Task Breakdown

Overview

Break down complex features into atomic, verifiable subtasks with dependency tracking. Each subtask gets its own JSON file with clear acceptance criteria and deliverables.

Announce at start: "I'm using the task-breakdown skill to create an execution plan for [feature]."

The Process

Step 1: Analyze Feature

Identify these elements:

• Core objective and scope
• Technical risks and dependencies
• Natural task boundaries
• Tasks that can run in parallel

Step 2: Create Task Plan

Write .tmp/tasks/{feature}/task.json:

{
  "id": "jwt-auth",
  "name": "JWT Authentication System",
  "status": "active",
  "objective": "Implement JWT-based authentication with refresh tokens",
  "context_files": [
    ".opencode/context/core/standards/code-quality.md",
    ".opencode/context/core/standards/security-patterns.md"
  ],
  "reference_files": [
    "src/middleware/auth.middleware.ts"
  ],
  "exit_criteria": [
    "All tests passing",
    "JWT tokens signed with RS256"
  ],
  "subtask_count": 3,
  "completed_count": 0,
  "created_at": "2026-02-16T02:00:00Z"
}

Rules:

• Feature ID: kebab-case
• Objective: max 200 chars
• context_files: standards/conventions ONLY
• reference_files: project source files ONLY
• Exit criteria: binary pass/fail

Step 3: Generate Subtasks

Write .tmp/tasks/{feature}/subtask_01.json, subtask_02.json, etc:

{
  "id": "jwt-auth-01",
  "seq": "01",
  "title": "Create JWT service with token generation",
  "status": "pending",
  "depends_on": [],
  "parallel": true,
  "suggested_agent": "CoderAgent",
  "context_files": [
    ".opencode/context/core/standards/security-patterns.md"
  ],
  "reference_files": [],
  "acceptance_criteria": [
    "JWT tokens signed with RS256 algorithm",
    "Access tokens expire in 15 minutes"
  ],
  "deliverables": [
    "src/auth/jwt.service.ts",
    "src/auth/jwt.service.test.ts"
  ]
}