Agent skill
backlog
Install this agent skill to your Project
npx add-skill https://github.com/majiayu000/claude-skill-registry/tree/main/skills/data/backlog
SKILL.md
Backlog Increment Command
Usage: /sw:backlog <increment-id> --reason="<reason>"
Purpose
Move an increment to backlog when:
- Planned but not ready to start yet
- Low priority compared to other work
- Waiting for decisions or approvals before starting
- Multiple ideas you want to plan without violating WIP limits
Key Difference:
- Backlog = Never started, planned for future (does NOT count towards WIP)
- Paused = Started but blocked (does NOT count towards WIP)
Behavior
- Validates increment exists and is "active"
- Prompts for reason if not provided via --reason flag
- Updates metadata.json:
status: "active" β "backlog"backlogReason: User-provided reasonbacklogAt: Current timestamp
- Displays confirmation message
- Suggests next actions (
/sw:resumeto start work)
Examples
Move to backlog with reason
/sw:backlog 0032 --reason="Low priority, focus on 0031 first"
β
Increment 0032 moved to backlog
π Reason: Low priority, focus on 0031 first
ποΈ No longer counts toward WIP limits
π‘ Start work with: /sw:resume 0032
Move to backlog without reason (prompts)
/sw:backlog 0032
β Why are you moving this to backlog?
1. Low priority
2. Waiting for decisions/approvals
3. Multiple planned ideas
4. Other (type reason)
> 1
β
Increment 0032 moved to backlog
π Reason: Low priority
π‘ Start work with: /sw:resume 0032
Edge Cases
Already in Backlog
/sw:backlog 0032 --reason="Different reason"
β οΈ Increment 0032 is already in backlog
Previous reason: Low priority
New reason: Different reason
Update reason? [Y/n]: y
β
Reason updated
π New reason: Different reason
Cannot Backlog Completed
/sw:backlog 0005
β Cannot move increment 0005 to backlog
Status: completed
Completed increments cannot be moved to backlog
Cannot Backlog Paused
/sw:backlog 0008
β Cannot move increment 0008 to backlog
Status: paused
Paused work should be resumed or abandoned, not moved to backlog
Resume it: /sw:resume 0008
Increment Not Found
/sw:backlog 9999
β Increment not found: 9999
π‘ Check available increments: /sw:status
Implementation
This command uses the MetadataManager to update increment status:
import { MetadataManager, IncrementStatus } from '../src/core/increment/metadata-manager';
// Read current metadata
const metadata = MetadataManager.read(incrementId);
// Validate can move to backlog
if (metadata.status !== IncrementStatus.ACTIVE) {
throw new Error(`Cannot move increment with status: ${metadata.status}`);
}
// Update status
MetadataManager.updateStatus(incrementId, IncrementStatus.BACKLOG, reason);
Status Flow
active ββbacklogββ> backlog
β
βββresumeββ> active
Related Commands
/sw:resume <id>- Move from backlog to active (start work)/sw:pause <id>- Pause active work (different from backlog)/sw:status- Show all increment statuses including backlog/sw:abandon <id>- Abandon increment (permanent)
Best Practices
β Use backlog for planning - Plan multiple increments without violating WIP
β Prioritize backlog regularly - Review and reorder based on value
β Clear reasons - Helps with prioritization decisions
β
Start when ready - Use /sw:resume to move from backlog to active
β Don't confuse with paused - Backlog = never started, Paused = started but blocked
β Don't let backlog grow unbounded - Review and abandon obsolete items
Backlog vs Paused
| Aspect | Backlog | Paused |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | Planned but not started | Started but blocked |
| WIP Count | NO | NO |
| Use Case | Low priority, future work | Blocked, deprioritized |
| Resume | Start from beginning | Continue where left off |
Warning: Large Backlog
If your backlog grows too large (10+ increments), /sw:status will warn:
/sw:status
ποΈ Backlog (12):
π¦ 0032-feature-a [feature] - Low priority
π¦ 0033-feature-b [feature] - Waiting for decisions
π¦ 0034-feature-c [feature] - Multiple planned ideas
... (9 more)
β οΈ Large backlog! Consider:
- Abandoning obsolete items
- Consolidating similar features
- Reviewing priorities
π‘ Actions:
/sw:resume <id> # Start work on highest priority
/sw:abandon <id> # Remove obsolete items
Command: /sw:backlog
Plugin: specweave (core)
Version: v0.19.0
Part of: Backlog Support Feature
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