t.2p4: add dynamic task subtree insertion for ace-assign

.ace-retros/8qp3m0-task-8qp-t-2p4-subtree/8qp3m0-task-8qp-t-2p4-subtree-insertion.retro.md

@@ -0,0 +1,30 @@
+---
+id: 8qp3m0
+title: task-8qp-t-2p4-subtree-insertion
+type: standard
+tags: [assignment, ace-assign, release]
+created_at: "2026-03-26 02:24:27"
+status: active
+---
+
+# task-8qp-t-2p4-subtree-insertion
+
+## What Went Well
+- Scoped assignment driving kept execution deterministic by pinning `8qp2x6@010.01` and advancing one step at a time.
+- Core feature work (`ace-assign add --from`) landed with focused command and organism tests, then passed package-level verification.
+- Release step produced clean version/changelog updates and a lockfile refresh with no residual working-tree changes.
+
+## What Could Be Improved
+- Release automation split scoped commits by package/config scope; when a single coordinated commit is required, that behavior should be decided up front.
+- Downstream dependency constraints (`ace-overseer` -> `ace-assign`) were discovered late in release execution instead of during planning.
+- Pre-release checklist did not explicitly force early validation of transitive gemspec constraints for minor bumps.
+
+## Key Learnings
+- Batch subtree insertion needs both CLI-level validation and executor-level metadata preservation tests to avoid regressions in generated step trees.
+- For release-minor steps, checking `rg "\"ace-<package>\"" ace-*/*.gemspec` early prevents last-minute dependency/version churn.
+- Keeping assignment report artifacts concise and command-grounded makes later subtree review easier.
+
+## Action Items
+- Continue: keep explicit `--assignment <id>@<scope>` targeting for every assignment command in subtree runs.
+- Start: add an explicit "dependency constraint audit" checkpoint before changelog/version edits in release workflow execution.
+- Stop: assuming package-only changes imply single-package release; validate downstream constraints first.

.ace-tasks/8qp.t.2p4-dynamic-task-subtree-insertion-for/8qp.t.2p4-dynamic-task-subtree-insertion-for-ace-assign.s.md

@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 ---
 id: 8qp.t.2p4
-status: in-progress
+status: done
 priority: medium
 created_at: "2026-03-26 01:47:55"
 estimate: TBD

.claude/skills/as-assign-add-task/SKILL.md

@@ -0,0 +1,24 @@
+---
+name: as-assign-add-task
+description: Add a work-on-task subtree into a running assignment batch parent
+# bundle: wfi://assign/add-task
+# agent: general-purpose
+user-invocable: true
+allowed-tools:
+- Bash(ace-assign:*)
+- Bash(ace-bundle:*)
+- Bash(ace-task:*)
+- Read
+- Write
+- AskUserQuestion
+argument-hint: "taskref [--parent STEP] [--assignment ID]"
+last_modified: 2026-03-26
+source: ace-assign
+skill:
+  kind: workflow
+  execution:
+    workflow: wfi://assign/add-task
+
+---
+
+Load and run `ace-bundle wfi://assign/add-task` in the current project, then follow the loaded workflow as the source of truth and execute it end-to-end instead of only summarizing it.

.codex/skills/as-assign-add-task/SKILL.md

@@ -0,0 +1,24 @@
+---
+name: as-assign-add-task
+description: Add a work-on-task subtree into a running assignment batch parent
+# bundle: wfi://assign/add-task
+# agent: general-purpose
+user-invocable: true
+allowed-tools:
+- Bash(ace-assign:*)
+- Bash(ace-bundle:*)
+- Bash(ace-task:*)
+- Read
+- Write
+- AskUserQuestion
+argument-hint: "taskref [--parent STEP] [--assignment ID]"
+last_modified: 2026-03-26
+source: ace-assign
+skill:
+  kind: workflow
+  execution:
+    workflow: wfi://assign/add-task
+
+---
+
+Load and run `ace-bundle wfi://assign/add-task` in the current project, then follow the loaded workflow as the source of truth and execute it end-to-end instead of only summarizing it.

