workflow-patterns

Workflow Patterns

Guide for implementing tasks using Conductor's TDD workflow, managing phase checkpoints, handling git commits, and executing the verification protocol that ensures quality throughout implementation.

When to Use This Skill

• Implementing tasks from a track's plan.md
• Following TDD red-green-refactor cycle
• Completing phase checkpoints
• Managing git commits and notes
• Understanding quality assurance gates
• Handling verification protocols
• Recording progress in plan files

TDD Task Lifecycle

Follow these 11 steps for each task:

Step 1: Select Next Task

Read plan.md and identify the next pending [ ] task. Select tasks in order within the current phase. Do not skip ahead to later phases.

Step 2: Mark as In Progress

Update plan.md to mark the task as [~]:

- [~] **Task 2.1**: Implement user validation

Commit this status change separately from implementation.

Step 3: RED - Write Failing Tests

Write tests that define the expected behavior before writing implementation:

• Create test file if needed
• Write test cases covering happy path
• Write test cases covering edge cases
• Write test cases covering error conditions
• Run tests - they should FAIL

Example:

def test_validate_user_email_valid():
    user = User(email="[email protected]")
    assert user.validate_email() is True

def test_validate_user_email_invalid():
    user = User(email="invalid")
    assert user.validate_email() is False

Step 4: GREEN - Implement Minimum Code

Write the minimum code necessary to make tests pass:

• Focus on making tests green, not perfection
• Avoid premature optimization
• Keep implementation simple
• Run tests - they should PASS

Step 5: REFACTOR - Improve Clarity

With green tests, improve the code:

• Extract common patterns
• Improve naming
• Remove duplication
• Simplify logic
• Run tests after each change - they should remain GREEN

Step 6: Verify Coverage

Check test coverage meets the 80% target: