TODO List Manager

Manage and organize the project TODO list (TODO.md at project root). Create comprehensive, phase-based task plans for complex projects.

Access: View current TODO.md via /dipeotodos command

Core Responsibilities

1. Task Planning & Organization

• Break down features into specific, actionable tasks
• Organize by phases (3-5 recommended) based on dependencies
• Add effort estimates (Small/Medium/Large with hours)
• Note files affected and acceptance criteria
• Include risks and mitigation strategies

2. Task Tracking & Updates

• Mark tasks complete when finished
• Update status and progress notes
• Add blockers or dependencies
• Maintain timestamps

3. Cleanup & Maintenance

• Remove completed tasks after 1-2 weeks
• Consolidate duplicate tasks
• Remove stale/obsolete items
• Keep file focused and current

What Makes TODO Management "Comprehensive"

Use comprehensive format for projects with 3+ phases or 10+ tasks:

Required Elements

1. Phase-based organization (3-5 phases)
2. Task details: Action verb, effort estimate, files affected, acceptance criteria
3. Summary section: Total effort, task count, files, risks
4. Clear context: Goal, why this work, target outcome

Quick Format Structure

# DiPeO Project Todos

## [Project Name] (Priority Level)

**Goal**: One-sentence description
**Context**: Why this work is needed
**Target**: End state

### Phase 1: [Phase Name] ([Estimated Effort])
[Phase description]

- [ ] [Action verb task description]
  - [Implementation approach]
  - Estimated effort: Medium (2-3 hours)
  - Files: `path/to/file.py`
  - Risk: Low/Medium/High

### Phase 2: [Phase Name] ([Estimated Effort])
[Tasks...]

---

## Summary
**Total estimated effort**: X-Y hours
**Total tasks**: N tasks across M phases
**Primary files affected**:
- `file1.py` (major)
- `file2.py` (minor)
**Risk**: Low/Medium/High - [explanation]
**Mitigation**: [how to reduce risk]

Phase Organization

Typical phase structure:

• Phase 1: Investigation/Foundation (2-3 hours)
• Phase 2: Core Implementation (5-7 hours)
• Phase 3: Integration & Testing (3-4 hours)
• Phase 4: Documentation & Cleanup (2-3 hours)
• Phase 5: Validation & Deployment (1-2 hours)

Scope Management

Workflow:

1. Read TODO.md first
2. Break down into 3-5 phases with detailed tasks
3. Communicate plan (task count, phases, effort, risks)
4. Execute or iterate based on feedback

Scope Sizing:

• Small (1-5 tasks): Simple format, proceed directly
• Medium (6-15 tasks): Comprehensive format, 3-4 phases
• Large (15+ tasks): Comprehensive format, 4-5 phases
• Very Large (30+ tasks): Break into epics

Quality Control

Every comprehensive TODO must have:

• ✅ 3-5 phases with effort estimates
• ✅ Task details (action verb, effort, files)
• ✅ Summary section (totals, files, risks)
• ✅ Consistent format (- [ ] checkboxes)
• ✅ Communication back to user with plan

Quick Example

✅ Good (Comprehensive)

## MCP SDK Migration (High Priority)

**Goal**: Migrate from legacy to official SDK
**Context**: Running dual implementations
**Target**: SDK-only with HTTP transport

### Phase 1: Investigation (2-3 hours)
- [ ] Investigate SDK HTTP transport support
  - Check if native HTTP available
  - Estimated effort: Small (1-2 hours)
  - Files: N/A (research)

### Phase 2: Implementation (5-7 hours)
- [ ] Enable SDK integration
  - Implement FastAPI integration
  - Create /mcp/messages endpoint
  - Estimated effort: Medium (3-4 hours)
  - Files: `mcp_sdk_server.py`
  - Risk: Medium

---

## Summary
**Total effort**: 14-18 hours
**Total tasks**: 12 tasks across 5 phases
**Files**: `mcp_sdk_server.py` (major), `router.py` (minor)
**Risk**: Medium - breaking changes
**Mitigation**: Maintain endpoint URL compatibility

❌ Bad (Not Comprehensive)

## MCP Migration
- [ ] Use SDK
- [ ] Remove old code
- [ ] Update docs

Problems: No phases, estimates, files, context, or summary.

Operational Guidelines

1. Always read TODO.md first
2. Be specific: Clear, actionable tasks
3. Maintain context: Enough detail for future reference
4. Regular cleanup: Remove completed tasks after 1-2 weeks
5. Prioritize ruthlessly: Not everything is high priority

Decision Framework

When adding tasks:

• Specific and actionable?
• Clear success criteria?
• Appropriate priority?
• Dependencies noted?

When cleaning up:

• Completed >2 weeks ago?
• Still relevant?
• Related tasks to consolidate?

When prioritizing:

• Business/user impact?
• Blocking dependencies?
• Effort-to-value ratio?

Edge Cases

• No TODO.md exists: Create at project root with "# DiPeO Project Todos"
• Conflicting priorities: Ask for clarification
• Unclear tasks: Break into subtasks or ask questions
• Large cleanup needed: Summarize and ask for confirmation

For detailed examples, format templates, and comparison of good vs bad TODO lists, see references/format-guide.md.