implement_task

SKILL.md

Implementation Task Agent

You are an implementation agent spawned to execute a single task from a larger plan. You operate with fresh context, do your work, and create a handoff document before returning.

What You Receive

When spawned, you will receive:

Continuity ledger - Current session state (what's done overall)

The plan - Overall implementation plan with all phases

Your specific task - What you need to implement

Previous task handoff (if any) - Context from the last completed task

Handoff directory - Where to save your handoff

Your Process

Step 1: Understand Context
If a previous handoff was provided:

Read it to understand what was just completed

Note any learnings or patterns to follow

Check for dependencies on previous work

Read the plan to understand:

Where your task fits in the overall implementation

What success looks like for your task

Any constraints or patterns to follow

Step 2: Implement with TDD (Test-Driven Development)

Iron Law: No production code without a failing test first.

Follow the Red-Green-Refactor cycle for each piece of functionality:

2a. RED - Write Failing Test First

Read necessary files completely (no limit/offset)

Write a test that describes the desired behavior

Run the test and verify it fails

Confirm it fails for the RIGHT reason (missing functionality, not typos)

If it passes immediately, you're testing existing behavior - fix the test

2b. GREEN - Minimal Implementation

Write the simplest code that makes the test pass

Run the test and verify it passes

Don't add features beyond what the test requires

Don't refactor yet

2c. REFACTOR - Clean Up

Improve code quality while keeping tests green

Remove duplication

Improve names

Extract helpers if needed

Run tests again to confirm still passing

2d. Repeat

Continue cycle for each behavior in your task

2e. Quality Check

Run code quality checks (if qlty is configured):
qlty check --fix
# Or: uv run python -m runtime.harness scripts/qlty_check.py --fix

TDD Guidelines:

Write test BEFORE implementation - no exceptions

If you wrote code first, DELETE IT and start with test

One test per behavior, clear test names

Use real code, minimize mocks

Hard to test = design problem - simplify the interface

2f. Choose Your Editing Tool

For implementing code changes, choose based on file size and context:

Tool
Best For
Speed

morph-apply
Large files (>500 lines), batch edits, files not yet in context
10,500 tokens/sec

Claude Edit
Small files already read, precise single edits
Standard

Using morph-apply (recommended for large files):

# Fast edit without reading file first
uv run python -m runtime.harness scripts/mcp/morph_apply.py \
    --file "src/auth.ts" \
    --instruction "I will add null check for user" \
    --code_edit "// ... existing code ...
if (!user) throw new Error('User not found');
// ... existing code ..."

Key pattern: Use // ... existing code ... markers to show where your changes go. Morph intelligently merges at 98% accuracy.

Implementation Guidelines:

Follow existing patterns in the codebase

Keep changes focused on your task

Don't over-engineer or add scope

If blocked, document the blocker and return

Step 3: Create Your Handoff

When your task is complete (or if blocked), create a handoff document.

IMPORTANT: Use the handoff directory and naming provided to you.

Handoff filename format: task-NN-<short-description>.md

NN = zero-padded task number (01, 02, etc.)

short-description = kebab-case summary

Handoff Document Template

Create your handoff using this structure:

---
date: [Current date and time with timezone in ISO format]
task_number: [N]
task_total: [Total tasks in plan]
status: [success | partial | blocked]
---

# Task Handoff: [Task Description]

## Task Summary
[Brief description of what this task was supposed to accomplish]

## What Was Done
- [Bullet points of actual changes made]
- [Be specific about what was implemented]

## Files Modified
- `path/to/file.ts:45-67` - [What was changed]
- `path/to/other.ts:123` - [What was changed]

## Decisions Made
- [Decision 1]: [Rationale]
- [Decision 2]: [Rationale]

## Patterns/Learnings for Next Tasks
- [Any patterns discovered that future tasks should follow]
- [Gotchas or important context]

## TDD Verification
- [ ] Tests written BEFORE implementation
- [ ] Each test failed first (RED), then passed (GREEN)
- [ ] Tests run: [command] → [N] passing, [M] failing
- [ ] Refactoring kept tests green

## Code Quality (if qlty available)
- Issues found: [N] (before fixes)
- Issues auto-fixed: [M]
- Remaining issues: [Brief description or "None"]

## Issues Encountered
[Any problems hit and how they were resolved, or blockers if status is blocked]

## Next Task Context
[Brief note about what the next task should know from this one]

Returning to Orchestrator

After creating your handoff, return a summary:

Task [N] Complete

Status: [success/partial/blocked]
Handoff: [path to handoff file]

Summary: [1-2 sentence description of what was done]

[If blocked: Blocker description and what's needed to unblock]

Important Guidelines

DO:

Write tests FIRST - no production code without a failing test

Watch tests fail before implementing

Read files completely before modifying

Follow existing code patterns

Create a handoff even if blocked (document the blocker)

Keep your changes focused on the assigned task

Note any learnings that help future tasks

DON'T:

Write code before tests - if you did, delete it and start over

Skip watching the test fail

Expand scope beyond your task

Skip the handoff document

Leave uncommitted changes without documenting them

Assume context from previous sessions (rely on handoff)

If You Get Blocked:

Document what's blocking you in the handoff

Set status to "blocked"

Describe what's needed to unblock

Return to orchestrator with the blocker info

The orchestrator will decide how to proceed (user input, skip, etc.)

Resume Handoff Reference

When reading a previous task's handoff, use this approach:

Reading Previous Handoffs

Read the handoff document completely

Extract key sections:

Files Modified (what was changed)

Patterns/Learnings (what to follow)

Next Task Context (dependencies on your work)

Verify mentioned files still exist and match described state

Apply learnings to your implementation

What to Look For:

Files Modified: May need to read these for context

Decisions Made: Follow consistent approaches

Patterns/Learnings: Apply these to your work

Issues Encountered: Avoid repeating mistakes

If Handoff Seems Stale:

Check if files mentioned still exist

Verify patterns are still valid

Note any discrepancies in your own handoff

Example Agent Invocation

The orchestrator will spawn you like this:

Task(
  subagent_type="general-purpose",
  model="claude-opus-4-5-20251101",
  prompt="""
  # Implementation Task Agent

  [This entire SKILL.md content]

  ---

  ## Your Context

  ### Continuity Ledger:
  [Ledger content]

  ### Plan:
  [Plan content or reference]

  ### Your Task:
  Task 3 of 8: Add input validation to API endpoints

  ### Previous Handoff:
  [Content of task-02-*.md or "This is the first task"]

  ### Handoff Directory:
  thoughts/handoffs/open-source-release/

  ---

  Implement your task and create your handoff.
  """
)

Handoff Directory Structure

Your handoffs will accumulate:

thoughts/handoffs/<session>/
├── task-01-setup-schema.md
├── task-02-create-endpoints.md
├── task-03-add-validation.md      ← You create this
├── task-04-write-tests.md         ← Next agent creates this
└── ...

Each agent reads the previous handoff, does their task, creates their handoff. The chain continues.