Handoff

Session Handoff

Creates or updates HANDOFF.md in the project root — a general session summary for continuity.

Purpose

Capture accumulated knowledge, context, and insights that would be lost when starting a new conversation. HANDOFF.md persists in the project root and is updated at the end of each session.

Workflow

Step 1: Gather Context

Review the current conversation to extract:

• What was accomplished (progress)
• Decisions made and their reasoning
• Problems encountered and how they were solved
• Dead ends discovered (what NOT to do)
• Files modified or discovered
• Patterns and relationships identified

Step 2: Check Task List

Use TaskList to see current task status:

• Completed tasks
• In-progress tasks
• Pending tasks

Step 3: Identify Project Context (Optional)

1. Check if .mpx/ exists
2. If yes, read .mpx/CONTEXT.md for domain language and feature context
3. Read .mpx/DECISIONS.md for settled decisions
4. This context enriches the handoff but is not required

Step 4: Create or Update HANDOFF.md

1. Check if HANDOFF.md already exists in the project root
2. If exists: read it, merge previous context with current session context (preserve still-relevant items, update/replace stale ones)
3. If not: create new from scratch

Write HANDOFF.md to the project root.

Target 20-200 lines. Be thorough — this is the only context the next agent gets.

Write as if briefing a developer who has zero context. Every section should contain enough detail that the reader can continue work without re-investigating.

# Session Handoff

Date: [Today's date]

## Progress This Session

- [For each completed item: what was done and how]
- [Include file paths, function names, specific changes]
- [Not just "implemented X" — describe the approach taken]

## Key Decisions

- [Each decision: what was decided, alternatives considered, why this choice]
- [Include technical trade-offs and constraints that influenced the decision]

## Dead Ends & Mistakes

- [Failed approaches with WHY they failed — error messages, wrong assumptions]
- [Paths that looked promising but weren't — save the next agent from repeating]
- [Include specific error messages, stack traces, or symptoms encountered]

## Bugs Found

- [Any bugs discovered during work, whether fixed or not]
- [Include reproduction steps and file locations]

## Next Steps

1. [Prioritized, with enough context to start immediately]
2. [Include file paths, function names, what specifically needs doing]
3. [Note any prerequisites or ordering constraints]

## Critical Files

- `path/to/file` — what it does, why it matters for this work
- [Every file the next agent will need to read or modify]

## Working Memory

- [Implicit knowledge: "X depends on Y", "don't change Z because..."]
- [Patterns discovered, architectural constraints]
- [Environment quirks, config gotchas, version-specific behavior]
- [Relationships between components that aren't obvious from code]

Step 5: Confirm

Show the user what was created:

"Session handoff created:

• HANDOFF.md (project root)

Captured:

• items of progress
• decisions
• next steps"

Notes

• HANDOFF.md persists in the project root — updated each session, not deleted
• This skill only writes HANDOFF.md — use /mp:grill or /mp:harvest-decisions to persist decisions to .mpx/DECISIONS.md
• Focus on "why" not just "what" — reasoning is crucial
• Capture implicit knowledge that isn't documented elsewhere
• If HANDOFF.md already exists, it is read and merged with current session context (update-or-create)