task-templates-quick-reference.md

Task Templates Quick Reference

Essential patterns for constructing effective task commands.

Universal Template Structure

Please [action verb] [what] for [component].

**Context:** [Why this is needed]
**Requirements:** [Specific deliverables]
**Files:** [Scope boundaries]
**Success:** [Completion criteria]
**Constraints:** [Limitations]
**Priority:** [High/Medium/Low]

Template Selection

Task Type	Use Template
New feature/bug fix	Code Development
Documentation updates	Documentation
Debugging issues	Debugging
Performance problems	Performance
Security review	Security
Test creation	Testing
Git operations	Git/Repository

Command Quality Checklist

✅ DO

• Be specific about what you want
• Provide context about why it's needed
• Include constraints (what to avoid)
• Define success clearly
• Mention priority if time-sensitive

❌ DON'T

• Be vague ("fix the code")
• Skip context ("update docs")
• Over-constrain ("use exactly this approach")
• Forget success criteria ("make it better")
• Leave priority ambiguous for urgent tasks

Example: Poor vs. Good Commands

❌ Poor

"Fix the task browser"

✅ Good

Please fix the task browser pagination issue where task lists appear empty when all keys arrive in a single Redis SCAN batch.

**Context:**
Redis pagination bug in app/services/state.py uses post-increment total instead of pre-increment for slice calculation.

**Requirements:**
- Fix slice calculation in get_all_tasks method
- Track prev_total before incrementing
- Add logging for debugging
- Test with single-batch and multi-batch scenarios

**Files:**
- app/services/state.py (lines 100-115)

**Success:**
- Pagination works for all batch sizes
- Task lists display properly
- No performance regression

**Priority:** High

Coordinator Mode vs Direct Commands

Use Coordinator Mode When

• Task involves multiple technical domains
• You need explicit specialist selection
• Task is ambiguous and needs analysis
• You want to monitor each step

Use Direct Commands When

• Task is clear and well-defined
• Task falls within one domain
• You want autonomous completion
• Task is straightforward

Quick Template: Bug Fix

Please fix [specific bug] in [component].

**Context:**
[What's happening vs. what should happen]
[Error messages/symptoms]

**Requirements:**
- Identify root cause
- Implement fix
- Add tests to prevent regression

**Files:**
- [Files where issue occurs]

**Success:**
- Issue is resolved
- Tests pass
- No regression

**Priority:** [High/Medium/Low]

Quick Template: Feature Implementation

Please implement [feature] in [component].

**Context:**
[What needs to be built and why]

**Requirements:**
- Follow existing patterns in [directory]
- Use [specific frameworks/libraries]
- Handle [specific edge cases]

**Files:**
- [Files to modify/create]

**Success:**
- Code passes linting/type checking
- Tests pass
- Functionality works as expected

**Priority:** [High/Medium/Low]

Priority Guidelines

Priority	When to Use	Example
High	Blocking issues, security fixes, production bugs	"Pagination broken in production"
Medium	Feature requests, non-critical bugs	"Add new button to UI"
Low	Nice-to-have improvements, refactoring	"Improve code readability"

Key Elements by Task Type

Element	Code	Debug	Docs	Performance	Security
Context	✓	✓	✓	✓	✓
Requirements	✓	✓	✓	✓	✓
Files	✓	✓	✓	✓	✓
Success Criteria	✓	✓	✓	✓	✓
Constraints	✓	✓	✓	✓	✓
Priority	✓	✓	✓	✓	✓
Error Messages	-	✓	-	-	-
Performance Metrics	-	-	-	✓	-
Vulnerability Details	-	-	-	-	✓

Related Documentation

• patterns/task-template-patterns.md — Detailed template documentation with examples
• patterns/coordinator-optimization-patterns.md — Coordinator behavioral patterns
• patterns/coordinator-quick-reference.md — Quick reference for coordinator behavior