fix(kanban): gate dispatch on implementation prerequisites

[ajoslin]

Summary

• add explicit base_ref and repository-relative required_paths to Kanban worktree tasks
• materialize new task branches from the declared base revision
• fail closed before claim/spawn when the task branch lacks the base revision or a required implementation path
• expose prerequisites through the CLI and kanban_create tool

Verification

• uv run pytest tests/hermes_cli/test_kanban_db.py tests/tools/test_kanban_tools.py tests/hermes_cli/test_kanban_cli.py -q (68 passed, 1 skipped)
• uv run ruff check hermes_cli/kanban_db.py hermes_cli/kanban.py tools/kanban_tools.py tests/hermes_cli/test_kanban_db.py
• git diff --check

Kanban: t_38b13d82

Summary by CodeRabbit

• New Features

  • Tasks can specify a Git base revision and required repository paths.
  • Task creation commands and tools support base revisions and repeatable required-path options.
  • Workspaces can be created from the selected base revision with required paths restored when available.

• Bug Fixes

  • Tasks are blocked before dispatch when required paths or base revisions are unavailable or invalid.
  • Unsafe parent-relative paths are rejected during task creation.
  • Review tasks now follow standard dependency and triage handling when blocked.

[coderabbitai]

No actionable comments were generated in the recent review. 🎉

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Configuration used: defaults

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📥 Commits

Reviewing files that changed from the base of the PR and between bce10ab and ddfcd3c.

📒 Files selected for processing (2)

• hermes_cli/kanban_db.py
• tests/hermes_cli/test_kanban_db.py

🚧 Files skipped from review as they are similar to previous changes (1)

• hermes_cli/kanban_db.py

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📝 Walkthrough

Walkthrough

Tasks now accept a Git base revision and repository-relative required paths. The database stores and validates these fields. Worktree creation and ready or review dispatch validate prerequisites before task claiming or spawning.

Changes

Kanban worktree prerequisites

Layer / File(s)	Summary
Task contract and persistence hermes_cli/kanban.py, hermes_cli/kanban_db.py, tools/kanban_tools.py	Task creation accepts base_ref and repeatable required paths. The database validates, persists, parses, and exposes these fields.
Worktree validation and dispatch hermes_cli/kanban_db.py	Worktrees can start from base_ref. Ready and review dispatch validate the base revision and required paths before claiming or spawning tasks. Review tasks can record prerequisite blocks while preserving their source status.
Prerequisite regression coverage tests/hermes_cli/test_kanban_db.py	Tests cover unsafe paths, untracked and removed required paths, dry-run blocking, and required paths present in the declared Git base.

Estimated code review effort: 4 (Complex) | ~45 minutes

Merge Risk: ⚪ Minimal · up to ddfcd

The PR makes Kanban dispatch require the declared base revision and implementation paths before work begins; no actionable merge-blocking risk remains after normal checks and review.

Suggested reviewers: teknium1, kshitijk4poor, outthislife

Sequence Diagram(s)

sequenceDiagram
  participant TaskCreator
  participant KanbanDB
  participant Worktree
  participant Dispatcher
  participant TaskState
  TaskCreator->>KanbanDB: create task with base_ref and required_paths
  KanbanDB->>KanbanDB: validate and persist prerequisites
  Dispatcher->>Worktree: materialize task worktree from base_ref
  Dispatcher->>Worktree: validate base revision and required paths
  Worktree-->>Dispatcher: return prerequisite result
  alt prerequisites valid
    Dispatcher->>TaskState: claim task
    Dispatcher->>Worktree: spawn task
  else prerequisites invalid
    Dispatcher->>TaskState: record capability block
  end

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🚥 Pre-merge checks | ✅ 5

✅ Passed checks (5 passed)

Check name	Status	Explanation
Description Check	✅ Passed	Check skipped - CodeRabbit’s high-level summary is enabled.
Title check	✅ Passed	The title clearly summarizes the main change: dispatch now checks implementation prerequisites before proceeding.
Docstring Coverage	✅ Passed	No functions found in the changed files to evaluate docstring coverage. Skipping docstring coverage check.
Linked Issues check	✅ Passed	Check skipped because no linked issues were found for this pull request.
Out of Scope Changes check	✅ Passed	Check skipped because no linked issues were found for this pull request.

✨ Finishing Touches

🧪 Generate unit tests (beta)

• Create PR with unit tests

---

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[coderabbitai]

Actionable comments posted: 2

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Inline comments:
In `@hermes_cli/kanban_db.py`:
- Around line 9910-9941: Move the prerequisite preflight currently surrounding
the ready-task claim out of that lane and before dry-run reporting, then reuse
it immediately before both claim_task and claim_review_task. Ensure every
dispatch path, including review and dry-run reporting, validates the candidate’s
base_ref and required_paths using _resolve_worktree_workspace and
_check_implementation_prerequisites, blocking or reporting failures consistently
before claiming or marking a task spawnable.

In `@tests/hermes_cli/test_kanban_db.py`:
- Around line 106-132: Update the test around base_ref and dispatch_once to
create and commit a distinct marker file after capturing base_ref, then assert
the spawned workspace contains scripts/run-replay.ts but not the marker file.
Preserve the existing spawn-count assertions so the test verifies the resolver
uses base_ref rather than the repository’s current HEAD.

🪄 Autofix

Fix all unresolved CodeRabbit comments on this PR:

• Push a commit to this branch (recommended)
• Create a new PR with the fixes

---

ℹ️ Review info

⚙️ Run configuration

Configuration used: defaults

Review profile: CHILL

Plan: Pro Plus

Run ID: c595f0d4-9897-49ce-95ab-cdf69c05d641

📥 Commits

Reviewing files that changed from the base of the PR and between 991e2ef and bce10ab.

📒 Files selected for processing (4)

• hermes_cli/kanban.py
• hermes_cli/kanban_db.py
• tests/hermes_cli/test_kanban_db.py
• tools/kanban_tools.py

[Enough1122]

AI code review — automated review for reference, author can ignore or act on any point.

fix(kanban): gate dispatch on implementation prerequisites

1. hermes_cli/kanban_db.py _preflight_implementation_prerequisites: the check calls _resolve_worktree_workspace, which materializes the worktree (creates branches/dirs) before claim — and it runs even during dry_run. A dry-run that creates real worktrees is a side effect most operators won't expect from a dry run; consider making the preflight read-only in dry-run (or skipping it).
2. base_ref is accepted as an arbitrary string and git merge-base --is-ancestor re-resolves it every dispatch tick. A branch-named base_ref that advances (or is force-pushed) changes the gate's meaning mid-task and can block a task whose worktree is already fine. Consider resolving base_ref to a commit SHA at create_task time and storing the pinned revision.
3. block_task now transitions from review, but the diff doesn't show where unblock routes a review-blocked task. If unblock returns tasks to ready, a task blocked during review re-runs implementation instead of returning to review — verify the unblock path handles the new source_status (this PR sets it to str(cur_row["status"]) for the first time).
4. Minor: the preflight block is duplicated across the two ready-row loops (~20 lines each); hoisting it into one helper would keep the assigned/unassigned paths from drifting.