---
name: start
description: Discover existing sessions or start new workflow session with intelligent session management and conflict detection
argument-hint: [--type <workflow|review|tdd|test|docs>] [--auto|--new] [optional: task description for new session]
examples:
  - /workflow:session:start
  - /workflow:session:start --auto "implement OAuth2 authentication"
  - /workflow:session:start --type review "Code review for auth module"
  - /workflow:session:start --type tdd --auto "implement user authentication"
  - /workflow:session:start --type test --new "test payment flow"
---

# Start Workflow Session (/workflow:session:start)

## Overview
Manages workflow sessions with three operation modes: discovery (manual), auto (intelligent), and force-new.

**Dual Responsibility**:
1. **Project-level initialization** (first-time only): Creates `.workflow/project.json` for feature registry
2. **Session-level initialization** (always): Creates session directory structure

## Session Types

The `--type` parameter classifies sessions for CCW dashboard organization:

| Type | Description | Default For |
|------|-------------|-------------|
| `workflow` | Standard implementation (default) | `/workflow:plan` |
| `review` | Code review sessions | `/workflow:review-module-cycle` |
| `tdd` | TDD-based development | `/workflow:tdd-plan` |
| `test` | Test generation/fix sessions | `/workflow:test-fix-gen` |
| `docs` | Documentation sessions | `/memory:docs` |

**Validation**: If `--type` is provided with invalid value, return error:
```
ERROR: Invalid session type. Valid types: workflow, review, tdd, test, docs
```

## Step 0: Initialize Project State (First-time Only)

**Executed before all modes** - Ensures project-level state file exists by calling `/workflow:init`.

### Check and Initialize
```bash
# Check if project state exists
bash(test -f .workflow/project.json && echo "EXISTS" || echo "NOT_FOUND")
```

**If NOT_FOUND**, delegate to `/workflow:init`:
```javascript
// Call workflow:init for intelligent project analysis
SlashCommand({command: "/workflow:init"});

// Wait for init completion
// project.json will be created with comprehensive project overview
```

**Output**:
- If EXISTS: `PROJECT_STATE: initialized`
- If NOT_FOUND: Calls `/workflow:init` → creates `.workflow/project.json` with full project analysis

**Note**: `/workflow:init` uses cli-explore-agent to build comprehensive project understanding (technology stack, architecture, key components). This step runs once per project. Subsequent executions skip initialization.

## Mode 1: Discovery Mode (Default)

### Usage
```bash
/workflow:session:start
```

### Step 1: List Active Sessions
```bash
bash(ls -1 .workflow/active/ 2>/dev/null | head -5)
```

### Step 2: Display Session Metadata
```bash
bash(cat .workflow/active/WFS-promptmaster-platform/workflow-session.json)
```

### Step 4: User Decision
Present session information and wait for user to select or create session.

**Output**: `SESSION_ID: WFS-[user-selected-id]`

## Mode 2: Auto Mode (Intelligent)

### Usage
```bash
/workflow:session:start --auto "task description"
```

### Step 1: Check Active Sessions Count
```bash
bash(find .workflow/active/ -name "WFS-*" -type d 2>/dev/null | wc -l)
```

### Step 2a: No Active Sessions → Create New
```bash
# Generate session slug
bash(echo "implement OAuth2 auth" | sed 's/[^a-zA-Z0-9]/-/g' | tr '[:upper:]' '[:lower:]' | cut -c1-50)

# Create directory structure
bash(mkdir -p .workflow/active/WFS-implement-oauth2-auth/.process)
bash(mkdir -p .workflow/active/WFS-implement-oauth2-auth/.task)
bash(mkdir -p .workflow/active/WFS-implement-oauth2-auth/.summaries)

# Create metadata (include type field, default to "workflow" if not specified)
bash(echo '{"session_id":"WFS-implement-oauth2-auth","project":"implement OAuth2 auth","status":"planning","type":"workflow","created_at":"2024-12-04T08:00:00Z"}' > .workflow/active/WFS-implement-oauth2-auth/workflow-session.json)
```

