Workbench Work Items

Key settings

• .workbench/config.json: paths.itemsDir, paths.workItemsSpecsDir, ids.width, git.branchPattern.
• Status values: planned, in_progress, blocked, complete, cancelled, superseded.

Core workflows

1. Ensure planning artifacts exist (specifications, architecture docs, and verification artifacts) before major work.
2. Create a work item and set its initial status.
3. Link related requirements, architecture docs, verification artifacts, files, PRs, or issues.
4. Update status and close work items when complete.

Commands

Create a task:

workbench item new --type work_item --title "Do the thing" --status planned --priority medium --owner platform

Update status:

workbench item status WI-WB-0001 in-progress --note "started implementation"

Close the item:

workbench item close WI-WB-0001

Link docs or PRs:

workbench item link WI-WB-0001 --spec /specs/requirements/CLI/SPEC-CLI-ONBOARDING.md --pr https://github.com/org/repo/pull/1

Output

• Work items in specs/work-items/.
• Linked docs and external artifacts tracked in front matter.

Guardrails

• Use a work item for every meaningful change and link the supporting docs.
• Keep status accurate so reports and boards stay reliable.
• If a design decision happens during work, capture it in an architecture artifact and link it.

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