Edit Task Skill

You are helping the user edit an existing task's details. This skill is for modifying task metadata, not status (use /mark-status for status-only changes).

Your Task

Update task title, description, priority, complexity, acceptance criteria, dependencies, or other metadata while preserving structure.

Hierarchy Reminder

The tracker follows this structure:

•Phase (sequential stages) → contains multiple Tracks
•Track (feature groupings) → spans across Phases, contains Tasks
•Task (individual work items) → belongs to a Phase and Track

Process Flow

Step 1: Parse Arguments and Find Tracker

•
Parse $ARGUMENTS for:
- •Tracker name (first argument)
- •
  Required flag:
  - •--task=NN - Task number to edit
- •
  Optional flags:
  - •--title="New Title" - New task title
  - •--description="text" - New or updated description
  - •--priority=value - New priority (High/Medium/Low)
  - •--complexity=value - New complexity (High/Medium/Low)
  - •--add-criteria="criterion" - Add acceptance criterion
  - •--blocked-by="01,02" - Update dependencies
  - •--clear-blocked - Remove all dependencies
•
If tracker name not provided:
- •
  List available trackers:
  bash
  ls -1 .trackers/
- •
  If no trackers exist:
  - •Inform user: "No trackers found. Create one with /create-tracker"
  - •Exit
- •
  If trackers exist:
  - •Show list and ask user to select
•
Verify tracker exists:
- •Check if .trackers/{TRACKER_NAME}/TRACKER.md exists
- •If not found, inform user and exit
•
Read the tracker file:
- •Use Read tool on .trackers/{TRACKER_NAME}/TRACKER.md
- •Parse to find task and extract current state

Step 2: Identify and Verify Task

•

Parse task number from arguments:

•If --task flag provided, extract task number

•If not provided:

code

Available tasks:
01: Setup authentication framework [Pending] - Phase 1, authentication
02: Create user model [In Progress] - Phase 1, user-management
03: Implement login API [Complete] - Phase 2, authentication
...

Which task would you like to edit?
Enter task number:

•
Verify task exists:
- •Search for ##### Task {TASK_NUMBER}: in tracker
- •
  If not found:
  - •Inform user: "Task {TASK_NUMBER} not found"
  - •Exit
•
Extract current task information:
- •
  Parse the task section:
  - •Current title
  - •Current status
  - •Current priority
  - •Current complexity
  - •Current description
  - •Current acceptance criteria
  - •Current dependencies (blocked by)
  - •Plan file (if exists)
  - •Phase and track

•

Display current information:

code

Current task information:
- Task: {TASK_NUMBER}
- Title: {CURRENT_TITLE}
- Status: {CURRENT_STATUS}
- Phase: {PHASE_NUMBER} - {PHASE_NAME}
- Track: {TRACK_NAME}
- Priority: {CURRENT_PRIORITY}
- Complexity: {CURRENT_COMPLEXITY}
- Description: {DESCRIPTION or "None"}
- Acceptance Criteria: {COUNT} items
- Blocked By: {TASK_NUMBERS or "None"}
- Plan File: {PLAN_FILE or "None"}

Step 3: Gather Update Information

Ask for updates (skip fields provided via arguments):

•

If no update flags provided:

code

What would you like to edit?

Options:
1. Task title
2. Description
3. Priority
4. Complexity
5. Acceptance criteria
6. Dependencies
7. Multiple fields
8. Cancel

Enter choice (or comma-separated numbers):

•

For each selected field:

Title (if --title not provided):

code

Current title: {CURRENT_TITLE}

Enter new task title (or press Enter to keep current):

Description (if --description not provided):

code

Current description: {CURRENT_DESCRIPTION or "None"}

Enter new description (or press Enter to keep current):
Leave blank to remove description.

Priority (if --priority not provided):

code

Current priority: {CURRENT_PRIORITY}

New priority:
1. High
2. Medium
3. Low

Enter number or priority name (or press Enter to keep current):

Complexity (if --complexity not provided):

code

Current complexity: {CURRENT_COMPLEXITY}

New complexity:
1. High
2. Medium
3. Low

Enter number or complexity level (or press Enter to keep current):

Acceptance Criteria:

code

Current acceptance criteria:
{FOR_EACH_CRITERION}
- [ ] {CRITERION}
{END_FOR_EACH}

What would you like to do?
1. Add new criteria
2. Remove criteria
3. Replace all criteria
4. Cancel

Enter choice:

If adding:

code

Enter new acceptance criteria (one per line, empty line to finish):
-

If removing:

code

Which criteria to remove? (comma-separated numbers, 1-based)

If replacing:

code

Enter new acceptance criteria (one per line, empty line to finish):
-

Dependencies (if --blocked-by not provided):

code

Current dependencies: Task {TASK_NUMBERS or "None"}

New blocked by tasks (comma-separated numbers):
Leave blank to remove all dependencies.
Example: 01, 03, 05

Step 4: Update Task in Tracker

•
Find the task section:
- •Locate: ##### Task {TASK_NUMBER}: {OLD_TITLE}
•
Build updated task entry:

markdown

##### Task {TASK_NUMBER}: {NEW_TITLE or CURRENT_TITLE}
**Status**: {CURRENT_STATUS}
{IF_PLAN_FILE}**Plan File**: {PLAN_FILENAME}{END_IF}
**Priority**: {NEW_PRIORITY or CURRENT_PRIORITY}
**Complexity**: {NEW_COMPLEXITY or CURRENT_COMPLEXITY}
{IF_BLOCKED_BY}**Blocked By**: Task {TASK_NUMBERS}{END_IF}
{IF_STARTED}**Started**: {START_DATE}{END_IF}
{IF_COMPLETED}**Completed**: {COMPLETE_DATE}{END_IF}

{IF_DESCRIPTION}
{NEW_DESCRIPTION}

{END_IF}
{IF_ACCEPTANCE_CRITERIA}
**Acceptance Criteria**:
{FOR_EACH_CRITERION}
- [ ] {CRITERION}
{END_FOR_EACH}
{END_IF}

---

•
Replace the task section:
- •Use Edit tool to update the entire task entry
- •Preserve status, timestamps, and plan file reference
- •Maintain position in phase and track

Step 5: Update Plan File (if exists)

If task has a plan file:

•
Read plan file:
- •Parse plan file path from task
- •Read .trackers/{TRACKER_NAME}/plans/{PLAN_FILE}
•
Update plan file fields:
- •Update title if changed
- •Update priority if changed
- •Update complexity if changed
- •Update description if changed
- •Update acceptance criteria if changed
- •
  Add progress log entry:
  markdown
  ### {CURRENT_DATE} - Task details updated {LIST_CHANGES}
•
Save updated plan file:
- •Use Edit tool to update plan file

Step 6: Update Metadata

•
Update tracker's updated field:
- •
  Get current date:
  bash
  date +%Y-%m-%d
- •Update frontmatter updated: field
- •Use Edit tool

Step 7: Confirm Update

code

Task updated successfully!

**Task {TASK_NUMBER}**: {NEW_TITLE or CURRENT_TITLE}

**Changes made**:
{IF_TITLE_CHANGED}- Title: {OLD_TITLE} → {NEW_TITLE}{END_IF}
{IF_DESCRIPTION_CHANGED}- Description updated{END_IF}
{IF_PRIORITY_CHANGED}- Priority: {OLD} → {NEW}{END_IF}
{IF_COMPLEXITY_CHANGED}- Complexity: {OLD} → {NEW}{END_IF}
{IF_CRITERIA_CHANGED}- Acceptance criteria: {CHANGE_DESCRIPTION}{END_IF}
{IF_DEPENDENCIES_CHANGED}- Dependencies: {CHANGE_DESCRIPTION}{END_IF}

**Current state**:
- Status: {CURRENT_STATUS}
- Phase: {PHASE_NUMBER} - {PHASE_NAME}
- Track: {TRACK_NAME}
- Priority: {PRIORITY}
- Complexity: {COMPLEXITY}
{IF_BLOCKED_BY}- Blocked By: Task {TASK_NUMBERS}{END_IF}
{IF_PLAN_FILE}
- Plan File: {PLAN_FILE} (updated)
{END_IF}

**Next steps**:
- Update task status: /mark-status {TRACKER_NAME} --task={TASK_NUMBER} --status=value
- Review tracker: /review-tracker {TRACKER_NAME}
- Edit another task: /edit-task {TRACKER_NAME}

View tracker: .trackers/{TRACKER_NAME}/TRACKER.md

Important Notes

•This skill edits task DETAILS, not status
•Use /mark-status for status-only changes
•Task number and phase/track assignment cannot be changed here
•Status and timestamps are preserved
•Plan files are updated along with tracker
•All changes maintain markdown structure
•Acceptance criteria can be added, removed, or replaced

Examples

Example 1: Update Title and Priority

code

/edit-task my-app --task=03 --title="Implement secure user login API" --priority=high
> Task 03 title and priority updated

Example 2: Add Acceptance Criteria

code

/edit-task my-app --task=05 --add-criteria="Must support OAuth2"
> Acceptance criterion added to Task 05

Example 3: Update Dependencies

code

/edit-task my-app --task=07 --blocked-by="01,03,05"
> Task 07 dependencies updated

Example 4: Interactive Multiple Fields

code

/edit-task my-app --task=02
> What to edit? 1,3,5 (title, priority, criteria)
> New title: "Create comprehensive user data model"
> Priority: 1 (High)
> Acceptance criteria: Add
> - Supports all required user fields
> - Includes validation rules
> (empty line to finish)

Example 5: Clear Dependencies

code

/edit-task my-app --task=04 --clear-blocked
> All dependencies removed from Task 04

Example 6: Update Description

code

/edit-task my-app --task=08 --description="Implement comprehensive error handling for all API endpoints with proper status codes and user-friendly messages"

Error Handling

•If tracker doesn't exist, inform user and exit
•If task doesn't exist, show available tasks
•If invalid priority/complexity, show valid options
•If blocked-by task doesn't exist, warn and ask to confirm
•Validate all inputs before modifying
•Preserve existing structure and formatting
•Handle missing fields gracefully

Integration with Other Skills

Works with:

•/add-task - Add tasks before editing them
•/mark-status - Update task status after editing details
•/review-tracker - View task changes
•/edit-tracker - Edit tracker-level metadata

Common workflows:

•

Refine task before starting:

code

/edit-task my-app --task=05 --priority=high --add-criteria="Must be mobile responsive"
/mark-status my-app --task=05 --status="In Progress"

•

Update task after feedback:

code

/edit-task my-app --task=03 --description="Updated based on code review feedback"

•

Adjust dependencies:

code

/edit-task my-app --task=10 --blocked-by="07,08,09"