**Output**: `SESSION_ID: WFS-implement-oauth2-auth`

### Step 2b: Single Active Session → Check Relevance
```bash
# Extract session ID
bash(find .workflow/active/ -name "WFS-*" -type d 2>/dev/null | head -1 | xargs basename)

# Read project name from metadata
bash(cat .workflow/active/WFS-promptmaster-platform/workflow-session.json | grep -o '"project":"[^"]*"' | cut -d'"' -f4)

# Check keyword match (manual comparison)
# If task contains project keywords → Reuse session
# If task unrelated → Create new session (use Step 2a)
```

**Output (reuse)**: `SESSION_ID: WFS-promptmaster-platform`
**Output (new)**: `SESSION_ID: WFS-[new-slug]`

### Step 2c: Multiple Active Sessions → Use First
```bash
# Get first active session
bash(find .workflow/active/ -name "WFS-*" -type d 2>/dev/null | head -1 | xargs basename)

# Output warning and session ID
# WARNING: Multiple active sessions detected
# SESSION_ID: WFS-first-session
```

## Mode 3: Force New Mode

### Usage
```bash
/workflow:session:start --new "task description"
```

### Step 1: Generate Unique Session Slug
```bash
# Convert to slug
bash(echo "fix login bug" | sed 's/[^a-zA-Z0-9]/-/g' | tr '[:upper:]' '[:lower:]' | cut -c1-50)

# Check if exists, add counter if needed
bash(ls .workflow/active/WFS-fix-login-bug 2>/dev/null && echo "WFS-fix-login-bug-2" || echo "WFS-fix-login-bug")
```

### Step 2: Create Session Structure
```bash
bash(mkdir -p .workflow/active/WFS-fix-login-bug/.process)
bash(mkdir -p .workflow/active/WFS-fix-login-bug/.task)
bash(mkdir -p .workflow/active/WFS-fix-login-bug/.summaries)
```

### Step 3: Create Metadata
```bash
# Include type field from --type parameter (default: "workflow")
bash(echo '{"session_id":"WFS-fix-login-bug","project":"fix login bug","status":"planning","type":"workflow","created_at":"2024-12-04T08:00:00Z"}' > .workflow/active/WFS-fix-login-bug/workflow-session.json)
```

**Output**: `SESSION_ID: WFS-fix-login-bug`

## Execution Guideline

- **Non-interrupting**: When called from other commands, this command completes and returns control to the caller without interrupting subsequent tasks.

## Output Format Specification

### Success
```
SESSION_ID: WFS-session-slug
```

### Error
```
ERROR: --auto mode requires task description
ERROR: Failed to create session directory
```

### Analysis (Auto Mode)
```
ANALYSIS: Task relevance = high
DECISION: Reusing existing session
SESSION_ID: WFS-promptmaster-platform
```


## Session ID Format
- Pattern: `WFS-[lowercase-slug]`
- Characters: `a-z`, `0-9`, `-` only
- Max length: 50 characters
- Uniqueness: Add numeric suffix if collision (`WFS-auth-2`, `WFS-auth-3`)

## session_manager Tool Alternative

The above bash commands can be replaced with `ccw tool exec session_manager`:

### List Sessions
```bash
# List active sessions with metadata
ccw tool exec session_manager '{"operation":"list","location":"active","include_metadata":true}'

# Response: {"success":true,"result":{"active":[{"session_id":"WFS-xxx","metadata":{...}}],"total":1}}
```

### Create Session (replaces mkdir + echo)
```bash
# Single command creates directories + metadata
ccw tool exec session_manager '{
  "operation": "init",
  "session_id": "WFS-my-session",
  "metadata": {
    "project": "my project description",
    "status": "planning",
    "type": "workflow",
    "created_at": "2025-12-10T08:00:00Z"
  }
}'
```

### Read Session Metadata
```bash
ccw tool exec session_manager '{"operation":"read","session_id":"WFS-xxx","content_type":"session"}'
```

### Operation Reference
| Old Pattern | session_manager |
|------------|-----------------|
| `ls .workflow/active/` | `{"operation":"list","location":"active"}` |
| `mkdir -p .../.process .../.task .../.summaries` | `{"operation":"init","session_id":"WFS-xxx"}` |
| `echo '{...}' > workflow-session.json` | `{"operation":"write","content_type":"session","content":{...}}` |
| `cat workflow-session.json` | `{"operation":"read","content_type":"session"}` |