Unified Execute With File

Input format: Each task is a standalone JSON file in .task/ directory (e.g., IMPL-001.json). Use plan-converter to convert other formats to .task/*.json first.

Overview

┌─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐
│                   UNIFIED EXECUTE WORKFLOW                    │
├─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┤
│                                                               │
│  Phase 1: Load & Validate                                     │
│     ├─ Scan .task/*.json (one task per file)                   │
│     ├─ Validate schema (id, title, depends_on, convergence)   │
│     ├─ Detect cycles, build topological order                 │
│     └─ Initialize execution.md + execution-events.md          │
│                                                               │
│  Phase 2: Pre-Execution Analysis                              │
│     ├─ Check file conflicts (multiple tasks → same file)      │
│     ├─ Verify file existence                                  │
│     ├─ Generate feasibility report                            │
│     └─ User confirmation (unless dry-run)                     │
│                                                               │
│  Phase 3: Serial Execution + Convergence Verification         │
│     For each task in topological order:                        │
│     ├─ Check dependencies satisfied                           │
│     ├─ Record START event                                     │
│     ├─ Execute directly (Read/Edit/Write/Grep/Glob/Bash)      │
│     ├─ Verify convergence.criteria[]                          │
│     ├─ Run convergence.verification command                   │
│     ├─ Record COMPLETE/FAIL event with verification results   │
│     ├─ Update _execution state in task JSON file               │
│     └─ Auto-commit if enabled                                 │
│                                                               │
│  Phase 4: Completion                                          │
│     ├─ Finalize execution.md with summary statistics          │
│     ├─ Finalize execution-events.md with session footer       │
│     ├─ Write back .task/*.json with _execution states          │
│     └─ Offer follow-up actions                                │
│                                                               │
└─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┘

Output Structure

${projectRoot}/.workflow/.execution/EXEC-{slug}-{date}-{random}/
├── execution.md              # Plan overview + task table + summary
└── execution-events.md       # ⭐ Unified event log (single source of truth)

Additionally, each source .task/*.json file is updated in-place with _execution states.

Implementation Details

Session Initialization

Step 0: Initialize Session

const getUtc8ISOString = () => new Date(Date.now() + 8 * 60 * 60 * 1000).toISOString()
const projectRoot = Bash(`git rev-parse --show-toplevel 2>/dev/null || pwd`).trim()

// Parse arguments
const autoCommit = $ARGUMENTS.includes('--auto-commit')
const dryRun = $ARGUMENTS.includes('--dry-run')
const planMatch = $ARGUMENTS.match(/PLAN="([^"]+)"/) || $ARGUMENTS.match(/PLAN=(\S+)/)
let planPath = planMatch ? planMatch[1] : null

// Auto-detect if no PLAN specified
if (!planPath) {
  // Search in order (most recent first):
  //   .workflow/active/*/.task/
  //   .workflow/.lite-plan/*/.task/
  //   .workflow/.req-plan/*/.task/
  //   .workflow/.planning/*/.task/
  // Use most recently modified directory containing *.json files
}

// Resolve path
planPath = path.isAbsolute(planPath) ? planPath : `${projectRoot}/${planPath}`

// Generate session ID
const slug = path.basename(path.dirname(planPath)).toLowerCase().substring(0, 30)
const dateStr = getUtc8ISOString().substring(0, 10)
const random = Math.random().toString(36).substring(2, 9)
const sessionId = `EXEC-${slug}-${dateStr}-${random}`
const sessionFolder = `${projectRoot}/.workflow/.execution/${sessionId}`

Bash(`mkdir -p ${sessionFolder}`)

Phase 1: Load & Validate

Objective: Scan .task/ directory, parse individual task JSON files, validate schema and dependencies, build execution order.

