Process Inbox

Process pending items from 0-inbox/ and create appropriate KB artifacts.

Prerequisites

ALWAYS run /pmc:kb first to understand KB structure.

When to process:

• AFTER completing the primary directive (ticket, phase, or user request)
• NOT during the main workflow
• User explicitly asks to process inbox

---

Step 1: Check Inbox

Glob: .pmc/docs/0-inbox/*.md

If empty: Done - no pending items.

---

Step 2: Read Each Item

For each file in 0-inbox/:

Read: .pmc/docs/0-inbox/{filename}.md

Extract:

• Source: user, GitHub, Slack, etc.
• Content: What needs to be done
• Context: Any relevant background

---

Step 3: Assess Scope

Indicators	Scope	Action
Single file, clear fix	Small	Create single ticket
Multiple files, one session	Medium	Create single ticket
Multiple components, sessions	Large	Create PRD + phase
Feature request, unclear scope	Large	Create PRD, plan phases
Needs clarification	Unknown	Leave in inbox, ask user

Scope Decision Guide

Small (Single Ticket):

• Affects 1-3 files
• Clear scope and solution
• Can complete in one session
• Bug fix, typo, config change

Medium (Single Ticket, More Work):

• Affects multiple files
• Clear scope
• One session, but substantial work
• Add feature to existing component

Large (PRD + Phase):

• Multiple components affected
• Needs architectural decisions
• Will take multiple sessions
• New feature, major refactor

---

Step 4: Create Artifacts

For Small/Medium → Single Ticket

1. Get next ticket number:

   Glob: .pmc/docs/tickets/T*/
   Glob: .pmc/docs/tickets/archive/T*/
   

   Find highest, add 1.

2. Create ticket directory:

   .pmc/docs/tickets/T0000N/
   ├── 1-definition.md
   ├── 2-plan.md
   ├── 3-spec.md
   └── 4-progress.md (Status: PLANNED)
   

3. Add to index.md:

   T0000N Brief Title
   

4. Add to roadmap.md:

   ## Next
   
   - [ ] T0000N: {Brief description}
   

5. For GitHub issues, include reference: In 4-progress.md frontmatter:

   T0000N|PLANNED|Brief Title|GH#42, pending implementation
   

For Large → PRD + Phase

1. Create PRD:

   .pmc/docs/1-prd/feat-{name}.md
   

2. Plan phase in roadmap:

   ## Next
   
   ### feat-{name}: Phase 1 - {Description}
   - [ ] T0000X: {ticket 1}
   - [ ] T0000Y: {ticket 2}
   - [ ] T0000Z: Phase 1 E2E
   

3. Create first ticket (as above)

For Unknown → Ask User

Keep item in inbox, ask clarifying questions:

## Inbox Item Needs Clarification

**Item:** {filename}
**Source:** {source}
**Content:** {brief summary}

**Questions:**
1. {What needs to be clarified}
2. {Scope question}

---

Step 5: Remove Processed Items

After creating artifacts:

rm .pmc/docs/0-inbox/{filename}.md

Only remove AFTER artifacts are created and added to index/roadmap.

---

Step 6: Commit

git add .pmc/docs/
git commit -m "Inbox: process {N} items"

---

GitHub Issue Handling

GitHub issues arrive via inbox. Special handling:

1. Create ticket with issue number reference
2. Track in 4-progress.md frontmatter:

   T0000N|PLANNED|Fix login bug|GH#42, pending implementation
   

3. Add to References section in 4-progress.md:

   ## References
   
   - GitHub: #42
   

This maintains traceability between KB tickets and GitHub issues.

---

Inbox Item Format

Items in 0-inbox/ are free-form. Common patterns:

User Message

# Feature Request: Dark Mode

Source: user
Date: 2024-01-15

User wants dark mode toggle in settings.
Should remember preference across sessions.

GitHub Issue

# GH#42: Login fails on mobile

Source: GitHub
Date: 2024-01-15

Login button doesn't respond on iOS Safari.
See issue for screenshots and reproduction steps.

Slack Message

# Performance issue in search

Source: Slack (#dev-alerts)
Date: 2024-01-15

Search taking 10+ seconds on large datasets.
Noticed by @alice during demo.

---

Checklist

Before Processing

• Primary work complete
• /pmc:kb run (understand structure)

Per Item

• Read and understand content
• Assess scope (small/medium/large/unknown)
• Create appropriate artifacts
• Add to index.md (if ticket)
• Add to roadmap.md
• Track GitHub issue # if applicable
• Remove from inbox

After Processing

• All items processed or clarification requested
• Artifacts committed

---

Example Run

$ /pmc:inbox

## Processing Inbox

### Checking .pmc/docs/0-inbox/
Found 3 items:
- feature-dark-mode.md
- gh-42-login-bug.md
- performance-search.md

---

### Item 1: feature-dark-mode.md

**Source:** user
**Content:** Dark mode toggle in settings

**Assessment:** Medium scope - affects settings UI, theme system
**Action:** Create ticket T00025

Created:
- .pmc/docs/tickets/T00025/1-definition.md
- Added to index.md: T00025 Add dark mode toggle
- Added to roadmap.md: Next section

Removed: feature-dark-mode.md

---

### Item 2: gh-42-login-bug.md

**Source:** GitHub issue #42
**Content:** Login fails on iOS Safari

**Assessment:** Small scope - likely CSS/JS fix
**Action:** Create ticket T00026

Created:
- .pmc/docs/tickets/T00026/1-definition.md
- 4-progress.md: T00026|PLANNED|Fix iOS login|GH#42
- Added to index.md
- Added to roadmap.md

Removed: gh-42-login-bug.md

---

### Item 3: performance-search.md

**Source:** Slack
**Content:** Search taking 10+ seconds

**Assessment:** Unknown - needs investigation
**Action:** Leave in inbox, ask user

**Questions:**
1. What dataset sizes are affected?
2. Is this blocking users or internal only?
3. Priority relative to other work?

---

## Summary

- Processed: 2 items → 2 tickets (T00025, T00026)
- Pending: 1 item (needs clarification)

Committed: "Inbox: process 2 items"