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phxagents

phx:work

Execute Elixir/Phoenix plan tasks with progress tracking. Use after /phx:plan to implement features with mix compile and mix test verification after each step, or --continue to resume interrupted work. · effort: high

example · phx:work
/phx:work .claude/plans/user-auth/plan.md
/phx:work .claude/plans/user-auth/plan.md --from P2-T3
/phx:work --skip-blockers
/phx:work  # Resumes most recent plan

Work

Execute tasks from a plan file with checkpoint tracking and verification.

Usage

/phx:work .claude/plans/user-auth/plan.md
/phx:work .claude/plans/user-auth/plan.md --from P2-T3
/phx:work --skip-blockers
/phx:work  # Resumes most recent plan

Arguments

  • <plan-file> — Path to plan file (optional, auto-detects recent)
  • --from <task-id> — Resume from specific task (e.g., P2-T3)
  • --skip-blockers — Continue past blocked tasks
  • --continue — Resume IN_PROGRESS plan from checkboxes

Iron Laws (NON-NEGOTIABLE)

  1. NEVER auto-proceed to /phx:review or any next workflow phase — always ask the user what to do next
  2. AUTO-CONTINUE between plan phases — when Phase N completes, immediately start Phase N+1. Do NOT stop or ask for permission between phases. Only stop at BLOCKERS or when ALL phases are done.
  3. Plan checkboxes ARE the state — [x] = done, [ ] = pending. No separate JSON state files. Resume by reading the plan.
  4. Verify after EVERY task — never skip verification
  5. Max 3 retries then BLOCKER — don’t keep retrying forever
  6. Stage specific files — never use git add -A or git add .
  7. Read scratchpad BEFORE implementing — scratchpad has dead-ends and decisions that prevent rework. Step 2 is not optional.
  8. Clarify ambiguous tasks — ask the user rather than guessing when a plan task’s intent is unclear

Step 1: Research Decision

Ask the user for plans with >3 tasks:

This plan has {count} remaining tasks across {count} phases.

  1. Start working — Begin immediately (familiar patterns)
  2. Quick research — Read source files first (~10 min)
  3. Extensive research — Web search + docs (~30 min)

Skip for plans with 3 or fewer simple tasks — just start.

Split warning: Plans with >10 tasks risk 2-3 context compactions. Suggest splitting via /phx:plan if not already.

Step 2: Check Context (MANDATORY)

Read scratchpad and compound docs before writing any code. Skipping this causes rework — scratchpad captures dead-ends and decisions from planning that prevent taking wrong paths.

Read the scratchpad at .claude/plans/{slug}/scratchpad.md — it’s short and has critical context. Then search .claude/solutions/ for relevant keywords using Grep to find solved patterns.

Apply findings: skip dead-ends, follow decisions, reuse patterns. Always ask the user when a task’s intent is ambiguous — never guess, corrections are expensive.

Step 3: Load, Create Task List, and Resume

Read plan file, count [x] (completed) vs [ ] (remaining). Find first unchecked task by [Pn-Tm] ID.

Create Claude Code tasks from ALL unchecked plan items using TaskCreate. This gives real-time progress visibility in the UI:

For each unchecked `- [ ] [Pn-Tm] Description`:
  TaskCreate({
    subject: "[Pn-Tm] Description",
    description: "Full task details from plan",
    activeForm: "Implementing: Description"
  })

Skip already-checked items ([x]) — don’t create tasks for them. Set up blockedBy dependencies between phases (Phase 2 tasks blocked by Phase 1 tasks).

With --from P2-T3: Skip to that specific task.

See ${CLAUDE_SKILL_DIR}/references/resume-strategies.md for all resume modes.

Step 4: Execute Tasks

Execute each unchecked task (- [ ] [Pn-Tm][agent] Description):

  1. Start task: TaskUpdate({taskId, status: "in_progress"})
  2. Route by [agent] annotation (see ${CLAUDE_SKILL_DIR}/references/execution-guide.md)
  3. Implement the task
  4. Verify: mix format + mix compile --warnings-as-errors (at phase end, also run mix test <affected> — see tiers below)
  5. Complete task: Mark checkbox [x] on pass, append implementation note inline, AND TaskUpdate({taskId, status: "completed"}). Example: - [x] [P1-T3] Add user schema — citext for email, composite index on [user_id, status] This survives context compaction; the plan is re-read on resume.
  6. On failure: retry up to 3 times, then create BLOCKER and write DEAD-END to scratchpad (see error-recovery.md)

Parallel groups: Tasks under ### Parallel: header spawn as background subagents. See ${CLAUDE_SKILL_DIR}/references/execution-guide.md for spawning pattern, prompt template, and checkpoint flow.

Verification tiers (scoped to minimize redundant runs):

  • Per-task: mix compile --warnings-as-errors only (format is checked by PostToolUse hook automatically)
  • Per-phase: mix compile --warnings-as-errors + mix test <affected_files> + mix credo --strict (scope tests: mix test test/path/to_affected_test.exs — NOT full suite)
  • Per-feature (Tidewave): behavioral smoke test via project_eval (create record, fetch, verify — see execution-guide.md)
  • Final gate: mix test (full suite — run ONCE at the end, not per-phase)

Token efficiency: Do NOT narrate each verification step. Execute tool calls directly without “Let me now run…” preamble. Only narrate when explaining a non-obvious decision or reporting a failure.

Linter note: The PostToolUse hook checks formatting but does NOT modify files. Run mix format explicitly during verification steps or before committing.

Step 5: Completion

Summarize results with AskUserQuestion:

Implementation complete! {done}/{total} tasks finished. {count} files modified across {count} phases.

Options: 1. Run review (/phx:review) (Recommended), 2. Get a briefing (/phx:brief — understand what was built), 3. Commit changes (/commit), 4. Continue manually.

With blockers: list them, offer Replan (/phx:plan), Review first (/phx:review), or Handle myself.

If blockers remain, auto-write HANDOFF to scratchpad:

### [HH:MM] HANDOFF: {plan name}
Status: {done}/{total} tasks. Blockers: {list}.
Next: {first unchecked task ID and description}.
Key decisions: {brief list from this session}.

Include context beyond checkboxes for fresh session resume.

NEVER auto-start /phx:review or any other phase.

Step 6: Check for Additional Plans

Check for other pending plans after completion:

Use Glob to find other plan files matching .claude/plans/*/plan.md.

If pending plans exist, inform the user. Do NOT auto-start.

Integration

/phx:plan → /phx:work (YOU ARE HERE) → /phx:review → /phx:compound
                 ↑ ASK USER before each transition

References

  • ${CLAUDE_SKILL_DIR}/references/execution-guide.md — Task routing, parallel execution, verification
  • ${CLAUDE_SKILL_DIR}/references/resume-strategies.md — Resume modes and state persistence
  • ${CLAUDE_SKILL_DIR}/references/file-formats.md — Plan and progress file formats
  • ${CLAUDE_SKILL_DIR}/references/error-recovery.md — Error handling and blockers
  • ${CLAUDE_SKILL_DIR}/references/harness-patterns.md — Critic-refiner pattern for debugging loops