Create Dev Docs Plan
Purpose
Generate a structured, repeatable “task documentation bundle” so implementation work has clear scope, steps, and verification, and can be handed off cleanly.
When to use
Use the create-dev-docs-plan skill when:
- •Starting a non-trivial task or project (非一次性小改动)
- •Work spans multiple modules/services (多模块/多服务)
- •You need a shared plan for multiple contributors (协作/交接)
- •You want a consistent handoff artifact for later context recovery (上下文恢复/归档)
Quick decision gate (MUST)
Use the create-dev-docs-plan skill when any is true:
- •Expected duration is
> 2 hours, or likely to span multiple sessions - •Scope touches
>= 2modules/directories, or requires>= 3sequential steps with verification - •You need explicit handoff/context recovery documentation
Skip the create-dev-docs-plan skill when all are true:
- •Single-file change
- •Trivial fix (
< 30 min)
Inputs
- •Task name (short, kebab-case recommended)
- •High-level goal and success criteria
- •Constraints (deadline, non-goals, areas that must not change)
- •Known dependencies (APIs, data models, infra)
Outputs
A new task directory with a standard set of docs, e.g.:
code
dev-docs/active/<task-slug>/ roadmap.md # Macro-level planning (plan-maker, optional) 00-overview.md 01-plan.md 02-architecture.md 03-implementation-notes.md 04-verification.md 05-pitfalls.md
(Adjust directory naming to match your repository conventions if different.)
Rules
- •The overview MUST state the goal and non-goals.
- •The plan MUST include milestones and acceptance criteria.
- •The architecture doc MUST capture boundaries and contracts.
- •Verification MUST be concrete (commands/checks, expected results).
- •The task bundle MUST include
05-pitfalls.mdand it MUST be updated when failures are resolved (historical lessons, append-only). - •Avoid embedding secrets or real credentials.
- •For tasks that meet the Decision Gate, the bundle MUST be created before implementation work begins (before code/config changes).
Steps
- •Create
dev-docs/active/<task-slug>/. - •Write
00-overview.md:- •problem statement
- •status (
planned | in-progress | blocked | done) + next concrete step - •goal
- •non-goals
- •high-level acceptance criteria
- •Write
01-plan.md:- •milestones
- •step order
- •risks and mitigations
- •Write
02-architecture.md:- •boundaries
- •interfaces/contracts
- •data migrations (if any)
- •Write
03-implementation-notes.md:- •decisions made
- •deviations from plan (with rationale)
- •open issues requiring follow-up action (current state, actionable TODOs)
- •Write
04-verification.md:- •automated checks
- •manual smoke checks
- •rollout/backout notes (if needed)
- •Write
05-pitfalls.md:- •a short
do-not-repeatsummary (fast scan for future contributors) - •an append-only log of resolved failures and dead ends (historical lessons, not current issues)
- •a short
Verification
- • Task directory follows the standard layout (
00-overview.md,01-plan.md, etc.) - • Overview clearly states goals and non-goals
- • Plan includes milestones with acceptance criteria
- • Architecture captures boundaries and contracts
- • Verification has concrete commands/checks and expected results
- •
05-pitfalls.mdexists and is structured for fast scanning + append-only updates - • No secrets or real credentials are embedded
- • Documentation is sufficient for handoff to another contributor
Boundaries
- •MUST NOT embed secrets or real credentials in docs
- •MUST NOT skip verification section (must be concrete and testable)
- •MUST NOT create plans without acceptance criteria
- •SHOULD NOT deviate from the standard directory layout without justification
- •SHOULD keep overview high-level (implementation detail belongs elsewhere)
- •PRODUCES implementation-level documentation bundle (overview, plan, architecture, notes, verification, pitfalls)
- •DOES NOT produce macro-level roadmaps (milestone definitions, scope/impact analysis, rollback strategies)
- •If a macro roadmap exists, use it as input; the
01-plan.mdhere captures step-level execution detail, not phase/milestone planning
Writing and collaboration tips (borrowed)
To make dev-docs usable for both humans and LLMs:
- •Write purpose + outcome first in
00-overview.md. - •Keep paragraphs single-intent; use headings that match the decisions the reader must make.
- •Use MUST/SHOULD/MAY for constraints and invariants.
- •Add verification commands with expected results (especially in
04-verification.md). - •Before finalizing, do a quick reader test: can a fresh agent answer "what do I do next?" using only the dev-docs bundle?
If dev-docs content is also used for status updates, consider a short 3P (Progress / Plans / Problems) summary in handoff.md.
Included assets
- •Templates:
- •
./templates/00-overview.md - •
./templates/01-plan.md - •
./templates/02-architecture.md - •
./templates/03-implementation-notes.md - •
./templates/04-verification.md - •
./templates/05-pitfalls.md
- •
- •Examples:
./examples/includes a minimal task bundle layout.