---

name: task-planning description: Plan operational tasks (docker, installs, organization) that skip TDD user-invocable: false model: opus allowed-tools: mcp__plugin_mermaid-collab_mermaid__*, Read, Glob, Grep

Task Planning Skill

Overview

The task-planning skill guides planning of operational tasks that don't require test-driven development. Unlike feature work (which goes through brainstorming → rough-draft → TDD), operational tasks follow a simpler path: brainstorming → task-planning → direct execution.

This skill is invoked internally by the collab workflow for items classified as "task" type (docker, installs, configuration, organization, cleanup, deployment).

When to Use

• After brainstorming completes for a "task" type work item
• For operational work that doesn't involve code implementation with tests
• When planning: docker container setup, library installations, folder organization, deployment procedures, cleanup tasks

Collab Session Required

This skill operates within an active collab session. It reads the current work item from the session's design document and updates it with planning phases.

Browser-Based Questions

When a collab session is active, use render_ui for all user interactions.

Component selection:

Example - Yes/No:

CopyTool: mcp__plugin_mermaid-collab_mermaid__render_ui
Args: {
  "project": "<cwd>",
  "session": "<session>",
  "ui": {
    "type": "Card",
    "props": { "title": "<question context>" },
    "children": [{ "type": "Markdown", "props": { "content": "<question>" } }],
    "actions": [
      { "id": "yes", "label": "Yes", "primary": true },
      { "id": "no", "label": "No" }
    ]
  },
  "blocking": true
}

Terminal prompts only when: No collab session exists (pre-session selection).

CopyCollab Session Structure:
.collab/[session-name]/
├── design.md                 (updated with Prerequisites/Steps/Verification)
├── collab-state.json        (contains currentItem reference)
└── context-snapshot.json    (saved at phase transitions)

The Process

Phase 1: Prerequisites

Identify what must exist before the task can start.

Steps:

1. Read the design.md file for the current work item
2. Ask: "What needs to exist before starting this task?"
   • Example: Docker installed, project repository cloned, user has admin access
3. For each prerequisite identified:
   • Document the prerequisite name
   • Document how to check if it exists
4. Ask: "Anything else that needs to exist?"
5. When user confirms prerequisites are complete, save snapshot and proceed to Steps phase

Snapshot Saving:

Copy// After each prerequisite documented, save to preserve context
Tool: mcp__plugin_mermaid-collab_mermaid__save_snapshot
Args: {
  "project": "<cwd>",
  "session": "<session-name>",
  "activeSkill": "task-planning",
  "currentStep": "prerequisites",
  "pendingQuestion": "Are there more prerequisites?",
  "inProgressItem": currentItem,
  "recentContext": []
}
// Note: version and timestamp are automatically added

Phase 2: Steps

Define the ordered sequence of commands/actions to complete the task.

Steps:

1. Ask: "What are the steps to complete this task?"
   • Example: Run docker build, deploy to staging, verify health checks
2. For each step identified:
   • Document the command or action to run
   • Document the expected outcome after running it
3. Order steps by dependency (what must run before what)
4. Ask: "Are there more steps?"
5. When user confirms steps are complete, save snapshot and proceed to Verification phase

Snapshot Saving:

Copy// After each step documented, save context
Tool: mcp__plugin_mermaid-collab_mermaid__save_snapshot
Args: {
  "project": "<cwd>",
  "session": "<session-name>",
  "activeSkill": "task-planning",
  "currentStep": "steps",
  "pendingQuestion": "Are there more steps?",
  "inProgressItem": currentItem,
  "recentContext": []
}
// Note: version and timestamp are automatically added

Phase 3: Verification

Define how to confirm the task completed successfully.

Steps:

1. Ask: "How will you verify this task succeeded?"
   • Example: Run health check endpoint, check container logs, verify files exist
2. Document verification commands/checks
3. Update the design.md with all three phases (Prerequisites, Steps, Verification)
4. Mark item as "task-planning" phase complete
5. Save final snapshot
6. Return to collab skill (indicate item is ready for executing-plans phase)

Snapshot Saving:

Copy// After verification documented and design.md updated
Tool: mcp__plugin_mermaid-collab_mermaid__save_snapshot
Args: {
  "project": "<cwd>",
  "session": "<session-name>",
  "activeSkill": "task-planning",
  "currentStep": "verification-complete",
  "pendingQuestion": null,
  "inProgressItem": currentItem,
  "recentContext": []
}
// Note: version and timestamp are automatically added

Integration

Called From

• collab skill (Step 4 routing): After brainstorming completes for task-type items

Routing Logic

CopyItem Type → Path
- "code" type  → brainstorming → rough-draft → test-driven-development → executing-plans
- "bugfix" type → systematic-debugging → executing-plans
- "task" type  → brainstorming → task-planning → executing-plans (NO TDD)

Next Skill

After task-planning completes:

• Invoke executing-plans skill with task type indicator
• executing-plans will skip test-driven-development for task items
• executing-plans will execute the commands and run verification checks

Design Document Format

The task-planning skill updates the work item in design.md with this structure:

Copy### Item N: [Task Name]
**Type:** task
**Status:** planning → executing
**Problem/Goal:** [Brief description]

**Approach:**
[Results from brainstorming]

**Prerequisites:**
- Prerequisite 1: how to check if it exists
- Prerequisite 2: how to check if it exists

**Steps:**
1. [Command/action] → Expected: [outcome]
2. [Command/action] → Expected: [outcome]
3. [Command/action] → Expected: [outcome]

**Verification:**
- Check 1: [verification command/check]
- Check 2: [verification command/check]

**Success Criteria:**
[From original brainstorming]

Context Preservation

This skill saves snapshots at key transitions to preserve planning progress if the session is compacted.

Snapshot Structure (returned by mcp__plugin_mermaid-collab_mermaid__load_snapshot):

Copy{
  "version": 1,
  "timestamp": "2025-01-21T14:30:00Z",
  "activeSkill": "task-planning",
  "currentStep": "prerequisites|steps|verification-complete",
  "pendingQuestion": "Are there more prerequisites?",
  "inProgressItem": { "id": "item-1", "name": "..." },
  "recentContext": []
}

Note: version and timestamp are automatically added by mcp__plugin_mermaid-collab_mermaid__save_snapshot.

When the collab session resumes after compaction:

1. collab skill reads context-snapshot.json
2. Restores the task-planning skill state
3. Resumes from pendingQuestion (continues the conversation)

Tools Available

• mcp__plugin_mermaid_collab_mermaid__* - Full access to mermaid-collab MCP for reading/updating design documents
• Read - Read files to understand task context
• Glob - Search for files related to the task
• Grep - Search file contents for relevant information