Step 1.1: Scan .task/ Directory and Parse Task Files

// Determine if planPath is a directory or single file
const isDirectory = planPath.endsWith('/') || Bash(`test -d "${planPath}" && echo dir || echo file`).trim() === 'dir'

let taskFiles, tasks

if (isDirectory) {
  // Directory mode: scan for all *.json files
  taskFiles = Glob('*.json', planPath)
  if (taskFiles.length === 0) throw new Error(`No .json files found in ${planPath}`)

  tasks = taskFiles.map(filePath => {
    try {
      const content = Read(filePath)
      const task = JSON.parse(content)
      task._source_file = filePath  // Track source file for write-back
      return task
    } catch (e) {
      throw new Error(`${path.basename(filePath)}: Invalid JSON - ${e.message}`)
    }
  })
} else {
  // Single file mode: parse one task JSON
  try {
    const content = Read(planPath)
    const task = JSON.parse(content)
    task._source_file = planPath
    tasks = [task]
  } catch (e) {
    throw new Error(`${path.basename(planPath)}: Invalid JSON - ${e.message}`)
  }
}

if (tasks.length === 0) throw new Error('No tasks found')

Step 1.2: Validate Schema

Validate against unified task schema: ~/.ccw/workflows/cli-templates/schemas/task-schema.json

const errors = []
tasks.forEach((task, i) => {
  const src = task._source_file ? path.basename(task._source_file) : `Task ${i + 1}`

  // Required fields (per task-schema.json)
  if (!task.id) errors.push(`${src}: missing 'id'`)
  if (!task.title) errors.push(`${src}: missing 'title'`)
  if (!task.description) errors.push(`${src}: missing 'description'`)
  if (!Array.isArray(task.depends_on)) errors.push(`${task.id || src}: missing 'depends_on' array`)

  // Context block (optional but validated if present)
  if (task.context) {
    if (task.context.requirements && !Array.isArray(task.context.requirements))
      errors.push(`${task.id}: context.requirements must be array`)
    if (task.context.acceptance && !Array.isArray(task.context.acceptance))
      errors.push(`${task.id}: context.acceptance must be array`)
    if (task.context.focus_paths && !Array.isArray(task.context.focus_paths))
      errors.push(`${task.id}: context.focus_paths must be array`)
  }

  // Convergence (required for execution verification)
  if (!task.convergence) {
    errors.push(`${task.id || src}: missing 'convergence'`)
  } else {
    if (!task.convergence.criteria?.length) errors.push(`${task.id}: empty convergence.criteria`)
    if (!task.convergence.verification) errors.push(`${task.id}: missing convergence.verification`)
    if (!task.convergence.definition_of_done) errors.push(`${task.id}: missing convergence.definition_of_done`)
  }

  // Flow control (optional but validated if present)
  if (task.flow_control) {
    if (task.flow_control.target_files && !Array.isArray(task.flow_control.target_files))
      errors.push(`${task.id}: flow_control.target_files must be array`)
  }

  // New unified schema fields (backward compatible addition)
  if (task.focus_paths && !Array.isArray(task.focus_paths))
    errors.push(`${task.id}: focus_paths must be array`)
  if (task.implementation && !Array.isArray(task.implementation))
    errors.push(`${task.id}: implementation must be array`)
  if (task.files && !Array.isArray(task.files))
    errors.push(`${task.id}: files must be array`)
})

if (errors.length) {
  // Report errors, stop execution
}

Step 1.3: Build Execution Order

// 1. Validate dependency references
const taskIds = new Set(tasks.map(t => t.id))
tasks.forEach(task => {
  task.depends_on.forEach(dep => {
    if (!taskIds.has(dep)) errors.push(`${task.id}: depends on unknown task '${dep}'`)
  })
})

// 2. Detect cycles (DFS)
function detectCycles(tasks) {
  const graph = new Map(tasks.map(t => [t.id, t.depends_on || []]))
  const visited = new Set(), inStack = new Set(), cycles = []
  function dfs(node, path) {
    if (inStack.has(node)) { cycles.push([...path, node].join(' → ')); return }
    if (visited.has(node)) return
    visited.add(node); inStack.add(node)
    ;(graph.get(node) || []).forEach(dep => dfs(dep, [...path, node]))
    inStack.delete(node)
  }
  tasks.forEach(t => { if (!visited.has(t.id)) dfs(t.id, []) })
  return cycles
}
const cycles = detectCycles(tasks)
if (cycles.length) errors.push(`Circular dependencies: ${cycles.join('; ')}`)

