# Status Update Checklist

**Use this checklist when updating project status to ensure ALL documentation stays synchronized.**

## Files to Update When Status Changes

When marking a milestone as complete or updating progress, check ALL these files:

### 1. RECOMMENDATIONS.md
- [ ] Update header status line
- [ ] Update current milestone/phase progress
- [ ] Update "Completed Tasks" section
- [ ] Move "Active Tasks" to "Completed Tasks" if done
- [ ] Update "Next Focus" section
- [ ] Update "Last Updated" date

### 2. README.md
- [ ] Update "Current Status" section
- [ ] Update "Recent Updates" or changelog section
- [ ] Update any progress indicators
- [ ] Update footer status/date if present

### 3. DOCS.md (if exists)
- [ ] Update relevant phase/milestone descriptions
- [ ] Update changelog reference
- [ ] Update "Current Development Status" section

### 4. Phase/Milestone Documentation (if exists)
- [ ] Update status header
- [ ] Update progress percentage
- [ ] Update "Overall Progress" section
- [ ] Update "Last Updated" date

### 5. CHANGELOG.md (if exists)
- [ ] Add new entry for completed work
- [ ] Follow semantic versioning or project conventions

## Quick Commands to Find Status References

```bash
# Search for progress indicators across documentation
grep -ri "progress\|status\|complete\|in progress\|todo" \
  RECOMMENDATIONS.md README.md DOCS.md docs/

# Search for date references that may need updating
grep -ri "last updated\|updated:\|date:" \
  RECOMMENDATIONS.md README.md DOCS.md

# Find percentage indicators
grep -r "[0-9]\+%" RECOMMENDATIONS.md README.md DOCS.md docs/
```

## Standard Update Workflow

1. **Identify** — What milestone/task was completed?
2. **Check ALL** — Go through this entire checklist
3. **Update** — Edit all relevant files in one batch
4. **Verify** — Run grep commands to ensure consistency
5. **Commit** — Single commit with all changes together

```bash
# Good workflow — atomic updates
git add RECOMMENDATIONS.md README.md DOCS.md CHANGELOG.md docs/
git commit -m "docs: update status for [milestone/feature] completion"

# Bad workflow — fragmented updates
git commit -m "Update RECOMMENDATIONS.md"
# ... later notice README not updated
git commit -m "Update README.md too"
# ... creates inconsistent history
```

## Principles

- **Atomic updates** — All status changes in one commit
- **Consistency** — Same information across all docs
- **Discoverability** — Users should find accurate status anywhere
- **Traceability** — Clear commit history of progress

## Customization

Adapt this checklist for your project:

1. **Add project-specific files** — Include any additional docs that track status
2. **Define status indicators** — Decide on consistent progress format (%, fractions, checkboxes)
3. **Set update triggers** — Define what events require a status update
4. **Assign ownership** — Who is responsible for keeping docs in sync?

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**Remember: When status changes, update EVERYTHING at once. No exceptions.**