splitting-tasks.md 2.2 KB
Guide: Splitting Features into Tasks
Purpose: How to decompose features into atomic subtasks
Last Updated: 2026-01-11
Prerequisites
- Feature request understood
- Context bundle loaded (project standards, patterns)
Steps
1. Identify Atomic Boundaries
Break feature into tasks that are:
- Completable in 1-2 hours
- Have single, clear outcome
- Testable independently
- Don't overlap with other tasks
Bad: "Implement authentication" (too big) Good: "Create password hashing utility" (atomic)
2. Map Dependencies
For each task, ask:
- What must exist before this can start?
- What files/APIs does this need?
01 → no deps (can start immediately)
02 → depends_on: ["01"]
03 → depends_on: ["01", "02"]
3. Identify Parallel Tasks
Mark parallel: true when:
- Task doesn't modify shared files
- Task doesn't depend on runtime state from other tasks
- Multiple agents could work simultaneously
Example parallel tasks:
- Writing independent unit tests
- Creating isolated utility functions
- Documentation for separate features
4. Define Acceptance Criteria
Binary pass/fail conditions only:
- "JWT tokens signed with RS256" ✓
- "Tests pass" ✓
- "Code is clean" ✗ (subjective)
5. Specify Deliverables
Concrete files/endpoints:
src/auth/hash.tsPOST /api/logintests/auth.test.ts
6. Reference Context Files
Don't embed descriptions. Reference paths:
"context_files": [
".opencode/context/development/backend/auth/jwt-patterns.md"
]
Verification Checklist
- Each task completable in 1-2 hours?
- Dependencies create valid execution order?
- Parallel tasks correctly identified?
- Acceptance criteria are binary?
- Deliverables are concrete files/endpoints?
Common Mistakes
| Mistake | Fix |
|---|---|
| Task too big | Split into 2-3 smaller tasks |
| Circular deps | Re-order or merge tasks |
| Missing deps | Run task-cli.ts validate |
| Vague criteria | Make binary pass/fail |
Related
../standards/task-schema.md- JSON field referencemanaging-tasks.md- Lifecycle workflow../lookup/task-commands.md- CLI reference