Skills

aid-update-backlog

Frontmatter

name — aid-update-backlog
description — Revise backlog.md — re-prioritize items, add new items, and promote accepted tech-debt.md rows into backlog.md (deleted from tech-debt.md in the same run). Use this skill when the backlog already exists and items need adding, re-grouping, or retiring. Keeps ## Next Release in step with what is actually committed. Reads and consumes a backlog seed when one is present in .aid/design/; never requires one. Asks every run which previously created outputs to update alongside it — no stored list, no tracking metadata written. When backlog.md is absent, routes to /aid-create-backlog without writing anything.
allowed-tools — Read, Glob, Grep, Bash, Write, Edit, Agent
argument-hint — [<change>] — what to revise (items to add, re-prioritize, promote, or move)

Definition: canonical/skills/aid-update-backlog/SKILL.md

Flow

flowchart TB
  classDef aidNode color:#fff
  classDef aidEntry fill:#166534,stroke:#14532d,color:#fff
  classDef aidExit fill:#991b1b,stroke:#7f1d1d,color:#fff
  classDef aidDecision fill:#92400e,stroke:#78350f,color:#fff
  classDef aidLoopBack fill:#1e3a8a,stroke:#1e3a8a,color:#fff
  classDef aidStep fill:#1a2035,stroke:#d4a853,color:#f1f5f9
  n1(["INTAKE"])
  n2["GUARD"]
  n3["UPDATE"]
  n4["VERIFY"]
  n5["PRESENT<br/>hard stop -- the user decides"]
  n6(["DONE"])
  n1 --> n2
  n2 --> n3
  n3 --> n4
  n4 -.-> n3
  n4 --> n5
  n5 --> n6
  class n1 aidEntry
  class n2 aidStep
  class n3 aidStep
  class n4 aidLoopBack
  class n5 aidStep
  class n6 aidExit
  class n1 aidNode
  class n2 aidNode
  class n3 aidNode
  class n4 aidNode
  class n5 aidNode
  class n6 aidNode

Source fragments

Every node in the chart above, in chart order, with the exact canonical/ text it was derived from.

1 · INTAKE · entry

## State: INTAKE

1. **Require a subject.** Empty argument -> ask one bootstrapping question ("What would
   you like to revise in the backlog -- items to add, re-prioritize, promote from
   tech-debt.md, or move between sections?") and wait.
2. **Allocate, exactly per `design-lifecycle.md § Skill shape -- Allocation`** -- the
   Work Initiation Gate, then `initiator: aid-update-backlog`, `active_skill:
   aid-update-backlog`, `pipeline.path: lite`, `lifecycle: Running`. `phase` is not
   driven.
3. **Read the destination** at `.aid/knowledge/backlog.md`. If absent, **route** to
   `/aid-create-backlog` -- name it explicitly in the response -- and write nothing.
   Set `lifecycle: Paused-Awaiting-Input`. Advance to DONE without proceeding further.
4. **Read the seed** at `.aid/design/backlog.md` if one exists. Note its presence or
   absence; do not require it.
5. **Read `tech-debt.md`** at `.aid/knowledge/tech-debt.md` if it exists. The seed or the
   user may name candidate rows to promote; know their current state before the confirm
   gate runs.
6. **Ask the derived-outputs question** -- every run, unconditionally: "Which previously
   created outputs should be updated alongside backlog.md?" Wait for the user's answer
   before proceeding. Write no stored list and no tracking metadata anywhere.
7. **Classify complexity (model + effort)** for the `aid-architect` dispatch below;
   verifier tier >= producer tier (`agent-dispatch-tiering.md`).

Source: canonical/skills/aid-update-backlog/SKILL.md#L32-L53 · full step: canonical/skills/aid-update-backlog/SKILL.md#L32-L55

2 · GUARD · step

## State: GUARD

**Readiness gate (class-1 contract, feature-002 §3b).** Only applies when a seed was
found in INTAKE.

Source: canonical/skills/aid-update-backlog/SKILL.md#L59-L62 · full step: canonical/skills/aid-update-backlog/SKILL.md#L59-L71

3 · UPDATE · step

## State: UPDATE

Dispatch **`aid-architect`** (clean context, tiered) to revise the document.

Source: canonical/skills/aid-update-backlog/SKILL.md#L75-L77 · full step: canonical/skills/aid-update-backlog/SKILL.md#L75-L147

4 · VERIFY · loop-back

## State: VERIFY

**Full verify** -- exactly as `design-lifecycle.md § Skill shape -- "Full verify"`
defines it. Not clean -> loop to UPDATE; the circuit-breaker there governs escalation
to IMPEDIMENT + `lifecycle: Blocked`.

Source: canonical/skills/aid-update-backlog/SKILL.md#L151-L155 · full step: canonical/skills/aid-update-backlog/SKILL.md#L151-L157

5 · PRESENT — hard stop — the user decides · step

## State: PRESENT (hard stop -- the user decides)

Set `lifecycle: Paused-Awaiting-Input`. Present the revised document clearly. Assert:

Source: canonical/skills/aid-update-backlog/SKILL.md#L161-L163 · full step: canonical/skills/aid-update-backlog/SKILL.md#L161-L172

6 · DONE · exit · UNSPECIFIED

## State: DONE

Set `lifecycle: Completed`, `updated` now, append a `## Lifecycle History` row.

Source: canonical/skills/aid-update-backlog/SKILL.md#L176-L178 · full step: canonical/skills/aid-update-backlog/SKILL.md#L176-L178

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