Getting Started with Skills

Skill Discovery

Before starting any task, check if a skill exists for that task type:

Task Type	Skill
New feature, bug fix, behavior change	test-driven-development
Bug, test failure, unexpected behavior	systematic-debugging
Deep call stack errors	root-cause-tracing
Flaky tests, race conditions	condition-based-waiting
Claiming work is done	verification-before-completion
Code review feedback received	receiving-code-review
Bug fix validation layers	defense-in-depth
Architecture, file organization	pragmatic-architecture
Test quality review	testing-anti-patterns
Git worktree operations	simple-git-worktrees
Branch completion, merge/PR	finishing-a-development-branch

If a skill matches: load it with the Skill tool, then follow it.

Skill Priority

When multiple skills apply:

1. Process skills first — determine HOW to approach (debugging, brainstorming)
2. Implementation skills second — guide execution (TDD, architecture)
3. Verification skills last — confirm results (verification-before-completion)

Examples:

• "Build X" → brainstorming first, then TDD
• "Fix bug" → systematic-debugging first, then TDD for the fix
• "Add feature" → TDD (implementation is the process)

Skill Types

Rigid (TDD, debugging, verification): Follow exactly. The structure IS the value.

Flexible (architecture, brainstorming): Adapt principles to context.

Checklists

If a skill contains a checklist, create tasks using TaskCreate for each step. Mental tracking leads to skipped steps.

Reference

See references/skill-integration.md for decision trees and skill chains.

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Planning Workflows

Plugin Commands (Recommended)

/dev-workflow:brainstorm → /dev-workflow:write-plan → /dev-workflow:execute-plan

• Plans persist to docs/plans/ (version controlled, reviewable)
• Parallel execution via Task(run_in_background) + TaskOutput
• Dependency tracking via addBlockedBy
• Post-completion: code review + finish branch enforced
• Resume: TaskList tracks progress

How Parallel Execution Works

1. Create tasks with TaskCreate, express dependencies via addBlockedBy
2. For each round of unblocked tasks:
   • Launch with Task(run_in_background: true)
   • Collect with TaskOutput(block: true)
   • Mark completed with TaskUpdate
3. Proceed to post-completion actions

When to Use EnterPlanMode Directly

Use EnterPlanMode without plugin commands for:

• Quick prototyping (plan doesn't need to persist)
• Simple 1-3 task features
• Interactive planning

For features needing plan persistence, code review, and resume capability, use the plugin commands flow.

Executing Existing Plans

1. Read and validate the plan file
2. Choose sequential or parallel execution
3. After all tasks: code review → receiving-code-review → finishing-a-development-branch