Planning With Files

# Planning with Files Work like Manus: Use persistent markdown files as your "working memory on disk." ## Important: Where Files Go When using this skill: - **Templates** are stored in the skill directory at `${CLAUDE_PLUGIN_ROOT}/templates/` - **Your planning files** (`task_plan.md`, `findings.md`, `progress.md`) should be created in **your project directory** — the folder where you're working | Location | What Goes There | |----------|-----------------| | Skill directory (`${CLAUDE_PLUGIN_ROOT}/`) | Templates, scripts, reference docs | | Your project directory | `task_plan.md`, `findings.md`, `progress.md` | This ensures your planning files live alongside your code, not buried in the skill installation folder. ## Quick Start Before ANY complex task: 1. **Create `task_plan.md`** in your project — Use [templates/task_plan.md](templates/task_plan.md) as reference 2. **Create `findings.md`** in your project — Use [templates/findings.md](templates/findings.md) as reference 3. **Create `progress.md`** in your project — Use [templates/progress.md](templates/progress.md) as reference 4. **Re-read plan before decisions** — Refreshes goals in attention window 5. **Update after each phase** — Mark complete, log errors > **Note:** All three planning files should be created in your current working directory (your project root), not in the skill's installation folder. ## The Core Pattern ``` Context Window = RAM (volatile, limited) Filesystem = Disk (persistent, unlimited) → Anything important gets written to disk. ``` ## File Purposes | File | Purpose | When to Update | |------|---------|----------------| | `task_plan.md` | Phases, progress, decisions | After each phase | | `findings.md` | Research, discoveries | After ANY discovery | | `progress.md` | Session log, test results | Throughout session | ## Critical Rules ### 1. Create Plan First Never start a complex task without `task_plan.md`. Non-negotiable. ### 2. The 2-Action Rule > "After every 2 view/browser/search operations, IMMEDIATELY save key findings to text files." This prevents visual/multimodal information from being lost. ### 3. Read Before Decide Before major decisions, read the plan file. This keeps goals in your attention window. ### 4. Update After Act After completing any phase: - Mark phase status: `in_progress` → `complete` - Log any errors encountered - Note files created/modified ### 5. Log ALL Errors Every error goes in the plan file. This builds knowledge and prevents repetition. ```markdown ## Errors Encountered | Error | Attempt | Resolution | |-------|---------|------------| | FileNotFoundError | 1 | Created default config | | API timeout | 2 | Added retry logic | ``` ### 6. Never Repeat Failures ``` if action_failed: next_action != same_action ``` Track what you tried. Mutate the approach. ## The 3-Strike Error Protocol ``` ATTEMPT 1: Diagnose & Fix → Read error carefully → Identify root cause → Apply targeted fix ATTEMPT 2: Alternative Approach → Same error? Try different method → Different tool? Different library? → NEVER repeat exact same failing action ATTEMPT 3: Broader Rethink → Question assumptions → Search for solutions → Consider updating the plan AFTER 3 FAILURES: Escalate to User → Explain what you tried → Share the specific error → Ask for guidance ``` ## Read vs Write Decision Matrix | Situation | Action | Reason | |-----------|--------|--------| | Just wrote a file | DON'T read | Content still in context | | Viewed image/PDF | Write findings NOW | Multimodal → text before lost | | Browser returned data | Write to file | Screenshots don't persist | | Starting new phase | Read plan/findings | Re-orient if context stale | | Error occurred | Read relevant file | Need current state to fix | | Resuming after gap | Read all planning files | Recover state | ## The 5-Question Reboot Test If you can answer these, your context management is solid: | Question | Answer Source | |----------|---------------| | Where am I? | Current phase in task_plan.md | | Where am I going? | Remaining phases | | What's the goal? | Goal statement in plan | | What have I learned? | findings.md | | What have I done? | progress.md | ## When to Use This Pattern **Use for:** - Multi-step tasks (3+ steps) - Research tasks - Building/creating projects - Tasks spanning many tool calls - Anything requiring organization **Skip for:** - Simple questions - Single-file edits - Quick lookups ## Templates Copy these templates to start: - [templates/task_plan.md](templates/task_plan.md) — Phase tracking - [templates/findings.md](templates/findings.md) — Research storage - [templates/progress.md](templates/progress.md) — Session logging ## Scripts Helper scripts for automation: - `scripts/init-session.sh` — Initialize all planning files - `scripts/check-complete.sh` — Verify all phases complete ## Advanced Topics - **Manus Principles:** See [reference.md](reference.md) - **Real Examples:** See [examples.md](examples.md) ## Anti-Patterns | Don't | Do Instead | |-------|------------| | Use TodoWrite for persistence | Create task_plan.md file | | State goals once and forget | Re-read plan before decisions | | Hide errors and retry silently | Log errors to plan file | | Stuff everything in context | Store large content in files | | Start executing immediately | Create plan file FIRST | | Repeat failed actions | Track attempts, mutate approach | | Create files in skill directory | Create files in your project |