Work on Ticket

Streamlined workflow to start work on a Jira ticket by fetching ticket details, creating a branch, and initiating task planning.

When to Use This Skill

Activate this skill when:

• The user says "work on AGP-123" or "start work on AGP-123"
• The user says "pick up AGP-123" or "begin AGP-123"
• The user mentions starting work on a specific Jira ticket ID
• Pattern: work on [TICKET_ID] or similar intent

Workflow

1. Parse Ticket ID

Extract the Jira ticket ID from the user's message. Common patterns:

• work on AGP-782
• start AGP-782
• pick up PROJ-123

Ticket ID format: [A-Z]+-[0-9]+ (e.g., AGP-782, AICC-123)

2. Fetch Jira Ticket Details

Use the MCP Zapier tool to fetch the ticket:

mcp__zapier-frontend__jira_software_cloud_find_issue_by_key({
  instructions: "Get details for ticket [TICKET_ID]",
  key: "[TICKET_ID]",
  fields: "summary,description,issuetype,priority,status"
})

Extract from response:

• Summary (title)
• Description
• Issue type
• Status
• Any other relevant context

3. Generate Branch Name

Create a branch name using this format:

[TICKET_ID]-[kebab-case-summary]

Branch Naming Rules:

• Start with the ticket ID (e.g., AGP-782-)
• Convert summary to kebab-case (lowercase, dashes instead of spaces)
• Remove special characters
• Keep it concise (max 50 characters total)
• Use meaningful words from the summary

Examples:

• AGP-782-migrate-existing-mcp-server
• AICC-123-fix-auth-token-expiry
• PROJ-456-add-user-settings-page

Implementation:

# Convert summary to kebab-case
# Example: "Migrate existing MCP server" -> "migrate-existing-mcp-server"

4. Check Current Git State

Before creating a branch, check the current state:

# Check current branch
git branch --show-current

# Check for uncommitted changes
git status --porcelain

If uncommitted changes exist:

• STOP and inform User
• Suggest: "You have uncommitted changes. Should I commit them first, stash them, or continue anyway?"
• Wait for User's decision

If not on staging/main:

• STOP and inform User
• Suggest: "You're currently on branch [CURRENT_BRANCH]. Should I switch to staging first?"
• Wait for User's decision

5. Create Branch

Once it's safe to proceed:

# Ensure we're on the latest staging
git checkout staging
git pull origin staging

# Create and checkout new branch
git checkout -b [TICKET_ID]-[kebab-case-summary]

Confirm to User: "Created and checked out branch: [BRANCH_NAME]"

6. Build Task Planning Prompt

Analyze the Jira ticket and create a comprehensive prompt for the /eng:chore command:

Prompt should include:

• The ticket summary
• Key details from the description
• Any acceptance criteria mentioned
• Relevant technical context

Example prompt construction:

Summary: [ticket.summary]

Description: [ticket.description]

Acceptance Criteria:
[extracted criteria if present]

7. Execute Task Planning

Run the /eng:chore slash command with the ticket number and constructed prompt:

/eng:chore [TICKET_ID] [CONSTRUCTED_PROMPT]

Example:

AGP-782 Migrate existing MCP server implementation to new architecture

Description: We need to refactor the MCP server to use the new modular architecture. This includes updating the tool registry, migrating existing tools, and ensuring backward compatibility.

Acceptance Criteria:
- All existing tools work with new architecture
- Tests pass
- No breaking changes to API

Error Handling

If ticket not found:

• Inform User: "Couldn't find ticket [TICKET_ID] in Jira. Please check the ticket ID."
• STOP - don't proceed with branch creation

If branch already exists:

• Inform User: "Branch [BRANCH_NAME] already exists."
• Ask: "Should I check it out, create a new branch with a different name, or stop?"
• Wait for decision

If git operations fail:

• Show the error to User
• STOP - don't proceed to task planning

Example Usage

Example 1: Simple Ticket

User: "work on AGP-782"

Claude:

1. Fetches AGP-782 from Jira
2. Finds summary: "Migrate existing MCP server"
3. Checks git state (clean, on staging)
4. Creates branch: AGP-782-migrate-existing-mcp-server
5. Runs: /eng:chore AGP-782 Migrate existing MCP server implementation...

