doc-tasks

Purpose

Create Task Breakdown (TASKS) - Layer 11 artifact in the SDD workflow that decomposes SPEC into actionable, AI-structured TODO tasks for implementation.

Layer: 11

Upstream: BRD (Layer 1), PRD (Layer 2), EARS (Layer 3), BDD (Layer 4), ADR (Layer 5), SYS (Layer 6), REQ (Layer 7), IMPL (Layer 8), CTR (Layer 9), SPEC (Layer 10)

Downstream Artifacts: Code (Layer 12)

Prerequisites

Upstream Artifact Verification (CRITICAL)

Before creating this document, you MUST:

List existing upstream artifacts:

ls docs/01_BRD/ docs/02_PRD/ docs/03_EARS/ docs/04_BDD/ docs/05_ADR/ docs/06_SYS/ docs/07_REQ/ 2>/dev/null

Reference only existing documents in traceability tags

Use null only when upstream artifact type genuinely doesn't exist

NEVER use placeholders like BRD-XXX or TBD

Do NOT create missing upstream artifacts - skip functionality instead

Before creating TASKS, read:

• Shared Standards: .claude/skills/doc-flow/SHARED_CONTENT.md

• Upstream SPEC: Read technical specifications (PRIMARY SOURCE)

• Template: ai_dev_flow/11_TASKS/TASKS-TEMPLATE.md

• Creation Rules: ai_dev_flow/11_TASKS/TASKS_CREATION_RULES.md

• Validation Rules: ai_dev_flow/11_TASKS/TASKS_VALIDATION_RULES.md

• Validation Script: ./ai_dev_flow/scripts/validate_tasks.sh

• Implementation Contracts Guide: ai_dev_flow/11_TASKS/IMPLEMENTATION_CONTRACTS_GUIDE.md

When to Use This Skill

Use doc-tasks when:

• Have completed BRD through SPEC (Layers 1-10)

• Ready to break down SPEC into actionable tasks

• Preparing for implementation planning (Layer 12)

• Need structured TODO format for AI agents

• You are at Layer 11 of the SDD workflow

Reserved ID Exemption (TASKS-00_*)

Scope: Documents with reserved ID 000 are FULLY EXEMPT from validation.

Pattern: TASKS-00_*.md

Document Types:

• Index documents (TASKS-00_index.md )

• Traceability matrix templates (TASKS-00_TRACEABILITY_MATRIX-TEMPLATE.md )

• Implementation contracts checklists (TASKS-00_IMPLEMENTATION_CONTRACTS_CHECKLIST.md )

• Glossaries, registries

Rationale: Reserved ID 000 documents are framework infrastructure (indexes, templates, reference materials), not project artifacts requiring traceability or quality gates.

Validation Behavior: Skip all checks when filename matches TASKS-00_* pattern.

Element ID Format (MANDATORY)

Pattern: TASKS.{DOC_NUM}.{ELEM_TYPE}.{SEQ} (4 segments, dot-separated)

Element Type Code Example

Task 18 TASKS.02.18.01

Task Item 30 TASKS.02.30.01

REMOVED PATTERNS - Do NOT use:

• TASK-XXX → Use TASKS.NN.18.SS

• T-XXX → Use TASKS.NN.18.SS

Reference: ID_NAMING_STANDARDS.md — Cross-Reference Link Format

Fix: Replace ### TASK-01: Implementation with ### TASKS.02.18.01: Implementation

TASKS-Specific Guidance

1. AI-Structured TODO Format

Purpose: Break SPEC into tasks consumable by AI coding agents

Format:

Tasks

Phase 1: Project Setup (3 tasks)

TASKS.01.18.01: Initialize Project Structure

• Action: Create directory structure per SPEC architecture
• Files to Create:
  • src/controllers/data_validation_controller.py
  • src/services/data_validator.py
  • src/repositories/data_repository.py
  • src/models/data_request.py
• Dependencies: None
• Estimated Effort: 30 minutes
• SPEC Reference: SPEC-01:implementation.modules
• Success Criteria: All directories and empty files created

