Phx Work

Work

Execute tasks from a plan file with checkpoint tracking and verification.

Usage

phx-work .claude/plans/user-auth/plan.md
phx-work .claude/plans/user-auth/plan.md --from P2-T3
phx-work --skip-blockers
phx-work  # Resumes most recent plan

Arguments

• <plan-file> -- Path to plan file (optional, auto-detects recent)
• --from <task-id> -- Resume from specific task (e.g., P2-T3)
• --skip-blockers -- Continue past blocked tasks
• --continue -- Resume IN_PROGRESS plan from checkboxes

Iron Laws (NON-NEGOTIABLE)

1. NEVER auto-proceed to phx-review or any next workflow phase -- always ask the user what to do next
2. AUTO-CONTINUE between plan phases -- when Phase N completes, immediately start Phase N+1. Do NOT stop or ask for permission between phases. Only stop at BLOCKERS or when ALL phases are done.
3. Plan checkboxes ARE the state -- [x] = done, [ ] = pending. No separate JSON state files. Resume by reading the plan.
4. Verify after EVERY task -- never skip verification
5. Max 3 retries then BLOCKER -- don't keep retrying forever
6. Stage specific files -- never use git add -A or git add .
7. Read scratchpad BEFORE implementing -- scratchpad has dead-ends and decisions that prevent rework. Step 2 is not optional.
8. Clarify ambiguous tasks -- ask the user rather than guessing when a plan task's intent is unclear

Step 1: Research Decision

Ask the user for plans with >3 tasks:

This plan has {count} remaining tasks across {count} phases.

1. Start working -- Begin immediately (familiar patterns)
2. Quick research -- Read source files first (~10 min)
3. Extensive research -- Web search + docs (~30 min)

Skip for plans with 3 or fewer simple tasks -- just start.

Split warning: Plans with >10 tasks risk 2-3 context compactions. Suggest splitting via phx-plan if not already.

Step 2: Check Context (MANDATORY)

Read scratchpad and compound docs before writing any code — skipping this causes rework. Read .claude/plans/{slug}/scratchpad.md (short, critical context) for dead-ends and decisions, then Grep .claude/solutions/ for solved patterns. Apply findings: skip dead-ends, follow decisions, reuse patterns. Ask the user when a task's intent is ambiguous — never guess, corrections are expensive.

Step 3: Load, Create Task List, and Resume

Read plan file, count [x] (completed) vs [ ] (remaining). Find first unchecked task by [Pn-Tm] ID.

Create Claude Code tasks from ALL unchecked plan items using TaskCreate. This gives real-time progress visibility in the UI:

For each unchecked `- [ ] [Pn-Tm] Description`:
  TaskCreate({
    subject: "[Pn-Tm] Description",
    description: "Full task details from plan",
    activeForm: "Implementing: Description"
  })

Skip already-checked items ([x]) — don't create tasks for them. Set up blockedBy dependencies between phases (Phase 2 tasks blocked by Phase 1 tasks).

With --from P2-T3: Skip to that specific task.

Stale-plan check: if the plan predates this session (file mtime), spot-check 2-3 files it references before executing — assumptions may have drifted.

See references/resume-strategies.md for all resume modes.

Step 4: Execute Tasks

Execute each unchecked task (- [ ] [Pn-Tm][agent] Description):

1. Start task: TaskUpdate({taskId, status: "in_progress"})
2. Route by [agent] annotation (see references/execution-guide.md)
3. Implement the task
4. Verify: mix format + mix compile --warnings-as-errors (at phase end, also run mix test <affected> — see tiers below)
5. Complete task: Mark checkbox [x] on pass, append implementation note inline, AND TaskUpdate({taskId, status: "completed"}). Example: - [x] [P1-T3] Add user schema — citext for email, composite index on [user_id, status] This survives context compaction; the plan is re-read on resume.
6. On failure: retry up to 3 times, then create BLOCKER and write DEAD-END to scratchpad (see error-recovery.md)

Parallel groups: Tasks under ### Parallel: header spawn as background subagents. See references/execution-guide.md for spawning pattern, prompt template, and checkpoint flow.

Verification tiers (scoped to minimize redundant runs):

• Per-task: mix compile --warnings-as-errors only (format is checked by PostToolUse hook automatically)
• Per-phase: mix compile --warnings-as-errors + mix test <affected_files> + mix credo --strict (scope tests: mix test test/path/to_affected_test.exs — NOT full suite)
• Per-feature (Tidewave): behavioral smoke test via project_eval (create record, fetch, verify -- see execution-guide.md)
• Final gate: mix test (full suite — run ONCE at the end, not per-phase)

Token efficiency: Do NOT narrate each verification step. Execute tool calls directly without "Let me now run..." preamble. Only narrate when explaining a non-obvious decision or reporting a failure. When several checkboxes complete together (parallel groups, resume catch-up), batch them into ONE edit pass — never one Edit call per checkbox. The PostToolUse hook checks formatting but does NOT modify files — run mix format explicitly during verification or before committing.

Step 5: Completion

Summarize results with AskUserQuestion:

Implementation complete! {done}/{total} tasks finished. {count} files modified across {count} phases.

Options: 1. Run review (phx-review) (Recommended), 2. Get a briefing (phx-brief — understand what was built), 3. Commit changes (/commit), 4. Continue manually. If any task fixed a non-obvious bug, also mention phx-compound to capture the solution.

With blockers: list them, offer Replan (phx-plan), Review first (phx-review), or Handle myself.

If blockers remain, auto-write HANDOFF to scratchpad:

### [HH:MM] HANDOFF: {plan name}
Status: {done}/{total} tasks. Blockers: {list}.
Next: {first unchecked task ID and description}.
Key decisions: {brief list from this session}.

Include context beyond checkboxes for fresh session resume.

NEVER auto-start phx-review or any other phase.

Step 6: Check for Additional Plans

After completion, use Glob to find other plan files matching .claude/plans/*/plan.md. If pending plans exist, inform the user. Do NOT auto-start.

Integration

phx-plan → phx-work (YOU ARE HERE) → phx-review → phx-compound
                 ↑ ASK USER before each transition

References

• references/execution-guide.md -- Task routing, parallel execution, verification
• references/resume-strategies.md -- Resume modes and state persistence
• references/file-formats.md -- Plan and progress file formats
• references/error-recovery.md -- Error handling and blockers
• references/harness-patterns.md -- Critic-refiner pattern for debugging loops