bee:pre-dev-subtask-creation

Subtask Creation - Bite-Sized, Zero-Context Steps

Overview

Write comprehensive implementation subtasks assuming the engineer has zero context for our codebase. Each subtask breaks down into 2-5 minute steps following RED-GREEN-REFACTOR. Complete code, exact commands, explicit verification. DRY. YAGNI. TDD. Frequent commits.

Save subtasks to: docs/pre-dev/{feature-name}/subtasks/T-[task-id]/ST-[task-id]-[number]-[description].md

Foundational Principle

Every subtask must be completable by anyone with zero context about the system.

Requiring context creates bottlenecks, onboarding friction, and integration failures.

Subtasks answer: Exactly what to create/modify, with complete code and verification. Subtasks never answer: Why the system works this way (context is removed).

Bite-Sized Step Granularity

Each step is one action (2-5 minutes):

• "Write the failing test" - step
• "Run it to make sure it fails" - step
• "Implement the minimal code to make the test pass" - step
• "Run the tests and make sure they pass" - step
• "Commit" - step

Subtask Document Structure

Header (required):

Field	Content
Title	# ST-[task-id]-[number]: [Subtask Name]
Agent Note	> **For Agents:** REQUIRED SUB-SKILL: Use bee:executing-plans
Goal	One sentence describing what this builds
Prerequisites	Verification commands with expected output
Files	Create: exact/path, Modify: exact/path:lines, Test: tests/path

Step Structure (TDD Cycle):

Step	Content
Step 1: Write failing test	Complete test file with imports
Step 2: Run test to verify fail	Command + expected failure output
Step 3: Write minimal implementation	Complete implementation file
Step 4: Run test to verify pass	Command + expected success output
Step 5: Update exports (if needed)	Exact modification to index files
Step 6: Verify type checking	Command + expected output
Step 7: Commit	Exact git commands with message
Rollback	Exact commands to undo if issues

Explicit Rules

✅ DO Include in Subtasks

Exact file paths (absolute or from root), complete file contents (if creating), complete code snippets (if modifying), all imports and dependencies, step-by-step TDD cycle (numbered), verification commands (copy-pasteable), expected output (exact), rollback procedures (exact commands), prerequisites (what must exist first)

❌ NEVER Include in Subtasks

Placeholders: "...", "TODO", "implement here"; vague instructions: "update the service", "add validation"; assumptions: "assuming setup is done"; context requirements: "you need to understand X first"; incomplete code: "add the rest yourself"; missing imports: "import necessary packages"; undefined success: "make sure it works"; no verification: "test it manually"

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⛔ HARD GATE: Laravel Conventions in PHP Code Examples

MUST: For PHP projects, code examples use Laravel conventions instead of custom utilities.

See shared-patterns/code-example-standards.md for:

• Complete list of what Laravel provides
• Forbidden patterns (custom loggers, config loaders, HTTP helpers)
• Correct usage patterns with Laravel facades and helpers
• Anti-rationalization table

Quick Reference - DO NOT Create Custom:

Category	Use Laravel
Logging	Log::info(), Log::error() facades
Config	config('app.key'), env('KEY', default) helpers
HTTP Client	Http::get(), Http::post() facades
Validation	Form Request classes with rules() method
Database	Eloquent ORM, Query Builder

MUST NOT: Create custom logger wrapper, manual config loader, or raw curl helpers—use Laravel.

Additional Requirements:

• Use constructor injection, not new SomeClass() directly
• Use Eloquent ORM, not raw SQL queries
• Use Laravel's built-in helpers (config(), env(), etc.)
• Use Form Requests for validation, not manual validation

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Rationalization Table

Excuse	Reality
"The developer will figure out imports"	Imports are context. Provide them explicitly.
"TODO comments are fine for simple parts"	TODOs require decisions. Make them now.
"They'll know which service to update"	They won't. Specify the exact file path.
"The verification steps are obvious"	Obvious ≠ documented. Write exact commands.
"Rollback isn't needed for simple changes"	Simple changes fail too. Always provide rollback.
"This needs system understanding"	Then you haven't removed context. Simplify more.
"I'll provide the template, they fill it"	Templates are incomplete. Provide full code.
"The subtask description explains it"	Descriptions need interpretation. Give exact steps.
"They can look at similar code for reference"	That's context. Make subtask self-contained.
"This is too detailed, we're not that formal"	Detailed = parallelizable = faster. Be detailed.
"Steps are too small, feels like hand-holding"	Small steps = verifiable progress. Stay small.
"Custom logger is simpler for this example"	Examples teach patterns. Teach lib-commons.
"lib-commons import is too verbose"	Verbosity shows correct dependencies. Keep it.
"I'll use lib-commons in the real code"	Subtask is real code. Use lib-commons now.

Red Flags - STOP

If you catch yourself writing any of these in a subtask, STOP and rewrite:

• Code placeholders: ..., // TODO, // implement X here
• Vague file references: "the user service", "the auth module"
• Assumption phrases: "assuming you have", "make sure you"
• Incomplete imports: "import required packages"
• Missing paths: Not specifying where files go
• Undefined verification: "test that it works"
• Steps longer than 5 minutes
• Context dependencies: "you need to understand X"
• No TDD cycle in implementation steps
• Use Log::info() instead of custom function logInfo() (PHP)
• Use config() / env() helpers instead of scattered $_ENV['KEY'] (PHP)
• Use Laravel Http facades instead of custom function jsonResponse() (PHP)
• Check Laravel conventions first before creating files in utils/, helpers/ (PHP)

When you catch yourself: Expand the subtask until it's completely self-contained.

