plan

ADD Plan Skill v0.11.0

Create a detailed implementation plan from a feature specification. This skill analyzes acceptance criteria, breaks down work into manageable tasks, identifies parallelizable work, and estimates effort.

Overview

The Plan skill transforms a specification into an actionable implementation roadmap. It produces a plan document (docs/plans/{feature}-plan.md) that guides development work and enables:

• Task breakdown and prioritization
• Effort estimation
• Dependency identification
• Parallelization opportunities
• Risk assessment
• Resource allocation

The plan bridges the gap between "what to build" (spec) and "how to build it" (implementation).

Pre-Flight Checks

1. Verify spec exists and is complete

   • Read spec file from argument
   • Verify YAML frontmatter is valid
   • Extract feature name, version, status
   • Verify acceptance criteria are defined
   • Verify user test cases are defined (if applicable)

2. Load project configuration

   • Read .add/config.json
   • Load team size (solo, small, large)
   • Load tech stack
   • Load constraints (timeline, budget, etc.)
   • Load parallelization preferences

3. Analyze dependencies

   • Identify upstream work needed
   • Check for blockers
   • Identify integration points

4. Check for existing plan

   • Look for docs/plans/{feature}-plan.md
   • If exists, ask user: overwrite or update?
   • Preserve previous efforts if updating

5. Check for session handoff — per the Session-Handoff Preflight in ${CLAUDE_PLUGIN_ROOT}/references/skill-epilogue.md

Execution Steps

Step 1: Analyze Acceptance Criteria

For each acceptance criterion:

1. Understand the requirement

   • Read AC text carefully
   • Identify what "done" means
   • Note any explicit constraints

2. Decompose into tasks

   • What code needs to be written?
   • What tests need to be written?
   • What configuration changes?
   • What documentation?
   • What other work (DB migrations, etc.)?

3. Categorize by type

   • Core feature code
   • Test code
   • Configuration
   • Documentation
   • Infrastructure

4. Estimate complexity

   • Simple: straightforward, no unknowns
   • Medium: some complexity, minor unknowns
   • Complex: significant work, unknowns

Example analysis:

AC-001: User can submit form with valid data

Tasks:
1. Design form component API (complexity: simple)
2. Write form component HTML/markup (complexity: simple)
3. Add form validation logic (complexity: medium)
4. Connect to API endpoint (complexity: medium)
5. Handle submission success/error (complexity: simple)
6. Write tests for validation (complexity: simple)
7. Write tests for API integration (complexity: medium)
8. Write tests for error handling (complexity: simple)
9. Document form API in README (complexity: simple)

Dependencies:
- Depends on API endpoint being ready
- Depends on design approval

Risks:
- API contract may change
- Validation rules may evolve

Step 2: Create Task List

Organize tasks in logical sequence:

1. Group by phase

   • Phase 0: Preparation (setup, planning)
   • Phase 1: Core implementation (main code)
   • Phase 2: Testing (test code)
   • Phase 3: Integration (wire-up)
   • Phase 4: Polish (documentation, refactoring)

2. Order by dependencies

   • Tasks with no dependencies first
   • Tasks that depend on outputs of previous tasks
   • Identify blocking dependencies

3. Assign IDs

   • Use format: TASK-NNN
   • Link to ACs: TASK-001 (AC-001)
   • Track in plan

4. Estimate effort

   • Time estimate: 30min, 1h, 2h, 4h, 1d, etc.
   • Add contingency (10-20% for unknowns)
   • Total per phase

Example task breakdown:

Phase 1: Core Implementation
- TASK-001 (AC-001): Design form component API - 30min
  Dependencies: Design review

- TASK-002 (AC-001): Build form HTML/markup - 1h
  Dependencies: TASK-001

- TASK-003 (AC-001): Add validation logic - 2h
  Dependencies: TASK-001, specifications defined

- TASK-004 (AC-001): Integration with API - 2h
  Dependencies: TASK-001, API endpoint exists

Phase 2: Testing
- TASK-005 (AC-001): Tests for validation - 1h
  Dependencies: TASK-003

- TASK-006 (AC-001): Tests for API integration - 2h
  Dependencies: TASK-004, test infrastructure

- TASK-007 (AC-001): Tests for error handling - 1h
  Dependencies: TASK-004

Phase 3: Documentation
- TASK-008 (AC-001): Document form API - 30min
  Dependencies: TASK-001, TASK-004

Step 3: Identify Parallelizable Work

Analyze which tasks can run in parallel:

1. Find independent task chains

   • Which tasks have no common dependencies?
   • Which can start while others are in progress?

