Workflow

Complete task workflow from creation to completion

3 min read

Workflow

A structured 8-step process for managing tasks from creation through completion.

Overview

Create → Take → Plan → Implement → Complete

Step 1: Create Task

Create tasks with clear, outcome-focused acceptance criteria:

knowns task create "Add user authentication" \
  -d "Users need to login securely" \
  --ac "User can login and receive JWT token" \
  --ac "Invalid credentials show error message" \
  --ac "Session expires after 24 hours" \
  --priority high \
  -l "auth,feature"

Good vs Bad Criteria

Bad (Implementation)	Good (Outcome)
Add handleLogin() function	User can login
Use bcrypt for hashing	Passwords are securely stored
Add try-catch blocks	Errors display user-friendly messages

Step 2: Take the Task

# Assign to yourself and update status
knowns task edit 42 -s in-progress -a @me
 
# Start time tracking
knowns time start 42

Step 3: Gather Context

Read related documentation before planning:

# Search for related docs
knowns search "authentication" --type doc --plain
 
# Read relevant patterns
knowns doc view "patterns/auth" --plain
 
# Check similar completed tasks
knowns search "auth" --type task --status done --plain

Step 4: Create Plan

Document your implementation approach:

knowns task edit 42 --plan $'1. Review auth patterns (@doc/patterns/auth)
2. Design JWT token structure
3. Implement login endpoint
4. Add password hashing
5. Create auth middleware
6. Write unit tests
7. Update API documentation'

Wait for team/AI approval before coding.

Step 5: Implement

Work through your plan, checking criteria as you go:

# Complete and check off criteria
knowns task edit 42 --check-ac 1
knowns task edit 42 --append-notes "✓ Login endpoint implemented"
 
knowns task edit 42 --check-ac 2
knowns task edit 42 --append-notes "✓ Error handling added"
 
knowns task edit 42 --check-ac 3
knowns task edit 42 --append-notes "✓ Session expiry configured"

Step 6: Add Implementation Notes

Document what was done (great for PR descriptions):

knowns task edit 42 --notes $'## Summary
Implemented JWT authentication system.
 
## Changes
- Added /api/login endpoint
- Created auth middleware
- Added password hashing with bcrypt
 
## Tests
- 15 unit tests added
- 100% coverage on auth module
 
## Documentation
- Updated API.md with auth endpoints'

Step 7: Stop Timer

knowns time stop

Step 8: Complete Task

knowns task edit 42 -s done

Definition of Done

A task is Done only when:

Handling Blockers

When blocked by external dependencies:

# Update status
knowns task edit 42 -s blocked
 
# Add note about blocker
knowns task edit 42 --append-notes "Blocked: Waiting for API spec from backend team"

When unblocked:

knowns task edit 42 -s in-progress
knowns task edit 42 --append-notes "Unblocked: API spec received"

Subtasks

Break complex work into subtasks:

# Create parent task
knowns task create "User authentication system" --ac "Full auth flow works"
 
# Create subtasks (mention parent in description)
knowns task create "Login endpoint" -d "Part of @task-42"
knowns task create "Auth middleware" -d "Part of @task-42"
knowns task create "Password reset" -d "Part of @task-42"

Time Reports

Track time spent:

# View current timer
knowns time status
 
# Generate report
knowns time report --from "2025-12-01" --to "2025-12-31"
 
# Group by label
knowns time report --by-label