Planning with Files

Work like Manus: Use persistent markdown files as your "working memory on disk."

Fixes Log (Required)

Create and maintain codex-plans/fixes.md to record resolved issues after you remove them from active tasks. Include a short issue description, the fix, and exact commands when possible. Append new entries to the existing file; never overwrite it. If fixes.md reaches 500 lines, rotate it by renaming to fixes-YYYY-MM-DD.md and start a fresh fixes.md.

Important: Where Files Go

When using this skill:

• •Templates are stored in the skill directory at ${CLAUDE_PLUGIN_ROOT}/templates/
• •Your planning files (task_plan.md, findings.md, progress.md, fixes.md) should be created in codex-plans/ directory

Important: Use codex-plans/ (isolated from Claude Code). Archive to docs/task-plans/ when complete.

Quick Start

Before ANY complex task:

1. •Create codex-plans/task_plan.md - Use templates/task_plan.md as reference
2. •Create codex-plans/findings.md - Use templates/findings.md as reference
3. •Create codex-plans/progress.md - Use templates/progress.md as reference
4. •Create codex-plans/fixes.md if missing - Append resolved issues as you close them out; never overwrite
5. •Rotate fixes at 500 lines - Rename to fixes-YYYY-MM-DD.md, then start a new fixes.md
6. •Re-read plan before decisions - Refreshes goals in attention window
7. •Update after each phase - Mark complete, log errors

Note: All planning files go in codex-plans/ directory (isolated from Claude Code's claude-code-plans/).

The Core Pattern

Context Window = RAM (volatile, limited)
Filesystem = Disk (persistent, unlimited)

+ Anything important gets written to disk.

File Purposes

Critical Rules

1. Create Plan First

Never start a complex task without task_plan.md. Non-negotiable.

2. The 2-Action Rule

"After every 2 view/browser/search operations, IMMEDIATELY save key findings to text files."

This prevents visual/multimodal information from being lost.

3. Read Before Decide

Before major decisions, read the plan file. This keeps goals in your attention window.

4. Update After Act

After completing any phase:

• •Mark phase status: in_progress -> complete
• •Log any errors encountered
• •Note files created/modified

5. Log ALL Errors

Every error goes in the plan file. This builds knowledge and prevents repetition.

## Errors Encountered
| Error | Attempt | Resolution |
|-------|---------|------------|
| FileNotFoundError | 1 | Created default config |
| API timeout | 2 | Added retry logic |

6. Never Repeat Failures

if action_failed:
    next_action != same_action

Track what you tried. Mutate the approach.

The 3-Strike Error Protocol

ATTEMPT 1: Diagnose & Fix
  + Read error carefully
  + Identify root cause
  + Apply targeted fix

ATTEMPT 2: Alternative Approach
  + Same error? Try different method
  + Different tool? Different library?
  + NEVER repeat exact same failing action

ATTEMPT 3: Broader Rethink
  + Question assumptions
  + Search for solutions
  + Consider updating the plan

AFTER 3 FAILURES: Escalate to User
  + Explain what you tried
  + Share the specific error
  + Ask for guidance

Read vs Write Decision Matrix

The 5-Question Reboot Test

If you can answer these, your context management is solid:

When to Use This Pattern

Use for:

• •Multi-step tasks (3+ steps)
• •Research tasks
• •Building/creating projects
• •Tasks spanning many tool calls
• •Anything requiring organization

Skip for:

• •Simple questions
• •Single-file edits
• •Quick lookups

Templates

Copy these templates to start:

• •templates/task_plan.md - Phase tracking
• •templates/findings.md - Research storage
• •templates/progress.md - Session logging
• •templates/fixes.md - Resolved issues log

Scripts

Helper scripts for automation:

• •scripts/init-session.sh - Initialize missing planning files only (no overwrites) and rotate fixes.md at 500 lines
• •scripts/check-complete.sh - Verify all phases complete

Advanced Topics

• •Manus Principles: See reference.md
• •Real Examples: See examples.md

Anti-Patterns