Task Tracking with Dots

Dots is a lightweight task tracker for managing work across sessions. Use the dot CLI to track work items, dependencies, and completion reasons.

When to use this skill

Use this skill when you need to:

Track work items across sessions
Manage dependencies between tasks
Record completion reasons for auditability

Preflight: ensure dot is installed

Before running any workflow commands, check for the dot CLI:

command -v dot >/dev/null 2>&1

If dot is not found, install it.

Homebrew:

brew install joelreymont/tap/dots

From source (requires Zig 0.15+):

git clone https://github.com/joelreymont/dots.git
cd dots
zig build -Doptimize=ReleaseSmall
cp zig-out/bin/dot ~/.local/bin/

Make sure ~/.local/bin is on your PATH, then verify:

dot --version

Essential Session Workflow

At the start of every session:

dot ls
dot ready

Before starting any task:

dot on <id>

After completing any task:

dot off <id> -r "What was done"

Never leave completed tasks open. Always close with a short reason.

Creating Dots

# Quick add
dot "Fix the bug"

# With priority and description
dot add "Design API" -p 1 -d "Details"

# As child of another dot
dot add "Subtask" -P dots-1

# Depends on another dot
dot add "After X" -a dots-2

Priority Levels

Level	Meaning
0	Critical (do now)
1	High
2	Medium (default)
3	Low
4	Backlog

Working With Dots

dot ls              # List open dots
dot ready           # Show unblocked dots
dot show dots-1     # Show dot details
dot tree            # Show hierarchy
dot find "query"   # Search dots

Workflow reminders:

Always check open/ready dots before starting new work.
Use dot on <id> before work begins.
Use dot off <id> -r "..." immediately after completion.

Closing Tasks Properly

Every completed task needs a reason. Keep it brief and specific.

dot off dots-5 -r "Fixed null check in player.gd"
dot off dots-12 -r "Already implemented in previous session"
dot off dots-3 -r "Created PR #42, awaiting review"

If you discover a task is already done, close it with evidence in the reason.

Partial Progress

If a task is only partially complete:

Create a subtask to capture the remaining work, or
Create a follow-up dot that depends on the current one.

This keeps the current dot accurate and preserves context for the next session.

Dots vs TodoWrite

Dots: multi-step work, tasks that may span sessions, or work with dependencies.
TodoWrite: small, single-session checklists meant to be visible to the user.

When work changes the repository, update the corresponding dot immediately.

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