Planning with Files (Codex)

{/* Align this Claude skill's path examples with the .claude directory layout. docs/en/developer/plans/claude-skills-audit-20260227/task_plan.md claude-skills-audit-20260227 /} Work like Manus: Use persistent markdown files as your "working memory on disk." {/ Refactor planning files to live under docs/en/developer/plans/<hash> for traceability. sddsa89612jk4hbwas678 */}

What This Skill Does (Codex-Compatible)

Codex skills are instruction-only. There are no automatic hooks (e.g., "PreToolUse", "Stop").

To get the benefits, you must manually:

• Create a session folder under docs/en/developer/plans/<session-hash>/
• Re-read task_plan.md before major decisions
• Update task_plan.md, findings.md, and progress.md throughout the work
• Add the same <session-hash> into inline code comments for traceability

Operational Checklist (Replace Claude Hooks)

When using this skill on a complex task:

1. Create a new session hash (example: sddsa89612jk4hbwas678).
2. If docs/en/developer/plans/<session-hash>/ does not exist, initialize it (script or template copy).
3. Fill task_plan.md (goal, phases, key questions) before implementing anything.
4. Before major decisions or phase changes, re-read task_plan.md (refreshes goals into the attention window).
5. After every 2 information-gathering actions, append key discoveries into findings.md (2-Action Rule).
6. After completing a phase, return to the session folder and update:
   • phase status in task_plan.md
   • session log + tests in progress.md
7. When the task is done, update docs/en/change-log/0.0.0.md with the hash + one-line summary + relative link to the plan.

Important: Where Files Go (Repo Layout)

When using this skill:

• Skill assets (templates/scripts/reference) live in: .claude/skills/file-context-planning/
  • Templates: .claude/skills/file-context-planning/templates/
  • Scripts: .claude/skills/file-context-planning/scripts/
• Your planning files live in a hash folder under: docs/en/developer/plans/<session-hash>/

This ensures your planning files are:

• durable (versionable docs)
• easy to link to (relative links)
• traceable from code via the session hash

Quick Start

Before ANY complex task:

Option A: Initialize via Script (Fastest)

Creates docs/en/developer/plans/<session-hash>/ and copies templates there if missing. {/* Document docs navigation sync behavior (Mintlify vs Docusaurus). docs/en/developer/plans/dsim8xybp9oa18nz1gfq/task_plan.md dsim8xybp9oa18nz1gfq */} Also syncs docs/docs.json when present (Mintlify) so the new session files are discoverable; if docs/docs.json is absent (Docusaurus), the sync step is skipped.

bash
1bash .claude/skills/file-context-planning/scripts/init-session.sh "<session-hash>" "<session-title>"

If you need a one-off backfill or want to rebuild the navigation index deterministically:

bash
1bash .claude/skills/file-context-planning/scripts/sync-docs-json-plans.sh

Option B: Copy Templates (Most Detailed)

bash
1mkdir -p docs/en/developer/plans/<session-hash>
2cp .claude/skills/file-context-planning/templates/task_plan.md docs/en/developer/plans/<session-hash>/task_plan.md
3cp .claude/skills/file-context-planning/templates/findings.md docs/en/developer/plans/<session-hash>/findings.md
4cp .claude/skills/file-context-planning/templates/progress.md docs/en/developer/plans/<session-hash>/progress.md

Then:

1. Fill task_plan.md first — Goal, phases, key questions
2. Re-read plan before decisions — Refreshes goals in the attention window
3. Update after each phase — Mark status complete, log errors
4. Log discoveries continuously — findings.md for knowledge, progress.md for session/test logs

Optional completion check:

bash
1bash .claude/skills/file-context-planning/scripts/check-complete.sh <session-hash>

Note: All three planning files should be created in docs/en/developer/plans/<session-hash>/, not in your project root and not in the skill folder.

The Core Pattern

Context Window = RAM (volatile, limited)
Filesystem = Disk (persistent, unlimited)

→ Anything important gets written to disk.

File Purposes

Traceability: Hash in Inline Comments

To link code changes back to the plan folder, include the session hash in every changed area via an inline comment:

{/* Align traceability format with repo-root AGENTS.md (include plan path + hash). docs/en/developer/plans/docsworkflowapi20260121/task_plan.md docsworkflowapi20260121 */} Format: <one sentence in English> <relative-plan-path> <session-hash>

Plan path: docs/en/developer/plans/<session-hash>/task_plan.md

Examples:

• JS/TS/Go: // Add input validation for webhook payload. docs/en/developer/plans/sddsa89612jk4hbwas678/task_plan.md sddsa89612jk4hbwas678
• Python/Shell/YAML: # Document retry backoff behavior. docs/en/developer/plans/sddsa89612jk4hbwas678/task_plan.md sddsa89612jk4hbwas678
• SQL: -- Prevent duplicate inserts via unique key. docs/en/developer/plans/sddsa89612jk4hbwas678/task_plan.md sddsa89612jk4hbwas678
• Markdown: {/* Explain why this doc section changed. docs/en/developer/plans/sddsa89612jk4hbwas678/task_plan.md sddsa89612jk4hbwas678 */}

This creates a stable backlink: comment → hash → docs/en/developer/plans/<hash>/.

Release Note Update (Required)

When the task is completed, update docs/en/change-log/0.0.0.md with:

• the session hash
• a one-line summary
• a relative link to the plan (recommend linking task_plan.md)

Example entry:

md
1- sddsa89612jk4hbwas678: Refactor file-context-planning to store plans in hash folders. ([plan](../developer/plans/sddsa89612jk4hbwas678/task_plan.md))

{/* Keep changelog entries clean and single-line (no extra HTML comment lines). l290bb7v758opd6uxu6r */}

Note: Do not add an extra {/* ... */} line above changelog bullets. The bullet itself (hash + plan link) is enough traceability.

{/* Prefer stdin to avoid shell expansion when summaries contain code-like characters. l290bb7v758opd6uxu6r */}

Tip: If your summary contains backticks or other shell-sensitive characters, pipe it via stdin: printf '%s' "<summary>" | bash .claude/skills/file-context-planning/scripts/append-changelog.sh "<hash>".

Critical Rules

1. Create Plan First

Never start a complex task without a session folder containing task_plan.md. Non-negotiable.

2. The 2-Action Rule

"After every 2 information-gathering actions, 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
1## Errors Encountered
2| Error | Attempt | Resolution |
3|-------|---------|------------|
4| FileNotFoundError | 1 | Created default config |
5| 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

The 5-Question Reboot Test

If you can answer these, your context management is solid:

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 — Phase tracking
• templates/findings.md — Research storage
• 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
• scripts/append-changelog.sh — Append changelog entry (hash + plan link)

Advanced Topics

• Manus Principles: See reference.md
• Real Examples: See examples.md

Anti-Patterns