Lifecycle, backlog and the repo log

A vault stays useful when finished work leaves the active set, deferred work is filed, and each session leaves a line. The tools are built around that.

  • close sets a note's status to complete (or superseded, with superseded_by, when merged_into is given) and moves it into the archive.
  • set_status changes the status without rewriting the note: backlog with a priority parks it, active picks it up again.
  • backlog_add files a task note with status: backlog, an area, a one-line summary, an optional priority and an optional source (who said it and when, or a sha). backlog lists them by priority then age. Lint leaves backlog notes alone however old they get.
  • log_append writes one dated line to the repo log with the commits the session produced, and creates the log when it is missing. The stop hook checks these shas.

Stale notes

An open task note untouched for longer than stale_after_days is stale. context lists stale notes under triage with the three ways to settle each. lint --park-stale parks them in the backlog, so active means touched within the window; see Run lint every week.

Claims

When several machines work on one vault, a task note can carry a claim in its kebbie frontmatter key saying which machine and task hold it. Only task claim and task release change it; close and parking remove it.