.gemini/skills/as-assign-add-task/SKILL.md

@@ -0,0 +1,24 @@
+---
+name: as-assign-add-task
+description: Add a work-on-task subtree into a running assignment batch parent
+# bundle: wfi://assign/add-task
+# agent: general-purpose
+user-invocable: true
+allowed-tools:
+- Bash(ace-assign:*)
+- Bash(ace-bundle:*)
+- Bash(ace-task:*)
+- Read
+- Write
+- AskUserQuestion
+argument-hint: "taskref [--parent STEP] [--assignment ID]"
+last_modified: 2026-03-26
+source: ace-assign
+skill:
+  kind: workflow
+  execution:
+    workflow: wfi://assign/add-task
+
+---
+
+Load and run `ace-bundle wfi://assign/add-task` in the current project, then follow the loaded workflow as the source of truth and execute it end-to-end instead of only summarizing it.

.opencode/skills/as-assign-add-task/SKILL.md

@@ -0,0 +1,24 @@
+---
+name: as-assign-add-task
+description: Add a work-on-task subtree into a running assignment batch parent
+# bundle: wfi://assign/add-task
+# agent: general-purpose
+user-invocable: true
+allowed-tools:
+- Bash(ace-assign:*)
+- Bash(ace-bundle:*)
+- Bash(ace-task:*)
+- Read
+- Write
+- AskUserQuestion
+argument-hint: "taskref [--parent STEP] [--assignment ID]"
+last_modified: 2026-03-26
+source: ace-assign
+skill:
+  kind: workflow
+  execution:
+    workflow: wfi://assign/add-task
+
+---
+
+Load and run `ace-bundle wfi://assign/add-task` in the current project, then follow the loaded workflow as the source of truth and execute it end-to-end instead of only summarizing it.

.pi/skills/as-assign-add-task/SKILL.md

@@ -0,0 +1,24 @@
+---
+name: as-assign-add-task
+description: Add a work-on-task subtree into a running assignment batch parent
+# bundle: wfi://assign/add-task
+# agent: general-purpose
+user-invocable: true
+allowed-tools:
+- Bash(ace-assign:*)
+- Bash(ace-bundle:*)
+- Bash(ace-task:*)
+- Read
+- Write
+- AskUserQuestion
+argument-hint: "taskref [--parent STEP] [--assignment ID]"
+last_modified: 2026-03-26
+source: ace-assign
+skill:
+  kind: workflow
+  execution:
+    workflow: wfi://assign/add-task
+
+---
+
+Load and run `ace-bundle wfi://assign/add-task` in the current project, then follow the loaded workflow as the source of truth and execute it end-to-end instead of only summarizing it.

CHANGELOG.md

@@ -4,6 +4,19 @@ All notable changes to this project will be documented in this file.
 
 ## [Unreleased]
 
+## [0.9.926] - 2026-03-26
+
+### Added
+- **ace-assign v0.38.0**: Added `ace-assign add --from <file>` for YAML-driven batch insertion with nested `sub_steps` support.
+- **ace-assign v0.38.0**: Added `as-assign-add-task` and `wfi://assign/add-task` for guided subtree insertion.
+
+### Changed
+- **ace-assign v0.38.0**: Extended assignment insertion to preserve metadata/frontmatter across batch-added steps and documented the workflow in usage/getting-started/handbook guides.
+- **ace-overseer v0.11.1**: Updated the `ace-assign` dependency constraint to `~> 0.38`.
+
+### Technical
+- **ace-assign v0.38.0**: Expanded command/executor test coverage for `--from` validation, child rebalance behavior, and metadata preservation.
+
 ## [0.9.925] - 2026-03-23
 
 ### Fixed

Gemfile.lock

@@ -1,7 +1,7 @@
 PATH
   remote: ace-assign
   specs:
-    ace-assign (0.37.0)
+    ace-assign (0.38.0)
       ace-b36ts (~> 0.7)
       ace-llm (~> 0.26)
       ace-support-cli (~> 0.3)
@@ -184,8 +184,8 @@ PATH
 PATH
   remote: ace-overseer
   specs:
-    ace-overseer (0.11.0)
-      ace-assign (~> 0.16)
+    ace-overseer (0.11.1)
+      ace-assign (~> 0.38)
       ace-git (~> 0.10)
       ace-git-worktree (~> 0.13)
       ace-support-cli (~> 0.3)

ace-assign/CHANGELOG.md

@@ -7,6 +7,19 @@ and this project adheres to [Semantic Versioning](https://semver.org/spec/v2.0.0
 