TASKS.01.18.02: Set Up Development Environment

• Action: Configure Python environment and dependencies
• Files to Create: requirements.txt, pyproject.toml
• Dependencies: TASKS.01.18.01
• Estimated Effort: 1 hour
• SPEC Reference: SPEC-01:deployment.container
• Success Criteria: pip install -r requirements.txt succeeds

Phase 2: Data Models (2 tasks)

TASKS.01.18.03: Implement DataRequest Model

• Action: Create Pydantic model per CTR-01 schema
• Files to Modify: src/models/data_request.py
• Dependencies: TASKS.01.18.02
• Estimated Effort: 1 hour
• SPEC Reference: SPEC-01:interfaces.data_models
• CTR Reference: CTR-01#/components/schemas/DataRequest
• Success Criteria: Model validates per schema, unit tests pass

2. Required Sections

Document Control (MANDATORY - First section before all numbered sections)

Core Sections:

• Overview: Summary of task breakdown

• Task Hierarchy: Phases and task groups

• Tasks: Detailed task breakdown (primary content)

• Dependencies Graph: Visual task dependencies (Mermaid diagram)

• Effort Summary: Total effort by phase

• Traceability: Section 7 format with cumulative tags

• Implementation Contracts: Section 8 (MANDATORY) - Contracts provided/consumed

3. Task Numbering Format

Format: TASKS.{SPEC-ID}.18.{SEQ} (unified element ID format)

Example: TASKS.01.18.03 means:

• SPEC-01 (from SPEC-01_data_validation.yaml)

• Element type 18 (Task)

• Sequence 03 (third task in breakdown)

Benefits:

• Links task directly to SPEC

• Unique task IDs across project

• Easy to reference in commits

4. Task Fields (Required)

Each task MUST include:

• Task ID: TASKS.{SPEC-ID}.18.{SEQ}

• Title: Short description (5-10 words)

• Action: What to do (imperative form)

• Files to Create/Modify: Specific file paths

• Dependencies: Other TASK IDs (or "None")

• Estimated Effort: Time estimate

• SPEC Reference: Section in SPEC (e.g., SPEC-01:implementation.modules)

• Success Criteria: How to verify completion

• Optional: CTR Reference: Link to contract if applicable

5. Phase Organization

Typical Phases:

• Phase 1: Project Setup (infrastructure, environment)

• Phase 2: Data Models (schemas, models, validation)

• Phase 3: Business Logic (services, core algorithms)

• Phase 4: API Layer (controllers, endpoints)

• Phase 5: Error Handling (error codes, middleware)

• Phase 6: Configuration (env vars, feature flags)

• Phase 7: Testing (unit, integration, performance)

• Phase 8: Deployment (Docker, CI/CD, monitoring)

6. Dependencies Graph

Use Mermaid diagram ONLY (text-based diagrams prohibited per ai_dev_ssd_flow/DIAGRAM_STANDARDS.md ):

Dependencies Graph

graph TD
    T001[TASKS.01.18.01: Project Setup]
    T002[TASKS.01.18.02: Dev Environment]
    T003[TASKS.01.18.03: DataRequest Model]
    T004[TASKS.01.18.04: ValidationResponse Model]
    T005[TASKS.01.18.05: Data Repository]
    T006[TASKS.01.18.06: Data Validator Service]
    T007[TASKS.01.18.07: API Controller]

    T001 --> T002
    T002 --> T003
    T002 --> T004
    T002 --> T005
    T003 --> T006
    T004 --> T006
    T005 --> T006
    T006 --> T007

