Kanban Explore

Shared context: read ../kanban/shared.md for DB path, pipeline levels, status transitions, DB operations, and error handling. Safety principles: read ../kanban/principles.md — mandatory, not optional.

/kanban-explore [topic] — Explore & Plan

When to use: You have a vague idea or problem but don't know how to implement it. This skill explores first, reports direction, then seeds the kanban board with phased tasks. This skill does NOT write code.

Procedure

① Receive and validate topic

   If topic is missing (no argument):
   → Immediately enter the clarification interview (skip to ①-B).

   ①-A Check for missing context (NOT word count):
   A topic lacks context if ANY of these are true:
   - No indication of which part of the codebase is involved
   - The "why" is completely absent (what problem does this solve?)
   - The scope is unbounded ("improve everything", "refactor")

   If context is missing → ①-B
   If the topic is self-sufficient (e.g. "add dark mode toggle to settings page") → skip to ②

   ①-B Clarification (one round, max 2 questions via AskUserQuestion):
   - "What problem are you trying to solve or what outcome do you want?"
   - "Is there a specific area of the codebase you suspect is involved, or is it unknown?"
   Do NOT ask more than 2 questions in this round.

② Deep codebase exploration (Task → Explore agent)

   Launch a Task subagent with subagent_type="Explore".
   Pass the following prompt — fill in <TOPIC> and <PROJECT> before launching:

   ───────────────────────────────────────────────
   You are performing a pre-implementation exploration for the topic: "<TOPIC>"
   Project: <PROJECT>
   Thoroughness: very thorough

   Investigate the following areas IN ORDER and report findings for each:

   A. PROJECT STRUCTURE
      - List top-level directories and their roles (1 line each)
      - Identify main entry files (main.ts, index.ts, app.ts, server.ts, etc.)
      - Read key config files: package.json (dependencies), tsconfig, vite.config or equivalent

   B. TOPIC-RELEVANT CODE
      - Find all files, modules, and components directly related to "<TOPIC>"
      - Identify existing patterns used for similar features (search by keyword)
      - Trace the data flow: where does data enter, how does it move, where does it exit?
      - Note any existing abstractions that could be extended vs. replaced

   C. PAIN POINTS & GAPS
      - Identify missing abstractions, obvious duplication, or inconsistent patterns
      - List all modules that "<TOPIC>" would need to touch
      - Identify potential conflicts with existing code or dependencies

   D. TECHNOLOGY CONSTRAINTS
      - Which libraries are already in use that are relevant? (from package.json)
      - What patterns does the framework enforce? (routing, state, DI, etc.)
      - What is the test/build/lint setup?

   Return your findings as a structured report with section headers A–D.
   For every claim, cite the exact file path and line number if possible.
   If you cannot find evidence for something, say "not found" — do not guess.
   ───────────────────────────────────────────────

② ½ Architecture planning (Agent → Plan subagent)

   Save the Explore agent's output as $EXPLORE_FINDINGS.
   Launch a second Agent subagent with subagent_type="Plan".
   Pass the following prompt — fill in <TOPIC>, <PROJECT>, and <EXPLORE_FINDINGS>:

   ───────────────────────────────────────────────
   You are performing architecture planning for the topic: "<TOPIC>"
   Project: <PROJECT>

   ## Codebase Findings (from Explore agent)
   <EXPLORE_FINDINGS>

   ## Your Task
   Based on the above codebase findings, produce the following three sections:

   ### 1. Possible Directions (2–3 options, only genuinely distinct ones)
   For each direction:
   - **Name**: concise label
   - **Approach**: 1–2 sentences, concrete not abstract
   - **Pros**: bulleted list
   - **Cons**: bulleted list
   - **Estimated complexity**: Low / Medium / High
   - **Files likely touched**: list specific files cited in the findings
   - **Risk**: any architectural risks or unknowns

   ### 2. Recommended Direction
   State which direction you recommend and WHY, citing specific file paths from the codebase findings.
   If only one direction makes sense, say so — do not fabricate alternatives.

   ### 3. Phased Task Breakdown (for the recommended direction)
   3–7 tasks in logical implementation order. Each task must be completable independently.
   The last task must always be E2E tests ("Add E2E tests for <topic>").

   For each task:
   - **Title**: concise imperative phrase
   - **Phase**: sequential number
   - **Rationale**: 1 sentence — why this step at this phase
   - **Files**: specific files this task will touch (from findings)
   - **Complexity**: Low / Medium / High

   Honesty rules:
   - Every claim must reference a file path from the Explore findings.
   - If something is unclear from the codebase, say "unclear — needs investigation".
   - Do not invent patterns that were not found in the codebase.
   ───────────────────────────────────────────────

   Save this output as $PLAN_OUTPUT.

③ Write the Exploration Report

   Using $EXPLORE_FINDINGS (Explore agent) and $PLAN_OUTPUT (Plan agent), write the following report.
   This report will be stored permanently in the kanban board.

   ┌─────────────────────────────────────────────┐
   ## Exploration Report: <topic>
   *Explored: <ISO timestamp> | Project: <PROJECT>*

   ### Current State
   [2–4 sentences: what exists today that is directly relevant to this topic.
    Reference specific files.]

