workflow-patterns

# Workflow Patterns

Guide for implementing tasks using Conductor's TDD workflow, managing phase checkpoints, handling git commits, and executing the verification protocol that ensures quality throughout implementation.

## When to Use This Skill

- Implementing tasks from a track's plan.md
- Following TDD red-green-refactor cycle
- Completing phase checkpoints
- Managing git commits and notes
- Understanding quality assurance gates
- Handling verification protocols
- Recording progress in plan files

## TDD Task Lifecycle

Follow these 11 steps for each task:

### Step 1: Select Next Task

Read plan.md and identify the next pending `[ ]` task. Select tasks in order within the current phase. Do not skip ahead to later phases.

### Step 2: Mark as In Progress

Update plan.md to mark the task as `[~]`:

```markdown
- [~] **Task 2.1**: Implement user validation
```

Commit this status change separately from implementation.

### Step 3: RED - Write Failing Tests

Write tests that define the expected behavior before writing implementation:

- Create test file if needed
- Write test cases covering happy path
- Write test cases covering edge cases
- Write test cases covering error conditions
- Run tests - they should FAIL

Example:

```python
def test_validate_user_email_valid():
    user = User(email="test@example.com")
    assert user.validate_email() is True

def test_validate_user_email_invalid():
    user = User(email="invalid")
    assert user.validate_email() is False
```

### Step 4: GREEN - Implement Minimum Code

Write the minimum code necessary to make tests pass:

- Focus on making tests green, not perfection
- Avoid premature optimization
- Keep implementation simple
- Run tests - they should PASS

### Step 5: REFACTOR - Improve Clarity

With green tests, improve the code:

- Extract common patterns
- Improve naming
- Remove duplication
- Simplify logic
- Run tests after each change - they should remain GREEN

### Step 6: Verify Coverage

Check test coverage m