### 7. Effort Summary

**Format**:
```markdown
## Effort Summary

| Phase | Tasks | Total Effort |
|-------|-------|--------------|
| Phase 1: Project Setup | 2 | 1.5 hours |
| Phase 2: Data Models | 2 | 2 hours |
| Phase 3: Business Logic | 3 | 4 hours |
| Phase 4: API Layer | 1 | 1.5 hours |
| Phase 5: Error Handling | 2 | 2 hours |
| Phase 6: Configuration | 1 | 1 hour |
| Phase 7: Testing | 3 | 3 hours |
| Phase 8: Deployment | 2 | 2 hours |
| **TOTAL** | **16** | **17 hours** |

**Assumptions**:
- Developer familiar with Python and FastAPI
- PostgreSQL database already provisioned
- OAuth service already available

8. Implementation Contracts (MANDATORY)

Section 8 is required for ALL TASKS files. Implementation Contracts enable parallel development of dependent TASKS files.

Structure:

## 8. Implementation Contracts

### 8.1 Contracts Provided by This TASKS
@icon: TASKS-XXX:ContractName
@icon-role: provider

- **Contract Name**: [Interface name]
- **Type**: Protocol Interface | Exception Hierarchy | State Machine | Data Model | DI Interface
- **Consumers**: List of TASKS IDs that depend on this contract
- **Purpose**: Brief description

### 8.2 Contracts Consumed by This TASKS
@icon: TASKS-YYY:OtherContract
@icon-role: consumer

- **Provider**: TASKS-YYY
- **Contract Name**: [Interface name]
- **Purpose**: Why this TASKS needs this contract

### 8.3 No Contracts
If this TASKS provides no contracts and consumes no contracts, state explicitly:
"This TASKS document neither provides nor consumes implementation contracts."

When to Create Contracts:

- TASKS has 3+ downstream dependencies

- Shared interfaces across multiple implementation sessions

- Complex state machines or exception hierarchies

- Parallel development required

Contract Types:

- Protocol Interfaces: typing.Protocol
 with method signatures

- Exception Hierarchies: Typed exceptions with error codes

- State Machine Contracts: Enum
 states with valid transitions

- Data Models: Pydantic/TypedDict schemas

- DI Interfaces: ABC classes for dependency injection

Reference: See ai_dev_flow/11_TASKS/IMPLEMENTATION_CONTRACTS_GUIDE.md
 for detailed guidance.

Tag Format Convention (By Design)

The SDD framework uses two distinct notation systems for cross-references:

Notation
Format
Artifacts
Purpose

Dash
TYPE-NN
ADR, SPEC, CTR
Technical artifacts - references to files/documents

Dot
TYPE.NN.TT.SS
BRD, PRD, EARS, BDD, SYS, REQ, IMPL, TASKS
Hierarchical artifacts - references to elements inside documents

Key Distinction:

- @adr: ADR-033
 → Points to the document ADR-033_risk_limit_enforcement.md

- @brd: BRD.17.01.01
 → Points to element 01.01 inside document BRD-017.md

Unified Element ID Format (MANDATORY)

For hierarchical requirements (BRD, PRD, EARS, BDD, SYS, REQ):

- Always use: TYPE.NN.TT.SS
 (dot separator, 4-segment unified format)

- Never use: TYPE-NN:NNN
 (colon separator - DEPRECATED)

- Never use: TYPE.NN.TT
 (3-segment format - DEPRECATED)

Examples:

- @brd: BRD.17.01.01
 ✅

- @brd: BRD.017.001
 ❌ (old 3-segment format)

Cumulative Tagging Requirements

Layer 11 (TASKS): Must include tags from Layers 1-10

Tag Count: 8-10 tags (minimum 8, maximum 10)

Element Type Codes for Cumulative Tags

Artifact
Element Type
Code
Example

BRD
Business Requirement
01
BRD.01.01.03

PRD
Product Feature
07
PRD.01.07.02

EARS
Statement
25
EARS.01.25.01

BDD
Scenario
14
BDD.01.14.01

SYS
System Requirement
26
SYS.01.26.01

REQ
Atomic Requirement
27
REQ.01.27.01

IMPL
Implementation Phase
29
IMPL.01.29.01

Minimum (IMPL and CTR skipped):

## Traceability

**Required Tags** (Cumulative Tagging Hierarchy - Layer 11):
```markdown
@brd: BRD.01.01.03
@prd: PRD.01.07.02
@ears: EARS.01.25.01
@bdd: BDD.01.14.01
@adr: ADR-033, ADR-045
@sys: SYS.01.26.01
@req: REQ.01.27.01
@spec: SPEC-01

Maximum (IMPL, CTR, and ICON included):

@brd: BRD.01.01.03
@prd: PRD.01.07.02
@ears: EARS.01.25.01
@bdd: BDD.01.14.01
@adr: ADR-033, ADR-045
@sys: SYS.01.26.01
@req: REQ.01.27.01
@impl: IMPL.01.29.01
@ctr: CTR-01
@spec: SPEC-01
@icon: TASKS-01:DataValidator  # if providing or consuming implementation contracts
@icon-role: provider  # or consumer

Upstream/Downstream Artifacts

Upstream Sources:

- BRD (Layer 1) - Business requirements

- PRD (Layer 2) - Product features

- EARS (Layer 3) - Formal requirements

- BDD (Layer 4) - Test scenarios

- ADR (Layer 5) - Architecture decisions

- SYS (Layer 6) - System requirements

- REQ (Layer 7) - Atomic requirements

- IMPL (Layer 8) - Implementation approach (optional)

- CTR (Layer 9) - Data contracts (optional)

- SPEC (Layer 10) - Technical specifications (PRIMARY SOURCE)

Downstream Artifacts:

- Code (Layer 12) - Implementation code (created in src/
)

- Tests (Layer 13) - Test suites

Same-Type Document Relationships (conditional):

- @related-tasks: TASKS-NN
 - TASKS sharing implementation context

- @depends-tasks: TASKS-NN
 - TASKS that must be completed first

Validation Checks

Tier 1: Errors (Blocking)

Check
Description

CHECK 1
Filename format valid (TASKS-NN_slug_tasks.md)

CHECK 2
YAML frontmatter present with required fields

CHECK 3
Document Control table complete (8 fields)

CHECK 4
All 8 required sections present

CHECK 5
Section 8 (Implementation Contracts) exists with 8.1/8.2/8.3 subsection

CHECK 6
All 8 required traceability tags present

CHECK 7
Parent SPEC reference valid and file exists

CHECK 8
Element ID format compliance (TASKS.NN.TT.SS)

Tier 2: Warnings

Check
Description

CHECK W1
Scope section has exclusions documented

CHECK W2
Plan has at least 3 numbered steps

CHECK W3
SPEC line references present

CHECK W4
At least 3 acceptance criteria checkboxes

CHECK W5
BDD scenario reference in acceptance criteria

CHECK W6
@icon-role tag present if @icon tag used

Tier 3: Info

Check
Description

CHECK I1
Time estimates present in plan

CHECK I2
Optional @impl and @ctr tags present

CHECK I3
ICON references valid and files exist

Creation Process

Step 1: Read Upstream SPEC

Read SPEC (Layer 10) - technical specifications to decompose.

Step 2: Reserve ID Number

Check docs/11_TASKS/
 for next available ID number.

ID Numbering Convention: Start with 2 digits and expand only as needed.

- ✅ Correct: TASKS-01, TASKS-99, TASKS-102

- ❌ Incorrect: TASKS-001, TASKS-009 (extra leading zero not required)

ID Matching: TASKS ID typically matches SPEC ID (TASKS-01 from SPEC-01).

Step 3: Create TASKS File

Nested Folder Rule (MANDATORY): ALL TASKS documents MUST use nested folders regardless of document size.

