Loom Plan Writer

name: loom-plan-writer description: REQUIRED skill for creating Loom execution plans. Designs DAG-based plans with mandatory knowledge-bootstrap and integration-verify bookends, parallel subagent execution within stages, and concurrent worktree stages for maximum throughput. Trigger keywords: loom, plan, stage, worktree, orchestration, parallel execution, parallel stages, concurrent execution, knowledge-bootstrap, integration-verify, acceptance criteria, signal, handoff, execution graph, dag, dependencies, loom plan, create plan, write plan, execution plan, orchestration plan, stage dependencies, parallel subagents, functional verification, wiring verification, smoke test. allowed-tools: Read, Grep, Glob, Write, Edit

Loom Plan Writer

Overview

THIS IS THE REQUIRED SKILL FOR CREATING LOOM EXECUTION PLANS.

When any agent needs to create a plan for Loom orchestration, this skill MUST be invoked. This skill ensures:

• Correct plan structure with mandatory knowledge-bootstrap (first) and integration-verify (last) stages
• Proper YAML metadata formatting (3 backticks, no nested code fences)
• Parallelization strategy (subagents within stages FIRST, separate stages SECOND)
• Functional verification requirements (tests passing ≠ feature working)
• Alignment with all CLAUDE.md rules for plan writing

Plans maximize throughput through two levels of parallelism: subagents within stages (FIRST priority), and concurrent worktree stages (SECOND priority).

Instructions

1. Output Location

MANDATORY: Write all plans to:

doc/plans/PLAN-<description>.md

NEVER write to ~/.claude/plans/ or any .claude/plans path.

2. Parallelization Strategy

Maximize parallel execution at TWO levels:

┌─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐
│  PARALLELIZATION PRIORITY                                           │
│                                                                     │
│  1. SUBAGENTS FIRST  - Within a stage, use parallel subagents       │
│                        for tasks with NO file overlap               │
│                                                                     │
│  2. STAGES SECOND    - Separate stages for tasks that WILL touch    │
│                        the same files (loom merges branches)        │
└─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┘

3. Stage Description Requirement

EVERY stage description MUST include this line:

Use parallel subagents and skills to maximize performance.

This ensures Claude Code instances spawn concurrent subagents for independent tasks.

4. Plan Structure

Every plan MUST follow this structure:

┌─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐
│  MANDATORY PLAN STRUCTURE                                           │
│                                                                     │
│  FIRST:  knowledge-bootstrap    (unless knowledge already exists)   │
│  MIDDLE: implementation stages  (parallelized where possible)       │
│  LAST:   integration-verify     (ALWAYS - no exceptions)            │
└─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┘

Include a visual execution diagram:

[knowledge-bootstrap] --> [stage-a, stage-b] --> [stage-c] --> [integration-verify]

Stages in [a, b] notation run concurrently.

5. Loom Metadata Format

Plans contain embedded YAML wrapped in HTML comments:

<!-- loom METADATA -->

```yaml
loom:
  version: 1
  stages:
    - id: stage-id # Required: unique kebab-case identifier
      name: "Stage Name" # Required: human-readable display name
      description: | # Required: full task description for agent
        What this stage must accomplish.

        CRITICAL: Use parallel subagents and skills to maximize performance.

        Tasks:
        - Subtask 1 with requirements
        - Subtask 2 with requirements
      dependencies: [] # Required: array of stage IDs this depends on
      parallel_group: "grp" # Optional: concurrent execution grouping
      acceptance: # Required: verification commands
        - "cargo test"
        - "cargo clippy -- -D warnings"
      files: # Optional: target file globs for scope
        - "src/**/*.rs"
      working_dir: "." # Required: "." for worktree root, or subdirectory like "loom"
```

<!-- END loom METADATA -->

YAML Formatting Rules:

Working Directory Requirement:

The working_dir field is REQUIRED on every stage. This forces explicit choice of where acceptance criteria run:

working_dir: "."      # Run from worktree root
working_dir: "loom"   # Run from loom/ subdirectory

Why required? Prevents acceptance failures due to forgotten directory context. Every stage must consciously declare its execution directory.

