Project Planner

Prerequisites

• git
• gh (GitHub CLI, authenticated via gh auth login)

Triage user input into the right project artifact: a proposal (big idea with phases), a feature issue (small enhancement), or a bug report (something's broken).

Repo Discovery

Before doing anything, discover the current repo's configuration:

1. Run git rev-parse --show-toplevel to find the repo root
2. Check for .project-planner.yml at the repo root — if it exists, read it and use its values for all paths, labels, and conventions
3. If no config file, fall back to auto-discovery:
   • Proposal template: look for docs/proposals/TEMPLATE.md
   • Issue templates: look in .github/ISSUE_TEMPLATE/
   • Docs directory: look for docs/, mkdocs.yml
   • If nothing found, use the fallback formats bundled with the skill
4. If the repo has CLAUDE.md or CONTRIBUTING.md, read for conventions
5. Run gh repo view --json name,owner to confirm the repo for issue creation

Config File: .project-planner.yml

Optional config file at repo root. All fields are optional — auto-discovery fills gaps. See project-planner.yml in the skill directory for a copy-paste starter.

project: MyProject                    # project name (for issue titles)
repo: owner/repo                      # GitHub repo (usually auto-detected)

proposals:
  dir: docs/proposals                 # where proposal docs live
  template: docs/proposals/TEMPLATE.md # proposal template to follow
  index: docs/proposals/index.md      # index file to update with new proposals
  mkdocs_nav: true                    # update mkdocs.yml nav when creating proposals

issues:
  labels:
    feature: enhancement              # label for feature issues
    bug: bug                          # label for bug issues
  # branch_prefix: feature/           # branch naming prefix

# conventions:
#   docs: docs                        # where project docs live

Triage Rules

Determine the type by asking: does this need design work or multiple phases?

• Needs design decisions, multiple phases, or architectural thought → Proposal
• Single, obvious change — no design needed → Feature issue
• Something is broken or behaving wrong → Bug report

If unclear, ask the user: "Is this a quick fix or does it need a design doc?"

Workflow: Proposal

For big ideas that need phases and design.

1. Discover proposal template (see Repo Discovery above)
2. Research the codebase and any docs/ directory for relevant context
3. Think through the design — motivation, approach, trade-offs
4. Break into shippable phases (each phase delivers user value)
5. Write acceptance criteria at both levels (overall + per-phase)
6. Create the proposal doc at docs/proposals/<name>.md
7. If mkdocs.yml exists, add the proposal to the nav under Proposals
8. If docs/proposals/index.md exists, add to the Active Proposals list
9. Create a GitHub issue for each phase using gh issue create:
   • Title: <Proposal name>: Phase N — <phase name>
   • Body: phase goal, acceptance criteria, tasks as checklist, link to proposal
   • Label: enhancement
10. Update the proposal doc with issue links for each phase
11. Commit to a new branch and push

Proposal Quality Checklist

Before committing, verify:

• [ ] Summary is one clear paragraph
• [ ] Motivation explains why now
• [ ] Design covers user experience AND technical approach
• [ ] Every phase is independently shippable
• [ ] Acceptance criteria are testable (not vague)
• [ ] Open questions section exists (even if empty)
• [ ] Related section links to relevant docs, issues, or design docs
• [ ] Status is set to "Ready" (if issues created) or "Draft" (if not)

Workflow: Feature Issue

For small, self-contained enhancements.

1. Discover feature template (see Repo Discovery above)
2. Create a GitHub issue using gh issue create:
   • Title: clear, action-oriented
   • Body: summary, acceptance criteria as checklist, doc references if relevant
   • Follow the repo's template format if one exists
   • Label: enhancement
3. Report the issue number and URL to the user

Workflow: Bug Report

For problems and broken behavior.

1. Discover bug template (see Repo Discovery above)
2. Try to identify the relevant code by searching the codebase
3. Create a GitHub issue using gh issue create:
   • Title: Bug: <concise description>
   • Body: description, steps to reproduce (if known), expected vs actual, relevant code files/lines, related docs
   • Follow the repo's template format if one exists
   • Label: bug
4. Report the issue number and URL to the user

Important Rules

• Always use gh issue create — it's repo-aware, handles auth
• Always link back — issues reference proposals, proposals reference issues
• Proposals stay forever — status changes, docs never move or get deleted
• One proposal per feature — don't cram multiple ideas into one doc
• Phases must be shippable — each delivers user value, not just "backend work"
• Commit to a branch — never push directly to main
• Respect repo conventions — if the repo has CLAUDE.md or CONTRIBUTING.md, read and follow its branch naming, commit message, and PR conventions