Base Planning Rules

Core Principles

Planning MUST happen before ANY implementation. A task is non-trivial if it requires more than 2 distinct steps.

Every plan leads to a Pull Request. Keep PR reviewability in mind from the start.

Planning Mode Workflow

Platform-specific:

• Cursor: Use Plan Mode for phases 0-4, then switch to Agent Mode
• Claude Code: Use EnterPlanMode tool or simply complete planning before coding

This ensures the plan is persisted before any code changes begin. </IMPORTANT>

Phase 0: Check for Existing Plans

Before creating a new plan, check the planning/ folder in project root:

1. List files in planning/ directory
2. Look for related plans - similar features, continuation of previous work
3. If found:
   • Read the existing plan
   • Check which tasks are already completed (marked with [x])
   • Resume from where it left off OR adapt the plan for the new request
4. If not found: proceed to Phase 1

Phase 1: Analyze

Before writing ANY code or making ANY changes:

1. Understand the request - What exactly is being asked?
2. Identify the scope - What files/components are affected?
3. Find dependencies - What existing code/patterns should be followed?
4. Spot risks - What could go wrong? What needs extra attention?

Phase 2: Assess PR Scope

PR Size Guidelines

• < 400 lines - Ideal, easy to review
• 400-800 lines - Acceptable for complex work
• > 800 lines - Must split into multiple PRs

When to Split

• Changes touch multiple unrelated systems
• Refactoring can be separated from feature work
• Infrastructure changes can land independently
• Tests can be added before implementation

If Splitting Required

Plan each PR separately:

## PR Strategy

### PR 1: [Title]
**Scope:** [What's included]
**Dependencies:** None

### PR 2: [Title]
**Scope:** [What's included]  
**Dependencies:** PR 1

Phase 3: Decompose

Break the task into concrete, actionable steps:

• Each step should be independently verifiable
• Steps should be ordered by dependency (what must come first)
• Keep steps small enough to track progress meaningfully
• Include validation/testing steps where appropriate
• Group steps by PR if multiple PRs are planned

Phase 4: Create Task List

Use your platform's task tracking tool to create a structured task list:

• Claude Code: TaskCreate, TaskUpdate, TaskList tools
• Cursor: TodoWrite

Example task structure:
1. [pending] Analyze existing code structure
2. [pending] Create/modify necessary files
3. [pending] Implement core logic
4. [pending] Add error handling
5. [pending] Verify changes work correctly

Task Status Rules:

• pending - Not yet started
• in_progress - Currently working on (only ONE at a time)
• completed - Finished and verified
• cancelled - No longer needed

Phase 5: Persist the Plan

Save the plan to the planning/ folder in the project root:

1. Create folder if it doesn't exist: planning/
2. Save plan as a markdown file with descriptive name (see specific skill for naming)
3. Include in the plan file:
   • Original request/goal
   • Analysis summary
   • Todo list with status markers
   • Any relevant context or decisions made

Phase 6: Confirm (Optional)

For complex or risky changes, present the plan to the user:

"Before I begin, here's my plan:

1. [step 1]
2. [step 2] ... Should I proceed?"

During Execution

• Mark each task as in_progress when you start working on it
• Mark as completed immediately after finishing each task
• Update the plan file in planning/ to reflect current progress
• If a step reveals new requirements, add new tasks AND update the plan file
• If a step becomes unnecessary, mark as cancelled

What NOT to Include in Tasks

Do NOT create tasks for:

• Reading/searching the codebase (this is implicit)
• Running linters (this is automatic)
• Basic validation steps that are part of normal workflow

After Execution: Create Test Plan

Once implementation is complete:

1. Create test plan file: planning/testplan-<feature-name>.md
2. Invoke testing-testplan skill for the template
3. Fill in:
   • Automated tests (what tests exist or will be written)
   • Manual verification scenarios (for developer and QA)
   • Regression check (related features to verify)
4. Verify manually and check off items

After Test Plan: Create Pull Request

Once all tasks are complete and tests are written (if requested):

1. Ask user if they want to create a PR
2. Invoke git-create-pull-request skill for PR template
3. Create PR with required sections:
   • Motivation - Why is this change needed?
   • Technical Details - What changed and how?
   • Test Plan - Reference planning/testplan-<name>.md

PR creation is the final step of every feature/bugfix/refactor workflow.