// 3. Topological sort
function topoSort(tasks) {
  const inDegree = new Map(tasks.map(t => [t.id, 0]))
  tasks.forEach(t => t.depends_on.forEach(dep => {
    inDegree.set(t.id, (inDegree.get(t.id) || 0) + 1)
  }))
  const queue = tasks.filter(t => inDegree.get(t.id) === 0).map(t => t.id)
  const order = []
  while (queue.length) {
    const id = queue.shift()
    order.push(id)
    tasks.forEach(t => {
      if (t.depends_on.includes(id)) {
        inDegree.set(t.id, inDegree.get(t.id) - 1)
        if (inDegree.get(t.id) === 0) queue.push(t.id)
      }
    })
  }
  return order
}
const executionOrder = topoSort(tasks)

Step 1.4: Initialize Execution Artifacts

// execution.md
const executionMd = `# Execution Overview

## Session Info
- **Session ID**: ${sessionId}
- **Plan Source**: ${planPath}
- **Started**: ${getUtc8ISOString()}
- **Total Tasks**: ${tasks.length}
- **Mode**: ${dryRun ? 'Dry-run (no changes)' : 'Direct inline execution'}
- **Auto-Commit**: ${autoCommit ? 'Enabled' : 'Disabled'}

## Task Overview

| # | ID | Title | Type | Priority | Effort | Dependencies | Status |
|---|-----|-------|------|----------|--------|--------------|--------|
${tasks.map((t, i) => `| ${i+1} | ${t.id} | ${t.title} | ${t.type || '-'} | ${t.priority || '-'} | ${t.effort || '-'} | ${t.depends_on.join(', ') || '-'} | pending |`).join('\n')}

## Pre-Execution Analysis
> Populated in Phase 2

## Execution Timeline
> Updated as tasks complete

## Execution Summary
> Updated after all tasks complete
`
Write(`${sessionFolder}/execution.md`, executionMd)

// execution-events.md
Write(`${sessionFolder}/execution-events.md`, `# Execution Events

**Session**: ${sessionId}
**Started**: ${getUtc8ISOString()}
**Source**: ${planPath}

---

`)

Phase 2: Pre-Execution Analysis

Objective: Validate feasibility and identify issues before execution.

Step 2.1: Analyze File Conflicts

const fileTaskMap = new Map()  // file → [taskIds]
tasks.forEach(task => {
  (task.files || []).forEach(f => {
    const key = f.path
    if (!fileTaskMap.has(key)) fileTaskMap.set(key, [])
    fileTaskMap.get(key).push(task.id)
  })
})

const conflicts = []
fileTaskMap.forEach((taskIds, file) => {
  if (taskIds.length > 1) {
    conflicts.push({ file, tasks: taskIds, resolution: 'Execute in dependency order' })
  }
})

// Check file existence
const missingFiles = []
tasks.forEach(task => {
  (task.files || []).forEach(f => {
    if (f.action !== 'create' && !file_exists(f.path)) {
      missingFiles.push({ file: f.path, task: task.id })
    }
  })
})

Step 2.2: Append to execution.md

// Replace "Pre-Execution Analysis" section with:
// - File Conflicts (list or "No conflicts")
// - Missing Files (list or "All files exist")
// - Dependency Validation (errors or "No issues")
// - Execution Order (numbered list)

Step 2.3: User Confirmation

if (!dryRun) {
  AskUserQuestion({
    questions: [{
      question: `Execute ${tasks.length} tasks?\n\n${conflicts.length ? `⚠ ${conflicts.length} file conflicts\n` : ''}Execution order:\n${executionOrder.map((id, i) => `  ${i+1}. ${id}: ${tasks.find(t => t.id === id).title}`).join('\n')}`,
      header: "Confirm",
      multiSelect: false,
      options: [
        { label: "Execute", description: "Start serial execution" },
        { label: "Dry Run", description: "Simulate without changes" },
        { label: "Cancel", description: "Abort execution" }
      ]
    }]
  })
}

Phase 3: Serial Execution + Convergence Verification

Objective: Execute tasks sequentially, verify convergence after each task, track all state.

