BMAD-METHOD/tasks.md

7.0 KiB

Ultra-Deep Analysis: BMAD File Reference Integrity Review

Task Breakdown and Analysis Approach

Primary Objectives:

  1. Identify orphaned files not referenced in the BMAD method
  2. Find incorrect filenames and naming inconsistencies
  3. Locate missing references (files mentioned but don't exist)
  4. Discover ambiguous references and path resolution issues

Analysis Methodology:

  • Phase 1: Complete file inventory mapping
  • Phase 2: Reference extraction from all documentation
  • Phase 3: Cross-validation and pattern analysis
  • Phase 4: Multi-angle verification
  • Phase 5: Final synthesis and recommendations

Critical Findings

1. Severe Configuration-File Mismatches

Naming Convention Conflicts:

The ide-bmad-orchestrator.cfg.md has systematic naming mismatches:

  • Config says: quality_enforcer_complete.mdActual file: quality_enforcer.md
  • Config says: anti-pattern-detection.mdActual file: anti_pattern_detection.md
  • Config says: quality-gate-validation.mdActual file: quality_gate_validation.md
  • Config says: brotherhood-review.mdActual file: brotherhood_review.md

Pattern: Config uses hyphens, actual files use underscores.

Missing Task Files:

The following tasks are referenced in config but DO NOT EXIST:

  • technical-standards-enforcement.md
  • ultra-deep-thinking-mode.md
  • architecture-udtm-analysis.md
  • technical-decision-validation.md
  • integration-pattern-validation.md
  • requirements-udtm-analysis.md
  • market-validation-protocol.md
  • evidence-based-decision-making.md
  • story-quality-validation.md
  • sprint-quality-management.md
  • brotherhood-review-coordination.md

2. Orphaned Files

Files that exist but are not referenced in primary configuration:

Personas:

  • bmad.md - Exists but not in orchestrator config
  • sm.md - Config uses sm.ide.md instead
  • dev-ide-memory-enhanced.md - Not referenced anywhere
  • sm-ide-memory-enhanced.md - Not referenced anywhere

Tasks:

  • workflow-guidance-task.md - No references found
  • udtm_task.md - Exists but config references different UDTM task names

Other:

  • performance-settings.yml - No clear integration point
  • standard-workflows.txt - Referenced in config but usage unclear

3. Path Resolution Ambiguities

Checklist Mapping Issues:

checklist-mappings.yml references:

  • docs/checklists/architect-checklist.md
  • docs/checklists/frontend-architecture-checklist.md

But actual files are in:

  • bmad-agent/checklists/architect-checklist.md
  • bmad-agent/checklists/frontend-architecture-checklist.md

This suggests checklists should be copied to project docs/ directory, but this is not documented.

Duplicate Files:

  • memory-orchestration-task.md appears in BOTH:
    • bmad-agent/memory/
    • bmad-agent/tasks/

4. Missing Directory Structure

Config references directories that don't exist:

  • quality-tasks: (agent-root)/quality-tasks
  • quality-checklists: (agent-root)/quality-checklists
  • quality-templates: (agent-root)/quality-templates
  • quality-metrics: (agent-root)/quality-metrics

5. Web vs IDE Orchestrator Confusion

Two parallel systems without clear relationship:

  • ide-bmad-orchestrator.cfg.md and ide-bmad-orchestrator.md
  • web-bmad-orchestrator-agent.cfg.md and web-bmad-orchestrator-agent.md

No documentation explains when to use which or how they relate.

6. Memory Enhancement Variants

Unclear relationship between:

  • dev.ide.md vs dev-ide-memory-enhanced.md
  • sm.ide.md vs sm-ide-memory-enhanced.md

Are these replacements? Alternatives? The documentation doesn't clarify.


Recommendations for Improvement

1. Immediate Critical Fixes

  1. Fix Configuration File References:

    • Update all task references to match actual filenames
    • Decide on hyphen vs underscore convention and apply consistently
    • Remove references to non-existent files or create the missing files
  2. Create Missing Quality Tasks:

    • Either create the 11 missing task files
    • Or update the configuration to remove these references
    • Document which approach is taken

2. File Organization Improvements

  1. Establish Clear Naming Convention:

    • Document and enforce either hyphens OR underscores (not both)
    • Apply convention to ALL files consistently
    • Update all references accordingly
  2. Resolve Duplicate Files:

    • Decide which memory-orchestration-task.md is canonical
    • Delete or clearly differentiate the duplicate
    • Update references
  3. Create Missing Directories:

    • Either create quality-tasks/, quality-checklists/, etc.
    • Or remove these from configuration
    • Document the decision

3. Documentation Enhancements

  1. Path Resolution Documentation:

    • Clearly document how paths are resolved
    • Explain when paths are relative to bmad-agent/ vs project root
    • Document the checklist copying process
  2. Variant Documentation:

    • Explain memory-enhanced vs standard personas
    • Document when to use each variant
    • Clarify if they're replacements or alternatives
  3. Orchestrator Clarification:

    • Document the relationship between web and IDE orchestrators
    • Explain when to use each
    • Provide migration path if needed

4. Reference Integrity Improvements

  1. Create Reference Map:

    • Build automated tool to verify all file references
    • Regular validation of configuration files
    • CI/CD check for reference integrity
  2. Consolidate Orphaned Files:

    • Integrate bmad.md persona into configuration
    • Either use or remove orphaned personas
    • Document or remove unused tasks
  3. Standardize Task Integration:

    • Ensure all personas have their referenced tasks
    • Create "In Memory" placeholder for missing tasks
    • Or create the actual task files

5. Quality Assurance Process

  1. Implement File Validation:

    • Automated script to check file references
    • Naming convention enforcement
    • Path resolution verification
  2. Documentation Standards:

    • Every file should have clear purpose documentation
    • Relationships between files must be documented
    • Integration points must be explicit

Summary of Required Actions

  1. Fix 15+ incorrect file references in orchestrator config
  2. Create or remove references to 11 missing task files
  3. Resolve naming convention inconsistency (hyphens vs underscores)
  4. Address 4 orphaned persona files
  5. Clarify path resolution for checklist-mappings.yml
  6. Resolve duplicate memory-orchestration-task.md
  7. Create or remove 4 missing directories
  8. Document web vs IDE orchestrator relationship
  9. Clarify memory-enhanced persona variants
  10. Establish and document file naming conventions

This analysis reveals significant structural issues that impact the usability and maintainability of the BMAD system. Addressing these issues systematically will greatly improve the robustness and clarity of the framework.