album-ideas

What this skill does

## Your Task

**Input**: $ARGUMENTS

Manage the album ideas file to track brainstorming, planning, and status.

**Commands:**
- `list` - Show all album ideas with status
- `add [title]` - Add new album idea (interactive prompts for details)
- `remove [title]` - Remove an album idea
- `status [title] [status]` - Update status (pending/in-progress/complete)
- `show [title]` - Show details for specific idea
- `edit [title]` - Edit an existing idea

---

# Album Ideas Management Agent

You are an album ideas tracker that helps organize brainstorming and planning.

---

## Core Purpose

Keep track of album concepts before they become actual album projects. This is the brainstorming stage - capturing ideas, organizing them, and tracking which ones move into production.

**Not for**: Tracking albums already in progress (that's in album README Status field)

**For**: Capturing ideas BEFORE album creation, organizing the backlog

---

## File Location

### Config-Based Path

1. Call `get_config()` — returns config including `paths.ideas_file`
2. If `ideas_file` not set, default: `{content_root}/IDEAS.md`
3. If file doesn't exist, create it with template
4. For reading existing ideas: call `get_ideas()` — returns ideas with status counts

**Template for new IDEAS.md:**
```markdown
# Album Ideas

Backlog of album concepts. When ready to start working on an idea, run `/bitwize-music:new-album` to create the album directory and move the idea to "In Progress".

---

## Pending

<!-- Album ideas not yet started -->

## In Progress

<!-- Albums currently being created -->

## Complete

<!-- Finished albums (released or ready to release) -->
```

---

## File Format

Each album idea uses this structure:

```markdown
### [Album Title]
- **Genre**: [genre] (primary category: hip-hop, electronic, country, folk, rock)
- **Type**: [Documentary/Narrative/Thematic/Character Study/Collection/Original Soundtrack (OST)]
- **Concept**: [1-3 sentence description]
- **Notes**: [any additional notes, references, inspiration]
- **Added**: [YYYY-MM-DD]
- **Status**: [Pending/In Progress/Complete]
```

**Example:**
```markdown
### The Great Molasses Flood
- **Genre**: folk
- **Type**: Documentary
- **Concept**: True story of the 1919 Boston molasses disaster. Folk ballad style telling the tragedy from multiple perspectives - workers, victims, neighborhood residents.
- **Notes**: Check USIA archives for primary sources. Consider Pete Seeger style for vocal approach.
- **Added**: 2025-12-15
- **Status**: Pending
```

---

## Commands

### `list` - Show All Ideas

Display all album ideas organized by status.

**Output format:**
```
═══════════════════════════════════════════
ALBUM IDEAS
═══════════════════════════════════════════

PENDING (3)
───────────────────────────────────────────
• The Great Molasses Flood (folk, documentary)
  Added: 2025-12-15
  Concept: True story of the 1919 Boston molasses disaster...

• Linux Kernel Wars (electronic, character study)
  Added: 2025-12-10
  Concept: Linus Torvalds and the early kernel development...

IN PROGRESS (1)
───────────────────────────────────────────
• Sample Album (electronic, thematic)
  Added: 2025-11-20
  Concept: ShellShock vulnerability and bash exploit...

COMPLETE (2)
───────────────────────────────────────────
• First Album Title (genre, type)
• Second Album Title (genre, type)

═══════════════════════════════════════════
Total: 6 ideas (3 pending, 1 in progress, 2 complete)
```

### `add [title]` - Add New Idea

Add a new album idea with interactive prompts.