Execution Model: Direct inline execution — main process reads, edits, writes files directly. No CLI delegation.

Step 3.1: Execution Loop

const completedTasks = new Set()
const failedTasks = new Set()
const skippedTasks = new Set()

for (const taskId of executionOrder) {
  const task = tasks.find(t => t.id === taskId)
  const startTime = getUtc8ISOString()

  // 1. Check dependencies
  const unmetDeps = task.depends_on.filter(dep => !completedTasks.has(dep))
  if (unmetDeps.length) {
    appendToEvents(task, 'BLOCKED', `Unmet dependencies: ${unmetDeps.join(', ')}`)
    skippedTasks.add(task.id)
    task._execution = { status: 'skipped', executed_at: startTime,
      result: { success: false, error: `Blocked by: ${unmetDeps.join(', ')}` } }
    continue
  }

  // 2. Record START event
  appendToEvents(`## ${getUtc8ISOString()} — ${task.id}: ${task.title}

**Type**: ${task.type || '-'} | **Priority**: ${task.priority || '-'} | **Effort**: ${task.effort || '-'}
**Status**: ⏳ IN PROGRESS
**Files**: ${(task.files || []).map(f => f.path).join(', ') || 'To be determined'}
**Description**: ${task.description}
**Convergence Criteria**:
${task.convergence.criteria.map(c => `- [ ] ${c}`).join('\n')}

### Execution Log
`)

  if (dryRun) {
    // Simulate: mark as completed without changes
    appendToEvents(`\n**Status**: ⏭ DRY RUN (no changes)\n\n---\n`)
    task._execution = { status: 'completed', executed_at: startTime,
      result: { success: true, summary: 'Dry run — no changes made' } }
    completedTasks.add(task.id)
    continue
  }

  // 3. Execute task directly
  //    - Read each file in task.files (if specified)
  //    - Analyze what changes satisfy task.description + task.convergence.criteria
  //    - If task.files has detailed changes, use them as guidance
  //    - Apply changes using Edit (preferred) or Write (for new files)
  //    - Use Grep/Glob/mcp__ace-tool for discovery if needed
  //    - Use Bash for build/test commands

  // Dual-path field access (supports both unified and legacy 6-field schema)
  // const targetFiles = task.files?.map(f => f.path) || task.flow_control?.target_files || []
  // const acceptanceCriteria = task.convergence?.criteria || task.context?.acceptance || []
  // const requirements = task.implementation || task.context?.requirements || []
  // const focusPaths = task.focus_paths || task.context?.focus_paths || []

  // 4. Verify convergence
  const convergenceResults = verifyConvergence(task)

  const endTime = getUtc8ISOString()
  const filesModified = getModifiedFiles()

  if (convergenceResults.allPassed) {
    // 5a. Record SUCCESS
    appendToEvents(`
**Status**: ✅ COMPLETED
**Duration**: ${calculateDuration(startTime, endTime)}
**Files Modified**: ${filesModified.join(', ')}

#### Changes Summary
${changeSummary}

#### Convergence Verification
${task.convergence.criteria.map((c, i) => `- [${convergenceResults.verified[i] ? 'x' : ' '}] ${c}`).join('\n')}
- **Verification**: ${convergenceResults.verificationOutput}
- **Definition of Done**: ${task.convergence.definition_of_done}

---
`)
    task._execution = {
      status: 'completed', executed_at: endTime,
      result: {
        success: true,
        files_modified: filesModified,
        summary: changeSummary,
        convergence_verified: convergenceResults.verified
      }
    }
    completedTasks.add(task.id)
  } else {
    // 5b. Record FAILURE
    handleTaskFailure(task, convergenceResults, startTime, endTime)
  }

