WO Create - Bootstrap and Preflight

Overview

Create new WO YAMLs with valid configuration: scope, DoD, verify commands, and dependencies.

When to Use

•Starting a new feature or fix
•Breaking down an epic into WOs
•Need isolated development environment

Prerequisites

•Epic exists in _ctx/backlog/backlog.yaml
•DoD selected (default: DOD-DEFAULT)
•Scope defined (allow/deny patterns)

Process

Step 1: Reference Closed WOs

Always check closed WOs for patterns:

bash

# List recent completed WOs
ls -lt _ctx/jobs/done/*.yaml | head -5

# Read a reference WO
cat _ctx/jobs/done/WO-0054.yaml

Good reference WOs:

WO	Why reference it
WO-0054	Documentation integration (P2, clear scope)
WO-0053	Security work (P1, specific scope)
WO-0051	Linter work (P2, good verify commands)
WO-0041	Contract implementation (P0, complete DoD)
WO-0012.1	Dev tool (P1, dependencies)

Step 2: Verify Epic Exists

bash

# Check epic in backlog
grep -A 5 "id: E-XXXX" _ctx/backlog/backlog.yaml

# Or list all epics
grep "id: E-" _ctx/backlog/backlog.yaml

If epic doesn't exist, use --register-epic flag or add manually.

Step 3: Define Scope

Scope Structure:

yaml

scope:
  allow:
    - src/domain/*.py
    - tests/unit/test_*.py
  deny:
    - .env*
    - '**/production.*'
    - _ctx/index/**

Rules:

•allow: Only these files can be modified
•deny: These files are ALWAYS blocked (security, config)
•Be specific: Avoid **/* - it defeats the purpose

Step 4: Define Verify Commands

yaml

verify:
  commands:
    - uv run pytest tests/unit/test_xxx.py -q
    - uv run ruff check src/domain/

Best practices:

•Use specific test files, not broad patterns
•Include lint and type checks
•Keep commands fast (< 60s)

Step 5: Execute Bootstrap

bash

# Dry-run first (validates without creating)
uv run python scripts/ctx_wo_bootstrap.py \
  --id WO-0099 \
  --epic E-0001 \
  --title "Feature description" \
  --priority P1 \
  --dod DOD-DEFAULT \
  --scope-allow "src/**" "tests/**" \
  --scope-deny ".env*" "_ctx/index/**" \
  --verify-cmd "uv run pytest" \
  --dry-run

# If validation passes, create
uv run python scripts/ctx_wo_bootstrap.py \
  --id WO-0099 \
  --epic E-0001 \
  --title "Feature description" \
  --priority P1 \
  --dod DOD-DEFAULT \
  --scope-allow "src/**" "tests/**" \
  --scope-deny ".env*" "_ctx/index/**" \
  --verify-cmd "uv run pytest"

Step 6: Validate with Preflight

bash

# Validate before take
uv run python scripts/ctx_wo_preflight.py WO-0099

# Check format
uv run python scripts/ctx_wo_fmt.py --check

# Lint
uv run python scripts/ctx_wo_lint.py --wo-id WO-0099 --strict

WO YAML Structure

yaml

version: 1
id: WO-XXXX
epic_id: E-XXXX
title: "Brief description"
priority: P1  # P0/P1/P2/P3
status: pending
owner: null
branch: null
worktree: null
scope:
  allow:
    - src/**
    - tests/**
  deny:
    - .env*
    - _ctx/index/**
verify:
  commands:
    - uv run pytest tests/unit/
dod_id: DOD-DEFAULT
execution:
  engine: trifecta
  required_flow:
    - session.append:intent
    - ctx.sync
    - ctx.search
    - ctx.get
    - implement
    - session.append:result
  segment: .
dependencies: []

Common Mistakes

Mistake	Why Bad	Fix
`scope.allow: ["*/"]`	Defeats purpose	Be specific
Missing verify commands	Can't validate	Add test commands
Unknown epic_id	Breaks registry	Create epic first
Wrong DoD ID	Fails finish	Check `_ctx/dod/`
Missing dependencies	Blocks execution	List blocking WOs

Resources

•scripts/ctx_wo_bootstrap.py - Main creation script
•scripts/ctx_wo_preflight.py - Pre-take validation
•scripts/ctx_wo_fmt.py - Format YAML
•scripts/ctx_wo_lint.py - Lint YAML
•docs/backlog/schema/work_order.schema.json - JSON schema
•_ctx/jobs/done/ - Reference WOs
•_ctx/dod/DOD-DEFAULT.yaml - Default DoD

Quick Reference

bash

# Create new WO (dry-run)
uv run python scripts/ctx_wo_bootstrap.py \
  --id WO-XXXX --epic E-XXXX --title "Title" --priority P1 \
  --scope-allow "src/**" --scope-deny ".env*" \
  --verify-cmd "pytest" --dry-run

# Validate
uv run python scripts/ctx_wo_preflight.py WO-XXXX

# Format check
uv run python scripts/ctx_wo_fmt.py --check

# Lint
uv run python scripts/ctx_wo_lint.py --wo-id WO-XXXX --strict