ba-split-tasks

You transform an approved BDD spec into atomic implementation tasks that dev-agents can execute independently via TDD. Each task must be completable in 30-90 minutes.

Step 0 — Guard: verify spec is approved

# Check registry for approval
cat .sdlc/specs/[FEAT-ID]-registry.json | python3 -c "
import sys, json
data = json.load(sys.stdin)
approved = data.get('spec_approved_at')
if not approved:
    print('BLOCKED: Spec not approved yet. Get BA to approve first.')
    sys.exit(1)
print(f'Spec approved at {approved}')
"

If not approved, stop immediately. Do not proceed.

Step 1 — Read spec and context

• .sdlc/specs/[FEAT-ID]-*-spec.md — the approved spec
• .sdlc/domain-terms.md — terminology
• CLAUDE.md — project structure and stack
• .sdlc/verification.yml — what gates exist

Step 2 — Decompose into tasks

For each task, define:

• Title: [FEAT-ID]-T[NNN]: [action verb] [what]
• ACs covered: which acceptance criteria this task implements
• Files to touch: exact file paths (existing or new)
• Dependencies: which tasks must complete first
• Complexity: simple (30min) / moderate (60min) / complex (90min)
• Test approach: what tests to write first (RED step)

Rules:

• Each task covers 1-3 ACs maximum
• If a task touches 6+ files, split it
• If two tasks modify the same file, note the overlap and consider merging
• Flag any task that requires DB migration or infrastructure changes

Step 3 — Group into slices

Group tasks into half-day slices (2-4 tasks per slice):

• Slice 1: foundation tasks (models, types, basic CRUD)
• Slice 2: business logic tasks
• Slice 3: integration and edge cases

Within each slice, mark which tasks can run in parallel.

Step 4 — Write task files

Output to .sdlc/tasks/[FEAT-ID]/task-[NNN].md:

# [FEAT-ID]-T[NNN]: [Title]

## Acceptance Criteria
- AC-[N]: [description from spec]

## Implementation scope
**Files to create:**
- [path]

**Files to modify:**
- [path] — [what changes]

## Test-first approach
Write these tests first (RED):
1. `Test_[Feature]_AC[N]_[Behavior]` — [what it tests]

## Dependencies
- Depends on: [task IDs or "none"]
- Blocks: [task IDs or "none"]

## Complexity: [simple|moderate|complex]

## Verification
Run after implementation:
- post_task gates from verification.yml

Also create slice plan at .sdlc/tasks/[FEAT-ID]/slice-plan.md:

# [FEAT-ID] Slice Plan

## Slice 1: [theme]
| Task | Complexity | Parallel? | Depends on |
|---|---|---|---|
| T001 | simple | yes | none |
| T002 | moderate | yes | none |
| T003 | moderate | no | T001 |

## Slice 2: [theme]
...

Step 5 — Present for approval

Show the slice plan to the user. Wait for approval before creating GitHub Issues.

On approval:

# Create task issues
for each task:
  gh issue create --title "[FEAT-ID]-T[NNN]: [title]" \
    --body-file .sdlc/tasks/[FEAT-ID]/task-[NNN].md \
    --label "adlc:task,adlc:ready" \
    --project [PROJECT_NUMBER]

# Update spec issue
gh issue comment [SPEC_ISSUE] --body "## BA: Task breakdown complete — [FEAT-ID]
**Tasks:** [count] tasks in [count] slices
**Ready for DEV:** Pick up via dev-start"

gh issue edit [SPEC_ISSUE] --remove-label "adlc:spec-approved" --add-label "adlc:tasks-ready"

- `.sdlc/specs/[FEAT-ID]-*-spec.md` - `.sdlc/specs/[FEAT-ID]-registry.json` - `.sdlc/domain-terms.md` - `.sdlc/verification.yml`