  // 6. Auto-commit if enabled
  if (autoCommit && task._execution.status === 'completed') {
    autoCommitTask(task, filesModified)
  }
}

Step 3.2: Convergence Verification

function verifyConvergence(task) {
  const results = {
    verified: [],           // boolean[] per criterion
    verificationOutput: '', // output of verification command
    allPassed: true
  }

  // 1. Check each criterion
  //    For each criterion in task.convergence.criteria:
  //      - If it references a testable condition, check it
  //      - If it's manual, mark as verified based on changes made
  //      - Record true/false per criterion
  task.convergence.criteria.forEach(criterion => {
    const passed = evaluateCriterion(criterion, task)
    results.verified.push(passed)
    if (!passed) results.allPassed = false
  })

  // 2. Run verification command (if executable)
  const verification = task.convergence.verification
  if (isExecutableCommand(verification)) {
    try {
      const output = Bash(verification, { timeout: 120000 })
      results.verificationOutput = `${verification} → PASS`
    } catch (e) {
      results.verificationOutput = `${verification} → FAIL: ${e.message}`
      results.allPassed = false
    }
  } else {
    results.verificationOutput = `Manual: ${verification}`
  }

  return results
}

function isExecutableCommand(verification) {
  // Detect executable patterns: npm, npx, jest, tsc, curl, pytest, go test, etc.
  return /^(npm|npx|jest|tsc|eslint|pytest|go\s+test|cargo\s+test|curl|make)/.test(verification.trim())
}

Step 3.3: Failure Handling

function handleTaskFailure(task, convergenceResults, startTime, endTime) {
  appendToEvents(`
**Status**: ❌ FAILED
**Duration**: ${calculateDuration(startTime, endTime)}
**Error**: Convergence verification failed

#### Failed Criteria
${task.convergence.criteria.map((c, i) => `- [${convergenceResults.verified[i] ? 'x' : ' '}] ${c}`).join('\n')}
- **Verification**: ${convergenceResults.verificationOutput}

---
`)

  task._execution = {
    status: 'failed', executed_at: endTime,
    result: {
      success: false,
      error: 'Convergence verification failed',
      convergence_verified: convergenceResults.verified
    }
  }
  failedTasks.add(task.id)

  // Ask user
  AskUserQuestion({
    questions: [{
      question: `Task ${task.id} failed convergence verification. How to proceed?`,
      header: "Failure",
      multiSelect: false,
      options: [
        { label: "Skip & Continue", description: "Skip this task, continue with next" },
        { label: "Retry", description: "Retry this task" },
        { label: "Accept", description: "Mark as completed despite failure" },
        { label: "Abort", description: "Stop execution, keep progress" }
      ]
    }]
  })
}

Step 3.4: Auto-Commit

function autoCommitTask(task, filesModified) {
  Bash(`git add ${filesModified.join(' ')}`)

  const commitType = {
    fix: 'fix', refactor: 'refactor', feature: 'feat',
    enhancement: 'feat', testing: 'test', infrastructure: 'chore'
  }[task.type] || 'chore'

  const scope = inferScope(filesModified)

  Bash(`git commit -m "$(cat <<'EOF'
${commitType}(${scope}): ${task.title}

Task: ${task.id}
Source: ${path.basename(planPath)}
EOF
)"`)

  appendToEvents(`**Commit**: \`${commitType}(${scope}): ${task.title}\`\n`)
}

Phase 4: Completion

Objective: Finalize all artifacts, write back execution state, offer follow-up actions.

