# Status Update Checklist

Instructions for keeping project documentation synchronized when status changes.
AI agents and developers should follow this checklist to prevent drift between files.

---

## When to Use This Checklist

| Trigger | Scope |
|---------|-------|
| **Phase transition** (e.g., Phase 0 → Phase 1) | Full checklist — all files |
| **Milestone completed** within a phase | Sections 1–3 only |
| **Architecture decision locked** | RECOMMENDATIONS.md + new ADR in `docs/adr/` |

---

## Phase Transition Checklist

Run every item when the project moves to a new phase.

### 1. RULES.md
- [ ] Update section 6.2: change `Current phase: Phase N` to the new phase

### 2. README.md
- [ ] Update "Current Status" block (phase badge and status line)
- [ ] Update footer status line at the bottom of the file

### 3. DOCS.md
- [ ] Update footer: `**Last Updated:** Phase N (Description)`

### 4. RECOMMENDATIONS.md
- [ ] Update `Current phase` field in section 1
- [ ] Add entry to section 6 (Change Log)

### 5. docs/phases-plan.md
- [ ] Update `**Phase:**` and `**Status:**` in the header
- [ ] Mark completed phase tasks as done

### 6. Architecture docs (if phase affects them)
- [ ] `docs/frontend/architecture.md` — lock decisions after Phase 1
- [ ] `docs/backend/architecture.md` — lock decisions after Phase 1
- [ ] Archive `docs/frontend/FRONTEND_ARCHITECTURE_PLAN.md` after Phase 1

---

## Milestone Update Checklist

Run when a significant milestone is completed within the current phase.

### 1. RECOMMENDATIONS.md
- [ ] Add entry to section 6 (Change Log)
- [ ] Update section 5 (Open Questions) — remove resolved items

### 2. README.md
- [ ] Update "Current Status" block if progress indicators changed

### 3. docs/phases-plan.md
- [ ] Mark completed tasks

---

## Verification

After updating, run these commands to check consistency:

```bash
# All files should show the SAME phase number
grep -rn "Phase [0-4]" RULES.md README.md DOCS.md RECOMMENDATIONS.md docs/phases-plan.md

# Check for stale status markers
grep -rn "Status.*Draft\|Status.*WIP\|Status.*Complete" docs/ RECOMMENDATIONS.md
```

---

## Principles

- **Atomic** — all status changes in one commit
- **Concrete** — update actual sections listed above, not vague references
- **Verifiable** — run the grep commands to confirm consistency
- **Single source of truth** — `RULES.md` section 6.2 is the canonical phase indicator