# Chorus Develop

> Chorus Development workflow — claim tasks, report work, manage sessions, and run parallel task execution with Kiro subagents.

- Skill: `chorus-aidlc/chorus-develop` (Agent Skill)
- Install (CLI): `npx skillmds@latest add chorus-aidlc/chorus-develop`
- Raw SKILL.md: https://api.skillmd.com/api/skills/chorus-aidlc/chorus-develop/raw
- Safety review: pending
- Works with: Claude Code, Claude.ai, OpenAI Codex
- Category: Docs & Writing
- License: AGPL-3.0
- Author: chorus-aidlc (https://skillmd.com/u/chorus-aidlc)
- Updated: 2026-09-17
- Page: https://skillmd.com/skills/chorus-aidlc/chorus-develop

---


# Chorus Develop Skill

This skill covers the **Development** stage of the AI-DLC workflow: claiming Tasks, writing code, reporting progress, submitting for verification, and managing sessions for subagent observability.

---

## Overview

Developer Agents take Tasks created by PM Agents (via `/chorus-proposal`) and turn them into working code. Each task follows:

```
claim --> in_progress --> report work --> self-check AC --> submit for verify --> Admin /chorus-review
```

For multi-agent parallel execution, the `chorus` main agent spawns Kiro subagents (up to 4 concurrent) with full session-based observability.

---

## Tools

**Task Lifecycle:**

| Tool | Purpose |
|------|---------|
| `chorus_claim_task` | Claim an open task (open -> assigned) |
| `chorus_release_task` | Release a claimed task (assigned -> open) |
| `chorus_update_task` | Update task status (in_progress / to_verify) |
| `chorus_submit_for_verify` | Submit task for admin verification with summary |

**Work Reporting:**

| Tool | Purpose |
|------|---------|
| `chorus_report_work` | Report progress or completion (writes comment + records activity, with optional status update) |

**Acceptance Criteria:**

| Tool | Purpose |
|------|---------|
| `chorus_report_criteria_self_check` | Report self-check results (passed/failed + optional evidence) on structured acceptance criteria |

**Session (subagents only — main agent skips these):**

| Tool | Purpose |
|------|---------|
| `chorus_session_checkin_task` | Checkin to a task before starting work |
| `chorus_session_checkout_task` | Checkout from a task when work is done |

Subagents: always pass `sessionUuid` to `chorus_update_task` and `chorus_report_work` for attribution.
Main agent: call these tools without `sessionUuid` — no session needed.

**Shared tools** (checkin, query, comment, search, notifications): see the `chorus` steering doc.

---

## Workflow

### Step 1: Check In

```
chorus_checkin()
```

Review your persona, current assignments, and pending work counts. (On the `chorus` main agent, the `agentSpawn` hook has already run checkin into your startup context.)

### Step 1.5: Get Your Session (Subagents Only)

**Skip if you are the main agent.**

If you are a **subagent** picking up a task, create/attach a session for observability. When the main agent spawns you it passes your `sessionUuid` in the prompt — keep it for all task operations. If you were spawned without one, create a session for yourself and use its uuid.

### Step 2: Find Work

```
chorus_get_available_tasks({ projectUuid: "<project-uuid>" })
```

Or check existing assignments:

```
chorus_get_my_assignments()
```

### Step 3: Claim a Task

```
chorus_get_task({ taskUuid: "<task-uuid>" })  # Review first
chorus_claim_task({ taskUuid: "<task-uuid>" })
```

Check: description, acceptance criteria, priority, story points, related proposal/documents.

### Step 4: Gather Context

Each task and proposal includes a `commentCount` field — use it to decide which entities have discussions worth reading.

1. **Read the task** and identify dependencies:
   ```
   chorus_get_task({ taskUuid: "<task-uuid>" })
   ```
   Pay attention to `dependsOn` (upstream tasks) and `commentCount`.

2. **Read task comments** (contains previous work reports, progress, feedback):
   ```
   chorus_get_comments({ targetType: "task", targetUuid: "<task-uuid>" })
   ```

3. **Review upstream dependency tasks** — your work likely builds on theirs:
   ```
   chorus_get_task({ taskUuid: "<dependency-task-uuid>" })
   chorus_get_comments({ targetType: "task", targetUuid: "<dependency-task-uuid>" })
   ```
   Look for: files created, API contracts, interfaces, trade-offs.

