docket.md

The execution forge. Tasks, milestones, documents, Definition of Done.

Named for a court's docket: the queue of cases ready for resolution. Planning happens elsewhere; the docket is where work gets scheduled, dispatched, and closed. (Previously codenamed ike, after Eisenhower — same discipline, different metaphor.)

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The Trilogy

docket.md is the third leg of a three-tool system for AI-driven work:

Tool	Role	When to use
research.md	Decide with evidence	Before making architectural choices
visionlog	Record vision, goals, guardrails, ADRs	Contracts all execution must honor
docket.md	Execute within those contracts	Daily work: tasks, milestones, docs

The trilogy is one loop with three stages:

research.md  →  visionlog  →  docket.md
  DECIDE        CONTRACT      EXECUTE
     ↑                           │
     └───────────────────────────┘
          execution reveals gaps

When docket.md reveals that a strategy is wrong — a task fails, a pattern repeats, a direction proves misguided — the feedback loop doesn't short-circuit back to visionlog directly. It goes all the way back to research.md:

1. docket.md — execution surfaces a gap or contradiction
2. research.md — earn the new answer with evidence before acting on it
3. visionlog — record the decision as an ADR
4. docket.md — execute the new direction

Skipping research.md means ADRs written under pressure, strategy updated on instinct, decisions that contradict each other three sessions later. The loop must complete fully to be trustworthy.

Session protocol: Read visionlog first (it tells you where the ladder points and what you must not cross). Then open docket.md and work. If execution reveals a gap in strategy, go back to research.md before updating visionlog.

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Install

uv tool install docket-md
# or: pip install docket-md

Add to your .mcp.json:

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "docket": {
      "type": "stdio",
      "command": "docket-md"
    }
  }
}

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GUID Workflow

docket.md uses a stable GUID registry — not fragile CWD scanning.

1. New project: project_init → writes .docket/docket.json with a stable GUID
2. Existing project: project_set → registers path→GUID in session memory
3. Every other call: pass project_id (the GUID)

If you forget the GUID, the error message tells you exactly what to call to recover.

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File Structure

your-project/
└── .docket/
    ├── docket.json          ← project config + stable GUID
    ├── tasks/            ← active tasks (TASK-0001 - slug.md)
    ├── completed/        ← Done tasks
    ├── archive/          ← Cancelled / superseded tasks
    ├── milestones/       ← MS-0001 - slug.md
    └── documents/        ← DOC-0001 - slug.md

All files are plain markdown with YAML frontmatter — readable without docket.md.

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Tool Reference

Project

Tool	What
project_init	Initialize new project, get GUID
project_set	Register existing project for session
project_list	List registered projects
project_info	Stats: task counts, milestones, docs

Tasks

Tool	What
task_create	Create task with optional priority, milestone, DoD
task_list	List with status/milestone/assignee/tag filters
task_view	Full detail for one task
task_edit	Update any field; append notes
task_complete	Mark Done, move to completed/
task_archive	Cancel/supersede, move to archive/
task_search	Keyword search across title + notes

Milestones

Tool	What
milestone_create	New milestone with optional due date
milestone_list	All milestones (open + closed)
milestone_view	Full detail
milestone_close	Mark complete

Documents

Tool	What
document_create	New doc with content + tags
document_list	All documents
document_view	View by DOC-XXXX
document_update	Replace or append content

---

Task Frontmatter

---
id: TASK-0001
title: Build the thing
status: To Do         # To Do | In Progress | Done | Draft
priority: high        # high | medium | low
milestone: MS-0001
assignees: [daniel]
tags: [infra, core]
dependencies: [TASK-0000]
acceptance-criteria:
  - Users can log in
definition-of-done:
  - Tests passing
  - Deployed to staging
created: 2026-03-20
updated: 2026-03-20
---

Notes go here as markdown body.

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Philosophy

Tasks without contracts drift. Contracts without tasks are wishes.

docket.md is where the two meet. Before you create a task, the visionlog guardrail has already told you what you cannot do. The Definition of Done field is the contract written before the work begins — machine-checkable, not vibes.

19 tools across project, task, milestone, and document management. Inspired by backlog.md. Zero forked code. Full credit for the concept.

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MIT License © 2025 Daniel Shanklin