Link Dependencies

Link cross-topic dependencies across all existing plans.

Instructions

Follow these steps EXACTLY as written. Do not skip steps or combine them.

Important

Use simple, individual commands. Never combine multiple operations into bash loops or one-liners. Execute commands one at a time.

Step 1: Discover All Plans

Scan the codebase for existing plans:

1. Find plan files: Look in docs/​workflow/​planning/

   • Run ls docs/​workflow/​planning/ to list plan files
   • Each file is named {topic}.md

2. Extract plan metadata: For each plan file

   • Read the frontmatter to get the format: field
   • Note the format used by each plan

If no plans exist:

No plans found in docs/​workflow/​planning/

There are no plans to link. Create plans first.

Stop here.

If only one plan exists:

Only one plan found: {topic}

Cross-topic dependency linking requires at least two plans.

Stop here.

Step 2: Check Output Format Consistency

Compare the format: field across all discovered plans.

If plans use different output formats:

Mixed output formats detected:

- authentication: {format-a}
- billing-system: {format-b}
- notifications: {format-a}

Cross-topic dependencies can only be wired within the same output format.
Please consolidate your plans to use a single output format before linking dependencies.

Stop here.

Step 3: Extract External Dependencies

For each plan, read the external_dependencies field from the frontmatter:

1. Read external_dependencies from each plan index file's frontmatter

2. Categorize each dependency by its state field:

   • Unresolved: state: unresolved (no task linked)
   • Resolved: state: resolved (has task_id)
   • Satisfied externally: state: satisfied_externally

3. Build a summary:

Dependency Summary

Plan: authentication (format: {format})
  - billing-system: Invoice generation (unresolved)
  - user-management: User profiles → {task-id} (resolved)

Plan: billing-system (format: {format})
  - authentication: User context (unresolved)
  - payment-gateway: Payment processing (satisfied externally)

Plan: notifications (format: {format})
  - authentication: User lookup (unresolved)
  - billing-system: Invoice events (unresolved)

Step 4: Match Dependencies to Plans

For each unresolved dependency:

1. Search for matching plan: Does docs/​workflow/​planning/​{dependency-topic}.md exist?

   • If no match: Mark as "no plan exists" - cannot resolve yet

2. If plan exists: Load the format's reading reference

   • Read format: from the dependency plan's frontmatter
   • Load .claude/​skills/​technical-planning/​references/​output-formats/​{format}/​reading.md
   • Use the task extraction instructions to search for matching tasks

3. Handle ambiguous matches:

   • If multiple tasks could satisfy the dependency, present options to user
   • Allow selecting multiple if the dependency requires multiple tasks

Step 5: Wire Up Dependencies

For each resolved match:

1. Update the plan index file's frontmatter:

   • Change the dependency's state: unresolved to state: resolved and add task_id: {task-id}

2. Create dependency in output format:

   • Load .claude/​skills/​technical-planning/​references/​output-formats/​{format}/​graph.md
   • Follow the "Adding a Dependency" section to create the blocking relationship

Step 6: Bidirectional Check

For each plan that was a dependency target (i.e., other plans depend on it):

1. Check reverse dependencies: Are there other plans that should have this wired up?
2. Offer to update: "Plan X depends on tasks you just linked. Update its external_dependencies frontmatter?"

Step 7: Report Results

Present a summary:

Dependency Linking Complete

RESOLVED (newly linked):
  - authentication → billing-system: {task-id} (Invoice generation)
  - notifications → authentication: {task-id} (Session management)

ALREADY RESOLVED (no action needed):
  - authentication → user-management: {task-id}

SATISFIED EXTERNALLY (no action needed):
  - billing-system → payment-gateway

UNRESOLVED (no matching plan exists):
  - notifications → email-service: Email delivery

  These dependencies have no corresponding plan. Either:
  - Create a plan for the topic
  - Mark as "satisfied externally" if already implemented

UPDATED FILES:
  - docs/​workflow/​planning/​authentication.md
  - docs/​workflow/​planning/​notifications.md

Step 8: Commit Changes

If any files were updated:

· · ·

Shall I commit these dependency updates?
- **`y`/`yes`** — Commit the changes
- **`n`/`no`** — Skip

If yes, commit with message:

Link cross-topic dependencies

- {summary of what was linked}