4. **Read the originating proposal** for design intent:
   ```
   chorus_get_proposal({ proposalUuid: "<proposal-uuid>", section: "documents" })
   ```
   (`chorus_get_proposal` defaults to `section: "basic"` — just metadata + a draft index. Pass `section: "documents"` for the design docs, or `section: "full"` for docs + task drafts.)

5. **Read project documents** (PRD, tech design, ADR):
   ```
   chorus_get_documents({ projectUuid: "<project-uuid>" })
   ```

> **Document update flow (OpenSpec mode):** if the originating proposal `description` contains a line `OpenSpec change slug: <slug>`, the project's PRD / tech_design / spec Documents are **mirrors** of files under `openspec/changes/<slug>/`. To update such a Document (e.g. clarify an AC, fix a spec scenario before resubmitting), load the `/chorus-openspec-aware` skill and follow §3.8: edit the local `.md` file first, then mirror it — prefer `chorus mcp call … --arg-file content=<file>`, falling back to the `chorus-api.sh` wrapper with `json_encode_file` when `chorus` is not on `PATH` — with `chorus_check_response` halting on error.
>
> **⛔ Do not** call `chorus_pm_update_document` directly from the MCP harness with a hand-typed `content` field in OpenSpec mode. The local file is the source of truth; agent-typed content drifts and burns tokens (`/chorus-openspec-aware` §2 Rule 1).
>
> When the LAST task of an OpenSpec idea is verified, run the archive flow (`/chorus-openspec-aware` §3.9) — `openspec archive <slug> --yes`, then mirror each emitted `openspec/specs/<capability>/spec.md` back via §3.8.
>
> **Document update flow (spec-lite mode):** if the proposal `description` contains a line `Spec-lite: .chorus/specs/<slug>/<YYYY-MM-DD>-<change-slug>/`, the project's PRD / tech_design / … Documents are **mirrors** of the files in that dated folder. To update such a Document, load `/chorus-spec-lite` and follow its Mirror section: edit the local `<type>.md` file first, then mirror it via `chorus mcp call chorus_pm_update_document "{\"documentUuid\":\"<uuid>\"}" --arg-file content=<file>` (recorded `documentUuid` from the file's frontmatter), falling back to the `chorus-api.sh` wrapper when `chorus` is not on `PATH`, `chorus_check_response` halting on error. Same **⛔ do-not-hand-type-`content`** rule as OpenSpec. The durable `.chorus/specs/<slug>/spec.md` is edited in place too but is **never mirrored** (git history is its record). No archive flow — spec-lite has no CLI/validate/archive; on delivery just set `spec.md` `status: done`.
>
> In the no-OpenSpec, no-spec-lite fallback (free-form: no locator line), edit the Document content directly via the existing MCP tool with no wrapper, no local file step.

### Step 5: Start Working

**Subagent**: checkin to the task first:
```
chorus_session_checkin_task({ sessionUuid: "<session-uuid>", taskUuid: "<task-uuid>" })
```

Then mark as in-progress:
```
# Subagent:
chorus_update_task({ taskUuid: "<task-uuid>", status: "in_progress", sessionUuid: "<session-uuid>" })

# Main agent:
chorus_update_task({ taskUuid: "<task-uuid>", status: "in_progress" })
```

> **Dependency enforcement**: If this task has unresolved dependencies (dependsOn tasks not in `done` or `closed`), the call will be rejected with detailed blocker info. Use `chorus_get_unblocked_tasks` to find tasks you can start now.