Examples:

# Project with Cargo.toml at root
- id: build-check
  acceptance:
    - "cargo test"
  working_dir: "."

# Project with Cargo.toml in loom/ subdirectory
- id: build-check
  acceptance:
    - "cargo test"
  working_dir: "loom"

Mixed directories? Create separate stages instead of inline cd. Each stage = one working directory.

6. Knowledge Bootstrap Stage (First)

Captures codebase understanding before implementation:

- id: knowledge-bootstrap
  name: "Bootstrap Knowledge Base"
  description: |
    Explore codebase hierarchically and populate doc/loom/knowledge/:

    Use parallel subagents and skills to maximize performance.

    Exploration order:
    1. Top-level: entry points, main modules, directory layout
    2. Module boundaries: public interfaces, internal vs external
    3. Patterns: error handling, state management, data flow
    4. Conventions: naming, file structure, testing patterns

    Use loom knowledge update commands to capture findings.
  dependencies: []
  acceptance:
    - "grep -q '## ' doc/loom/knowledge/entry-points.md"
    - "grep -q '## ' doc/loom/knowledge/patterns.md"
    - "grep -q '## ' doc/loom/knowledge/conventions.md"
  files:
    - "doc/loom/knowledge/**"
  working_dir: "."  # REQUIRED: "." for worktree root

Skip ONLY if: doc/loom/knowledge/ already populated or user explicitly states knowledge exists.

7. Integration Verify Stage (Last)

Verifies all work integrates correctly after merges AND that the feature actually works:

┌─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐
│  ⚠️ CRITICAL: TESTS PASSING ≠ FEATURE WORKING                       │
│                                                                     │
│  We have had MANY instances where:                                  │
│  - All tests pass                                                   │
│  - Code compiles                                                    │
│  - But the feature is NEVER WIRED UP or FUNCTIONAL                  │
│                                                                     │
│  integration-verify MUST include FUNCTIONAL VERIFICATION:           │
│  - Can you actually USE the feature?                                │
│  - Is it wired into the application (routes, UI, CLI)?              │
│  - Does it produce the expected user-visible behavior?              │
└─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┘

- id: integration-verify
  name: "Integration Verification"
  description: |
    Final integration verification - runs AFTER all feature stages complete.

    Use parallel subagents and skills to maximize performance.

    CRITICAL: This stage must verify FUNCTIONAL INTEGRATION, not just tests passing.
    Code that compiles and passes tests but is never wired up is USELESS.

    Tasks:
    1. Run full test suite (all tests, not just affected)
    2. Run linting with warnings as errors
    3. Verify build succeeds
    4. Check for unintended regressions

    FUNCTIONAL VERIFICATION (MANDATORY):
    5. Verify the feature is actually WIRED INTO the application:
       - For CLI: Is the command registered and callable?
       - For API: Is the endpoint mounted and reachable?
       - For UI: Is the component rendered and interactive?
    6. Execute a manual smoke test of the PRIMARY USE CASE:
       - Run the actual feature end-to-end
       - Verify it produces expected output/behavior
       - Document the test steps and results
    7. Verify integration points with existing code:
       - Are callbacks/hooks connected?
       - Are events being published/subscribed?
       - Are dependencies injected correctly?
  dependencies: ["stage-a", "stage-b", "stage-c"] # ALL feature stages
  acceptance:
    - "cargo test"
    - "cargo clippy -- -D warnings"
    - "cargo build"
    # ADD FUNCTIONAL ACCEPTANCE CRITERIA - examples:
    # - "./target/debug/myapp --help | grep 'new-command'"  # CLI wired
    # - "curl -s localhost:8080/api/new-endpoint | jq .status"  # API wired
    # - "grep -q 'NewComponent' src/app/routes.tsx"  # UI wired
  files: [] # Verification only - no file modifications
  working_dir: "."  # REQUIRED: "." for worktree root, or subdirectory like "loom"

Why integration-verify is mandatory:

8. After Writing Plan

1. Write plan to doc/plans/PLAN-<name>.md
2. STOP - Do NOT implement
3. Tell user:

   Plan written to doc/plans/PLAN-<name>.md. Please review and run: loom init doc/plans/PLAN-<name>.md && loom run

4. Wait for user feedback

The plan file IS your deliverable. Never proceed to implementation.