2. Group by parallelization

   Sequential (must run in order):
   - TASK-001 → TASK-002 → TASK-003 → TASK-004
   
   Can parallelize:
   - TASK-005 (tests) can start after TASK-003
   - TASK-006 (API tests) can start after TASK-004
   - TASK-008 (docs) can start after TASK-001
   
   Optimal schedule for 2 developers:
   Dev 1: TASK-001 → TASK-002 → TASK-003 → TASK-005
   Dev 2: [wait] → [wait] → TASK-004 → TASK-006 → TASK-008
   

3. Note team size constraints

   • Solo: Sequential only
   • 2-3 people: Some parallelization
   • Larger team: More parallelization

Step 4: Risk Assessment

Identify potential risks:

1. Technical risks

   • Unknown technologies
   • Complex integrations
   • Performance concerns
   • Browser/platform compatibility

2. Dependency risks

   • External system dependencies
   • Third-party API changes
   • Resource constraints

3. Scope risks

   • Requirements clarity
   • Feature creep potential
   • Scope boundary issues

4. Timeline risks

   • Optimistic estimates
   • Unknown unknowns
   • Rework potential

Example:

Risk: Form validation may have complex edge cases
- Probability: Medium (forms often have edge cases)
- Impact: High (affects user experience)
- Mitigation: Plan extra time for edge case testing, get spec clarity early

Risk: API endpoint not ready when form code is done
- Probability: Medium (API may slip)
- Impact: Medium (can mock API for testing)
- Mitigation: Start with mocked API, parallelize API development

Risk: Browser compatibility issues
- Probability: Low (using standard web APIs)
- Impact: Medium (affects supported browsers)
- Mitigation: Test on target browsers early

Step 5: Create Plan Document

Write comprehensive plan to docs/plans/{feature}-plan.md:

# Implementation Plan: {Feature Name}

**Spec Version**: {version}
**Created**: {date}
**Team Size**: Solo / 2-3 / {N}
**Estimated Duration**: {X days/weeks}

## Overview

{1-2 sentence summary of what will be built}

## Objectives

- [Objective 1]
- [Objective 2]
- [Objective 3]

## Success Criteria

- All acceptance criteria implemented and tested
- Code coverage >= 80%
- All quality gates passing
- Zero high-priority bugs
- Documentation complete

## Acceptance Criteria Analysis

### AC-001: {description}
- **Complexity**: Medium
- **Effort Estimate**: 5 hours
- **Tasks**:
  - TASK-001: Subtask A
  - TASK-002: Subtask B
  - TASK-003: Subtask C
- **Dependencies**: Design approval, API contract
- **Risks**: [any specific risks]
- **Testing Strategy**: Unit + integration tests

### AC-002: {description}
[... similar analysis]

## Implementation Phases

### Phase 0: Preparation (1 day)
Preparation work before main development starts.

| Task ID | Description | Effort | Dependencies | Owner |
|---------|-------------|--------|--------------|-------|
| TASK-001 | Review spec and get clarification | 2h | Spec complete | Dev 1 |
| TASK-002 | Set up development environment | 2h | - | Dev 1 |
| TASK-003 | Create test fixtures and mocks | 3h | TASK-001 | Dev 2 |

**Phase Duration**: 1 day
**Blockers**: None identified

### Phase 1: Core Implementation (2-3 days)
Main feature development.

| Task ID | Description | Effort | Dependencies | Owner |
|---------|-------------|--------|--------------|-------|
| TASK-004 | Form component structure | 2h | TASK-001 | Dev 1 |
| TASK-005 | Form validation logic | 4h | TASK-004 | Dev 1 |
| TASK-006 | API integration | 3h | TASK-001, API contract | Dev 2 |
| TASK-007 | Error handling | 2h | TASK-005, TASK-006 | Dev 2 |

**Phase Duration**: 3 days (with Dev 1 and Dev 2 parallelization)
**Blockers**: API contract must be finalized

### Phase 2: Testing (1-2 days)
Comprehensive test coverage.

| Task ID | Description | Effort | Dependencies | Owner |
|---------|-------------|--------|--------------|-------|
| TASK-008 | Unit tests for validation | 3h | TASK-005 | Dev 1 |
| TASK-009 | Unit tests for API integration | 3h | TASK-006 | Dev 2 |
| TASK-010 | Integration tests | 4h | TASK-005, TASK-006 | Dev 1 & 2 |
| TASK-011 | Edge case testing | 2h | TASK-010 | Dev 2 |

**Phase Duration**: 2 days
**Blockers**: Implementation must be complete

### Phase 3: Integration & Polish (1 day)
Final touches before merge.

| Task ID | Description | Effort | Dependencies | Owner |
|---------|-------------|--------|--------------|-------|
| TASK-012 | Code review & refactoring | 3h | Phase 2 complete | Dev 1 & 2 |
| TASK-013 | Documentation | 2h | Phase 1 complete | Dev 1 |
| TASK-014 | Final QA | 2h | Phase 3 in progress | Dev 2 |

**Phase Duration**: 1 day

## Effort Summary

| Phase | Estimated Hours | Days (1 dev) | Days (2 devs) |
|-------|-----------------|--------------|---------------|
| Phase 0 | 7 | 1 | 0.5 |
| Phase 1 | 11 | 2 | 1.5 |
| Phase 2 | 12 | 2 | 1.5 |
| Phase 3 | 7 | 1 | 0.5 |
| **Total** | **37** | **6** | **4** |

## Dependencies

### External Dependencies
- API endpoint must be ready by Phase 1
- Design approval by Phase 0

### Internal Dependencies
- No upstream work required
- No blocking existing issues

## Parallelization Strategy

With 2 developers:

Day 1: Dev 1: TASK-001, TASK-004 Dev 2: TASK-002, TASK-003

Day 2: Dev 1: TASK-005, TASK-008 Dev 2: TASK-006, TASK-007

Day 3: Dev 1: TASK-010 (collaborative) Dev 2: TASK-009, TASK-011

Day 4: Dev 1 & 2: TASK-012 (collaborative), TASK-013, TASK-014

Total estimated time with 2 devs: **4 days**

## Risk Assessment

| Risk | Probability | Impact | Mitigation |
|------|-------------|--------|-----------|
| API contract changes | Medium | Medium | Mock API first, plan for changes |
| Edge case bugs | Medium | Medium | Allocate time for edge case testing |
| Rework due to requirements | Low | High | Get spec clarity upfront (TASK-001) |
| Team member unavailable | Low | High | Document decisions, pair program |

## Testing Strategy

1. **Unit Tests** (Phase 2)
   - Validation logic: 100% coverage target
   - API integration: 90% coverage target
   - Error handling: 100% coverage target

2. **Integration Tests** (Phase 2)
   - Form submission flow
   - API error handling
   - Success/error messaging

3. **Manual Testing** (Phase 3)
   - Cross-browser testing (Chrome, Firefox, Safari, Edge)
   - Mobile responsiveness
   - Accessibility checks

4. **Quality Gates** (Phase 3)
   - Coverage >= 80%
   - All tests passing
   - Lint/type checks passing
   - Spec compliance verified

## Deliverables

### Code
- Form component (src/components/Form.tsx)
- Validation module (src/validation.ts)
- API integration (src/api/submit.ts)

### Tests
- Unit tests (tests/validation.test.ts, tests/api.test.ts)
- Integration tests (tests/integration/form-submission.test.ts)

### Documentation
- Component API docs (README.md)
- Test coverage report
- Implementation notes

## Success Metrics

- [ ] All 5 acceptance criteria implemented
- [ ] 32+ tests written and passing
- [ ] Code coverage >= 80%
- [ ] Zero outstanding bugs
- [ ] All quality gates passing
- [ ] Deployment to staging successful
- [ ] All team members understand the code

## Next Steps

1. Get stakeholder approval of this plan
2. Brief team on schedule and dependencies
3. Begin Phase 0: Preparation
4. Track actual time against estimates
5. Adjust plan if blockers arise
6. Daily standup on progress and blockers

## Plan History

- 2025-02-07: Initial plan created

Output Format

Upon completion, output:

# Plan Created Successfully ✓

## Feature
{feature-name} v{spec-version}

## Plan Summary
- Total Effort: {hours} hours
- Timeline: {days} days (1 dev) / {days} days (2 devs)
- Phases: 4
- Tasks: {count}
- Parallelizable Tasks: {count}

## Key Metrics
- Average Task Size: {hours}h
- Longest Critical Path: {hours}h
- Estimated Completion: {date}

## Risks Identified
- {risk-count} risks assessed
- Highest: {risk-name}
- Mitigation: [brief summary]

## Plan Location
docs/plans/{feature}-plan.md

## Next Steps
1. Review and approve plan
2. Assign team members to phases
3. Begin Phase 0: Preparation
4. Schedule daily standup
5. Run /add:tdd-cycle to execute plan

Progress Tracking

Tasks to create (mechanics per ${CLAUDE_PLUGIN_ROOT}/references/skill-epilogue.md):

Phase	Subject	activeForm
Read spec	Reading feature spec	Reading feature spec...
Architecture	Analyzing architecture	Analyzing architecture...
Tasks	Identifying and breaking down tasks	Identifying tasks...
Estimation	Estimating effort and timeline	Estimating effort...
Write plan	Writing plan document	Writing plan document...

Error Handling

Spec is incomplete

• Halt planning
• Report missing information
• Ask user to complete spec before planning

Cannot parse acceptance criteria

• Report which AC is unparseable
• Show the problematic text
• Ask user to reformat AC

No configuration available

• Use sensible defaults (team size: solo)
• Report defaults used
• Continue planning

Integration with Other Skills

• Spec (input) comes from specs/{feature}.md
• Plan (output) guides /add:tdd-cycle execution
• Effort estimates inform scheduling
• Risk assessment informs quality gate thresholds
• Task breakdown guides parallel work dispatch

Configuration in .add/config.json

{
  "plan": {
    "effortMultiplier": 1.2,
    "contingency": 0.15,
    "teamSize": "solo",
    "phasesEnabled": ["prep", "impl", "test", "polish"]
  }
}

Plan Review Checklist

Before finalizing plan, verify:

• [ ] All ACs are addressed by tasks
• [ ] All tasks have effort estimates
• [ ] Dependencies are clearly marked
• [ ] Parallelization is identified
• [ ] Risks are documented
• [ ] Testing strategy is clear
• [ ] Deliverables are listed
• [ ] Success criteria are measurable

End-of-skill epilogue: follow ${CLAUDE_PLUGIN_ROOT}/references/skill-epilogue.md (observation + learning checkpoint + progress tracking).