### Step 6: Report Progress

Report periodically with `chorus_report_work`. Include:
- What was completed
- Files created or modified
- Git commits and PRs
- Current status / remaining work
- Blockers or questions

```
chorus_report_work({
  taskUuid: "<task-uuid>",
  report: "Progress:\n- Created src/services/auth.service.ts\n- Commit: abc1234\n- Remaining: unit tests",
  sessionUuid: "<session-uuid>"
})
```

Report with status update when complete:
```
chorus_report_work({
  taskUuid: "<task-uuid>",
  report: "All implementation complete:\n- Files: ...\n- PR: https://github.com/org/repo/pull/42\n- All tests passing",
  status: "to_verify",
  sessionUuid: "<session-uuid>"
})
```

### Step 7: Self-Check Acceptance Criteria

Before submitting, check structured acceptance criteria:

```
task = chorus_get_task({ taskUuid: "<task-uuid>" })

# If task.acceptanceCriteriaItems is non-empty:
chorus_report_criteria_self_check({
  taskUuid: "<task-uuid>",
  criteria: [
    { uuid: "<criterion-uuid>", devStatus: "passed", devEvidence: "Unit tests cover this" },
    { uuid: "<criterion-uuid>", devStatus: "passed", devEvidence: "Verified manually" }
  ]
})
```

> For **required** criteria, keep working until you can self-check as `passed`. Only use `failed` for **optional** criteria that are out of scope.

### Step 8: Submit for Verification

**Subagents** — checkout first:
```
chorus_session_checkout_task({ sessionUuid: "<session-uuid>", taskUuid: "<task-uuid>" })
```

Then submit:
```
chorus_submit_for_verify({
  taskUuid: "<task-uuid>",
  summary: "Implemented auth feature:\n- Added login/logout endpoints\n- JWT middleware\n- 95% test coverage\n- All AC self-checked (3/3 passed)"
})
```

> `to_verify` does NOT unblock downstream tasks — only `done` (after admin verification) does.

> **Review Subagent:** After `chorus_submit_for_verify`, the `chorus` main agent's `postToolUse` hook injects a nudge instructing you to spawn the `chorus-task-reviewer` — an independent, read-only review subagent (`tools: ["read", "@chorus"]`). You MUST spawn it yourself (it is NOT auto-launched) with the `subagent` tool and wait for that call to return. The reviewer posts a VERDICT comment on the task — that comment, not the `subagent` call's own return value, is the verdict.

After the reviewer completes, read **this round's** VERDICT:
```
chorus_get_comments({ targetType: "task", targetUuid: "<task-uuid>" })
```
Find the `VERDICT:` comment posted **after you dispatched the reviewer** — not an older round's — and act on it. Do not verify or reopen before you have read that comment:

- **VERDICT: PASS** — All AC verified, no issues. Proceed to admin verification.
- **VERDICT: PASS WITH NOTES** — All AC verified, minor notes. Proceed to admin verification (notes are non-blocking).
- **VERDICT: FAIL** — BLOCKERs found. Do NOT verify. Fix the BLOCKERs listed in the reviewer's comment, then resubmit.

If no new `VERDICT:` comment appears after the reviewer returns, check what it *did* post. A comment reporting that the round limit was reached, or any other explicit refusal to review, is a deliberate escalation to a human: STOP — do not respawn, do not self-review, do not post a VERDICT of your own. If it posted nothing at all, respawn it ONCE, telling it to stay within its turn budget and reserve its last turns for the VERDICT, then apply this same check again to what the retry posts. An explicit refusal from the retry still means STOP; only a second true silence lets you review the task yourself as a read-only pass using the checklist and POST the VERDICT comment. **Absence is never a PASS.**

> **Final code-review gateway (after the Idea's LAST task is verified):** when the task you just verified is the **last** task of its idea-rooted proposal, the feature is about to ship — the `postToolUse` hook injects a reminder to spawn the `chorus-code-reviewer` subagent. Spawn it yourself with the `subagent` tool and wait for that call to return, passing the `ideaUuid` + round number; then read THIS round's `VERDICT` comment on the idea before deciding. It reviews the Idea's **aggregate** code change across all its tasks (cross-task integration, architecture, security, regression, feature-level coverage) and posts one `VERDICT` comment on the **idea**. `PASS` / `PASS WITH NOTES` → ship; `FAIL` → fix via `/chorus-quick-dev` (`chorus_create_tasks` with `proposalUuid` set to the current approved proposal so the fix tasks attach to it — do NOT reopen the verified tasks). Group related small BLOCKERs by default; split only materially large or independently testable fixes. Require AC self-check, independent task review, and admin verification for every fix task. Re-run aggregate review only after every fix is successfully `done`; a failed or cancelled fix stops the loop and escalates. Advisory/behavioral, like the other reviewers. Run it **before** any idea-completion report.

