Reconcile Dev Docs
Invoke as $reconcile-dev-docs.
Audit or repair development documentation so the roadmap, current work, history, specs, and evidence from git/code all tell the same story.
Process
1. Determine Mode and Scope
Parse $ARGUMENTS:
- Mode:
audit (default, read-only) or fix (update development docs only)
- Scope:
all (default), tasks, or specs
Resolve the canonical development docs:
tasks/roadmap.md
tasks/todo.md
tasks/manual-todo.md (if it exists)
tasks/record-todo.md (if it exists)
tasks/recurring-todo.md (if it exists)
tasks/history.md
tasks/phases/*.md
tasks/ideas.md (if it exists)
specs/*.md and specs/*/*.md
docs/specifications/*.md (fallback specs location)
If no task docs exist, report that there is nothing to reconcile and recommend $roadmap or $plan-phase based on available specs.
2. Gather Evidence
Read the development docs and collect:
- Roadmap phases, milestone checkboxes, acceptance criteria, manual tasks, record tasks, recurring tasks, and deferred items
- Current todo phase, checked/unchecked steps, blockers, and review/results sections
- Manual task blockers and
_(blocks: ...)_ / _(after: ...)_ annotations
- Record task conditions, non-blocking reasons, evidence paths, and promotion rules
- Recurring task cadence, last run, next due, evidence paths, and escalation conditions
- History entries with dates, completed phases/steps, commit SHAs, and claimed outcomes
- Phase archives and their completion summaries
- Spec titles, statuses, acceptance criteria, and major implementation claims
Read git/code evidence:
git status --short
git log --oneline -50
git log --name-only --since=<latest relevant doc date> when timestamps suggest docs may be stale
- Targeted file existence and
rg checks for claims marked complete
node scripts/audit-task-docs.mjs when present, to mechanically detect overloaded current-task routing surfaces
3. Reconcile Rules
Classify findings:
| Severity |
Examples |
| Error |
Docs contradict each other: roadmap marks a phase done while todo has unchecked required steps; history claims completion but no matching roadmap/todo/archive/git evidence exists |
| Warning |
Likely drift: recent commits changed areas covered by specs but history/todo were not updated; completed phase has no archive; manual blockers remain for completed steps |
| Info |
Cleanup opportunities: stale handoff notes, missing links between history entries and commits, specs that should be checked by $spec-drift |
Use these specific checks:
tasks/todo.md checked steps should be reflected in tasks/history.md after shipping.
tasks/todo.md must be current-only: it may contain one active ## Current Implementation - ... section, a no-active-task state, and review/evidence notes, but it must not retain multiple historical implementation sections or stale unchecked terminal items outside the current active task.
tasks/roadmap.md must not use ## Current Implementation - ... for historical reverse-chronological notes. A roadmap Current Implementation heading is valid only when exactly one exists and its title is explicitly promoted into tasks/todo.md.
- Completed roadmap phases should have corresponding
tasks/phases/phase-N.md archives.
- The active
tasks/todo.md phase should match the first incomplete roadmap phase.
tasks/manual-todo.md should not contain unchecked blockers for completed todo steps unless the user explicitly overrode them.
tasks/todo.md should not contain condition-gated baseline measurements or future records unless they are current execution work; move clear cases to tasks/record-todo.md.
tasks/manual-todo.md should not contain non-blocking records unless they require human-only external action tied to a blocks or after step; move clear cases to tasks/record-todo.md.
tasks/manual-todo.md should not contain agent-executable work such as repo edits, SDK wiring, generated assets, local commands, tests, audits, or authenticated CLI/API operations; move clear cases to tasks/todo.md.
tasks/recurring-todo.md due items should remain advisory unless explicitly promoted into tasks/todo.md.
- Unchecked boxes in
tasks/manual-todo.md, tasks/record-todo.md, tasks/recurring-todo.md, or historical roadmap/report sections are advisory or reconciliation evidence, not executable next work, unless promoted into the current active section of tasks/todo.md.
- Recent commits that complete user-facing work should have a matching history entry.
- Specs whose described areas changed after their last modification date should be flagged for
$spec-drift.
- Claimed completed work should have either git evidence, file evidence, test evidence, or an explicit note explaining why evidence is unavailable.
