simple-task-management

Simple Task Management

Transform specification documents (PRDs, Technical Specifications, Design Documents) into structured task lists organized under named missions that can be executed systematically.

Core Workflow

1. Document Analysis

Parse the specification document to extract:

• Explicit requirements: Stated features, functionality, acceptance criteria
• Implicit requirements: Technical considerations, infrastructure needs, error handling
• Constraints: Technology choices, performance requirements, compatibility needs
• Scope boundaries: What is and isn't included in the specification

Read the source document thoroughly. Identify section headings, numbered requirements, user stories, acceptance criteria, and technical specifications. Note any cross-references between sections.

2. Task Decomposition

Break requirements into atomic tasks with these characteristics:

Characteristic	Description
Single responsibility	Each task addresses one specific piece of functionality
Independence	Tasks can be worked on without coordination where possible
Clear boundaries	Well-defined start and end conditions
Testable	Verifiable completion criteria exist

Decomposition process:

1. Identify each distinct requirement in the specification
2. Determine if the requirement is atomic or needs splitting
3. Create task entries with unique IDs (TASK-001, TASK-002, etc.)
4. Ensure each task maps to specific specification sections

3. Dependency Mapping

Identify blocking dependencies between tasks:

• Blocking dependencies: Task B cannot start until Task A completes

Populate the dependencies array with task IDs this task depends on. Calculate blocked_by (incomplete dependencies) and blocks (tasks depending on this one).

4. Priority Calculation

Score and prioritize tasks based on:

1. Dependency depth: Tasks unblocking many others rank higher
2. Complexity: Use T-shirt sizing (XS, S, M, L, XL)
3. Risk level: Higher uncertainty = higher priority (do risky things early)
4. Business value: When indicated in specification

Map to priority levels: critical, high, medium, low.

PRD Priority Mapping:

• P0 -> critical
• P1 -> high
• P2 -> medium
• P3 -> low

5. Acceptance Criteria

For each task, generate acceptance criteria:

• Specific conditions that must be true when complete
• Derived from the specification's acceptance criteria and user stories
• Each criterion should be independently verifiable

6. Execution Phases

Group tasks into phases based on dependency analysis:

• Phase 1: No blocking dependencies (can start immediately)
• Phase 2: Dependencies only on Phase 1 tasks
• Phase N: Dependencies satisfied by previous phases

Output Format

Generate task lists as JSON following the schema in references/task-schema.json.

Key structure:

{
  "mission": {
    "name": "Build User Authentication System",
    "metadata": {
      "source_document": "path/to/spec.md",
      "generated_at": "2024-01-15T10:30:00Z",
      "last_updated": "2024-01-15T10:30:00Z",
      "version": "1.0.0",
      "total_tasks": 12,
      "completion_percentage": 0
    },
    "tasks": [...],
    "execution_phases": [...]
  }
}

Storage Convention

Store task files at: missions/<mission-slug>/<project-name>.tasks.json

The mission slug is derived from the mission name:

• Convert to lowercase
• Replace spaces with hyphens
• Remove special characters

Example: "Build User Authentication" → missions/build-user-authentication/

Create the missions/<mission-slug>/ directory if it doesn't exist. Use the specification filename (without extension) as the project name, or derive from specification title.

Maintain version history by incrementing mission.metadata.version on updates.

Task Status Management

Track task lifecycle:

Status	Description
not_started	Task not yet begun
in_progress	Currently being worked on
blocked	Cannot proceed due to incomplete dependencies
complete	Task finished and verified

When marking a task complete:

1. Update status to "complete"
2. Recalculate blocked_by for all dependent tasks
3. Update completion_percentage in metadata
4. Suggest next best tasks based on updated state

Complexity Estimation

Use T-shirt sizing with these guidelines:

Size	Typical Scope
XS	Single function, simple change, < 20 lines
S	Single file, straightforward logic, 20-100 lines
M	Multiple files, moderate complexity, 100-300 lines
L	Multiple components, significant logic, 300-800 lines
XL	System-wide, complex integration, > 800 lines

Handling Ambiguity

When specifications are unclear:

1. Note assumptions in the task's notes field
2. Flag ambiguous requirements for human review
3. Create tasks for clarification if significant
4. Document which specification sections need clarification

Quick Reference

Generate command flow:

1. Accept mission name and specification document path
2. Read specification document
3. Extract requirements and structure
4. Decompose into atomic tasks
5. Map blocking dependencies
6. Calculate priorities and phases
7. Generate acceptance criteria
8. Write to missions/<mission-slug>/<project-name>.tasks.json

Next task selection criteria:

1. Status is "not_started"
2. No incomplete dependencies (blocked_by is empty)
3. Highest priority first
4. Lowest complexity as tiebreaker (quick wins)

Additional Resources

Reference Files

For the task list schema, consult:

• references/task-schema.json - JSON schema for task list format