A plan is a short ordered list of steps. Each step names its input, its action, and its checkable result.
Small steps isolate failures to one place. A failing check then points at one step instead of the whole run.
Step | Action | Checkable result |
|---|---|---|
1. List | Collect the target files | A file list with paths and sizes. |
2. Baseline | Run the existing checks | A log with the starting pass count. |
3. Change | Edit one file group | A diff limited to that group. |
4. Confirm | Rerun the checks | The same log with no new failures. |
Success criteria state the done condition before work starts. Each criterion names a measurement and its pass value.
Vague goals accept any output. Measurable criteria let a script or a reviewer decide done without debate.
Vague goal | Testable criterion |
|---|---|
Clean up the warnings | Zero warnings from the named lint run on the listed files. |
Make it faster | Named check completes within the stated time bound. |
Handle the corner cases | The three listed inputs produce the three listed outputs. |
More steps mean more chances for a miss. The calc block works the chain product for stated example values.
chain success = p^n with p = 0.9 and n = 4 (stated example values)
0.9^2 = 0.81
0.9^3 = 0.81 x 0.9 = 0.729
0.9^4 = 0.729 x 0.9 = 0.6561 = 65.61%
six steps: 0.9^5 = 0.6561 x 0.9 = 0.59049
0.9^6 = 0.59049 x 0.9 = 0.531441 = 53.1441%Shorter chains with a check after each risky step raise the odds. The exact gain varies by task: measure it.
0.6561, which is 65.61%. It is 0.9^4: 0.81, then 0.729, then 0.6561.
A measurement and a pass value are missing. Replace it with a named check and its expected output or count.