4. Fix Mode
In fix mode, apply only unambiguous development-doc changes:
- Append missing factual entries to
tasks/history.md.
- Check roadmap milestones only when todo/archive/git evidence all support completion.
- Create missing
tasks/phases/phase-N.md archives from completed tasks/todo.md content.
- Move the next roadmap phase into
tasks/todo.md only when the current phase is clearly complete.
- Move clearly misclassified non-blocking condition-gated records from
tasks/todo.md or tasks/manual-todo.md into tasks/record-todo.md.
- Move clearly misclassified cadence-based obligations from
tasks/todo.md or tasks/manual-todo.md into tasks/recurring-todo.md.
- Move clearly misclassified agent-executable work from
tasks/manual-todo.md into tasks/todo.md with enough file/command detail for $exec.
- If
tasks/todo.md contains stacked historical implementation sections, collapse completed/superseded details into tasks/history.md and tasks/reconciliation-report.md, then leave tasks/todo.md with only the current active task or an explicit no-active-task state.
- If
tasks/roadmap.md contains stale Current Implementation headings, rename historical entries to non-current historical headings or archive/summarize them; leave Current Implementation only for the single task promoted into tasks/todo.md.
- Add unresolved contradictions to
tasks/todo.md under ## Development Docs Reconciliation.
- Archive existing
specs/ or docs/specifications/ files before replacing or substantively rewriting them.
- Write
tasks/reconciliation-report.md with resolved, deferred, and remaining findings.
- Run
node scripts/audit-task-docs.mjs after task-doc fixes when the script exists; do not report task-doc routing as fixed while that audit still fails.
Ask before applying any ambiguous change. If already in Plan mode and there are 2-3 concrete choices, prefer request_user_input; otherwise ask plainly in chat.
Output
Audit Mode
## Dev Docs Reconciliation
### Errors (N)
- **tasks/todo.md** - [problem]. Evidence: [roadmap/history/git reference].
### Warnings (N)
- **specs/foo.md** - [problem]. Recommended action: $spec-drift.
### Info (N)
- **tasks/history.md** - [cleanup opportunity].
### Summary
- Roadmap/todo alignment: [ok|issues]
- History coverage: [ok|issues]
- Phase archives: [ok|issues]
- Spec freshness: [ok|issues]
- Recommended next action: [specific skill or fix plan]
Fix Mode
Report the same sections plus:
### Fixed
- [x] [file] - [change made]
### Deferred
- [ ] [finding requiring user judgment]
Constraints
- Read-only by default.
- In
fix mode, modify only development docs under tasks/, specs/, or docs/specifications/; archive existing spec documents before replacement per the Archive-First Replacement Policy.
- Do not modify code, research docs, kanban cards, git history, or deployment state.
- Do not rewrite or delete old
tasks/history.md entries; append corrections or superseding notes.
- Do not uncheck completed work automatically. Report unsupported completion claims unless the user approves the correction.
- Do not route next work from historical roadmap sections or advisory todo surfaces. Select executable next work only from the current active task in
tasks/todo.md; otherwise report that advisory items must be explicitly promoted first.
- Treat
tasks/roadmap.md as the strategic source of truth, tasks/todo.md as the active execution contract, tasks/manual-todo.md as human-only external step-linked work, tasks/record-todo.md and tasks/recurring-todo.md as advisory surfaces, and tasks/history.md as append-only evidence.
Alignment Page
Follow the shared alignment-page convention via the packaged convention resolver; output path is alignment/reconcile-dev-docs-{topic}.html. By default, report results inline and write only this skill's normal durable artifacts; create an alignment page only when explicitly requested or when a concrete clarification/review need cannot be handled cleanly inline.
Default Shipping Contract
Follow the shared shipping contract convention in CLAUDE.md.
1---2name: reconcile-dev-docs3description: Reconcile development docs by auditing roadmap, todo, history, phase archives, specs, git history, and code reality4---5
6# Reconcile Dev Docs
7
8Invoke as `$reconcile-dev-docs`.
9
10Audit or repair development documentation so the roadmap, current work, history, specs, and evidence from git/code all tell the same story.
