plan-before-code

Plan Before Code Skill

Forces an explicit written plan in tasks/todo.md before the agent edits any file for non-trivial work. Does NOT apply to one-line fixes, typo corrections, or any task the agent can finish in a single edit — over-planning trivial work is its own failure mode.

When to Use

• Any task that will touch 3+ files or require 3+ steps.
• Before implementing unfamiliar features or architectural changes.
• After a previous approach failed and a re-plan is needed.
• When scope or requirements are ambiguous.
• Before refactoring that crosses module boundaries.
• NOT for: typos, comment-only edits, single-line bug fixes, formatting.

Prerequisites

• A writable tasks/todo.md (created by scripts/init.sh if missing).
• An approved problem statement from the user or brainstorming skill.
• The repo cloned and the working tree clean enough to start (use powershell with git status).

How to Run

0. Recall prior memory for the topic (memory_recall MCP tool or scripts/memory-recall.sh) and fold it into Context.
1. Assess complexity (the 4 questions in Procedure §1).
2. If non-trivial → write plan to tasks/todo.md using the canonical block.
3. Validate the plan against the gap checklist.
4. Execute one step at a time, checking items off as you go.

Quick Reference

Situation	Action	Tool
Before writing a plan	Recall prior memory	memory_recall MCP tool, or powershell → scripts/memory-recall.sh
Touch ≥3 files	Enter plan mode	view tasks/todo.md then edit
Re-plan after wall hit	Append a ## Revision N block	edit tasks/todo.md
Check existing plan	Read current state	view tasks/todo.md
Mark step done	Flip - [ ] to - [x]	edit tasks/todo.md
Resume across sessions	Re-read the plan first	view tasks/todo.md

Procedure

Step 0: Recall Prior Memory

Before assessing complexity, surface what the dojo already knows so the plan compounds past knowledge instead of re-deriving it. Use the memory_recall MCP tool with the work's topic (and language/fileType when known). If that tool is unavailable, use powershell to run scripts/memory-recall.sh --topic "<topic>".