Start Dev - Task Status Updater

Start working on a task by updating its status to IN PROGRESS in docs/MASTER_PLAN.md.

Usage

/start-dev TASK-123
/start-dev 123
/start-dev BUG-456

Workflow

Step 1: Parse Task ID

Extract the task ID from the argument:

• If just a number (e.g., 123), assume TASK-123
• If prefixed (e.g., TASK-123, BUG-456, FEATURE-789), use as-is
• Normalize to uppercase

Valid prefixes: TASK, BUG, FEATURE, ROAD, IDEA, ISSUE

Step 2: Verify Task Exists

Search MASTER_PLAN.md for the task ID:

grep -n "TASK-123" docs/MASTER_PLAN.md | head -20

If not found: Report error and stop.

If found with strikethrough (~~TASK-123~~): Task is already DONE. Ask user if they want to reopen it.

If found: Continue to update.

Step 3: Update MASTER_PLAN.md

CRITICAL: Tasks appear in 3 locations in MASTER_PLAN.md. Update ALL of them:

3a. Summary Table (Roadmap section)

Find the task row and update the Status column:

Before:

| **TASK-123** | **Feature Name** | **P1** | PLANNED | - |

After:

| **TASK-123** | **Feature Name** | **P1** | IN PROGRESS | - |

Common status values to replace:

• PLANNED → IN PROGRESS
• NEXT → IN PROGRESS

3b. Detailed Section (#### headers)

Find the detailed task section and update the header status:

Before:

### TASK-123: Feature Name (PLANNED)

or

### TASK-123: Feature Name (NEXT)

After:

### TASK-123: Feature Name (IN PROGRESS)

Also update any Status line in the details:

Before:

**Status**: PLANNED (2026-01-24)

After:

**Status**: IN PROGRESS (2026-01-24)

3c. Subtasks Lists (if referenced)

If the task appears as a subtask or dependency, no status change needed there.

Step 4: Verification

Run grep to verify all occurrences updated:

grep "TASK-123" docs/MASTER_PLAN.md

Confirm:

• Roadmap table shows IN PROGRESS
• Detailed section header shows (IN PROGRESS)
• No PLANNED or NEXT status remains

Step 5: Report

Output summary to user:

Started working on [TASK-ID]

Updated in MASTER_PLAN.md:
- Roadmap table: IN PROGRESS
- Detailed section: IN PROGRESS

Ready to begin implementation.

Examples

Example 1: Start a TASK

User: /start-dev 1017

Updates:

• | **TASK-1017** | ... | PLANNED | → | **TASK-1017** | ... | IN PROGRESS |
• ### TASK-1017: Feature (PLANNED) → ### TASK-1017: Feature (IN PROGRESS)

Example 2: Start a BUG

User: /start-dev BUG-359

Updates all occurrences of BUG-359 to IN PROGRESS status.

Example 3: Task Already Done

User: /start-dev TASK-100

If task shows ~~TASK-100~~ (strikethrough), ask:

"TASK-100 is marked as DONE. Do you want to reopen it?"

Status Mappings

Important Rules

• Always verify task exists before updating
• Update ALL locations in MASTER_PLAN.md (table + detailed section)
• Preserve task ID format (don't add/remove prefixes)
• Don't modify strikethrough tasks without user confirmation
• Run verification grep after updates