   ### Key Findings
   - <finding> (`path/to/file.ts:line`)
   - <finding> (`path/to/file.ts:line`)
   - ... (list all significant findings)

   ### Possible Directions

   #### Direction A: <name>
   **Approach**: [1–2 sentences — concrete, not abstract]
   **Pros**: [bulleted]
   **Cons**: [bulleted]
   **Estimated complexity**: Low / Medium / High
   **Files likely touched**: [`file1.ts`, `file2.ts`, ...]

   #### Direction B: <name>
   [same structure]

   #### Direction C: <name>  ← only if genuinely distinct; omit if not
   [same structure]

   ### Recommended Direction
   [State which direction you recommend and WHY, citing codebase evidence.
    If there is only one sensible direction, say so clearly.]
   └─────────────────────────────────────────────┘

   Honesty rules:
   - If only one direction makes sense, present one. Do not fabricate alternatives.
   - Every claim must cite a file path. No assumptions without evidence.
   - If the codebase gives no signal on something, say "unclear from codebase".

④ Present report + ask user to choose direction

   Print the full Exploration Report to the user.

   Then use AskUserQuestion:
   - One option per direction (e.g. "Direction A: <name>")
   - "Cancel — save report only, don't create tasks"

   If user selects Cancel → jump to ⑥-Cancel.

⑤ Generate phased kanban tasks

   ⑤-A Plan all tasks BEFORE creating any.
   Write out the full task list mentally first:
   - 3–7 tasks in logical implementation order
   - Each task completable independently in one pipeline run
   - Split if a task would touch more than 3 unrelated files
   - **The LAST task must always be an E2E test task.**
     Title format: "Add E2E tests for <topic>"
     Description should cover: key user flows to verify, happy path + edge cases,
     which pages/endpoints to test, and acceptance criteria.
     Priority: medium, Level: L2, extra tag: "e2e-test"

   For each task determine:
   - title: concise imperative verb phrase ("Add X", "Refactor Y", "Integrate Z")
   - phase: sequential number (1, 2, 3…) — used as a tag
   - priority: high (phase 1–2), medium (phase 3–4), low (phase 5+)
   - level: L2 or L3 based on complexity
   - tags: "explore-<topic-slug>, phase:<N>, <module-tag>"

   ⑤-B Create the report anchor task FIRST.
   This special task stores the full exploration report:

   title: "[Explore] <topic>"
   priority: low
   level: 1
   tags: "explore-<topic-slug>, explore-report"
   description:
     <full Exploration Report from ③>

     ---
     ## Task Index
     *(populated after all tasks are created — see below)*

   Save the returned ID as $REPORT_ID.

   ⑤-C Create implementation tasks in phase order.
   For each task, include this block at the bottom of the description:

     ---
     ## Exploration Context
     *Auto-generated by /kanban-explore on <timestamp>*
     **Explore report**: #$REPORT_ID
     **Direction chosen**: <Direction name>
     **Phase**: <N> of <total>
     **Rationale**: <1–2 sentences: why this step at this phase>

   Save each returned ID in order: $IDS = [id1, id2, ...]

   ⑤-D Patch the report anchor task with the task index.
   After all tasks are created, PATCH $REPORT_ID description to append:

     ## Task Index
     | Phase | ID   | Title              | Priority | Level |
     |-------|------|--------------------|----------|-------|
     | 1     | #id1 | Add X              | high     | L3    |
     | 2     | #id2 | Refactor Y         | medium   | L2    |
     ...

   Use SQLite (see shared.md → JSON Safety for multi-line text):
   ```bash
   # Create task (use Python for safe text insertion)
   python3 - <<PY
   import sqlite3 as sq
   conn = sq.connect("$DB")
   cur = conn.execute(
       "INSERT INTO tasks (project, title, description, priority, level, status, tags) VALUES (?, ?, ?, ?, ?, 'todo', ?)",
       ("$PROJECT", title, description, priority, level, tags_json)
   )
   print(cur.lastrowid)
   conn.commit()
   conn.close()
   PY

   # Patch report anchor description
   python3 - <<PY
   import sqlite3 as sq
   conn = sq.connect("$DB")
   conn.execute("UPDATE tasks SET description=?, updated_at=datetime('now') WHERE id=? AND project=?",
                (updated_description, report_id, "$PROJECT"))
   conn.commit()
   conn.close()
   PY

⑥ Output final summary

Print:

Then print:

Exploration complete. N tasks created in todo for project <PROJECT>. Full report stored in task #$REPORT_ID. Run /kanban-refine <ID> on any task to add more detail before starting. Run /kanban-run <ID> when ready to execute.

⑥-Cancel (user chose Cancel): Create only the report anchor task (⑤-B) with the full report, no implementation tasks. Print:

Report saved to task #$REPORT_ID. No implementation tasks created. Run /kanban-explore <topic> again to generate tasks when you're ready.

---

### Guardrails

- **No implementation**: This skill must NOT write, edit, or create source files.
- **No assumptions**: If the codebase has no clear pattern for something, say so explicitly.
- **Evidence-based**: Every claim in the report must cite a file path or code pattern found.
- **Honest about uncertainty**: If there is only one sensible direction, present one — do not fabricate alternatives.
- **Task granularity**: Each task should be completable independently in one pipeline run. Split tasks that touch more than 3 unrelated files.
- **Report is permanent**: The exploration report MUST be saved to the kanban board (report anchor task) regardless of whether the user proceeds to task creation.