Implement Issue Skill

Implement a GitHub issue from start to finish: branch setup, codebase analysis, and implementation.

Prerequisites Check (MUST verify first)

Before proceeding, verify:

# 1. Check if in a git repository
git rev-parse --is-inside-work-tree

# 2. Check if gh CLI is available and authenticated
gh auth status

# 3. Check for uncommitted changes (warn user if any)
git status --porcelain

If checks fail, STOP and inform the user:

• Not in git repo → “This skill requires a git repository. Please navigate to a git project.”
• gh not authenticated → “Please run gh auth login first.”
• Uncommitted changes → “You have uncommitted changes. Please commit or stash them first.”

Input

The user provides an issue reference in one of these formats:

• Full URL: https://github.com/owner/repo/issues/123
• Short form (if in repo): #123 or 123

Workflow

Step 1: Extract Issue Information

# Get comprehensive issue metadata
gh issue view <ISSUE_NUMBER_OR_URL> --json number,title,body,state,author,labels,milestone,assignees,comments,createdAt,updatedAt

# Get repository info for branch naming
gh repo view --json owner,name,defaultBranchRef

Parse the issue to understand:

• Title: Brief summary of what needs to be done
• Body: Detailed requirements, acceptance criteria, context
• Labels: Type of work (bug, feature, enhancement, etc.)
• Comments: Additional context, discussions, clarifications

Step 2: Sync to Latest Main/Master Branch

# Detect default branch (main or master)
DEFAULT_BRANCH=$(gh repo view --json defaultBranchRef -q '.defaultBranchRef.name')

# Fetch latest changes
git fetch origin $DEFAULT_BRANCH

# Checkout and update default branch
git checkout $DEFAULT_BRANCH
git pull origin $DEFAULT_BRANCH

Step 3: Create Issue Branch

Generate a branch name based on the issue:

Branch naming convention: <type>/<issue-number>-<short-description>

Examples:

• Issue #42 “Add user authentication” → feat/42-add-user-authentication
• Issue #15 “Fix login redirect bug” → fix/15-fix-login-redirect
• Issue #99 “Update README” → docs/99-update-readme

# Create and checkout new branch
git checkout -b <BRANCH_NAME>

Step 4: Deep Codebase Analysis

Before implementing, thoroughly understand the codebase:

4.1 Project Structure Analysis

# Get project structure overview
ls -la
find . -type f -name "*.json" -path "*/package.json" -o -name "*.toml" -path "*/Cargo.toml" -o -name "*.go" -path "*/go.mod" 2>/dev/null | head -20

# Check for configuration files
ls -la *.json *.yaml *.yml *.toml .* 2>/dev/null | head -20

4.2 Understand Existing Patterns

Use explore agents to understand:

1. Architecture: How is the codebase organized? What are the main modules?
2. Patterns: What coding patterns are used? (error handling, logging, testing)
3. Related Code: What existing code is related to this issue?
4. Dependencies: What libraries/frameworks are used?

# Fire multiple explore agents in parallel
background_task(agent="explore", prompt="Find the main entry points and understand the overall architecture of this codebase")
background_task(agent="explore", prompt="Find code related to [ISSUE_TOPIC] and understand existing patterns")
background_task(agent="explore", prompt="Find test patterns and testing conventions in this codebase")

4.3 Identify Implementation Points

Based on the issue requirements, identify:

• Which files need to be modified
• Which new files need to be created
• What tests need to be added/updated
• What documentation needs updating

Step 5: Create Implementation Plan

Before coding, create a detailed todo list:

todowrite([
  { id: "1", content: "Understand issue requirements fully", status: "completed", priority: "high" },
  { id: "2", content: "Analyze related codebase areas", status: "completed", priority: "high" },
  { id: "3", content: "[Specific implementation task 1]", status: "pending", priority: "high" },
  { id: "4", content: "[Specific implementation task 2]", status: "pending", priority: "medium" },
  { id: "5", content: "Add/update tests", status: "pending", priority: "high" },
  { id: "6", content: "Run tests and fix issues", status: "pending", priority: "high" },
  { id: "7", content: "Update documentation if needed", status: "pending", priority: "low" },
  { id: "8", content: "Final verification", status: "pending", priority: "high" }
])

Step 6: Implement the Solution

Follow these principles:

1. Match Existing Patterns: Follow the codebase’s established conventions
2. Incremental Changes: Make small, focused changes
3. Test as You Go: Verify each change works before moving on
4. Document Complex Logic: Add comments where necessary

For each implementation task:

1. Mark todo as in_progress
2. Make the changes
3. Run lsp_diagnostics on changed files
4. Mark todo as completed

Step 7: Testing

# Run project tests (detect test command from package.json, Makefile, etc.)
# Common patterns:
npm test
yarn test
go test ./...
cargo test
pytest
make test

Ensure:

• All existing tests pass
• New tests added for new functionality
• Edge cases covered

Step 8: Final Verification

# Check for any linting issues
# (detect lint command from project config)

# Verify build succeeds
# (detect build command from project config)

# Review all changes
git diff --stat
git diff

Step 9: Commit Changes

# Stage all changes
git add -A

# Create commit with conventional commit message
# Format: <type>(scope): <description>
#
# Reference the issue number in the commit body
git commit -s -m "<type>: <short description>

<detailed description of changes>

Closes #<ISSUE_NUMBER>"

Commit message examples:

• feat: add user authentication system
• fix: resolve login redirect loop
• docs: update API documentation

Output Format

After completing the implementation, provide:

Implementation Summary

Issue: #[NUMBER] – [TITLE] Branch: [BRANCH_NAME] Status: [Implemented / Partially Implemented / Blocked]

Changes Made

Implementation Details

[2-5 sentences explaining what was implemented and how it addresses the issue]

Tests Added/Updated

• [Test 1 description]
• [Test 2 description]

Verification Results

Next Steps

Suggest to the user:

1. Review changes: git diff origin/<DEFAULT_BRANCH>...HEAD
2. Push branch: git push -u origin <BRANCH_NAME>
3. Create PR: gh pr create --title "<PR_TITLE>" --body "<PR_BODY>"

Or offer to create the PR automatically if requested.

Important Notes

1. Understand Before Implementing: Spend adequate time understanding the issue and codebase
2. Ask for Clarification: If issue requirements are unclear, ask before implementing
3. Minimal Changes: Only change what’s necessary to implement the issue
4. Follow Conventions: Match the existing codebase style and patterns
5. Test Thoroughly: Ensure changes don’t break existing functionality
6. Document: Update documentation if the change affects public APIs or user-facing features

Error Handling