work-on

/work-on - Feature Implementation Skill

Work on a VirtualBoard feature specification in an isolated git worktree with automatic branch management.

Usage

/work-on FTR-XXXX [options]

Options:

• --autonomous or -a: Run in fully autonomous mode (no clarifying questions)
• --semi-autonomous or -s: Only ask questions when blocked
• --worktree-path <path>: Custom worktree location (default: /tmp/virtualboard-worktrees)
• --base-branch <branch>: Base branch to create feature branch from (default: auto-detect or main)
• --create-pr: Create a draft PR after pushing
• --cleanup: Remove worktree after pushing (implies --create-pr)

Workflow

When this skill is invoked, follow these steps exactly:

Step 1: Parse Input

Extract the feature ID and options from the user's input:

# Example: /work-on FTR-0042 --autonomous --worktree-path ~/worktrees
# Feature ID: FTR-0042
# Mode: autonomous
# Worktree path: ~/worktrees

Validate the feature ID matches pattern FTR-\d{4}.

Step 2: Locate the Feature File

Search for the feature file in all status directories:

# Search pattern
find features/ -name "FTR-XXXX-*.md" 2>/dev/null | head -1

The feature file will be in one of:

• features/backlog/
• features/in-progress/
• features/blocked/
• features/review/

If not found, inform the user and stop.

Step 3: Read and Parse Feature

Read the feature file and extract:

• Title: From frontmatter title field
• Feature slug: From filename (e.g., FTR-0042-user-authentication.md → user-authentication)
• Status: Current status from frontmatter
• Requirements: From "Requirements" section
• Acceptance Criteria: From "Acceptance Criteria" section
• Implementation Notes: From "Implementation Notes" section

Display a summary to the user:

Feature: FTR-XXXX - <Title>
Status: <status>
Acceptance Criteria:
- [ ] Criterion 1
- [ ] Criterion 2
...

Step 4: Setup Git Worktree

Determine the worktree configuration:

# Default worktree base path
WORKTREE_BASE="${VIRTUALBOARD_WORKTREE_PATH:-/tmp/virtualboard-worktrees}"

# Repository name (derived from git root directory name)
REPO_NAME=$(basename "$(git rev-parse --show-toplevel)")

# Branch name format
BRANCH_NAME="feature/FTR-XXXX/<feature-slug>"

# Worktree directory (includes repo name to avoid collisions across projects)
WORKTREE_DIR="$WORKTREE_BASE/$REPO_NAME/FTR-XXXX"

Run the worktree setup script:

./scripts/worktree-setup.sh <feature_id> <feature_slug> [worktree_base_path]

The script will:

1. Check if branch exists (local or remote)
2. Create worktree directory
3. Either checkout existing branch or create new one from main
4. Report status (new branch or existing with N commits ahead of main)

Step 5: Detect Existing Work

If the branch already exists, analyze what work has been done:

# In the worktree directory
cd "$WORKTREE_DIR"

# Check commits ahead of main
git log main..HEAD --oneline

# Check uncommitted changes
git status --porcelain

If existing work is found, summarize it for the user:

Existing work detected on branch feature/FTR-XXXX/<slug>:
- X commits ahead of main
- Last commit: "<commit message>"
- Uncommitted changes: Y files modified

Step 6: Spawn New Claude Code Session

Change to the worktree directory and start a new Claude Code session:

cd "$WORKTREE_DIR"

# Start interactive Claude Code session
claude

Pass context to the new session by displaying:

1. The full feature specification
2. Implementation mode (interactive/semi-autonomous/autonomous)
3. Instructions to follow the VirtualBoard agent workflow

Step 7: Implementation Phase

In the new session, follow this implementation workflow:

7a. Analyze Codebase

• Read CLAUDE.md and understand project structure
• Identify files relevant to the feature
• Understand existing patterns and conventions

7b. Ask Clarifying Questions (unless autonomous)

If any requirements are unclear:

• List specific questions about implementation details
• Wait for user response before proceeding

7c. Implement Feature

• Follow acceptance criteria as implementation checklist
• Make incremental changes
• Run tests after significant changes
• Update feature file with implementation notes

7d. Validate Implementation

• Run project tests/linting
• Verify all acceptance criteria are met
• Check for regressions

Step 8: Commit Changes

Stage all changes and create commit:

git add -A

git commit -m "$(cat <<'EOF'
<Descriptive commit title>

<Body explaining what was implemented and why>

- Implemented <feature aspect 1>
- Added <feature aspect 2>
- Updated <related files>

FTR-XXXX implemented using the @virtualboard /work-on skill
EOF
)"

Commit message requirements:

• First line: Clear, descriptive title (50 chars max)
• Body: Explain what was done and why
• Footer: Always include FTR-XXXX implemented using the @virtualboard /work-on skill

Step 9: Push Branch

Push the branch to remote:

git push -u origin "feature/FTR-XXXX/<feature-slug>"

Step 10: Post-Push Actions

Based on configuration:

If --create-pr or --cleanup:

gh pr create \
  --title "FTR-XXXX: <Feature Title>" \
  --body "$(cat <<'EOF'
## Summary
Implements feature FTR-XXXX: <Title>

## Changes
- <Change 1>
- <Change 2>

## Testing
- [ ] Acceptance criteria verified
- [ ] Tests passing

## Feature Spec
See `features/<status>/FTR-XXXX-<slug>.md`
EOF
)" \
  --draft

If --cleanup:

# Return to original repo
cd -

# Remove worktree
git worktree remove "$WORKTREE_DIR"

# Optionally prune
git worktree prune

Step 11: Update Feature Status

Move the feature to in-progress if it was in backlog:

# Ensure the latest vb CLI is installed (required)
./scripts/install-vb-cli.sh --ensure-latest

vb move FTR-XXXX in-progress --owner claude

vb move updates the frontmatter (status, updated, owner) and relocates the file. Do not edit those fields by hand.

• updated: <today's date>

Configuration

The skill respects these environment variables:

Variable	Default	Description
VIRTUALBOARD_WORKTREE_PATH	/tmp/virtualboard-worktrees	Base directory for worktrees
VIRTUALBOARD_BASE_BRANCH	Auto-detect or main	Base branch to create feature branches from
VIRTUALBOARD_POST_PUSH	push	Action after push: push, push+pr, push+pr+cleanup
VIRTUALBOARD_SESSION_MODE	interactive	Default mode: interactive, semi-autonomous, autonomous

Error Handling

Feature Not Found

Error: Feature FTR-XXXX not found in features/ directory.
Please verify the feature ID exists.

Worktree Already Exists

Worktree already exists at <path>.
Options:
1. Continue working in existing worktree
2. Remove and recreate: git worktree remove <path>

Branch Conflicts

Warning: Branch feature/FTR-XXXX/<slug> has diverged from remote.
Please resolve conflicts before continuing.

Push Failures

Error: Push failed. Please check:
- Remote repository permissions
- Branch protection rules
- Network connectivity

Examples

Basic usage:

/work-on FTR-0042

Autonomous mode with PR creation:

/work-on FTR-0042 --autonomous --create-pr

Custom worktree location:

/work-on FTR-0042 --worktree-path ~/projects/worktrees

Branch from develop instead of main:

/work-on FTR-0042 --base-branch develop

Full automation:

/work-on FTR-0042 -a --cleanup