11
12## Process
13
14### 1. Determine Mode and Scope
15
16Parse `$ARGUMENTS`:
17
18- **Mode**: `audit` (default, read-only) or `fix` (update development docs only)
19- **Scope**: `all` (default), `tasks`, or `specs`
20
21Resolve the canonical development docs:
22
23- `tasks/roadmap.md`
24- `tasks/todo.md`
25- `tasks/manual-todo.md` (if it exists)
26- `tasks/record-todo.md` (if it exists)
27- `tasks/recurring-todo.md` (if it exists)
28- `tasks/history.md`
29- `tasks/phases/*.md`
30- `tasks/ideas.md` (if it exists)
31- `specs/*.md` and `specs/*/*.md`
32- `docs/specifications/*.md` (fallback specs location)
33
34If no task docs exist, report that there is nothing to reconcile and recommend `$roadmap` or `$plan-phase` based on available specs.
35
36### 2. Gather Evidence
37
38Read the development docs and collect:
39
40- Roadmap phases, milestone checkboxes, acceptance criteria, manual tasks, record tasks, recurring tasks, and deferred items
41- Current todo phase, checked/unchecked steps, blockers, and review/results sections
42- Manual task blockers and `_(blocks: ...)_` / `_(after: ...)_` annotations
43- Record task conditions, non-blocking reasons, evidence paths, and promotion rules
44- Recurring task cadence, last run, next due, evidence paths, and escalation conditions
45- History entries with dates, completed phases/steps, commit SHAs, and claimed outcomes
46- Phase archives and their completion summaries
47- Spec titles, statuses, acceptance criteria, and major implementation claims
48
49Read git/code evidence:
50
51- `git status --short`
52- `git log --oneline -50`
53- `git log --name-only --since=<latest relevant doc date>` when timestamps suggest docs may be stale
54- Targeted file existence and `rg` checks for claims marked complete
55- `node scripts/audit-task-docs.mjs` when present, to mechanically detect overloaded current-task routing surfaces
56
57### 3. Reconcile Rules
58
59Classify findings:
60
61| Severity | Examples |
62|----------|----------|
63| **Error** | Docs contradict each other: roadmap marks a phase done while todo has unchecked required steps; history claims completion but no matching roadmap/todo/archive/git evidence exists |
64| **Warning** | Likely drift: recent commits changed areas covered by specs but history/todo were not updated; completed phase has no archive; manual blockers remain for completed steps |
65| **Info** | Cleanup opportunities: stale handoff notes, missing links between history entries and commits, specs that should be checked by `$spec-drift` |
66
67Use these specific checks:
68
69- `tasks/todo.md` checked steps should be reflected in `tasks/history.md` after shipping.
70- `tasks/todo.md` must be current-only: it may contain one active `## Current Implementation - ...` section, a no-active-task state, and review/evidence notes, but it must not retain multiple historical implementation sections or stale unchecked terminal items outside the current active task.
71- `tasks/roadmap.md` must not use `## Current Implementation - ...` for historical reverse-chronological notes. A roadmap `Current Implementation` heading is valid only when exactly one exists and its title is explicitly promoted into `tasks/todo.md`.
72- Completed roadmap phases should have corresponding `tasks/phases/phase-N.md` archives.
73- The active `tasks/todo.md` phase should match the first incomplete roadmap phase.
74- `tasks/manual-todo.md` should not contain unchecked blockers for completed todo steps unless the user explicitly overrode them.
75- `tasks/todo.md` should not contain condition-gated baseline measurements or future records unless they are current execution work; move clear cases to `tasks/record-todo.md`.
76- `tasks/manual-todo.md` should not contain non-blocking records unless they require human-only external action tied to a `blocks` or `after` step; move clear cases to `tasks/record-todo.md`.
77- `tasks/manual-todo.md` should not contain agent-executable work such as repo edits, SDK wiring, generated assets, local commands, tests, audits, or authenticated CLI/API operations; move clear cases to `tasks/todo.md`.
78- `tasks/recurring-todo.md` due items should remain advisory unless explicitly promoted into `tasks/todo.md`.
79- Unchecked boxes in `tasks/manual-todo.md`, `tasks/record-todo.md`, `tasks/recurring-todo.md`, or historical roadmap/report sections are advisory or reconciliation evidence, not executable next work, unless promoted into the current active section of `tasks/todo.md`.
80- Recent commits that complete user-facing work should have a matching history entry.
81- Specs whose described areas changed after their last modification date should be flagged for `$spec-drift`.
