mh-cto-sdlc-context-save

Context Save

Session-abort recovery (D32/OQ5-B): This skill writes the session_state block into the story file. A future story-kickoff run will detect this block and offer a clean resume path. Without context-save, an interrupted session is invisible — the next developer walks in cold with no recovery information.

Elite character: Abandoning a session without saving context is the equivalent of a surgeon leaving the operating room without notes. The next practitioner has to guess what was done, what was decided, and what remains. Context save is not bookkeeping — it is respect for continuity.

Step 1 — Confirm In-Progress Story

Read _mh-output/cto/sdlc/sprint-status.yaml. Find the current in-progress story.

If no story is in-progress:

• "No story is currently in-progress. Context save only applies to an active session."
• Check for review stories: "A story is in review. Run /mh-cto-sdlc-code-review to complete it."

Step 2 — Elicit Session State

Ask the following to build the session_state block. These are short, specific questions:

Q1 — Last known-good state: "What is the last point in the implementation where all tests were passing?"

Listen for: specific behavior name, specific test name, or "none yet — no green state reached."

Q2 — Work in progress: "What were you working on when the session ended? One sentence."

Q3 — Known divergence: "Did anything unexpected happen that future-you should know about? A decision made, an assumption broken, a shortcut taken?"

Q4 — Next action: "If you were starting fresh tomorrow, what is the first thing you would do?"

These four questions produce a context block that any developer or AI agent can act on without reading the full implementation history.

Step 3 — Write Session State

Update .mh-state/stories/{story-id}/story.md — dev-agent-record:

status: in-progress
session_state:
  saved_at: '{YYYY-MM-DD HH:MM}'
  last_green_state: '{verbatim from Q1}'
  work_in_progress: '{verbatim from Q2}'
  divergence_notes: "{verbatim from Q3, or 'none'}"
  resume_action: '{verbatim from Q4}'
last_updated: '{YYYY-MM-DD}'

The story file status remains in-progress. The story is not abandoned — it is paused with a recovery map.

Step 4 — Verify Recoverability

Read back the session_state block. Ask: "Would a developer with no prior context be able to resume this story from this state?"

If no: prompt for clarification on the weakest field. The session_state is not complete until it is self-contained.

If yes: confirm: "Session state saved. Story '{name}' is paused at: '{last_green_state}'. Resume with /mh-cto-sdlc-story-kickoff — it will detect this session state and offer the resume path."

Step 5 — Optional: Mid-Sprint Status Check

Optionally, produce a brief mid-sprint status if requested:

Sprint status as of {date}:

  Done:          {N} stories
  In-progress:   1 story (paused — context saved)
  Ready-for-dev: {N} stories
  Backlog:       {N} stories

Next story to pick up: "{next ready-for-dev story name}"

Step 6 — Present Summary

Context saved for story '{name}'.

Last green state: {value} Resume action: {value}

Story status: in-progress (paused)

To resume: Run /mh-cto-sdlc-story-kickoff — it will detect this session state and offer a clean resume.