add-doc-ftr

Capture a structured document from the current conversation context. Automatically determines the best document structure (decision doc, technical reference, discussion summary, how-to guide, or architecture doc), generates tags for discoverability, and writes to `.things/for-the-record/docs/`. See `references/doc-format.md` for the frontmatter schema and document structures. Load Configuration

<load-config>
  <action>Resolve the user's home directory.</action>
  <command language="bash" output="home" tool="Bash">echo $HOME</command>
  <constraint>Never pass `~` to the Read tool.</constraint>

  <read path="<home>/.things/config.json" output="config" />
  <if condition="config-missing">Tell the user: "Run `/things:setup-things` first." Then stop.<exit /></if>

  <read path="<home>/.things/for-the-record/preferences.json" output="preferences" />
  <if condition="preferences-missing">Tell the user: "Run `/setup-ftr` first." Then stop.<exit /></if>
</load-config>

Parse Arguments

<action>Parse `$ARGUMENTS` for:</action>
- **topic**: The subject to document (everything that isn't a flag)
- **--detailed**: Override detail level to `detailed`
- **--tags tag1,tag2**: Explicit tags to include (comma-separated)

<action>Set `detail_level` from `--detailed` flag or fall back to `preferences.default_detail_level`.</action>

Gather Context from Conversation

<action>Search the conversation history for content relevant to the topic. Scope to the topic if one was provided.</action>

<constraint>
What counts as documentable context:
- Technical discussions, decisions, architecture plans
- Problem-solving sessions with conclusions
- How-to walkthroughs or setup procedures
- Design evaluations with tradeoffs
- Configuration or integration details
- Explanations of systems, patterns, or approaches
</constraint>

<if condition="no-useful-context">
  <ask-user-question>
    <question>I don't see relevant context in our conversation for "{topic}". What would you like to document?</question>
  </ask-user-question>
</if>

<if condition="topic-not-provided-and-context-ambiguous">
  <ask-user-question>
    <question>What would you like to capture as a document? I can see a few threads in our conversation.</question>
  </ask-user-question>
</if>

Choose Document Structure

<action>Based on the gathered context, auto-choose the best document structure:</action>

| Content Pattern | Structure |
|----------------|-----------|
| Weighed options, chose an approach | Decision Doc: Context → Options → Evaluation → Decision → Rationale |
| Explained a system, API, or tool | Technical Reference: Overview → Details → Usage → Caveats |
| Discussed a topic, reached conclusions | Discussion Summary: Topic → Key Points → Conclusions → Open Questions |
| Walked through steps to accomplish something | How-To Guide: Goal → Prerequisites → Steps → Verification |
| Designed a system or component | Architecture Doc: Overview → Components → Data Flow → Constraints |

<constraint>If the content doesn't clearly fit one structure, pick the closest match. Don't ask the user to choose — the auto-selection should be good enough. If genuinely ambiguous between two, briefly mention which you chose and why.</constraint>

Compose the Document

<action>Write the document body using the chosen structure.</action>

<constraint>
Detail level controls depth:
- **concise**: Key points, decisions, outcomes. 1-2 paragraphs per section. Code blocks only when essential. Strip tangential discussion.
- **detailed**: Full reasoning chains, all alternatives discussed, complete code blocks, edge cases, caveats, and context that future-you needs. Preserve the richness of the conversation.
</constraint>

<constraint>Preserve specificity. "Configured app's prompt routing to use XML workflow tags" is better than "set up the system." Capture project names, tool names, version numbers, file paths, and configuration details.</constraint>

Generate Tags

<if condition="preferences.auto_tag == true">
  <action>Auto-generate tags by combining:</action>
  - Technologies and tools mentioned (e.g., `rust`, `python`, `claude-code`)
  - Domain keywords (e.g., `architecture`, `security`, `performance`)
  - Activity type (e.g., `decision`, `reference`, `how-to`)
  - Project names mentioned
  - Any explicit `--tags` from arguments

  <action>Read existing `<home>/.things/for-the-record/tags.json` and cross-reference for consistency. Prefer existing tag spellings over new variations (e.g., use `claude-code` if it exists rather than creating `claude_code`).</action>

  <action>Also check `<home>/.things/tags/index.json` (central tag index) for cross-plugin tag consistency.</action>
</if>

<if condition="preferences.auto_tag == false">
  <action>Use only explicit `--tags` from arguments. If none provided, ask.</action>
</if>

<ask-user-question>
  <question>Here are the generated tags for this document. Add, remove, or modify:</question>
  <option>Looks good</option>
  <option-with-text-input>Make changes</option-with-text-input>
</ask-user-question>

Generate Filename

<action>Generate filename: `<YYYY-MM-DD>-<slugified-topic>.md`</action>

<constraint>Slugify: lowercase, replace spaces and special chars with hyphens, collapse multiple hyphens, trim to reasonable length (~60 chars max for the slug portion).</constraint>

<action>Check if file already exists at `<home>/.things/for-the-record/docs/<filename>`.</action>
<if condition="file-exists">
  <ask-user-question>
    <question>A document with this name already exists. What would you like to do?</question>
    <option>Replace it</option>
    <option-with-text-input>Use a different name</option-with-text-input>
  </ask-user-question>
</if>

Write Document

<write path="<home>/.things/for-the-record/docs/<filename>">

<constraint>Use the frontmatter schema from `references/doc-format.md`.</constraint>

<template name="document">
```markdown
---
title: "<title>"
date: <YYYY-MM-DD>
description: "<1-2 sentence summary>"
detail_level: "<concise|detailed>"
source_type: "conversation"
tags: [<tags>]
---

<document body using chosen structure>
```
</template>

</write>

Rebuild Index

<constraint>The things PostToolUse hook automatically dispatches `rebuild-index.py` via the registry after writing a doc file. No manual rebuild needed.</constraint>

<if condition="hook-did-not-fire">The rebuild can be run manually:
  <command language="bash" tool="Bash">python3 <plugin_root>/scripts/rebuild-index.py $HOME/.things</command>
</if>

Handle Git Workflow

<git-workflow>
  <action>Pull latest before committing.</action>
  <command language="bash" tool="Bash">git -C <home>/.things pull --rebase 2>/dev/null || true</command>

  <action>Read git workflow from `config.json` (`git.workflow`).</action>

  <if condition="workflow-auto">Automatically `git add`, `git commit -m "doc: <title>"`, and `git push`.</if>
  <if condition="workflow-ask">
    <ask-user-question>
      <question>Commit and push this document?</question>
      <option>Yes -- commit and push</option>
      <option>Commit only</option>
      <option>No -- I'll handle git myself</option>
    </ask-user-question>
  </if>
  <if condition="workflow-manual">Tell the user the file has been saved.</if>
</git-workflow>

Confirm

<completion-message>
Captured: **<title>** (`<detail_level>`, `<structure_type>`)
Location: `<home>/.things/for-the-record/docs/<filename>`
Tags: `<tags>`

Find it later: `/things:search-things --tag <tag>` or `/things:search-things <keyword>`
</completion-message>