Issue - Issue Manager

Create and manage Issues with testable acceptance criteria.

Directory Structure

project/
└── specs/
    ├── epics/
    │   └── epic-name/
    │       ├── epic.md
    │       └── progress.md
    └── issues/
        ├── 20250115-task01-auth-setup/
        │   ├── issue.md                  # Issue requirements
        │   └── feature.json              # Testable acceptance criteria
        └── 20250116-web01-landing-page/
            ├── issue.md
            └── feature.json

What is an Issue?

An Issue is a single work item with testable acceptance criteria.

Components:

• issue.md - Requirements and technical details
• feature.json - Tracking work progress with pass/fail status

Naming convention: YYYYMMDD-issueID-short-description/

• Date prefix: YYYYMMDD
• Issue ID: taskNN, webNN, cfgNN, bugNN, etc.
• Short description: auth-setup, landing-page, etc.

When to Use

• User says "create issue", "new task", "plan feature"
• Breaking down an Epic into work items
• Adding a bug fix or enhancement task
• Updating issue requirements or status

IMPORTANT: Epic Context

Before creating or updating any Issue, you MUST:

1. Read Epic Context First

   # Read the related Epic's files
   cat specs/epics/EPIC_NAME/epic.md        # Understand goals and existing issues
   cat specs/epics/EPIC_NAME/progress.md    # Check current sprint status
   ls specs/epics/EPIC_NAME/references/     # Review design docs and specs
   

2. After Creating/Updating Issue

   • Update epic.md - Add new issue to "Related Issues" table
   • Update progress.md - Log the action taken
   • Ensure issue aligns with Epic goals and references

This ensures Issues are consistent with Epic's design and requirements.

Creating an Issue

Step 1: Read Epic Context

# Identify the related Epic and read its context
cat specs/epics/EPIC_NAME/epic.md           # Goals, existing issues
cat specs/epics/EPIC_NAME/progress.md       # Current sprint status
cat specs/epics/EPIC_NAME/references/*.md   # Design specs, requirements

Step 2: Create Issue Directory

mkdir -p specs/issues/YYYYMMDD-issueID-short-description

Step 3: Create issue.md

# [Issue Title]

## Overview
Brief description of what this issue accomplishes.

## Requirements
- Requirement 1
- Requirement 2
- Requirement 3

## Technical Details

### API Endpoints
| Method | Path | Description |
|--------|------|-------------|
| POST | /api/xxx | Description |

### Data Models

Model { field1: type field2: type }

### Dependencies
- Library/package dependencies
- External service dependencies

## Acceptance Criteria
See `feature.json` for testable criteria.

## Issue Dependencies
- [ ] issueNN-xxx (must be completed first)

## Out of Scope
- What this issue does NOT include

Step 4: Create feature.json

{
  "issue": "task01-auth-setup",
  "title": "Authentication System Setup",
  "epic": "cli",
  "priority": 1,
  "status": "pending",
  "created_at": "2025-01-15",
  "completed_at": null,
  "dependencies": [],
  "parallelizable": true,
  "features": [
    {
      "id": "F001",
      "category": "functional",
      "description": "User can register with email and password",
      "steps": [
        "Step 1: Navigate to /register",
        "Step 2: Fill in email and password",
        "Step 3: Submit the form",
        "Step 4: Verify success message"
      ],
      "passes": false,
      "notes": ""
    }
  ],
  "metadata": {
    "estimated_sessions": 1,
    "actual_sessions": 0,
    "blockers": []
  }
}

Step 5: Update Epic Context

This step is mandatory. Update the Epic to reflect the new issue:

1. Update epic.md - Add to "Related Issues" table:

   | Issue | Title | Status |
   |-------|-------|--------|
   | task01-auth-setup | Authentication Setup | pending |
   

2. Update progress.md - Log the creation:

   [YYYY-MM-DD HH:MM] Created issue task01-auth-setup: Authentication Setup
   

Step 6: Git Commit

git add specs/issues/YYYYMMDD-issueID-*/ specs/epics/EPIC_NAME/
git commit -m "feat: create issue task01-auth-setup"

Updating an Issue

Step 1: Read Epic Context First

# Always read Epic context before making changes
cat specs/epics/EPIC_NAME/epic.md
cat specs/epics/EPIC_NAME/progress.md

Step 2: Update issue.md

Add an "Updates" section to document changes:

## Updates (YYYY-MM-DD)

### Issue: [Brief description]
- **Problem**: What was wrong
- **Solution**: How it was fixed
- **Files**: Which files were modified

Step 3: Update feature.json

Mark completed features:

{
  "id": "F001",
  "description": "Feature description",
  "passes": true,
  "notes": "Fixed YYYY-MM-DD: Brief explanation"
}

Update issue status:

{
  "status": "in-progress",
  "completed_at": "2025-01-15"
}

Step 4: Update Epic Context

This step is mandatory. Update both Epic files:

1. Update epic.md - Change issue status if needed:

   | task01-auth-setup | Authentication Setup | completed |
   

2. Update progress.md - Log the changes:

   [YYYY-MM-DD HH:MM] Updated issue-name: brief description
   

Issue Sizing Guidelines

If an issue has more than 8 features, split it into smaller issues.

Parallel Execution

The parallelizable field indicates if an issue can be worked on by a background AI agent.

Set parallelizable: true when:

• No pending dependencies
• Work is isolated
• Clear requirements
• No frequent human decisions needed

Set parallelizable: false when:

• Has dependencies on incomplete issues
• Core architectural changes
• Requires interactive feedback
• Will conflict with other work

Rules

• Each Issue MUST have both issue.md and feature.json
• All features start with "passes": false
• Priority 1 = highest priority
• Dependencies reference other issue IDs
• Always update the Epic when issue status changes

References

Template files:

• references/feature.template.json
• references/issue.template.md