File naming: docs/11_TASKS/TASKS-NN_{slug}/TASKS-NN_{slug}.md

Example: docs/11_TASKS/TASKS-01_data_validation/TASKS-01_data_validation.md

CRITICAL: Never create TASKS files directly in docs/11_TASKS/
 without a nested folder structure.

Step 4: Fill Document Control Section

Complete metadata and Document Revision History table.

Step 5: Write Overview

Summarize task breakdown approach.

Step 6: Define Phases

Organize tasks into logical phases (8 typical phases).

Step 7: Create Detailed Tasks

For each task in SPEC:

- Assign TASK ID (TASKS.{SPEC-ID}.18.{SEQ})

- Write clear Action (imperative)

- List Files to Create/Modify

- Identify Dependencies

- Estimate Effort

- Reference SPEC section

- Define Success Criteria

Step 8: Create Dependencies Graph

Use Mermaid diagram to visualize task dependencies.

Step 9: Calculate Effort Summary

Summarize total effort by phase.

Step 10: Add Cumulative Tags

Include all 8-10 upstream tags (@brd through @spec).

Step 11: Create/Update Traceability Matrix

MANDATORY: Update docs/TASKS/TASKS-00_TRACEABILITY_MATRIX.md

Step 12: Validate TASKS

./ai_dev_flow/scripts/validate_tasks.sh docs/TASKS/TASKS-01_*.md

python ai_dev_flow/scripts/validate_tags_against_docs.py --artifact TASKS-01 --expected-layers brd,prd,ears,bdd,adr,sys,req,impl,contracts,spec --strict

Step 13: Commit Changes

Commit TASKS file and traceability matrix.

Validation

Automated Validation

# Quality gates
./scripts/validate_quality_gates.sh docs/TASKS/TASKS-01_*.md

# Task format validation
./ai_dev_flow/scripts/validate_tasks.sh docs/TASKS/TASKS-01_*.md

# Cumulative tagging
python ai_dev_flow/scripts/validate_tags_against_docs.py \
  --artifact TASKS-01 \
  --expected-layers brd,prd,ears,bdd,adr,sys,req,impl,contracts,spec \
  --strict

Manual Checklist

-  Document Control section at top

-  Overview explains breakdown approach

-  Tasks organized into phases (8 typical phases)

-  Each task has TASKS.{SPEC-ID}.18.{SEQ} ID

-  Each task has all required fields

-  Dependencies identified (or "None")

-  Effort estimates provided

-  SPEC references included

-  Success Criteria clear and testable

-  Dependencies Graph (Mermaid diagram) created

-  Effort Summary calculated

-  Section 8 Implementation Contracts completed (provider/consumer/none)

-  Cumulative tags: @brd through @spec (8-10 tags) included

-  @icon
 tags added if providing/consuming contracts

-  Traceability matrix updated

Diagram Standards

All diagrams MUST use Mermaid syntax. Text-based diagrams (ASCII art, box drawings) are prohibited.
See: ai_dev_ssd_flow/DIAGRAM_STANDARDS.md
 and mermaid-gen
 skill.

Common Pitfalls

- Vague tasks: Tasks must be specific and actionable

- Missing dependencies: Must identify task dependencies

- No effort estimates: Effort required for planning

- Missing SPEC references: Each task must link to SPEC section

- No success criteria: Must define how to verify completion

- Missing cumulative tags: Layer 11 must include all 8-10 upstream tags

- Missing Section 8: Implementation Contracts section is MANDATORY

- Text-based diagrams: Use Mermaid ONLY for Dependencies Graph

- Legacy task IDs: Use TASKS.NN.18.SS, NOT TASK-XXX or T-XXX

Post-Creation Validation (MANDATORY - NO CONFIRMATION)

CRITICAL: Execute this validation loop IMMEDIATELY after document creation. Do NOT proceed to next document until validation passes.

