By name: tracking-issues description: Track context across sessions for long-running features. Use when starting multi-session work, checkpointing progress, or resuming work on a feature tracked in a GitHub issue.
Tracking Long-Running Work
Use GitHub issues as living documents to maintain context across work sessions. One issue per user-facing feature.
Quick Reference
# Find active work
gh issue list --label tracking-issue
# Check a specific issue
gh issue view <number>
When to Use
Not for RFC features. RFC-tracked work uses impl.md in the RFC directory for detailed progress tracking. A GitHub issue for an RFC should just be a lightweight pointer with links to the RFC and its impl status (e.g., https://dada-lang.org/rfcs/NNNN-feature-name/impl.html).
For non-RFC work (refactors, bug investigations, infrastructure) that spans 2+ sessions or multiple code areas, use a tracking issue.
Issue Structure
Labels: tracking-issue, ai-managed, plus type (feature, bug, refactor)
Title: Clear user-facing outcome (not "encryption work" — instead "Implement client-side encryption")
OP template (keep updated as the living summary):
# Feature Name
**Status**: Planning | In Progress | Blocked | Complete
## Current Understanding
Brief summary of what needs to be done and current approach
## Next Steps
- [ ] Specific actionable item with file:line references
- [ ] Another concrete next step
## Open Questions
- What we're still figuring out
## Context
Key background and why this work matters now
Working with Issues
Starting a session
Read the issue OP to understand current state. Work from "Next Steps."
During work
- Update OP when: approach changes, major blockers discovered, next steps shift
- Add comments when: completing work sessions, discovering insights, hitting roadblocks
Checkpointing
- Find relevant tracking issue
- Draft a comment summarizing the session
- Show draft to user for approval before posting
- Update OP if approach or next steps changed
Comment structure
**Session summary:**
- What was attempted or explored
- Key discoveries or problems encountered
**Impact on approach:**
- How understanding changed
- New questions that emerged
**Progress:** Completed items from next steps, what's next
Completion
Set status to "Complete" and close the issue.
Boundaries
- Only modify issues labeled
ai-managed - Always get user approval before posting comments or editing the OP
- Reference issues in commit messages when relevant