### Step 9: Handle Review Feedback

If the reviewer returns **FAIL**, or the task is reopened after verification:

**All acceptance criteria are reset to pending** when a task is reopened.

1. Check feedback:
   ```
   chorus_get_task({ taskUuid: "<task-uuid>" })
   chorus_get_comments({ targetType: "task", targetUuid: "<task-uuid>" })
   ```
2. Fix every BLOCKER listed in the reviewer's FAIL comment.
3. Checkin again, fix issues, report fixes, resubmit.

### Step 10: Task Complete

Once Admin verifies (status: `done`), move to the next available task (back to Step 2).

### Step 11: Idea Completion Report (advisory)

If the task you just self-verified was the LAST one of its Idea (every Task across every approved Proposal is now `done`/`closed`) and you have `document:write`, offer to call `chorus_create_report` (ask the user first with a clear interactive question). The call requires `title` (a short report title) plus `content`; `content`'s parameter description carries the three-section template (`## Summary` / `## Decisions` / `## Follow-ups`). Skip on decline.

---

## Session (Subagents Only)

The `chorus` main agent's lifecycle hooks automate the main agent's own session (checkin on `agentSpawn`, heartbeat/checkout on `stop`). A **subagent** that picks up a task does three things manually:

1. `chorus_session_checkin_task({ sessionUuid, taskUuid })` — before starting work
2. `chorus_session_checkout_task({ sessionUuid, taskUuid })` — when done
3. Pass `sessionUuid` to `chorus_update_task` and `chorus_report_work` for attribution

**Main agent**: no session needed — call tools without `sessionUuid`.

---

## Kiro Subagents Integration (parallel execution)

When you (the `chorus` main agent) want to run multiple tasks in parallel, spawn Kiro subagents — up to 4 concurrent. Chorus provides full work observability across them.

### Two-Layer Architecture

| Layer | System | Purpose |
|-------|--------|---------|
| **Orchestration** | Kiro subagents | Spawning subagents, task dispatch |
| **Work Tracking** | Chorus | Task lifecycle, session observability, activity stream |

### Orchestrator (main agent) Workflow

```
# 1. Check in and plan
chorus_checkin()
chorus_list_tasks({ projectUuid: "<project-uuid>" })

# 2. Spawn a subagent per ready task (up to 4 concurrent). You have `subagent`
#    in your tools, so you can dispatch by name/description. Give each subagent:
#      - its Chorus task UUID + the project UUID
#      - a fresh sessionUuid to pass to its task operations (for attribution)
#      - the instruction to follow the /chorus-develop workflow
```

**What the orchestrator prompt for each subagent needs:**
- Task UUID(s) + Project UUID
- A sessionUuid for that subagent to use on `chorus_update_task` / `chorus_report_work`
- The instruction: follow `/chorus-develop` (claim -> in_progress -> develop -> report -> self-check AC -> checkout -> submit_for_verify)

### Subagent Workflow

```
# 1. Checkin to task
chorus_session_checkin_task({ sessionUuid: "<my-session-uuid>", taskUuid: "<my-task-uuid>" })

# 2. Move to in_progress
chorus_update_task({ taskUuid: "<my-task-uuid>", status: "in_progress", sessionUuid: "<my-session-uuid>" })

# 3. Do work... code, test, commit...

# 4. Report progress
chorus_report_work({ taskUuid: "<my-task-uuid>", report: "...", sessionUuid: "<my-session-uuid>" })

# 5. Checkout and submit
chorus_session_checkout_task({ sessionUuid: "<my-session-uuid>", taskUuid: "<my-task-uuid>" })
chorus_submit_for_verify({ taskUuid: "<my-task-uuid>", summary: "..." })

# 6. Report back to the orchestrator (Kiro subagents return a summary to the spawner)
```

### Handling Task Dependencies (DAG)

> **Server-side enforcement**: `chorus_update_task(status: "in_progress")` rejects if any `dependsOn` task is not `done` or `closed`.