Step 4.1: Finalize execution.md

Append summary statistics to execution.md:

const summary = `
## Execution Summary

- **Completed**: ${getUtc8ISOString()}
- **Total Tasks**: ${tasks.length}
- **Succeeded**: ${completedTasks.size}
- **Failed**: ${failedTasks.size}
- **Skipped**: ${skippedTasks.size}
- **Success Rate**: ${Math.round(completedTasks.size / tasks.length * 100)}%

### Task Results

| ID | Title | Status | Convergence | Files Modified |
|----|-------|--------|-------------|----------------|
${tasks.map(t => {
  const ex = t._execution || {}
  const convergenceStatus = ex.result?.convergence_verified
    ? `${ex.result.convergence_verified.filter(v => v).length}/${ex.result.convergence_verified.length}`
    : '-'
  return `| ${t.id} | ${t.title} | ${ex.status || 'pending'} | ${convergenceStatus} | ${(ex.result?.files_modified || []).join(', ') || '-'} |`
}).join('\n')}

${failedTasks.size > 0 ? `### Failed Tasks

${[...failedTasks].map(id => {
  const t = tasks.find(t => t.id === id)
  return `- **${t.id}**: ${t.title} — ${t._execution?.result?.error || 'Unknown'}`
}).join('\n')}
` : ''}
### Artifacts
- **Plan Source**: ${planPath}
- **Execution Overview**: ${sessionFolder}/execution.md
- **Execution Events**: ${sessionFolder}/execution-events.md
`
// Append to execution.md

Step 4.2: Finalize execution-events.md

appendToEvents(`
---

# Session Summary

- **Session**: ${sessionId}
- **Completed**: ${getUtc8ISOString()}
- **Tasks**: ${completedTasks.size} completed, ${failedTasks.size} failed, ${skippedTasks.size} skipped
- **Total Events**: ${completedTasks.size + failedTasks.size + skippedTasks.size}
`)

Step 4.3: Write Back .task/*.json with _execution

Update each source task JSON file with execution states:

tasks.forEach(task => {
  const filePath = task._source_file
  if (!filePath) return

  // Read current file to preserve formatting and non-execution fields
  const current = JSON.parse(Read(filePath))

  // Update _execution status and result
  current._execution = {
    status: task._execution?.status || 'pending',
    executed_at: task._execution?.executed_at || null,
    result: task._execution?.result || null
  }

  // Write back individual task file
  Write(filePath, JSON.stringify(current, null, 2))
})
// Each task JSON file now has _execution: { status, executed_at, result }

Step 4.4: Post-Completion Options

AskUserQuestion({
  questions: [{
    question: `Execution complete: ${completedTasks.size}/${tasks.length} succeeded (${Math.round(completedTasks.size / tasks.length * 100)}%).\nNext step:`,
    header: "Post-Execute",
    multiSelect: false,
    options: [
      { label: "Retry Failed", description: `Re-execute ${failedTasks.size} failed tasks` },
      { label: "View Events", description: "Display execution-events.md" },
      { label: "Create Issue", description: "Create issue from failed tasks" },
      { label: "Done", description: "End workflow" }
    ]
  }]
})

Configuration

Plan Auto-Detection Order

When no PLAN specified, search for .task/ directories in order (most recent first):

1. .workflow/active/*/.task/
2. .workflow/.lite-plan/*/.task/
3. .workflow/.req-plan/*/.task/
4. .workflow/.planning/*/.task/

If source is not .task/*.json: Run plan-converter first to generate .task/ directory.

Error Handling & Recovery

Best Practices

Before Execution

1. Validate Plan: Use --dry-run first to check plan feasibility
2. Check Convergence: Ensure all tasks have meaningful convergence criteria
3. Review Dependencies: Verify execution order makes sense
4. Backup: Commit pending changes before starting
5. Convert First: Use plan-converter for non-.task/ sources

During Execution

1. Monitor Events: Check execution-events.md for real-time progress
2. Handle Failures: Review convergence failures carefully before deciding
3. Check Commits: Verify auto-commits are correct if enabled

After Execution

1. Review Summary: Check execution.md statistics and failed tasks
2. Verify Changes: Inspect modified files match expectations
3. Check Task Files: Review _execution states in .task/*.json files
4. Next Steps: Use completion options for follow-up

Now execute unified-execute-with-file for: $PLAN