Implementation Plan Progress

Implementation Plan Progress

Overview

Produce two synchronized artifacts in the project root:

• IMPLEMENTATION_PLAN.md (or a clearly named variant)
• progress.txt with checkbox-style execution tracking mapped to plan phases

Keep scope grounded in repository evidence and the user-provided spec/idea. Prefer explicit unknowns over invented details.

Workflow

1. Gather context quickly

• Read existing README*, planning docs, and any progress.txt.
• Scan the codebase to identify shipped capabilities and obvious gaps.
• If an external idea/spec is provided but unavailable, state that and proceed from local evidence.

2. Choose plan mode

• Greenfield mode: no meaningful implementation exists; create full phased plan from zero.
• Gap mode: implementation exists; create "missing work" plan comparing current baseline to target scope.

3. Write the plan document

• Use the output contract in references/output-contract.md.
• Include:
  • objective and scope boundaries
  • current baseline (for gap mode)
  • phased milestones with goals, deliverables, dependencies, risks, acceptance criteria
  • explicit "deferred/out of scope" section
  • next concrete steps

4. Create or update progress.txt

• Use scripts/init_progress_txt.sh <plan-file> [progress-file].
• Ensure each phase has:
  • phase-level checkbox line
  • numbered sub-steps using consistent IDs (1.1, 1.2, etc.)
• Preserve completed items when updating existing progress files.

5. Validate coherence

• Every progress item must map to a plan phase.
• Avoid vague tasks ("improve app"). Use concrete deliverables.
• Ensure ordering is executable by another LLM with minimal clarification.

Output Rules

• Prefer filename IMPLEMENTATION_PLAN.md for primary plans.
• For gap-focused work, use a specific name such as *_MISSING_IMPLEMENTATION_PLAN.md.
• Keep claims tied to visible code/docs; mark uncertain facts as unknown.
• Write actionable tasks, not narrative-only prose.
• Keep progress format plain text (ASCII checkboxes: [ ], [x]).

Resources

scripts/init_progress_txt.sh

Generate an initial or merged progress.txt from plan phase headings.

references/output-contract.md

Defines the required plan structure and required progress.txt format contract.