82- Claimed completed work should have either git evidence, file evidence, test evidence, or an explicit note explaining why evidence is unavailable.
83
84### 4. Fix Mode
85
86In `fix` mode, apply only unambiguous development-doc changes:
87
88- Append missing factual entries to `tasks/history.md`.
89- Check roadmap milestones only when todo/archive/git evidence all support completion.
90- Create missing `tasks/phases/phase-N.md` archives from completed `tasks/todo.md` content.
91- Move the next roadmap phase into `tasks/todo.md` only when the current phase is clearly complete.
92- Move clearly misclassified non-blocking condition-gated records from `tasks/todo.md` or `tasks/manual-todo.md` into `tasks/record-todo.md`.
93- Move clearly misclassified cadence-based obligations from `tasks/todo.md` or `tasks/manual-todo.md` into `tasks/recurring-todo.md`.
94- Move clearly misclassified agent-executable work from `tasks/manual-todo.md` into `tasks/todo.md` with enough file/command detail for `$exec`.
95- If `tasks/todo.md` contains stacked historical implementation sections, collapse completed/superseded details into `tasks/history.md` and `tasks/reconciliation-report.md`, then leave `tasks/todo.md` with only the current active task or an explicit no-active-task state.
96- If `tasks/roadmap.md` contains stale `Current Implementation` headings, rename historical entries to non-current historical headings or archive/summarize them; leave `Current Implementation` only for the single task promoted into `tasks/todo.md`.
97- Add unresolved contradictions to `tasks/todo.md` under `## Development Docs Reconciliation`.
98- Archive existing `specs/` or `docs/specifications/` files before replacing or substantively rewriting them.
99- Write `tasks/reconciliation-report.md` with resolved, deferred, and remaining findings.
100- Run `node scripts/audit-task-docs.mjs` after task-doc fixes when the script exists; do not report task-doc routing as fixed while that audit still fails.
101
102Ask before applying any ambiguous change. If already in Plan mode and there are 2-3 concrete choices, prefer `request_user_input`; otherwise ask plainly in chat.
103
104## Output
105
106### Audit Mode
107
108```
109## Dev Docs Reconciliation
110
111### Errors (N)
112- **tasks/todo.md** - [problem]. Evidence: [roadmap/history/git reference].
113
114### Warnings (N)
115- **specs/foo.md** - [problem]. Recommended action: $spec-drift.
116
117### Info (N)
118- **tasks/history.md** - [cleanup opportunity].
119
120### Summary
121- Roadmap/todo alignment: [ok|issues]
122- History coverage: [ok|issues]
123- Phase archives: [ok|issues]
124- Spec freshness: [ok|issues]
125- Recommended next action: [specific skill or fix plan]
126```
127
128### Fix Mode
129
130Report the same sections plus:
131
132```
133### Fixed
134- [x] [file] - [change made]
135
136### Deferred
137- [ ] [finding requiring user judgment]
138```
139
140## Constraints
141
142- Read-only by default.
143- In `fix` mode, modify only development docs under `tasks/`, `specs/`, or `docs/specifications/`; archive existing spec documents before replacement per the Archive-First Replacement Policy.
144- Do not modify code, research docs, kanban cards, git history, or deployment state.
145- Do not rewrite or delete old `tasks/history.md` entries; append corrections or superseding notes.
146- Do not uncheck completed work automatically. Report unsupported completion claims unless the user approves the correction.
147- Do not route next work from historical roadmap sections or advisory todo surfaces. Select executable next work only from the current active task in `tasks/todo.md`; otherwise report that advisory items must be explicitly promoted first.
148- Treat `tasks/roadmap.md` as the strategic source of truth, `tasks/todo.md` as the active execution contract, `tasks/manual-todo.md` as human-only external step-linked work, `tasks/record-todo.md` and `tasks/recurring-todo.md` as advisory surfaces, and `tasks/history.md` as append-only evidence.
149
150## Alignment Page
151
152Follow the shared alignment-page convention via the packaged convention resolver; output path is `alignment/reconcile-dev-docs-{topic}.html`. By default, report results inline and write only this skill's normal durable artifacts; create an alignment page only when explicitly requested or when a concrete clarification/review need cannot be handled cleanly inline.
153
154## Default Shipping Contract
155
156Follow the shared shipping contract convention in CLAUDE.md.