Planner Pattern — Checklist

Pattern: Planner
Component: checklist.md
Version: 1.1 | Updated: 2026-07-16

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Gate: Coding does not start until every item is checked or explicitly waived with a named approver.

Intake

• Story has clear, testable acceptance criteria
• Out-of-scope items listed
• Context assembled (relevant files included; secrets excluded)
• Constraints documented (perf, security, compatibility, compliance)

Plan content

• Mermaid component / data-flow diagram present
• Every create/modify/delete path listed
• New dependencies listed
• API contract changes flagged (breaking vs non-breaking)
• Schema/data changes include migration strategy
• Implementation sequence respects dependencies
• Test plan covers unit / integration / e2e as applicable
• Rollback strategy defined per deployable stage
• Performance and security considerations present
• Blocking questions empty (or waived in writing)

Approval

• Human reviewed for understanding (can restate the plan)
• Approver name + date recorded
• Plan artifact stored with the change (linked from PR)

After coding starts

• Diff stays within planned paths or an approved plan revision exists
• Reviewer checked plan conformance, not only style