Pre Flight Checklist

Pre-Flight Checklist

Overview

Systematic checklist to verify environment setup and task status before starting work. Prevents wasted effort on already-complete tasks and ensures proper environment configuration.

Checklist Items

1. Check if Task is Already Complete

Before starting work, verify task status:

1. Read task file: tasks/next_task.md
2. Read progress file: tasks/progress.txt
3. Check completion status: Is task already marked complete?
4. Verify success criteria: Are all criteria met?

If task is complete:

• Document verification
• Move to next task
• Don't redo completed work

Pattern:

# Check task status
cat tasks/next_task.md
cat tasks/progress.txt | grep -A 10 "US-XXX"

2. Verify Dev Server Status and Port

Before browser testing, verify server is running:

1. Check if server is running: Look for process on port
2. Detect actual port: Check vite.config.ts, package.json, terminal output
3. Verify server health: Poll server endpoint
4. Start server if needed: npm run dev

Reference: See dev-server-port-detection skill for port discovery patterns.

Pattern:

# Check if server is running
lsof -i :3000 || lsof -i :5173

# Check port configuration
grep -A 5 "server:" vite.config.ts
grep -i "port" package.json

# Verify server health
curl -s http://localhost:3000 > /dev/null && echo "Server is running"

Backend / Server (for backend tasks)

Before the first API test:

• Check that the target port is free (e.g. lsof -i :PORT) or that a single dev server is listening.
• Start command: use an explicit directory (e.g. cd /absolute/path/to/backend && npm run dev).
• Optional: short-timeout health check (e.g. curl -f http://localhost:PORT/api/health --max-time 5).
• Auth tasks: First register/login may be slow (e.g. bcrypt). Use request timeouts (e.g. 10–15 s) for register/login checks (e.g. curl --max-time 10).

Path convention (monorepos)

• Backend library code lives under backend/src/lib/, not backend/lib/.
• Confirm the backend app root for the repo before creating API or lib files.

3. Check TypeScript Compilation Status

Before making changes, verify current compilation status:

1. Run TypeScript check: npx tsc --noEmit
2. Fix any existing errors: Don't add to broken codebase
3. Verify compilation passes: Must pass before proceeding

Reference: See typescript-incremental-check skill for compilation patterns.

Pattern:

# Check TypeScript compilation
npx tsc --noEmit

# If errors exist, fix them first
# Then proceed with task

4. Verify Required Dependencies are Installed

Before using packages, verify dependencies:

1. Check package.json: Required packages listed
2. Check node_modules: Packages installed
3. Run npm install if needed: Install missing dependencies

Pattern:

# Check if node_modules exists
ls node_modules

# Install if needed
npm install

# Verify specific package
npm list <package-name>

5. Load All Required Skills Upfront

Before starting implementation, discover and load skills:

1. Search all skills: search_skills("") to list all
2. Load relevant skills: Load skills needed for task
3. Reference skill documentation: Read skill docs before using

Reference: See agent-workflow-guidelines skill for skill discovery workflow.

Pattern:

# Search all skills
search_skills("")

# Load relevant skills
load_skill("phaser-game-testing")
load_skill("agent-browser")
load_skill("typescript-incremental-check")

Environment Validation Patterns

Pattern 1: Complete Pre-Flight Check

# 1. Check task status
cat tasks/next_task.md
cat tasks/progress.txt

# 2. Verify dev server
lsof -i :3000 || npm run dev &

# 3. Check TypeScript
npx tsc --noEmit

# 4. Verify dependencies
npm install

# 5. Load skills
search_skills("")
load_skill("relevant-skill-1")
load_skill("relevant-skill-2")

Pattern 2: Quick Pre-Flight Check

For simple tasks, minimal check:

# Quick check
npx tsc --noEmit && echo "TypeScript OK"
lsof -i :3000 && echo "Server running" || npm run dev &

Pattern 3: Pre-Flight Script

Create reusable script:

#!/bin/bash
# pre-flight.sh

echo "Checking task status..."
cat tasks/next_task.md

echo "Checking TypeScript..."
npx tsc --noEmit

echo "Checking server..."
lsof -i :3000 || echo "Server not running, start with: npm run dev"

echo "Checking dependencies..."
npm list --depth=0

echo "Pre-flight check complete"

Common Issues and Solutions

Issue 1: Task Already Complete

Symptom: Progress shows task complete, all criteria met Solution: Verify completion, document, move to next task

Issue 2: Server Not Running

Symptom: Browser connection fails, port not in use Solution: Start server with npm run dev, wait for ready

Issue 3: TypeScript Errors

Symptom: Compilation fails with errors Solution: Fix errors before proceeding, don't add to broken codebase

Issue 4: Missing Dependencies

Symptom: Import errors, module not found Solution: Run npm install to install missing packages

Issue 5: Skills Not Loaded

Symptom: Missing patterns, inefficient workflows Solution: Load relevant skills upfront, reference documentation

Workflow Integration

Start of Task Workflow

1. Pre-flight check: Run complete checklist
2. Fix any issues: Resolve environment problems
3. Load skills: Discover and load relevant skills
4. Begin implementation: Start task work

During Task Workflow

• After edits: Run TypeScript check immediately
• Before testing: Verify server is running
• Before completion: Verify all criteria met

Best Practices

1. Always run pre-flight check: Don't skip verification
2. Fix issues before starting: Don't work with broken environment
3. Load skills upfront: Don't discover patterns mid-task
4. Verify completion: Check if task already done
5. Document findings: Note any issues or patterns discovered

Resources

• agent-workflow-guidelines skill - General workflow guidelines
• dev-server-port-detection skill - Port discovery patterns
• typescript-incremental-check skill - Compilation patterns
• task-verification-workflow skill - Task completion verification