Example 2: With Uncommitted Changes

User: "work on AICC-456"

Claude:

1. Fetches AICC-456 from Jira
2. Checks git state - finds uncommitted changes
3. STOPS and asks: "You have uncommitted changes. Should I commit them first, stash them, or continue anyway?"
4. Waits for User's decision

Example 3: Ticket Not Found

User: "work on BAD-999"

Claude:

1. Tries to fetch BAD-999 from Jira
2. Ticket not found
3. Informs User: "Couldn't find ticket BAD-999 in Jira. Please check the ticket ID."
4. STOPS

Coding Standards

CRITICAL RULE - NESTED CONDITIONALS:

• NEVER EVER EVER USE NESTED CONDITIONALS when working on tickets
• If you find yourself nesting if statements, STOP immediately
• Refactor using early returns, guard clauses, or extract functions
• This rule applies to all code written while working on any ticket
• Violation of this rule is FAILURE

Why this matters:

• Nested conditionals reduce readability and increase cognitive load
• They make code harder to test and maintain
• Early returns and guard clauses are always clearer

Instead of:

if (condition1) {
  if (condition2) {
    // do something
  }
}

Do this:

if (!condition1) return;
if (!condition2) return;
// do something

CRITICAL RULE - NO UNNECESSARY INLINE COMMENTS:

• NEVER add simple, obvious inline comments that just restate what the code does
• Code should be self-documenting through clear variable names, function names, and structure
• Only add comments when they explain WHY something is done, not WHAT is being done
• Remove unnecessary comments during refactoring
• This rule applies to all code written while working on any ticket
• Violation of this rule is FAILURE

Bad comments (obvious, unnecessary):

// Set the user's name
user.name = "Alice";

// Loop through the items
for (const item of items) {
  // Process the item
  processItem(item);
}

// Return true if valid
return isValid;

Good comments (explain WHY, add context):

// Cache user data for 5 minutes to reduce API calls
const cachedUser = await cache.get(userId, { ttl: 300 });

// Process items in batches to avoid memory issues with large datasets
for (const batch of chunkArray(items, 100)) {
  await processBatch(batch);
}

// Skip validation for admin users per security requirement SEC-123
if (user.isAdmin) return true;

When comments ARE appropriate:

• Explaining non-obvious business logic or requirements
• Documenting workarounds for external bugs (with issue links)
• Clarifying performance optimizations
• Noting security considerations
• Referencing ticket numbers or external documentation

When to use NO comments:

• If the code is self-explanatory
• If a better variable/function name would make it clear
• If the comment just repeats what the code obviously does

CRITICAL RULE - VITEST TESTING:

• ALWAYS use the Vitest TDD Expert skill when writing or working with Vitest tests
• Before writing any Vitest tests, activate the Vitest TDD Expert skill by invoking it with the Skill tool
• The Vitest TDD Expert skill enforces:
  • Red-Green-Refactor TDD cycle (test first, always)
  • 95%+ coverage requirements with quality metrics
  • FIRST principles (Fast, Independent, Repeatable, Self-validating, Timely)
  • Behavior-focused testing (not implementation details)
  • Comprehensive edge case coverage and error path testing
  • Anti-pattern avoidance (no brittle tests, no excessive mocking)
• This ensures high-quality, maintainable test suites that provide confidence
• Violation of this rule means tests may be brittle, incomplete, or low quality

When to activate Vitest TDD Expert:

// Before writing Vitest tests, invoke:
Skill({ skill: "vitest-tdd" })

Important Notes

• Always check git state before creating branches
• Never force-create branches or overwrite existing branches
• Never proceed if there are uncommitted changes without User's approval
• Keep branch names concise - aim for clarity over completeness
• Include ticket context in the task planning prompt to give the planner maximum context
• The /eng:chore command will handle the detailed planning - this skill just sets up the environment

Success Criteria

The skill is successful when:

1. ✅ Jira ticket is fetched successfully
2. ✅ Appropriate branch name is generated
3. ✅ Git state is verified (no uncommitted changes or user approved)
4. ✅ New branch is created and checked out
5. ✅ /eng:chore command is executed with ticket context
6. ✅ User is informed of each major step