**Wave-based execution (recommended):**
1. `chorus_get_unblocked_tasks` — find ready tasks
2. Spawn subagents for Wave 1 (max 4 concurrent)
3. Wait for `to_verify`, then **verify each task** (`chorus_admin_verify_task` → `done`)
4. `chorus_get_unblocked_tasks` — find newly unblocked tasks (Wave 2)
5. Repeat until all tasks done

> **Critical:** `to_verify` does NOT resolve dependencies — only `done` or `closed` does. The orchestrator must verify tasks between waves.

### MCP Access for Subagents

The `chorus` MCP server is pulled in via `includeMcpJson: true` on the `chorus` main agent. A dispatched subagent needs the `@chorus` server in its own tool scope too (either it is a `chorus*` agent that includes the server, or you pass the MCP config it needs). Ensure `CHORUS_URL` + `CHORUS_API_KEY` are exported in the environment Kiro was launched from.

### Troubleshooting

| Problem | Solution |
|---------|----------|
| Subagent can't access Chorus MCP tools | Verify the subagent's tools include `@chorus`, the API key has developer role, and `CHORUS_URL`/`CHORUS_API_KEY` are exported |
| UI doesn't show active workers | Subagent forgot `chorus_session_checkin_task`. Check: `chorus_get_session` |
| Session disappears from Settings | No activity for 1h (default lists hide stale sessions). The session row still exists — reachable via MCP `chorus_list_sessions` / `chorus_get_session`. Send a heartbeat (or any session-touching tool) to make it visible again |
| Task stuck in wrong status | Use `chorus_update_task` to reset, or reopen via admin |

---

## Work Report Best Practices

**Good report (enables session continuity):**
```
Implemented password reset flow:

Files created/modified:
- src/services/auth.service.ts (new)
- src/app/api/auth/reset/route.ts (new)
- tests/auth/reset.test.ts (new)

Git:
- Commit: a1b2c3d "feat: password reset flow"
- PR: https://github.com/org/repo/pull/15

Implementation details:
- POST /api/auth/reset-request: sends email with token
- Token expires after 1 hour, single-use
- Rate limiting: 3 requests/hour/email
- 12 new tests, all passing

Acceptance criteria:
- [x] User can request reset via email
- [x] Reset link expires after 1 hour
- [x] Rate limiting prevents abuse
```

**Bad report:** `Done.`

---

## Tips

- **Read task comments first** — they contain previous work reports for session continuity
- **Check upstream dependencies** — read `dependsOn` tasks and their comments for interfaces/APIs
- **Read the originating proposal** — understand design rationale and task DAG
- **Use `commentCount`** — skip fetching comments on entities with count 0
- Report progress frequently — include file paths, commits, and PRs
- Write detailed submit summaries — Admin needs them to verify
- If blocked, add a comment and consider releasing the task
- One task at a time (per subagent): finish or release before claiming another
- Use meaningful subagent names — they become Chorus session names

---

## When to Release a Task

Release if:
- You can't complete it (missing knowledge, blocked)
- A higher-priority task needs attention
- You won't finish in a reasonable timeframe

```
chorus_release_task({ taskUuid: "<task-uuid>" })
chorus_add_comment({ targetType: "task", targetUuid: "<task-uuid>", content: "Releasing: reason..." })
```

---

## Next

- After submitting for verification, an Admin reviews using `/chorus-review`
- **Human "Start Development" wake:** a `start_development` wake (the human clicked **Start Development** on the idea-detail panel) means: claim and execute ALL remaining tasks of the idea's approved proposal in dependency order — loop this workflow until no claimable task remains, leaving `to_verify` and other-session tasks untouched.
- **Human "Yolo" wake:** a `yolo_requested` wake (the human clicked **Yolo** on the idea-detail panel) means: drive the WHOLE idea to done via the `/chorus-yolo` skill (the full-auto AI-DLC pipeline), not just the execute stage — read the idea's current state and resume from whatever phase it is in. Unlike `start_development` it is stage-adaptive, and it must never merge or push a PR without explicit human approval.
- For platform overview and shared tools, see the `chorus` steering doc.