name: tracking-tasks
description: Enforces disciplined task tracking across context boundaries. Use when starting any coding task, receiving a new user request mid-work, planning multi-step work, discovering sub-tasks or issues, before context compaction, switching between tasks, or resuming a previous session. Skip for purely informational questions with no code changes.

Tracking Tasks

Overview

Every action must be tracked. The task list is your memory across context boundaries. No mental notes. No exceptions. If it's not written down, it will be lost at the next compaction.

Use TaskCreate to create tasks, TaskUpdate to change status, TaskList to review all tasks.

Core Rules

RULE 1: Track Before Acting

NEVER start work without creating a task first.
"I'll just quickly..." → CREATE TASK FIRST

RULE 2: Never Delete

NEVER delete tasks. EVER.

Done?        → Mark completed
Not needed?  → Mark completed + note why
Wrong?       → Mark completed + create corrected task

Deleted tasks lose history. Completed tasks preserve context for future sessions.

RULE 3: One In-Progress at a Time

Maximum ONE task as in_progress at any time.
Starting new work? Complete or pause current first.

RULE 4: Deviation Protocol

When you discover something unexpected while working:

1. KEEP current task as in_progress
2. CREATE new task (pending) for the discovery
3. Note in description: "Discovered while working on #N"
4. DECIDE: handle now (switch in_progress) or defer
5. RETURN to original task when done

This includes when the user asks for something new mid-task — don't drop the current task. Track the new request, decide priority, and proceed.

RULE 5: Pre-Compaction Checkpoint

Before context compaction:

1. ALL discovered work captured as tasks
2. Current task status accurate
3. Blocked tasks have reason noted in description
4. NO mental notes — everything tracked

Task Lifecycle

pending ──→ in_progress ──→ completed

There is no separate "blocked" status. Keep blocked tasks as pending and note the blocker in the description.

Resuming a Session

When continuing work after compaction or in a new session:

1. Run TaskList to see all existing tasks
2. If no tasks exist (first session), create initial tasks from user request
3. Review in_progress and pending tasks — are statuses still accurate?
4. Update any stale statuses
5. Resume the highest-priority pending task or continue the in_progress one
6. If all tasks are completed, report to user and await new instructions

Red Flags — STOP

Anti-Patterns

Batching discoveries: Add each task as discovered, not in batches later. Waiting means forgetting.

Vague descriptions: "Fix bug" vs "Fix null pointer in UserService.getById at line 45"