Ingest TODO

Purpose: Parse a Dylan Davis TODO.md file and generate do-work REQ files for autonomous processing.

Usage:

code

/ingest-todo                              # defaults to docs/v2-upgrade-TODO.md
/ingest-todo docs/v2-upgrade-TODO.md      # explicit path
/ingest-todo docs/v3-upgrade-TODO.md      # future upgrade cycles

How It Works

This skill bridges the Dylan Davis 50+ methodology (SPECIFICATION + BLUEPRINT + TODO) with the do-work execution layer. Each numbered step in the TODO becomes one REQ file in the do-work queue.

Step 1: Resolve the Document Set

Given a TODO file path (default: docs/v2-upgrade-TODO.md):

•Extract the prefix from the filename: v2-upgrade-TODO.md → prefix is v2-upgrade
•
Resolve companion documents using the naming convention:
- •SPECIFICATION: docs/{prefix}-SPECIFICATION.md
- •BLUEPRINT: docs/{prefix}-BLUEPRINT.md
- •TODO: docs/{prefix}-TODO.md (the input file)
•Verify all three files exist. If any are missing, report the error and stop.
•Read all three documents into context.

Step 2: Parse the TODO

Scan the TODO file for all unchecked steps. A step is a numbered section like ### 0.1 Define new color palette containing checkbox items (- [ ]).

For each unchecked step, extract:

•Step number: e.g., 0.1, 2.3
•Phase number and name: from the parent ## Phase N heading (e.g., Phase 0 — Foundation)
•Step title: the heading text after the number (e.g., "Define new color palette")
•Checkbox items: all - [ ] lines under that step
•Model hints: the [Opus 4.5], [Gemini 3 Pro], etc. labels on each checkbox item. Use the most common label as the step-level hint.
•Already-checked items: count any - [x] items — if ALL items in a step are checked, skip that step entirely

Skip rules:

•Skip steps where ALL checkbox items are - [x] (already completed)
•Include steps where SOME items are unchecked (partial completion) — note which items are already done

Step 3: Find Blueprint Sections

For each step, locate the corresponding section in the BLUEPRINT document. Match by:

•Step number (e.g., "Step 0.1" or "0.1" in a heading)
•Phase number + step title keywords

Include the relevant Blueprint guidance in each REQ's context.

Step 4: Create the UR Folder

Create a single User Request (UR) for the entire ingest operation:

•Determine the next UR number (check do-work/user-requests/ and do-work/archive/UR-*/)
•Create do-work/user-requests/UR-NNN/input.md

The UR input.md should contain:

markdown

---
id: UR-NNN
title: "Ingest: {prefix} TODO ({N} steps)"
created_at: {ISO 8601 timestamp}
requests: []  # Fill in after creating REQs
word_count: {word count of TODO file}
---

# Ingest: {prefix} TODO

## Summary
Ingested {N} unchecked steps from {TODO path} into do-work REQ files.
Document set: {prefix}-SPECIFICATION.md, {prefix}-BLUEPRINT.md, {prefix}-TODO.md.

## Extracted Requests

| ID | Step | Title | Model Hint |
|----|------|-------|------------|
| REQ-NNN | 0.1 | Define new color palette | Opus 4.5 |
| ... | ... | ... | ... |

## Full Verbatim Input

{Paste the FULL contents of the TODO file here, unedited}

---
*Captured: {timestamp}*

Step 5: Create REQ Files

For EACH unchecked step, create a REQ file at do-work/REQ-NNN-{slug}.md.

The slug should be derived from the step title (lowercase, hyphens, 3-5 words max).

REQ File Format

markdown

---
id: REQ-NNN
title: "{Step title}"
status: pending
created_at: {ISO 8601 timestamp}
user_request: UR-NNN
related: []  # Populated during ingestion with REQ IDs of other steps created in the same batch. If dependencies are unclear, leave empty.
batch: "{prefix}-phase-{phase number}"
# work-action fields (claimed_at, route, completed_at, commit, error) go here
source_step: "{step number}"
source_doc: "{TODO file path}"
blueprint_ref: "{BLUEPRINT file path}"
model_hint: "{most common model label for this step}"
---

# {Step title} (Step {step number})

## What
{1-3 sentence description derived from the step title and checkbox items}

## Checklist
{List all checkbox items from this step, preserving the original text}
- [ ] {item 1}
- [ ] {item 2}
- [x] {already completed item, if any}

## Blueprint Guidance
{Paste the relevant section from the BLUEPRINT document that corresponds to this step.
Include the full section — do not summarize.}

## Context
- **Document set**: {prefix}
- **Phase**: {phase number} — {phase name}
- **Specification**: See {SPECIFICATION path} for full requirements
- **Model recommendation**: {model_hint} (advisory — use if your tool supports model selection)

## Dependencies
{Note any ordering dependencies visible from the TODO structure.
For example, Phase 0 should complete before Phase 1, etc.}

---
*Source: {TODO path}, Step {step number}*

Step 6: Link and Report

•Go back to the UR input.md and fill in the requests array with all created REQ IDs
•Update the "Extracted Requests" table with actual REQ numbers

Report a summary to the user:

code

Ingested {N} steps from {TODO path}:

Phase 0 — Foundation:
  - REQ-001 (0.1) Define new color palette [Opus 4.5]
  - REQ-002 (0.2) Copy profile photo asset [Codex/Opus]

Phase 1 — Header & Footer Updates:
  - REQ-003 (1.1) Update Header with location [Opus 4.5]
  ...

Skipped: Step 5.1 (already completed)

UR folder: do-work/user-requests/UR-NNN/
Total: {N} REQ files in do-work/

Tip: Run `do work verify` to check capture quality, or `do work run` to start processing.

Important Notes

•Granularity: Each numbered step = one REQ. Individual checkbox items within a step are sub-requirements inside the REQ, NOT separate REQs.
•
Idempotency: Before creating REQs, scan for existing REQs with matching source_step AND source_doc in:
- •do-work/ (pending queue)
- •do-work/working/ (in progress)
- •do-work/archive/ root (archived loose)
- •do-work/archive/UR-*/ (archived in UR folders)
- •do-work/user-requests/UR-*/ (completed, awaiting UR consolidation)
- •If found with status: completed or pending or claimed: skip
- •If found with status: failed: ask user whether to re-create or skip
•Custom frontmatter: The source_step, source_doc, blueprint_ref, model_hint, and batch fields are custom extensions for the Dylan Davis bridge. The work action and sync-todo skill use these for traceability.
•Partial steps: If a step has some checked and some unchecked items, include it but mark which items are already done. The builder should skip completed items.