ceilidhboy Single Task Responsibility
Core Principle
Each task should have a single, well-defined responsibility.
When implementing a task, if you find yourself writing code that addresses multiple distinct responsibilities, this is a violation of the Single Responsibility Principle (SRP) and a signal to STOP and consult the user.
Recognition Pattern
You're violating SRP when:
- The task description covers one responsibility (e.g., "Write tests for PDF actions")
- Your implementation requires addressing another responsibility (e.g., "Create mocking solution for external package")
- These responsibilities are distinct enough to warrant separate tasks
The Test
Ask yourself:
- Would an average developer expect to see this secondary work in the task description?
- Would an average developer expect this to be covered by a separate, more detailed task?
- Is this secondary work significant enough to warrant its own task?
If the answer is YES to any of these, you've found a responsibility violation.
What to Do When You Hit SRP Violation
STOP immediately. Do not create pseudo-tasks or workarounds.
Report to the user:
- Identify the primary responsibility (from task description)
- Identify the secondary responsibility (what you're trying to implement)
- Explain why they're separate (each warrants its own task)
- Propose solutions:
- Create a new task for the secondary responsibility
- Find a different approach that keeps the task focused
- Defer the secondary responsibility
Example: PDF Generation Testing
Task: "Write tests for PDF generation actions"
Primary responsibility: Test the action code
Secondary responsibility discovered: Create mocking solution for spatie/laravel-pdf
Why separate?:
- Mocking an external package is significant work
- It's not expected in a "write tests" task
- It warrants its own task: "Create mock for PDF package"
Action: STOP and ask the user which approach to take.
Remember
SRP applies to tasks just as it applies to code. When a task starts to require multiple responsibilities, it's a sign the task itself needs to be split or reconsidered.