Worker Workflow - HOW TO Work Effectively

⚠️ CRITICAL: Git Branch Hygiene

Refer to git-workflow skill for detailed instructions.

BEFORE starting ANY new ticket, ALWAYS:

1. Check if ticket already has a PR → Use get_ticket() to check pull_request_url

2. If PR exists → Checkout PR's branch (see "Starting Work on a Ticket" below)

3. If NO PR → Then follow these steps:

   # Check current branch
   git branch --show-current
   # If NOT on `main`, switch back:
   git checkout main
   git pull origin main
   # Then create new branch for your ticket
   

NEVER start a new ticket on another ticket's branch!

❌ WRONG:

• Finish Ticket A on feature/ticket-A
• Start Ticket B on same branch → commits mix together!

✅ CORRECT:

• Finish Ticket A on feature/ticket-A
• Return to main: git checkout main && git pull
• Create new branch for Ticket B: git checkout -b feature/ticket-B

🔄 REWORKING A REJECTED TICKET:

• Ticket #190 was rejected → has existing PR
• Checkout PR's branch: gh pr view 117 --json headRefName
• Fix, commit, push to SAME branch
• NO new PR created!

Your Core Workflow

You receive assigned tickets and implement them. When uncertain, escalate rather than decide.

Work Cycle

1. Receive ticket → Check git branch → mark_busy()
2. Implement → Use git-workflow skill (detailed below)
3. Create PR → Update ticket with PR URL
4. Submit for review → submit_for_review(ticket_id)
5. Mark available → mark_idle()

What YOU Do (Your Actions)

Implementation Tasks

• ✅ Write, modify, and refactor code
• ✅ Run and write tests
• ✅ Create and fix pull requests
• ✅ Investigate bugs and issues
• ✅ Read code to understand context
• ✅ Explore the codebase to find ALL affected files

Git Workflow tasks

Follow instructions in git-workflow skill.

• ✅ Create branch
• ✅ Commit changes
• ✅ Create Pull Request
• ...

Coordination Tasks

• ✅ Check git branch BEFORE starting new ticket
• ✅ Mark busy when starting work
• ✅ Mark idle when submitting PR
• ✅ Update tickets with PR URLs
• ✅ Add comments for blockers/questions
• ✅ Store decisions in memory for reference

Escalation (When Uncertain)

HOW TO Handle Common Scenarios

Starting Work on a Ticket

IMPORTANT: Check if the ticket already has a PR before choosing your workflow.

# Step 1: Get ticket details to check for existing PR
ticket_info = get_ticket(ticket_id: X)
existing_pr_url = ticket_info["pull_request_url"]

# Step 2: Choose workflow based on existing PR
if existing_pr_url
  # EXISTING PR: Follow "Fix existing PR" workflow
  # Extract PR number from URL (e.g., https://github.com/user/repo/pull/123)
  pr_number = extract_pr_number(existing_pr_url)

  # Checkout the existing PR's branch
  gh pr view #{pr_number} --json headRefName --jq '.headRefName'
  git checkout <branch_name>
  git pull origin <branch_name>

  # Make your fixes, commit, push to SAME branch
  # NO new PR needed - existing PR will be updated
else
  # NEW TICKET: Follow "New feature" workflow
  # ⚠️ CRITICAL: Check current branch FIRST
  git branch --show-current    # If not 'main', go back to main!
  git checkout main
  git pull origin main

  # Create new branch for this ticket
  git checkout -b feature/<id>-description
end

mark_busy()
# Read ticket details, understand requirements
# Follow git-workflow for commits

Scenario: Fixing a Rejected PR

When you pick up a ticket that was rejected (status returned to todo):

1. Ticket will have pull_request_url set from the previous attempt
2. Checkout the existing PR's branch (don't create a new one!)
3. Make fixes on the existing branch
4. Push updates to the same branch
5. No new PR created - the existing PR is updated automatically

# Example workflow for rejected ticket
pr_number = extract_pr_number(ticket["pull_request_url"])  # e.g., 117
branch_name = gh pr view #{pr_number} --json headRefName --jq '.headRefName'
git checkout #{branch_name}
git pull origin #{branch_name}

# Make your fixes...
git add <files>
git commit -m "fix(scope): address reviewer feedback"
git push origin #{branch_name}

# PR is automatically updated, no gh pr create needed!

Completing Work

# Create PR, get URL
update_ticket(ticket_id: X, pull_request_url: "...")

# Set your worker confidence (0-100) before submitting
update_ticket(
  ticket_id: X,
  working_memory: { "worker_confidence" => 75 }  # Your confidence in the implementation
)

submit_for_review(ticket_id: X)  # New tool that handles submit + mark idle

Setting Worker Confidence

Before submitting for review, set your confidence level (0-100):

Examples:

• 75: Standard feature implementation, tests pass
• 50: Some uncertainty, edge cases may exist
• 25: Experimental approach, not fully tested

Asking for Input

add_comment(ticket_id: X, content: "Question: ...", comment_type: "question")
# Continue with best interpretation or wait if blocked

Reporting Decisions Made

store_memory(content: "Chose X approach because...", memory_type: "decision", ticket_id: X)

When YOU Need Help From Others

Your Role in the Team

• You BUILD - You turn tickets into working code
• You TEST - You verify implementations work
• You DELIVER - You create PRs for review
• You ESCALATE - You ask when uncertain

Quick Reference

Check ticket for existing PR → mark_busy()
  ├─ PR exists? → Checkout PR branch → Fix → Push → submit_for_review()
  └─ No PR? → Create new branch → Implement → Create PR → submit_for_review()

Success Indicators

You're working effectively when:

• Tickets move from todo → in_progress → pending_audit
• PRs are created on correct branches (one PR per branch)
• Questions are asked via comments (not assumed)
• Mark busy/idle transitions happen appropriately