varie-ai /work-summarize
Provide a summary of current work state at requested detail level.
Purpose
This skill enables the Manager pattern where a lean Manager session requests summaries from other sessions without loading full context. Sessions provide self-contained summaries at varying detail levels.
Detail Levels
| Level | Content | Use Case |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Task + step (one line) | Routing decisions |
| 3 | + status + notes (default) | Status overview |
| 10 | + files + next steps + blockers | Reviving work |
| full | Complete checkpoint dump | Deep investigation |
Implementation Steps
1. Determine current session
Check if there's an active session for current directory:
PROJECT=$(basename "$PWD")
Read session from ~/.varie/sessions/ matching current project.
If no session:
No active session. Status: idle
2. Check checkpoint staleness (CRITICAL for crash recovery)
Before generating summary, verify checkpoint accuracy:
# Get checkpoint's recorded git state
# Compare to current git state
git status --porcelain
git rev-parse --short HEAD
Staleness indicators:
last_active> 1 hour agogit_state.last_commitdoesn't match current HEADgit_state.dirty_filesdoesn't match currentgit status
If stale:
⚠️ Checkpoint may be stale (last: {time} ago)
Checkpoint says: "{step} - {notes}"
Git shows: {current reality}
Run /work-recover for accurate state, or /work-resume to continue.
This ensures Manager knows when session state is uncertain after a crash.
3. Parse detail level
Default to 3 if not specified. Accept: 1, 3, 10, "full"
3. Generate summary at requested level
Level 1 (one line):
{Task Name}: Step {N}/{total} - {step_name} ({status})
Example:
Character API Migration: Step 3/5 - frontend_api_client (in_progress)
Level 3 (default):
{Task Name} ({repo})
Step {N}/{total}: {step_name}
Notes: "{current notes}"
Example:
Character API Migration (webapp)
Step 3/5: frontend_api_client
Notes: "Working on response type definitions"
Level 10 (detailed):
{Task Name} ({repo})
Session: {id} | Branch: {branch}
Step {N}/{total}: {step_name} - {status}
Recent progress:
- {completed step 1}: {outcome}
- {completed step 2}: {outcome}
- {current step}: {notes}
Files touched:
- {file1}
- {file2}
Next steps:
- {pending step 1}
- {pending step 2}
Blockers: {none or description}
Last checkpoint: {time} ago
Level full: Output the entire checkpoint YAML content.
4. Output summary
Just output the summary text. No additional commentary needed - this is meant for machine consumption by orchestrator.
Examples
User: /work-summarize
Output (level 3):
Character API Migration (webapp)
Step 3/5: frontend_api_client
Notes: "Working on response type definitions"
User: /work-summarize 1
Output:
Character API Migration: Step 3/5 - frontend_api_client (in_progress)
User: /work-summarize 10
Output:
Character API Migration (webapp)
Session: abc123 | Branch: feature/character-api
Step 3/5: frontend_api_client - in_progress
Recent progress:
- update_api_contract: Added /companions endpoint
- backend_implementation: Handler + 5 tests passing
- frontend_api_client: Working on response types
Files touched:
- src/api/client.ts
- src/types/companion.ts
Next steps:
- frontend_components
- integration_test
Blockers: none
Last checkpoint: 15 min ago
Manager Integration
The Manager uses this to stay lean:
Manager: "Session webapp, /work-summarize 1"
Session: "Character API Migration: Step 3/5 - frontend_api_client (in_progress)"
Manager: (makes routing decision with minimal context)
If Manager needs more detail:
Manager: "Session webapp, /work-summarize 10"
Session: (provides detailed summary)
Manager: (has enough context to revive or assist)