claude-configs/skills/backlog/SKILL.md

name	description
backlog	Check Gitea repo for open issues and surface the next task to work on. Scans for TODOs in the codebase if no issues exist, creates issues for them, then offers options. USE WHEN user says "backlog", "what should I work on", "next task", "open issues", "check issues", "/backlog", or wants to find work to do.

Backlog - Find Next Task

When to Activate This Skill

• "/backlog"
• "What should I work on?"
• "Check for open issues"
• "Any tasks to do?"
• "What's next?"
• "Show me the backlog"

Core Workflow

Step 1: Detect the current repo

Extract the Gitea owner/repo from the git remote:

git remote get-url origin 2>/dev/null | sed -n 's|.*git\.manticorum\.com[:/]\(.*\)\.git|\1|p'

If no git.manticorum.com remote is found, ask the user which repo to check.

Step 2: Fetch open issues from Gitea

Primary method — use gitea-mcp MCP server:

Use ToolSearch to load mcp__gitea-mcp__list_repo_issues, then call it:

mcp__gitea-mcp__list_repo_issues(owner="{owner}", repo="{repo}", state="open", type="issues", limit=20)

Fallback — if MCP is unavailable, use curl:

curl -s -H "Authorization: token $(cat /home/cal/.claude/secrets/gitea_token)" \
  "https://git.manticorum.com/api/v1/repos/{owner/repo}/issues?state=open&type=issues&limit=20&sort=priority" \
  | python -m json.tool

Gitea API base: https://git.manticorum.com/api/v1 Auth token: /home/cal/.claude/secrets/gitea_token

Step 3: Branch based on results

Path A: Open issues exist

Present issues to the user as numbered options:

Found 3 open issues for cal/my-memory:

1. #12 — Add dark mode toggle (enhancement)
   Labels: feature, ui
   Created: 2d ago

2. #10 — Fix audio recording on Wayland (bug)
   Labels: bug, audio
   Created: 5d ago

3. #8 — Add export to markdown (feature)
   Labels: feature
   Created: 1w ago

Which issue would you like to work on?

Include: issue number, title, labels, relative age. If there are many issues, show the top 5-7 most relevant (prioritize bugs, then features, then enhancements).

Path B: No open issues — scan for TODOs

Use Grep to scan the codebase for TODO/FIXME/HACK/XXX markers:

Grep pattern: "(TODO|FIXME|HACK|XXX):?\s"

Exclude: .git/, node_modules/, __pycache__/, .venv/, *.lock, *.min.*

For each TODO found:

1. Read surrounding context (a few lines around the match)
2. Group related TODOs if they're in the same function/section
3. Create a Gitea issue for each distinct task:

Primary method — use gitea-mcp MCP server:

Use ToolSearch to load mcp__gitea-mcp__create_issue, then call it:

mcp__gitea-mcp__create_issue(owner="{owner}", repo="{repo}", title="Clear, actionable title", body="Found in `file/path.py:42`:\n\n```\n# TODO: the original comment\n```\n\nContext: brief description.")

Fallback — if MCP is unavailable, use curl:

curl -s -X POST \
  -H "Authorization: token $(cat /home/cal/.claude/secrets/gitea_token)" \
  -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
  "https://git.manticorum.com/api/v1/repos/{owner/repo}/issues" \
  -d '{
    "title": "Clear, actionable title derived from the TODO",
    "body": "Found in `file/path.py:42`:\n\n```\n# TODO: the original comment\n```\n\nContext: brief description of what needs to be done.",
    "labels": []
  }'

After creating issues, present them as options (same format as Path A).

Path C: No issues and no TODOs

No open issues and no TODO markers found in cal/my-memory.
The backlog is clear — nice work!

Issue Creation Guidelines

• Title: Imperative verb form, concise ("Add export feature", "Fix audio clipping on short recordings")
• Body: Include the file path and line number, the TODO text, and brief surrounding context
• Deduplication: Before creating, check if an open issue with a very similar title already exists
• Grouping: If multiple TODOs clearly relate to the same task (e.g., in the same function), combine them into one issue

Key Principles

1. Always detect repo from git remote — don't hardcode repos
2. Present options clearly so the user can pick their next task quickly
3. Only create issues for genuine TODOs, not commented-out code or documentation examples
4. Keep issue titles actionable and concise