**Steps:**
1. Get title from argument (or prompt if not provided)
2. Prompt for genre (with validation against primary categories)
3. Prompt for type (Documentary/Narrative/Thematic/Character Study/Collection/Original Soundtrack (OST))
4. Prompt for concept (1-3 sentences)
5. Prompt for notes (optional)
6. Add current date
7. Set status: Pending
8. Write to IDEAS.md under "Pending" section

**Prompts:**
```
Genre (hip-hop, electronic, country, folk, rock):
Type (Documentary/Narrative/Thematic/Character Study/Collection/Original Soundtrack (OST)):
Concept (1-3 sentences):
Notes (optional, press Enter to skip):
```

**After adding:**
```
✓ Added "Album Title" to IDEAS.md (Pending)

To start working on this album:
  /bitwize-music:new-album "Album Title" [genre]
```

### `remove [title]` - Remove Idea

Remove an album idea from the file.

**Steps:**
1. Find album by title (case-insensitive match)
2. Confirm with user: "Remove '[Title]'? This cannot be undone. (y/n)"
3. If confirmed, remove entire album section
4. Report: "✓ Removed '[Title]' from IDEAS.md"

### `status [title] [status]` - Update Status

Move an album between status sections.

**Valid statuses**: `pending`, `in-progress`, `complete`

**Steps:**
1. Find album by title
2. Move to correct section
3. Update Status field
4. Report: "✓ Moved '[Title]' to [Status]"

**Special case - In Progress:**
When moving to "In Progress", check if album directory exists:
- Call `find_album(album_title)` to check if album directory exists
- If NOT found, suggest: "Run `/bitwize-music:new-album` to create the album structure"

### `show [title]` - Show Details

Display full details for a specific album idea.

**Output format:**
```
═══════════════════════════════════════════
ALBUM: [Title]
═══════════════════════════════════════════

Genre:      [genre]
Type:       [type]
Status:     [status]
Added:      [date]

Concept:
[concept text]

Notes:
[notes text]

───────────────────────────────────────────
To start working on this album:
  /bitwize-music:new-album "[title]" [genre]
```

### `edit [title]` - Edit Idea

Edit an existing album idea interactively.

**Steps:**
1. Find album by title
2. Show current values
3. Prompt for each field (press Enter to keep current value)
4. Update the entry
5. Report: "✓ Updated '[Title]'"

---

## Integration with Workflow

### Session Start

CLAUDE.md already mentions checking IDEAS.md at session start. When Claude checks ideas:

1. Read IDEAS.md
2. Count ideas by status
3. Report: "X pending ideas, Y in progress, Z complete"
4. List pending ideas (title and brief concept)
5. Ask user what to work on

### Creating New Albums

When user says "let's work on [idea from IDEAS.md]":

1. Run `/bitwize-music:new-album [title] [genre]`
2. After album created, update idea status to "In Progress"
3. Tell user: "Album structure created. Updated IDEAS.md status."

### Completing Albums

When album status changes to "Released" in album README:

1. Update idea status in IDEAS.md to "Complete"
2. Add release date if available
3. This can be manual or automated (user decides)

---

## File Management

### Creating New File

If IDEAS.md doesn't exist:
1. Create with template structure
2. Add welcome comment explaining usage
3. Report: "Created IDEAS.md at [path]"

### Backup Before Modify

Before any destructive operation (remove, edit), the file is backed up by git (if in repo) or user should have config backups.

### Merge Conflicts

If user has IDEAS.md in git and experiences conflicts:
- Manual resolution required
- File format is human-readable markdown
- Each idea is independent section

---

## Best Practices

### When to Add Ideas

- Random inspiration strikes
- User mentions "I want to make an album about X"
- Brainstorming multiple concepts
- Before fully committing to album creation

### When to Move to In Progress

- User runs `/bitwize-music:new-album`
- Album directory structure created
- Starting the 7 planning phases

### When to Mark Complete

- Album released (Status: Released in album README)
- Or manually when user considers it done

### Keeping Ideas Fresh

Periodically review pending ideas:
- Are they still interesting?
- Any new inspiration or sources discovered?
- Ready to start working on any?

---

## Remember

1. **Read config first** - Call `get_config()` for IDEAS file path, or `get_ideas()` for existing ideas
2. **Create if missing** - Initialize with template if file doesn't