Best Practices

1. Subagents First: Always maximize parallelism within stages before creating separate stages
2. Explicit Dependencies: Never create unnecessary sequential dependencies
3. Clear File Scopes: Define files: arrays to make overlap analysis explicit
4. Actionable Descriptions: Each description should be a complete task specification
5. Testable Acceptance: Every acceptance criterion must be a runnable command
6. Bookend Compliance: Always include knowledge-bootstrap first and integration-verify last
7. Working Directory: Every stage must declare its working_dir explicitly

Examples

Example 1: Parallel Stages (No File Overlap)

# Good - stages can run concurrently
stages:
  - id: add-auth
    dependencies: ["knowledge-bootstrap"]
    files: ["src/auth/**"]
    working_dir: "."
  - id: add-logging
    dependencies: ["knowledge-bootstrap"]
    files: ["src/logging/**"]
    working_dir: "."
  - id: integration-verify
    dependencies: ["add-auth", "add-logging"]
    working_dir: "."

Example 2: Sequential Stages (Same Files)

# Both touch src/api/handler.rs - must be sequential
stages:
  - id: add-auth-to-handler
    dependencies: ["knowledge-bootstrap"]
    files: ["src/api/handler.rs"]
    working_dir: "."
  - id: add-logging-to-handler
    dependencies: ["add-auth-to-handler"] # Sequential
    files: ["src/api/handler.rs"]
    working_dir: "."
  - id: integration-verify
    dependencies: ["add-logging-to-handler"]
    working_dir: "."

Example 3: Complete Plan Template

# Plan: [Title]

## Overview

[2-3 sentence description]

## Execution Diagram

```
[knowledge-bootstrap] --> [stage-a, stage-b] --> [integration-verify]
```

<!-- loom METADATA -->

```yaml
loom:
  version: 1
  stages:
    - id: knowledge-bootstrap
      name: "Bootstrap Knowledge Base"
      description: |
        Explore codebase and populate doc/loom/knowledge/.

        Use parallel subagents and skills to maximize performance.

        Tasks:
        - Identify entry points and main modules
        - Document patterns and conventions
      dependencies: []
      acceptance:
        - "grep -q '## ' doc/loom/knowledge/entry-points.md"
      files:
        - "doc/loom/knowledge/**"
      working_dir: "."

    - id: stage-a
      name: "Feature A"
      description: |
        Implement feature A.

        Use parallel subagents and skills to maximize performance.

        Tasks:
        - Task 1
        - Task 2
      dependencies: ["knowledge-bootstrap"]
      acceptance:
        - "cargo test"
      files:
        - "src/feature_a/**"
      working_dir: "."

    - id: stage-b
      name: "Feature B"
      description: |
        Implement feature B.

        Use parallel subagents and skills to maximize performance.

        Tasks:
        - Task 1
        - Task 2
      dependencies: ["knowledge-bootstrap"]
      acceptance:
        - "cargo test"
      files:
        - "src/feature_b/**"
      working_dir: "."

    - id: integration-verify
      name: "Integration Verification"
      description: |
        Final verification after all stages complete.

        Use parallel subagents and skills to maximize performance.

        CRITICAL: Verify FUNCTIONAL INTEGRATION, not just tests passing.

        Build/Test Tasks:
        - Full test suite
        - Linting
        - Build verification

        FUNCTIONAL VERIFICATION (MANDATORY):
        - Verify features are WIRED into the application
        - Execute smoke test of primary use case
        - Confirm user-visible behavior works end-to-end
      dependencies: ["stage-a", "stage-b"]
      acceptance:
        - "cargo test"
        - "cargo clippy -- -D warnings"
        - "cargo build"
        # ADD: Functional acceptance criteria for YOUR feature
      files: []
      working_dir: "."
```

<!-- END loom METADATA -->