kandev/docs/plans/workflow-step-progress/plan.md

created, status, requirements, system_design, legacy_specs

created	status	requirements	system_design	legacy_specs
2026-09-12	complete	REQ-TASKS-WORKFLOW-STEP-PROGRESS-001	../../specs/tasks/system-design/workflow-step-progress.md

Implementation plan: Workflow step progress

Overview

Replace the workflow dot with a same-size spinner during move submission and agent startup. Place lifecycle details in the existing disclosure, with no additional closed-stepper text. One sequential work order implements and verifies this cohesive UI outcome.

Evidence and scope

The investigated move began immediately. Prompt dispatch occurred about 16 seconds later; reply streaming began about 32 seconds after the move. Runtime logs confirmed gpt-5.6-luna. Preparation, prior-runtime shutdown, and ACP initialization accounted for the startup interval. This package addresses visibility. It does not change startup performance or dispatch behavior.

In scope

• Requirements, all eleven acceptance criteria.
• Existing full, compact, preview, and touch workflow surfaces.
• Lifecycle-derived status, fixed marker geometry, accessibility, translations, and focused regression coverage.

Out of scope

• Backend contracts, lifecycle policies, startup optimizations, new polling, and retry controls.
• Extra inline text, independent tooltips, or a new phone workflow toolbar.

Technical approach

Follow the system design. Add a shared progress derivation hook beside useWorkflowStepMove. Keep request ownership separate from primary-session lifecycle derivation. Thread progress into StepCircleIndicator, StepHoverContent, compact disclosure rows, preview navigation, and the existing phone drawer. Preserve the marker's 8px layout footprint and current-step 14px absolute decoration. Clear an accepted move target when authoritative task state shows a direct supersession or a terminal outcome, while retaining late-response ownership guards. Carry existing cancellation_pending evidence through lifecycle derivation so it overrides obsolete startup progress. Use the existing controlled Popover primitive for the full stepper so focus can move from a step trigger into its disclosure without losing the lifecycle details or move controls. Use actual runtime model metadata only when available; otherwise show the known profile name.

ASCII UI preview

UI-01: Desktop stepper, preparation

Before:  o Analysis ---- O Implement ---- o Review
After:   o Analysis ---- @ Implement ---- o Review
                         +-----------------------+
Existing hover card:     | Current step          |
                         | Preparing agent       |
                         | <agent/profile name>  |
                         | [capability icons]    |
                         +-----------------------+

@ means the spinner, not a literal glyph. O means the current dot and ring. The marker, label, and connectors retain their existing positions and dimensions. Only the existing hover card grows to contain details. Spacing in this sketch is illustrative.

UI-02: Existing hover card, move request

+-----------------------+
| [-> Moving...]        |
| [Options]             |
| Moving to this step   |
| [capability icons]    |
+-----------------------+

Keep the existing button/option eligibility and pending labels. When the step becomes current, its existing controls change as today; the status block remains. After startup, restore the dot and show Agent running only inside the card. For failure, show Agent failed there and stop the spinner. Existing move errors remain in their current surface.

UI-03: Compact and phone disclosure

Tablet closed:  @ Implement  3/6  v
Tablet open:    [existing workflow Drawer]
                 @ Implement       Current step
                   Starting agent
                   <agent/profile name>

Phone closed:  [existing task chrome, unchanged]
Phone open:    [Task actions > Move to]
                 Implement         Current
                 Starting agent
                 <agent/profile name>
                 Review            [existing action]

Details appear only after opening the existing surface. The phone does not gain a stepper. The drawer owns scrolling and retains its safe-area clearance and touch hit areas. These structures are required by AC .2-.4 and .10; example names and text wrapping are illustrative.