 ## [Unreleased]
 
+## [0.38.0] - 2026-03-26
+
+### Added
+- Added `ace-assign add --from <file>` to insert multiple steps from YAML, including nested `sub_steps` expansion.
+- Added the `as-assign-add-task` skill and `wfi://assign/add-task` workflow for guided subtree insertion.
+
+### Changed
+- Extended assignment insertion execution with batch insertion support and frontmatter passthrough for inserted steps.
+- Updated usage, getting-started, and handbook docs to cover the new `add --from` workflow.
+
+### Technical
+- Expanded command and executor coverage for `--from` validation, child rebalance behavior, and metadata preservation.
+
 ## [0.37.0] - 2026-03-23
 
 ### Changed

ace-assign/docs/getting-started.md

@@ -72,9 +72,11 @@ Use `--message <file>` to keep reports explicit and reusable.
 ```bash
 ace-assign add fix-links --instructions "Fix broken docs links"
 ace-assign add verify-links --after 020 --child -i "Check all markdown links"
+ace-assign add --from .ace-local/assign/jobs/add-task-t.xyz.yml --after 010 --child
 ```
 
 Use `--child` to insert nested steps under a parent step.
+Use `--from` to insert multiple steps (including subtree expansions via `sub_steps`) from YAML.
 
 ## 4) Work with hierarchical steps
 

ace-assign/docs/handbook.md

@@ -15,6 +15,7 @@ Canonical skills and workflow instructions bundled with `ace-assign`.
 
 | Skill | What it does |
 |-------|---------------|
+| `as-assign-add-task` | Add a work-on-task subtree into a running assignment batch parent |
 | `as-assign-compose` | Compose a tailored assignment from catalog steps and composition rules |
 | `as-assign-create` | Create assignments from public workflow, with optional handoff to drive |
 | `as-assign-drive` | Drive active assignment execution step-by-step |
@@ -26,6 +27,7 @@ Canonical skills and workflow instructions bundled with `ace-assign`.
 
 | Protocol Path | Purpose | Invoked by |
 |---------------|---------|------------|
+| `wfi://assign/add-task` | Insert a task subtree into a running assignment using `ace-assign add --from` | `as-assign-add-task` |
 | `wfi://assign/compose` | Compose assignment definitions from cataloged steps | `as-assign-compose` |
 | `wfi://assign/create` | Create assignment and initialize queue from config | `as-assign-create` |
 | `wfi://assign/drive` | Execute active assignment loop with status/finish/fail transitions | `as-assign-drive` |

ace-assign/docs/usage.md

@@ -60,6 +60,7 @@ Create child/sibling steps:
 ```bash
 ace-assign add setup-db --after 010 --child -i "Set up DB"
 ace-assign add hotfix --after 010 -i "Urgent fix"
+ace-assign add --from .ace-local/assign/jobs/add-task.yml --after 010 --child
 ```
 
 ## Commands
@@ -123,19 +124,22 @@ Options:
 - `--quiet, -q`
 - `--debug, -d`
 
-### `ace-assign add NAME`
+### `ace-assign add [NAME]`
 
 Insert a new step dynamically.
 
 Options:
 
 - `--instructions, -i TEXT`
+- `--from FILE`
 - `--after, -a NUMBER`
 - `--child, -c`
 - `--assignment <id>`
 - `--quiet, -q`
 - `--debug, -d`
 
+`NAME` and `--from` are mutually exclusive. One is required.
+
 ### `ace-assign retry STEP_REF`
 
 Create a linked retry step for a failed step.

ace-assign/handbook/skills/as-assign-add-task/SKILL.md

@@ -0,0 +1,24 @@
+---
+name: as-assign-add-task
+description: Add a work-on-task subtree into a running assignment batch parent
+# bundle: wfi://assign/add-task
+# agent: general-purpose
+user-invocable: true
+allowed-tools:
+- Bash(ace-assign:*)
+- Bash(ace-bundle:*)
+- Bash(ace-task:*)
+- Read
+- Write
+- AskUserQuestion
+argument-hint: "taskref [--parent STEP] [--assignment ID]"
+last_modified: 2026-03-26
+source: ace-assign
+skill:
+  kind: workflow
+  execution:
+    workflow: wfi://assign/add-task
+
+---
+
+Load and run `ace-bundle wfi://assign/add-task` in the current project, then follow the loaded workflow as the source of truth and execute it end-to-end instead of only summarizing it.