Automatic Validation Loop

LOOP:
  1. Run: python ai_dev_flow/scripts/validate_cross_document.py --document {doc_path} --auto-fix
  2. IF errors fixed: GOTO LOOP (re-validate)
  3. IF warnings fixed: GOTO LOOP (re-validate)
  4. IF unfixable issues: Log for manual review, continue
  5. IF clean: Mark VALIDATED, proceed

Validation Command

# Per-document validation (Phase 1)
python ai_dev_flow/scripts/validate_cross_document.py --document docs/TASKS/TASKS-NN_slug.md --auto-fix

# Layer validation (Phase 2) - run when all TASKS documents complete
python ai_dev_flow/scripts/validate_cross_document.py --layer TASKS --auto-fix

Layer-Specific Upstream Requirements

This Layer
Required Upstream Tags
Count

TASKS (Layer 11)
@brd, @prd, @ears, @bdd, @adr, @sys, @req, @spec (+ @impl, @ctr if created)
8-10 tags

Auto-Fix Actions (No Confirmation Required)

Issue
Fix Action

Missing upstream tag
Add with upstream document reference

Invalid tag format
Correct to TYPE.NN.TT.SS (4-segment) or TYPE-NN format

Broken link
Recalculate path from current location

Missing traceability section
Insert from template

Validation Codes Reference

Code
Description
Severity

XDOC-001
Referenced requirement ID not found
ERROR

XDOC-002
Missing cumulative tag
ERROR

XDOC-003
Upstream document not found
ERROR

XDOC-006
Tag format invalid
ERROR

XDOC-007
Gap in cumulative tag chain
ERROR

XDOC-009
Missing traceability section
ERROR

Quality Gate

Blocking: YES - Cannot proceed to next document until Phase 1 validation passes with 0 errors.

Next Skill

After completing TASKS, proceed to implementation:

- Code (Layer 12) - Write implementation code

- Tests (Layer 13) - Create test suites

- Validation (Layer 14) - Run validation checks

Reference Documents

TASKS artifacts do not support REF documents. Reference documents are limited to BRD and ADR types only per the SDD framework.

For supplementary documentation needs, create:

- BRD-REF: Business context documentation

- ADR-REF: Task estimation guides, dependency analysis reports

Related Resources

- Template: ai_dev_flow/11_TASKS/TASKS-TEMPLATE.md
 (primary authority)

- TASKS Creation Rules: ai_dev_flow/11_TASKS/TASKS_CREATION_RULES.md

- TASKS Validation Rules: ai_dev_flow/11_TASKS/TASKS_VALIDATION_RULES.md

- TASKS README: ai_dev_flow/11_TASKS/README.md

- Shared Standards: .claude/skills/doc-flow/SHARED_CONTENT.md

Section Templates (for documents >25K tokens):

- Index template: ai_dev_flow/11_TASKS/TASKS-SECTION-0-TEMPLATE.md

- Content template: ai_dev_flow/11_TASKS/TASKS-SECTION-TEMPLATE.md

- Reference: ai_dev_flow/ID_NAMING_STANDARDS.md
 (Section-Based File Splitting)

Quick Reference

TASKS Purpose: Decompose SPEC into actionable AI-structured TODO tasks

Layer: 11

Element ID Format: TASKS.NN.18.SS

- Task = 18

- Task Item = 30

Removed Patterns: TASK-XXX, T-XXX

Tags Required: @brd through @spec (8-10 tags)

Format: AI-structured TODO with phases

Task ID Format: TASKS.{SPEC-ID}.18.{SEQ}

Required Task Fields:

- Task ID, Title, Action

- Files to Create/Modify

- Dependencies

- Estimated Effort

- SPEC Reference

- Success Criteria

Key Sections:

- Task Hierarchy (phases)

- Detailed Tasks (primary content)

- Dependencies Graph (Mermaid)

- Effort Summary

- Implementation Contracts (Section 8 - MANDATORY)

Next: Implementation (Code → Tests → Validation)

Version History

Version
Date
Changes
Author

1.0
2026-02-08
Initial skill definition with YAML frontmatter standardization
System