Tests

Criteria	Evidence
.1, .5-.9	New use-workflow-step-progress.test.ts: lifecycle table, request-settlement transition through SCHEDULING/STARTING/RUNNING, current primary ownership, unloaded sessions, no-auto-start, failure/cancellation, terminal precedence, reload snapshots
.7, .8	use-workflow-step-move.test.ts: late rejection, overlapping request, task switch, close/reopen identity, direct supersession, terminal cleanup, and late-response ownership
.2-.4, .10, .11	workflow-stepper.test.tsx and workflow-stepper-keyboard.test.tsx: marker and painted-size state, current-card details after move, controls preserved, reduced motion, full-layout keyboard focus, cancellation/failure disclosure
.1-.4, .8	task-preview-panel-step-indicator.test.tsx: shared preview progress and stale presentation protection

All numbers refer to AC-TASKS-WORKFLOW-STEP-PROGRESS-001. Add any new component test files to the work order's command before completion.

E2E tests

• workflow-step-progress.spec.ts: desktop request delay, full-layout disclosure continuity after the destination becomes current, no-auto-start, and unchanged marker/paint/label/connector geometry. Failure and cancellation derivation are covered by the focused unit/component suites.
• task-topbar-workflow-stepper.spec.ts: existing full and compact behavior plus tablet drawer details and unchanged collapse behavior.
• preview-workflow-step-navigation.spec.ts: preview marker and existing disclosure continuity.
• mobile-workflow-step-progress.spec.ts: Pixel 5 Task actions > Move to, current status, no new top-bar text, 44px controls, viewport containment, and no horizontal overflow.

Use the default desktop and configured mobile-chrome projects. Tablet coverage uses the existing tablet fixture. Use controlled gates and causal waits for lifecycle events. Do not reproduce the incident with a fixed 16-second sleep.

Work orders

• Task 01: Show workflow step progress

Verification results

Design validation on 2026-09-12:

• python3 scripts/list-docs.py validate: passed, 264 decisions and 820 specifications.
• python3 scripts/lint-spec-files.test.py: passed, 36 tests.
• python3 scripts/lint-spec-files.py --all: passed.
• git diff --check -- docs/specs docs/plans/workflow-step-progress: passed.
• git status --short -- docs/specs docs/plans/workflow-step-progress: confirmed the new requirement, design, and plan directory.

Implementation and review remediation are complete and committed on the feature branch. Final evidence:

• pnpm exec vitest run hooks/domains/kanban/use-workflow-step-progress.test.ts hooks/domains/kanban/use-workflow-step-move.test.ts components/task/workflow-stepper.test.tsx components/task/workflow-stepper-keyboard.test.tsx components/task/task-management-drawer.test.tsx components/task/mobile/session-task-switcher-sheet.test.tsx: 6 files, 65 tests passed.
• pnpm run typecheck, pnpm run lint, pnpm run i18n:check, and pnpm run i18n:ratchet: passed.
• pnpm run build:e2e: passed.
• Desktop Chromium E2E for task top-bar, preview navigation, and workflow progress: 8 tests passed.
• Mobile Chromium E2E for the phone Move to drawer: 1 test passed.
• Focused review coverage also verifies ambiguous primary-session ownership, bounded task-summary precedence, stale terminal-session suppression after a return to TODO, cancellation before terminal settlement, overlapping accepted destinations, and a real full-layout Popover focus and move activation path.
• python3 scripts/list-docs.py validate, python3 scripts/lint-spec-files.py --all, node --test scripts/validate-public-docs.test.mjs, node scripts/validate-public-docs.mjs, and git diff --check: passed.

Risks

• Old session state must not label a newly selected destination as running.
• SCHEDULING and STARTING arrive independently of the move response; request settlement cannot own the whole startup indication.
• The absolute current-step ring must not become an in-flow 14px spinner.
• A CREATED session can be idle; treating every CREATED session as starting produces endless spinners.
• Configured profile names are not proof of the applied runtime model.

Documentation impact

This turn changes internal design documents only. During implementation, inspect existing public workflow navigation documentation and add the smallest useful explanation.