Core Workflow Patterns

Comprehensive development workflow reference. This loads on-demand for detailed patterns.

Quick links to rules: ~/.claude/rules/ for stack-specific and task-type checklists.

Session Protocol

Start Checklist

# 1. Sync with remote (ALWAYS FIRST)
git fetch origin main && git merge origin/main --no-edit
# or: git fetch origin master && git merge origin/master --no-edit

# 2. Get context
git log -3

# 3. Check for existing work
ls tasks/*.md 2>/dev/null || echo "No active tasks"

CRITICAL: Check <env> section for today's date. NEVER guess dates.

End Checklist

# 1. Verify
npm run test && npm run type-check  # or project equivalent

# 2. Archive completed work
mv tasks/<completed-task>.md .archive/completed-tasks/

# 3. Commit with comprehensive message
git add .
git commit  # See Git Conventions below
git push origin main

Stop dev server after testing: lsof -ti:PORT | xargs kill (or Windows equivalent)

GSD (Get Shit Done) - Multi-Phase Projects

For complex features spanning days/weeks, use GSD.

When to Use GSD

| Complexity | Use GSD? | Workflow | | -------------------------- | -------- | --------------------- | | Simple fix (<30 min) | No | Direct execution | | Single feature (30min-2hr) | No | Task file + TodoWrite | | Multi-phase feature (days) | Yes | GSD workflow | | New project/app | Yes | GSD from start |

GSD Quick Start

/gsd:new-project       # Initialize with brief + config
/gsd:create-roadmap    # Create phases and state tracking
/gsd:plan-phase 1      # Create detailed plan for phase
/gsd:execute-plan <path>  # Execute the plan

GSD Commands Reference

| Command | Purpose | | ---------------------------------- | ---------------------------------- | | /gsd:progress | Check status, route to next action | | /gsd:resume-work | Resume from previous session | | /gsd:pause-work | Create handoff when pausing | | /gsd:plan-phase <n> | Create detailed phase plan | | /gsd:execute-plan <path> | Execute a PLAN.md | | /gsd:add-phase <desc> | Add phase to roadmap | | /gsd:insert-phase <after> <desc> | Insert urgent work | | /gsd:complete-milestone <ver> | Archive and tag release | | /gsd:help | Full command reference |

GSD File Structure

.planning/
├── PROJECT.md          # Vision and requirements
├── ROADMAP.md          # Phase breakdown
├── STATE.md            # Project memory (context accumulation)
├── config.json         # Workflow mode (interactive/yolo)
└── phases/
    └── 01-foundation/
        ├── 01-01-PLAN.md
        └── 01-01-SUMMARY.md

Git Conventions

Commit Types

Commit Message Format

type: Short summary (50 chars max)

## What Changed
- File X: Added feature Y
- File Z: Updated config for A

## Why
- User requested feature Y
- Config A needed update

## Testing
- All tests passing
- Manual verification done

Auto-Commit on Task Completion

When a task or plan is complete, automatically commit without being asked.

Pre-Commit Checks

# 1. Check this is a user-owned repo (not external)
git remote get-url origin | grep -q "travisjneuman" && echo "OK: User repo"

# 2. Check push is not blocked
git remote get-url --push origin | grep -q "no_push" && echo "SKIP: External repo"

Rules

| Condition | Action | | ---------------------------- | ---------------------------- | | User's own repo | Auto-commit + push | | External repo (no_push) | Never commit - read-only | | Submodule (external) | Never commit - read-only | | Uncommitted secrets detected | Block - warn user |

Security Checklist

Frontend

[ ] textContent not innerHTML
[ ] unknown type for external data
[ ] No exposed API keys
[ ] HTTPS for external requests
[ ] Input sanitization

Backend

[ ] Input validation on all endpoints
[ ] Auth guards on protected routes
[ ] Parameterized queries (no raw SQL)
[ ] Secrets in environment variables

Performance Targets

| Metric | Target | | ---------------------- | --------------- | | Initial bundle | <100KB gzipped | | Page load | <1s | | Interaction latency | <100ms | | Lighthouse Performance | 95+ | | Accessibility | WCAG AA minimum |

Accessibility (WCAG AA)

[ ] Semantic HTML structure
[ ] Alt text for meaningful images
[ ] Keyboard navigation (Tab, Enter, Escape)
[ ] Focus indicators visible
[ ] Color contrast >= 4.5:1
[ ] ARIA labels on interactive elements
[ ] Touch targets >= 44x44px

Testing Strategy

| Type | Location | When | | ----------- | -------------------- | --------------- | | Unit | src/**/__tests__/ | Every function | | Component | Same | Every component | | Integration | tests/integration/ | Critical paths | | E2E | tests/e2e/ | Before release |

Before committing: npm run test && npm run type-check

Thinking Frameworks

Use structured decision-making for complex choices:

| Decision Type | Framework | | ---------------------- | ----------------------------- | | Long-term implications | /consider:10-10-10 | | Root cause analysis | /consider:5-whys | | Prioritization | /consider:eisenhower-matrix | | Innovation | /consider:first-principles | | Risk identification | /consider:inversion | | Simplification | /consider:occams-razor | | Focus | /consider:one-thing | | Tradeoffs | /consider:opportunity-cost | | Optimization | /consider:pareto | | Consequences | /consider:second-order |

Debugging Protocol

Standard Issues

Reproduce the issue
Read relevant code
Identify root cause
Fix + add test
Verify fix

Intermittent/Complex Issues

Use debug-like-expert skill for systematic approach.

Build vs Buy Philosophy

We build features. We use utilities.

Build: All feature logic, business rules, UI/UX, data models
Use: Low-level abstractions (D3, Recharts, Lexical, Konva)
Criterion: We own the feature, library handles complexity

License Requirements

Must use: MIT, Apache 2.0, BSD
Never use: GPL, AGPL (blocks commercialization)

Communication Standards

Progress Updates

Give high-level updates, not spam:

✅ Added authentication middleware (3 files)
✅ Updated user store with new fields
⏳ Testing login flow...

When to Ask

Use AskUserQuestion when:

Requirements are ambiguous
Multiple valid architectures exist
Scope might expand
Design decisions need validation

Directness Protocol

Logic over feelings
Correctness over validation
Direct feedback over diplomacy
Best solution over agreement

Context Hygiene

Reduce Token Usage

Short, high-signal summaries over long logs
Don't @-embed large docs by default
Reference paths + when to read them
Use /clear after completing work units

Delegation Patterns

| Situation | Action | | -------------------- | ----------------------------------------- | | Context >100k tokens | Create prompt → delegate to fresh context | | Moderate complexity | /create-prompt → /run-prompt | | Multi-stage features | /create-meta-prompt | | Approaching limits | /whats-next for handoff document |

Quick Reference

Common Commands

npm run dev          # Start dev server
npm run build        # Production build
npm run test         # Run tests
npm run type-check   # TypeScript check

File Naming

| Type | Convention | Example | | ---------- | ---------- | --------------- | | Components | PascalCase | UserCard.tsx | | Hooks | use prefix | useAuth.ts | | Utilities | camelCase | utils.ts | | Tests | .test.ts | utils.test.ts |