Gate 8 Validation Checklist

Category	Requirements
Atomicity	Each step 2-5 minutes; no system architecture understanding required; assignable to anyone
Completeness	All code provided in full; all file paths explicit; all imports listed; all prerequisites documented; TDD cycle followed
Verifiability	Test commands copy-pasteable; expected output exact; commands run from project root
Reversibility	Rollback commands provided; rollback doesn't require system knowledge

Gate Result: ✅ PASS → Ready for implementation | ⚠️ CONDITIONAL (add details) | ❌ FAIL (decompose further)

Confidence Scoring

Factor	Points	Criteria
Step Atomicity	0-30	All 2-5 minutes: 30, Most sized right: 20, Too large/vague: 10
Code Completeness	0-30	Zero placeholders: 30, Mostly complete: 15, Significant TODOs: 5
Context Independence	0-25	Anyone can execute: 25, Minor context: 15, Significant knowledge: 5
TDD Coverage	0-15	All RED-GREEN-REFACTOR: 15, Most have tests: 10, Limited: 5

Action: 80+ autonomous | 50-79 present options | <50 ask about structure

Execution Handoff

After creating subtasks, offer execution choice:

"Subtasks complete. Two execution options:

1. Subagent-Driven - Fresh subagent per subtask, review between, fast iteration → Use bee:subagent-driven-development
2. Parallel Session - New session with bee:executing-plans, batch with checkpoints → Use bee:executing-plans

Which approach?"

The Bottom Line

If you wrote a subtask with "TODO" or "..." or "add necessary imports", delete it and rewrite with complete code.

Subtasks are not instructions. Subtasks are complete, copy-pasteable implementations following TDD.

• "Add validation" is not a step. [Complete validation code with test] is a step.
• "Update the service" is not a step. [Exact file path + exact code changes with test] is a step.
• "Import necessary packages" is not a step. [Complete list of imports] is a step.

Every subtask must be completable by someone who:

• Just joined the team yesterday
• Has never seen the codebase before
• Doesn't know the business domain
• Won't ask questions (you're unavailable)
• Follows TDD religiously

If they can't complete it with zero questions while following RED-GREEN-REFACTOR, it's not atomic enough.

Remember: DRY. YAGNI. TDD. Frequent commits.

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Standards Loading (MANDATORY)

This skill creates implementation subtasks. While it does NOT require direct WebFetch of standards, subtasks MUST reference Laravel conventions for PHP projects.

For PHP projects: All code examples in subtasks MUST use Laravel conventions and dependency injection. See shared-patterns/code-example-standards.md for required patterns.

HARD GATE: Subtasks with raw $_ENV, custom logger wrappers, or direct new Service() instantiation are INVALID. Use Laravel conventions.

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Blocker Criteria - STOP and Report

Condition	Action	Severity
Tasks (Gate 7) not validated	STOP and complete Gate 7 first	CRITICAL
Subtask contains TODO or placeholder	STOP and expand with complete code	HIGH
Subtask requires context not provided	STOP and add missing context to subtask	HIGH
Step exceeds 5 minutes	STOP and break into smaller steps	MEDIUM
Missing TDD cycle (no RED phase)	STOP and add failing test first	HIGH
PHP subtask uses custom logger instead of Laravel Log facade	STOP and replace with Laravel conventions	HIGH

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Cannot Be Overridden

These requirements are NON-NEGOTIABLE:

• MUST NOT include placeholders (TODO, ..., "implement here")
• MUST NOT include vague instructions ("update the service")
• MUST provide complete file paths (absolute or from root)
• MUST provide all imports explicitly
• MUST follow TDD cycle: RED (failing test) → GREEN (implementation) → REFACTOR
• MUST include verification commands with expected output
• MUST include rollback procedures
• MUST use Laravel conventions for PHP code examples (no custom utility wrappers)

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Severity Calibration

Severity	Definition	Example
CRITICAL	Subtask cannot be executed	Missing prerequisite, no file paths
HIGH	Subtask requires interpretation	TODO placeholder, vague description
MEDIUM	Subtask quality degraded	Missing verification command
LOW	Minor documentation gaps	Rollback could be more detailed

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Pressure Resistance

User Says	Your Response
"Developer will figure out imports"	"Cannot assume imports. Imports ARE context. I'll provide explicit import statements."
"TODO comments are fine for simple parts"	"Cannot use TODOs. TODOs require decisions. I'll make those decisions now and provide complete code."
"Steps are too detailed, feels like hand-holding"	"Cannot reduce detail. Small steps = verifiable progress. Detail enables parallelization."
"Skip TDD for this simple change"	"Cannot skip TDD. Every subtask follows RED-GREEN-REFACTOR. I'll write the failing test first."
"Custom logger is simpler for this example"	"Cannot use custom logger. Subtasks teach patterns. lib-commons is the pattern."

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When This Skill Is Not Needed

• Small Track workflow (execute tasks directly without subtask breakdown)
• Tasks are simple enough without fine-grained breakdown
• Tasks (Gate 7) not yet validated (complete Gate 7 first)
• Implementation already in progress (use bee:executing-plans)
• Proof-of-concept work without formal process needs