chainlesschain Planning with Files Skill
Manus-style persistent markdown planning for complex tasks.
Usage
/planning-with-files create "<task description>"
/planning-with-files update <phase> <status>
/planning-with-files status
/planning-with-files finding "<finding text>"
/planning-with-files progress "<progress note>"
/planning-with-files recover
The 3-File Pattern
For every complex task, THREE files are created:
| File | Purpose | Updated When |
|---|---|---|
task_plan.md |
Track phases and progress | Phase changes |
findings.md |
Store research and discoveries | After research |
progress.md |
Session log and test results | After actions |
Core Principles
Context Window = RAM, Filesystem = Disk
Context Window → Volatile, limited capacity
Filesystem → Persistent, unlimited storage
The 2-Action Rule
After every 2 view/browse/research operations, save findings to findings.md.
Never Start Without a Plan
Always create task_plan.md before beginning work. The plan is your persistent roadmap.
Plan Template
# Task Plan: [Title]
## Objective
[What we're trying to achieve]
## Phases
- [ ] Phase 1: Research & Discovery
- [ ] Phase 2: Design & Architecture
- [ ] Phase 3: Implementation
- [ ] Phase 4: Testing & Validation
- [ ] Phase 5: Review & Cleanup
## Current Phase: 1
## Status: IN_PROGRESS
Session Recovery
When context is reset, use /planning-with-files recover to reload the plan state from the persistent files. This restores context without losing progress.
Actions
| Action | Description |
|---|---|
create |
Initialize plan with 3 files |
update |
Update phase status |
status |
Show current plan state |
finding |
Add research finding |
progress |
Add progress note |
recover |
Recover from context reset |