegate_only":true}

ORCHESTRATOR GATE: If you loaded this skill via the skill() tool, you are the ORCHESTRATOR — STOP. Do NOT execute these instructions inline. Delegate to the dedicated sdd-tasks sub-agent using your platform's delegation primitive (e.g., task(...), sub-agent invocation, etc.). This skill is for EXECUTORS only.

Executor Override

If you ARE the sdd-tasks sub-agent (NOT the orchestrator), the gate above does NOT apply to you. Continue with the phase work below. Do NOT delegate. Do NOT call the Skill tool. You are the executor — execute.

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 | hybrid | none)
• Delivery strategy (ask-on-risk | auto-chain | single-pr | exception-ok)

Execution and Persistence Contract

Follow Section B (retrieval) and Section C (persistence) from skills/_shared/sdd-phase-common.md.

• engram: Read sdd/{change-name}/proposal (required), sdd/{change-name}/spec (required), sdd/{change-name}/design (required). Save as sdd/{change-name}/tasks.
• openspec: Read and follow skills/_shared/openspec-convention.md.
• hybrid: Follow BOTH conventions — persist to Engram AND write tasks.md to filesystem. Retrieve dependencies from Engram (primary) with filesystem fallback.
• none: Return result only. Never create or modify project files.

What to Do

Step 1: Load Skills

Follow Section A from skills/_shared/sdd-phase-common.md.

Step 2: 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 3: Write tasks.md

IF mode is openspec or hybrid: Create the task file:

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

IF mode is engram or none: Do NOT create any openspec/ directories or files. Compose the tasks content in memory — you will persist it in Step 4.

Task File Format

# Tasks: {Change Title}

## Review Workload Forecast

| Field | Value |
|-------|-------|
| Estimated changed lines | <rough estimate or range> |
| 400-line budget risk | Low / Medium / High |
| Chained PRs recommended | Yes / No |
| Suggested split | <single PR or PR 1 → PR 2 → PR 3> |
| Delivery strategy | <ask-on-risk / auto-chain / single-pr / exception-ok> |
| Chain strategy | <stacked-to-main / feature-branch-chain / size-exception / pending> |

Decision needed before apply: <Yes|No>
Chained PRs recommended: <Yes|No>
Chain strategy: <stacked-to-main|feature-branch-chain|size-exception|pending>
400-line budget risk: <Low|Medium|High>

### Suggested Work Units

| Unit | Goal | Likely PR | Notes |
|------|------|-----------|-------|
| 1 | <standalone deliverable> | PR 1 | <base branch; tests/docs included> |
| 2 | <standalone deliverable> | PR 2 | <immediate parent/  ;      > |



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



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



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



 [ ] 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"

Review Workload Forecast Rules

Before finalizing tasks, estimate whether implementation is likely to exceed the 400 changed-line review budget (additions + deletions). This is a planning guard, not an exact diff count.

Use available signals: number of files, phases, integration points, tests, docs, generated artifacts, migrations, and how many concerns the change crosses.

If the estimate is High or likely above 400 lines:

1. Mark Chained PRs recommended as Yes.
2. Split tasks into work units that can become chained or stacked PRs.
3. Each suggested PR must have a clear start, clear finish, verification, and autonomous scope.
4. Ask the user which chain strategy to use (this is a team decision):
   • Stacked PRs to main — each PR merges to main in order. Fast iteration, fix on the go. Best for speed-first teams and independent slices.
   • Feature Branch Chain — the feature/tracker branch accumulates the final integration; PR #1 targets the tracker branch, later PRs target the immediate previous PR branch so each child diff stays focused. Only the tracker merges to main. Best for rollback control and coordinated releases.
   • size:exception — keep it as a single PR with maintainer approval. Best for generated code, migrations, or vendor diffs.
5. Cache the user's choice and set Decision needed before apply from delivery strategy:
   • ask-on-risk: Yes — orchestrator asks before apply.
   • auto-chain: No — orchestrator proceeds with the first slice using the chosen chain strategy.
   • single-pr: Yes — orchestrator must require size:exception before apply.
   • exception-ok: No — maintainer has accepted size:exception.

Do not bury this in prose. Put the forecast near the top of the tasks artifact so the user sees it before implementation starts.

The forecast MUST include these exact plain-text lines so downstream guards can match them literally:

Decision needed before apply: Yes|No
Chained PRs recommended: Yes|No
Chain strategy: stacked-to-main|feature-branch-chain|size-exception|pending
400-line budget risk: Low|Medium|High

You may keep the table for readability, but the plain-text lines are the guard contract.

For feature-branch-chain, suggested work units SHOULD name the intended base boundary: PR #1 base = feature/tracker branch; PR #2 base = PR #1 branch; PR #3 base = PR #2 branch. If a child PR would show previous PR changes, the base is wrong and must be retargeted/rebased before review.

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 4: Persist Artifact

This step is MANDATORY — do NOT skip it.

Follow Section C from skills/_shared/sdd-phase-common.md.

• artifact: tasks
• topic_key: sdd/{change-name}/tasks
• type: architecture

Step 5: Return Summary

Return to the orchestrator:

## Tasks Created

**Change**: {change-name}
**Location**: `openspec/changes/{change-name}/tasks.md` (openspec/hybrid) | Engram `sdd/{change-name}/tasks` (engram) | inline (none)

### 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}

### Review Workload Forecast
- Estimated changed lines: {estimate or range}
- 400-line budget risk: {Low | Medium | High}
- Chained PRs recommended: {Yes | No}
- Delivery strategy: {ask-on-risk | auto-chain | single-pr | exception-ok}
- Decision needed before apply: {Yes | No}
- Suggested work-unit PR split: {brief list or "Not needed"}

### Next Step
{Ready for implementation (sdd-apply) OR ask the user whether to use chained PRs before 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)
• Size budget: Tasks artifact MUST be under 530 words. Each task: 1-2 lines max. Use checklist format, not paragraphs.
• Review workload guard: ALWAYS include the Review Workload Forecast. If likely above 400 changed lines, recommend chained PRs and honor the received delivery strategy for whether a decision/exception is needed before apply.
• Return envelope per Section D from skills/_shared/sdd-phase-common.md.