coding-aider-plan-generator

Generate structured coding-aider plans that mirror the IntelliJ coding-aider plugin's plan system, complete with overview, goals, implementation checklist, and file context management.

Overview

This skill creates coding-aider plans in the exact format used by the IntelliJ coding-aider plugin. Plans include structured overviews, problem descriptions, goals, implementation checklists, and file context management for systematic development tracking.

When This Skill Activates

Use this skill when the user explicitly requests:

• "Create a coding-aider plan"
• "Generate an aider plan"
• "I need a coding-aider plan for..."
• "Create a structured development plan like coding-aider"
• Similar explicit requests for coding-aider style planning

Instructions

1. Plan Structure Analysis

First, understand the user's requirements:

• What feature or task needs to be implemented?
• What is the current state or problem?
• What are the specific goals and constraints?
• Which files will likely be involved?

2. Plan Directory Setup

Create the plan storage structure:

• Create .coding-aider-plans/ directory if it doesn't exist
• Generate a plan name based on the feature/task (kebab-case)
• Plan files will be stored as: {plan_name}.md, {plan_name}_checklist.md, {plan_name}_context.yaml

3. Main Plan File Generation

Create the main plan file ({plan_name}.md) with this structure:

# [Coding Aider Plan]

# Plan Title

## Overview
High-level description of the feature to be implemented

## Problem Description
Current issues, challenges, or requirements that necessitate this plan

## Goals
1. Specific, measurable goal 1
2. Specific, measurable goal 2
3. Specific, measurable goal 3

## Additional Notes and Constraints
- Technical constraints or limitations
- Dependencies on other systems or features
- Performance considerations
- Security requirements
- Testing requirements

## References
- Links to relevant documentation
- Related files or components
- External resources or examples

4. Checklist File Generation

Create the checklist file ({plan_name}_checklist.md) with atomic implementation tasks:

# [Coding Aider Plan - Checklist]

# Plan Title - Implementation Checklist

- [ ] Analysis and research task
- [ ] Setup/initialization task
- [ ] Core implementation task 1
- [ ] Core implementation task 2
- [ ] Integration task
- [ ] Testing task 1
- [ ] Testing task 2
- [ ] Documentation update
- [ ] Code review/refinement
- [ ] Deployment/finalization

5. Context File Generation

Create the context file ({plan_name}_context.yaml) with relevant implementation files:

---
files:
  - path: "src/main/kotlin/package/FeatureFile.kt"
    readOnly: false
  - path: "src/test/kotlin/package/FeatureTest.kt"
    readOnly: false
  - path: "build.gradle.kts"
    readOnly: true

6. Content Generation Guidelines

Plan Titles

• Use clear, descriptive titles
• Include the main feature or component name
• Keep titles concise but informative

Goals Section

• Make goals specific and measurable
• Focus on outcomes, not implementation details
• Include 3-5 primary goals maximum
• Each goal should be achievable independently

Checklist Items

• Break down implementation into atomic tasks
• Each item should represent a single, completable action
• Order tasks logically (setup → implementation → testing → documentation)
• Include both development and validation tasks
• Aim for 8-15 checklist items depending on complexity

Context Files

• Include all files that will need modification
• Mark read-only files appropriately (config files, tests to read, etc.)
• Include build files, configuration, and main implementation files
• Group related files by directory/package structure

7. File Context Discovery

To identify relevant files for the context.yaml:

• Use Glob to find files matching the feature area
• Use Grep to search for related functionality
• Include configuration files (build.gradle, pom.xml, etc.)
• Include test files for the feature area
• Include documentation files if relevant

8. Plan Validation

Before completing, verify:

• Plan name is kebab-case and descriptive
• All three files are created with correct naming
• Checklist items are atomic and actionable
• Context files exist and are correctly marked
• Plan structure matches plugin format exactly

Examples

Example 1: New Feature Plan

User request: "Create a coding-aider plan for implementing user authentication"

Generated plan structure:

• user-authentication.md - Main plan with auth overview, goals, security constraints
• user-authentication_checklist.md - Tasks for JWT setup, password hashing, API endpoints
• user-authentication_context.yaml - AuthController, UserService, security config files

Example 2: Refactoring Plan

User request: "I need a coding-aider plan for refactoring the payment processing module"

Generated plan structure:

• payment-processing-refactor.md - Current issues, refactoring goals, migration strategy
• payment-processing-refactor_checklist.md - Step-by-step refactoring tasks with testing
• payment-processing-refactor_context.yaml - PaymentService, PaymentController, test files

Example 3: Bug Fix Plan

User request: "Create a coding-aider plan for fixing the memory leak in the data processor"

Generated plan structure:

• memory-leak-fix.md - Problem description, root cause analysis, fix approach
• memory-leak-fix_checklist.md - Debugging, patching, verification tasks
• memory-leak-fix_context.yaml - DataProcessor, related memory management files

Requirements

• Current working directory should be a project directory
• Sufficient permissions to create .coding-aider-plans/ directory
• Access to project files for context analysis

Troubleshooting

Plan Directory Issues

• If .coding-aider-plans/ cannot be created, check directory permissions
• Ensure working in a valid project directory with write access

File Context Discovery

• If no relevant files are found, ask user to specify key files
• Use broader search patterns with Glob if specific searches fail
• Include common project files (build configs, main source directories)

Plan Naming

• Use kebab-case for plan names (convert spaces to hyphens)
• Keep names under 50 characters for readability
• Avoid special characters beyond hyphens

Checklist Quality

• If checklist items are too broad, break them into smaller atomic tasks
• Ensure each item can be completed independently
• Include both development and validation/testing tasks