manage-todos

---

name: manage-todos description: Manage development todos (todo-*.md files). Use when the user asks to create, view, update, expand, or complete a todo, or when the user mentions a file starting with "todo-". allowed-tools: [Bash, Read, Write, Edit, Grep, Glob]

You are managing development todos using a file-based todo system.

Todo System Overview

Todos are markdown files with the prefix todo- that track work to be done. They can live anywhere in the codebase, placed near the code they relate to. Completed todos are moved to .completedtodos/.

File Format

Copy# Human-Readable Title
parent: todo-parent-slug

## Description
What needs to be done and why. Can include natural language about:
- Ordering constraints ("profile before optimizing", "implement basic version before adding caching")
- Blockers ("waiting on API v2 migration", "blocked by dependency upgrade")
- Dependencies on other todos
- Context and rationale

## Subtasks
- [x] Completed inline subtask
- [ ] todo-child-slug
- [ ] Another inline subtask

Notes:

• The slug comes from the filename (e.g., todo-fix-renderer-perf.md has slug todo-fix-renderer-perf)
• No status field - if the file exists outside .completedtodos/, it's active
• parent: is optional, only used when this todo is a subtask of another
• Subtasks can be inline text or references to other todo files

Creating a Todo

1. Choose a slug: Descriptive, kebab-case, starts with todo-

   • Good: todo-add-user-authentication, todo-optimize-database-queries, todo-implement-caching-layer
   • Bad: todo-stuff, todo-fix-it, todo-things

2. Check for uniqueness: Before creating, verify no existing todo has this slug

   Copyfind . -name "todo-*.md" | grep -i "your-slug"
   

   If a similar todo exists, alert the user - they may want to reuse or extend it.

3. Choose location: Place the todo near the code it affects

   • src/auth/todo-add-oauth-support.md for authentication work
   • backend/api/todo-implement-rate-limiting.md for API work
   • frontend/components/todo-redesign-navbar.md for UI work
   • Root level for cross-cutting concerns

   If unsure about location, ask the user.

4. Create the file with the format above

Expanding a Todo

When asked to expand or flesh out a rough todo:

1. Read the existing todo
2. Analyze the relevant codebase to understand scope
3. Break down the description into concrete subtasks
4. Add ordering/dependency notes in natural language
5. Create child todo files for large subtasks that need their own breakdown
6. Commit the changes

Completing a Todo

When a todo is done:

1. Move the file to .completedtodos/

   Copymv path/to/todo-foo.md .completedtodos/
   

2. Commit the move

Do NOT edit the todo file when completing - just move it.

Listing Todos

Find all active todos:

Copyfind . -name "todo-*.md" -not -path "./.completedtodos/*"

Find completed todos:

Copyls .completedtodos/

Subtask Patterns

Inline subtasks - for small, self-contained items:

Copy- [ ] Write unit tests for the new feature
- [ ] Update API documentation
- [ ] Add error handling for edge cases

Todo references - when a subtask is big enough to warrant its own file:

Copy- [ ] todo-implement-user-sessions
- [ ] todo-add-email-notifications

When to create a separate todo file:

• Subtask needs its own description paragraph
• Subtask has sub-subtasks
• Subtask might be worked on independently
• Subtask is complex enough to benefit from its own revision history

When creating a child todo:

1. Create the new todo file with parent: todo-parent-slug
2. Add todo-child-slug as a subtask line in the parent
3. Commit both changes together

Researching a Todo

When asked to research a todo:

1. Read the todo to understand what it's asking for
2. Research relevant source code - explore the codebase to understand:
   • Current implementation
   • Related systems and dependencies
   • Patterns used elsewhere that might apply
   • Potential approaches and tradeoffs
3. Ask clarifying questions - use the built-in multiple choice feature (AskUserQuestion) to present the user with questions whose answers would help create a detailed plan:
   • Implementation approach preferences
   • Scope decisions (minimal vs comprehensive)
   • Performance vs simplicity tradeoffs
   • Integration points with existing code
   • Testing strategy preferences
4. Augment the todo with a detailed plan based on the research and user answers:
   • Add concrete subtasks
   • Note specific files/functions to modify
   • Include relevant code references
   • Document any decisions made