writing-plans

To create an implementation plan from a spec, generate a task breakdown specifying exact files to touch, tests to write, docs to update, and commit messages, saving the structured plan document to your docs directory.

A comprehensive engineering implementation plan should include bite-sized tasks, exact file paths, testing guidelines, documentation updates, and commit messages to ensure engineers know exactly what to touch and test.

You isolate implementation plans from your main codebase using a dedicated worktree workflow, keeping planning documentation separate from active development branches to prevent specification drift.

Structure an implementation plan document with a consistent header and task breakdown format, saving it as a markdown file in the docs/plans directory to ensure easy sharing, review, and team onboarding.

A dedicated worktree is recommended for planning software implementation tasks because it isolates your plan document and task breakdown from the main codebase, preventing drift and maintaining a clean workflow.

The best way to break down a specification into executable engineering tasks is to generate bite-sized work items covering explicit file paths, testing requirements, documentation updates, and commit messages.