Analyze and pick the next task to work on. Shows scored recommendations from MASTER_PLAN.md with interactive selection. Use when starting a session or deciding what to tackle.
Installation
Details
Usage
After installing, this skill will be available to your AI coding assistant.
Verify installation:
npx agent-skills-cli listSkill Instructions
name: next description: Analyze and pick the next task to work on. Shows scored recommendations from MASTER_PLAN.md with interactive selection. Use when starting a session or deciding what to tackle.
What's Next?
Analyze MASTER_PLAN.md tasks, score by priority, and let user pick interactively.
Triggers
/next- Main command/pick- Alias for task picking- "what should I work on", "pick a task", "next task"
Workflow
Step 1: Get Scored Tasks
Run the task picker to get prioritized tasks:
cd tools/task-picker-v2 && npx tsx src/get-tasks.ts --limit=8
This outputs tasks sorted by:
- Status (PLANNED first, then REVIEW, IN_PROGRESS, PAUSED)
- Priority within status (P0 → P3)
Rationale: "What's next" means what to START, not what you're already doing.
Step 2: Check for Active Work
Look for IN PROGRESS tasks first - these should be finished before starting new work.
cd tools/task-picker-v2 && npx tsx src/get-tasks.ts --progress --limit=5
Also check git status:
git status --short
If uncommitted changes exist, mention: "You have uncommitted changes - consider committing first."
Step 3: Present Interactive Selection
Use AskUserQuestion to let user pick:
AskUserQuestion({
questions: [{
question: "Which task would you like to work on?",
header: "Task",
multiSelect: false,
options: [
// Top 4 tasks from get-tasks.ts, formatted as:
{ label: "TASK-XXX: Title here", description: "P0 - IN PROGRESS" },
{ label: "BUG-YYY: Another task", description: "P1 - PLANNED" },
// ...
{ label: "Show more tasks...", description: "See full list" }
]
}]
})
Option formatting:
- Label:
{ID}: {title (max 40 chars)} - Description:
{priority} - {status}
Step 4: Show Task Details
When user selects a task:
cd tools/task-picker-v2 && npx tsx src/show-task.ts TASK-XXX
Output the full task context including description.
Step 5: Offer Actions
After showing task, ask:
- "Start working on this task" → invoke
/start-dev TASK-XXX - "Pick a different task" → repeat from Step 3
- "Just show me the context" → done
Priority Scoring (Reference)
Tasks are pre-sorted, but here's the logic:
| Factor | Points |
|---|---|
| P0 (Critical) | +100 |
| P1 (High) | +50 |
| P2 (Medium) | +20 |
| P3 (Low) | +5 |
| IN PROGRESS | +30 (finish first) |
| REVIEW | +25 |
| PLANNED | +10 |
Filter Arguments
When user says /next bugs or /next planned:
| Argument | Filter | get-tasks.ts flag |
|---|---|---|
bugs | Only BUG-XXX tasks | --bugs |
progress | Only IN_PROGRESS | --progress |
planned | Only PLANNED (backlog) | --planned |
review | Only REVIEW (needs verification) | --review |
active | IN_PROGRESS + REVIEW | --active |
all | Include DONE tasks | --all |
Note: Default limit is 15 tasks. Use --limit=N to show more/less.
Output Format
Default shows PLANNED tasks first (what to start next):
## What's Next?
Top tasks ready to start:
[Shows AskUserQuestion with top PLANNED tasks by priority]
- BUG-352: Mobile PWA "Failed to Fetch" (P0 - PLANNED)
- BUG-1122: KDE Widget Lost Timer Sync (P1 - PLANNED)
- BUG-1125: Canvas Edge Connections Broken (P1 - PLANNED)
- Show active work... (IN PROGRESS/REVIEW tasks)
Use /next progress or /next active to see tasks you're already working on.
Rules
- Finish before starting - Always show IN PROGRESS tasks first
- P0 trumps all - Critical issues come first regardless of status
- Interactive selection - Always use AskUserQuestion, never just print a list
- Context on selection - Always show full task details when picked
- Action oriented - Offer to start work with /start-dev
Example Session
User: /next
Claude: [Runs get-tasks.ts]
## Active Work
You have 1 task in progress:
Claude: [Shows AskUserQuestion]
- TASK-1060: Infrastructure & E2E Sync (P0 - IN PROGRESS)
- BUG-1099: VPS Done Tasks Not Filtered (P1 - IN PROGRESS)
- BUG-1086: VPS/PWA Auth Not Persisting (P0 - REVIEW)
- Show more tasks...
User: [Clicks TASK-1060]
Claude: [Runs show-task.ts TASK-1060]
## Selected Task: TASK-1060
**Title:** Infrastructure & E2E Sync Stability
**Priority:** P0
**Status:** IN PROGRESS
...
Claude: Would you like me to continue working on this task?
NPM Scripts
| Script | Description |
|---|---|
npm run pick:list | List all tasks (default 15) |
npm run pick:progress | IN PROGRESS only |
npm run pick:planned | PLANNED only (backlog) |
npm run pick:review | REVIEW only |
npm run pick:bugs | Bugs only |
npm run pick:all | Include DONE tasks |
npm run pick:json | Get tasks as JSON |
npm run pick:show TASK-XXX | Show task details |
More by endlessblink
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UNIFIED ARCHITECT - Strategic development orchestrator AND systematic project planner for personal productivity applications. Use for architecture decisions, feature planning, task breakdown, implementation strategy, roadmaps. Triggers on "plan", "break down", "how should I implement", "architecture", "strategy", "roadmap", "design pattern".
Audit task status in MASTER_PLAN.md. Finds stale tasks, status mismatches, and likely-done tasks. NEVER auto-marks tasks - only recommends. User confirmation is the only valid evidence of completion.
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