mikedev115/aetox/aetox-slice

Aetox Slice (Tracer-Bullet Task Decomposition)

Use this skill to decompose a formal specification (docs/specs/<feature-slug>.md) or an approved plan into a set of tickets: tracer-bullet vertical slices, each declaring the tickets that block it.

Inspired by Matt Pocock's to-tickets methodology: large tasks cause AI failure; slicing into verifiable, self-contained vertical slices keeps execution inside the agent's high-precision Smart Zone.

Core Operational Principles

1. Vertical Tracer Bullets over Layer Cakes:

Each slice cuts a narrow but complete path through all required layers (schema, logic, UI, tests). A completed slice is demoable or verifiable on its own.

• For detailed principles, read references/tracer-bullet-slicing.md.

1. Prefactoring First:

"Make the change easy, then make the easy change." If existing code structure resists the new feature, schedule a prefactoring ticket first.

1. Expand-Contract for Wide Refactors:

For changes with a large blast radius across many files, do not attempt an all-at-once edit. Structure as:

• Expand: Introduce the new form beside the old.
• Migrate: Convert call sites in independent batches.
• Contract: Remove the old form once all callers are migrated.

1. Quiz the User Before Finalizing:

Always present the proposed tickets to the user: show Title, Blocked by, and What it delivers. Ask if the granularity is right, if blockers are genuine, and if any tickets should be merged or split.

1. One File per Ticket:

Write each ticket as its own standalone file (<NN>-<slug>.md). Never emit a single bloated combined file.

Execution Workflow

1. Gather Context:

• Inspect the feature specification in docs/specs/<feature-slug>.md.
• Inspect existing codebase conventions and CONTEXT.md.

1. Draft Slices & Blocking Edges:

• Number tickets sequentially starting at 01.
• Formulate explicit Blocked by and Blocks edges.

1. Quiz the User:

• Present the numbered breakdown.
• Wait for user feedback on granularity and dependencies.

1. Publish the Tickets:

• Create docs/specs/<feature-slug>/tickets/.
• Write each ticket using templates/ticket-template.md.
• Generate docs/specs/<feature-slug>/TICKETS.md as an index of the DAG.

1. Next Phase Routing:

• Advance to aetox-forge to begin Test-Driven Development on the first unblocked ticket at the frontier.