Claude-Code-Workflow/.claude/commands/workflow/session/start.md

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

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

If NOT_FOUND, delegate to /workflow:init:

// 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

/workflow:session:start

Step 1: List Active Sessions

bash(ls -1 .workflow/active/ 2>/dev/null | head -5)

Step 2: Display Session Metadata

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

/workflow:session:start --auto "task description"

Step 1: Check Active Sessions Count

bash(find .workflow/active/ -name "WFS-*" -type d 2>/dev/null | wc -l)

Step 2a: No Active Sessions → Create New

# 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

# 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

# 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

/workflow:session:start --new "task description"

Step 1: Generate Unique Session Slug

# 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(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

# 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

# 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)

# 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

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"}