Oct 17 • Prompts Galore
Create New Checkpoint (Git)
Use this prompt when you've reached a stable milestone and want to create a rollback point before starting new development work. Rather than manually remembering the specific naming conventions, git commands, and documentation updates required for a proper checkpoint, this prompt automates the entire process through an LLM agent. The agent will gather your project's current status, create properly named tags and branches following your established conventions, update all relevant documentation files, and verify everything was created successfully—ensuring consistency across checkpoints and eliminating the human error that occurs when manually creating backups during busy development periods.
Here's the prompt:
# LLM Prompt: Create New Stable Checkpoint
```
I need you to create a new stable checkpoint (backup branch and tag) for {{{YOUR APPLICATION NAME}}}. We've reached a stable milestone and want to create a rollback point before continuing with new development.
## Current Situation
- We've reached a significant milestone or stable point
- All tests are passing and the application is stable
- We want to create a checkpoint before starting new feature development
- This checkpoint will serve as a rollback point if issues arise
## Your Task
Follow the procedure documented in `docs/CREATING_STABLE_CHECKPOINTS.md` to create a new checkpoint.
### Step 1: Gather Information
First, gather the required information:
```bash
# 1. Get current version
cat VERSION
# 2. Get Task Master status
task-master list --status=all
# 3. Get current commit info
git log -1 --format="%H %s"
# 4. Verify we're on develop and up to date
git branch --show-current
git status
git pull origin develop
```
Show me this information before proceeding.
### Step 2: Confirm Details With Me
Before creating the checkpoint, ask me:
1. What feature or milestone are we about to START working on next? (for naming)
2. Confirm the current version number from VERSION file
3. Confirm the task completion status
4. Is this the right time to create a checkpoint?
### Step 3: Create the Tag
After I confirm, create an annotated tag using this format:
```bash
git tag -a v[VERSION]-stable -m "Stable point: [X]/[Y] tasks complete ([Z]%), before [feature-name]"
```
Example:
```bash
git tag -a v0.35.0-stable -m "Stable point: 203/203 tasks complete (100%), before AI integration"
```
Push the tag:
```bash
git push origin v[VERSION]-stable
```
### Step 4: Create the Backup Branch
Create a backup branch using this naming format:
```bash
git checkout -b backup/pre-[feature-name]-YYYY-MM-DD
```
Use today's date in YYYY-MM-DD format.
Example:
```bash
git checkout -b backup/pre-ai-integration-2025-07-15
```
Push the branch:
```bash
git push origin backup/pre-[feature-name]-YYYY-MM-DD
```
Return to develop:
```bash
git checkout develop
```
### Step 5: Verify Creation
Verify the tag and branch were created successfully:
```bash
# Verify tag exists locally and remotely
git tag | grep v[VERSION]-stable
git ls-remote --tags origin | grep v[VERSION]-stable
# Verify branch exists locally and remotely
git branch | grep backup/
git branch -r | grep backup/
# Show tag details
git show v[VERSION]-stable --stat
```
Show me the verification output.
### Step 6: Update Documentation
1. Find the "Current Stable Backup Points" section near the top
2. Update it with the new checkpoint information:
```markdown
### Latest Backup ([Month] [Day], [Year])
- **Tag:** `v[VERSION]-stable`
- **Branch:** `backup/pre-[feature-name]-YYYY-MM-DD`
- **Commit:** `[commit-hash]`
- **Commit Message:** "[commit message]"
- **Project Status:** [X]/[Y] tasks complete ([Z]%)
- **Created Before:** [Feature description]
- **Version:** v[VERSION]
```
3. Add an entry to the "Backup Point History" table (around line 180):
```markdown
| YYYY-MM-DD | v[VERSION]-stable | backup/pre-[feature]-YYYY-MM-DD | v[VERSION] | Active | [Z]% complete, before [feature] |
```
### Step 7: Commit Documentation
After I approve the documentation changes:
```bash
git add docs/ROLLBACK_PROCEDURES.md
git commit -m "docs: add stable checkpoint v[VERSION] before [feature-name]
- Tag: v[VERSION]-stable
- Branch: backup/pre-[feature]-YYYY-MM-DD
- Status: [X]/[Y] tasks complete ([Z]%)"
```
### Step 8: Final Verification and Summary
Provide me with a summary:
1. **Checkpoint Created:**
- Tag name: [tag]
- Branch name: [branch]
- Commit hash: [hash]
2. **Project Status:**
- Version: [version]
- Tasks: [X]/[Y] ([Z]%)
- Purpose: Backup before [feature]
3. **Verification:**
- Tag pushed to remote: ✅/❌
- Branch pushed to remote: ✅/❌
- Documentation updated: ✅/❌
- Changes committed: ✅/❌
4. **Next Steps:**
- You can now safely begin work on [feature]
- If issues arise, refer to docs/ROLLBACK_PROCEDURES.md
- Announce checkpoint to team if needed
## Important Requirements
- ✅ ALWAYS verify we're on develop branch before starting
- ✅ ALWAYS pull latest changes before creating checkpoint
- ✅ ALWAYS use consistent naming conventions
- ✅ ALWAYS update ROLLBACK_PROCEDURES.md
- ✅ ALWAYS verify tag and branch are pushed to remote
- ✅ Show me changes before committing
## Naming Conventions
**Tag Format:**
```
v[VERSION]-stable
```
Examples: v0.29.0-stable, v1.0.0-stable, v2.5.3-stable
**Branch Format:**
```
backup/pre-[feature-name]-YYYY-MM-DD
```
Examples:
- backup/pre-video-tutorials-2025-01-17
- backup/pre-ai-integration-2025-07-15
- backup/pre-mobile-redesign-2025-10-20
**Naming Tips:**
- Use lowercase with hyphens
- Keep feature name concise but descriptive
- Use "pre-" prefix for what's starting next
- Always include date in YYYY-MM-DD format
## Questions to Ask Me Before Starting
1. What is the feature name we're about to start? (for branch naming)
2. Have all tests passed?
3. Has staging been tested?
4. Is this a good time to create a checkpoint?
5. Should we announce this checkpoint to the team?
Please start by reading `docs/CREATING_STABLE_CHECKPOINTS.md` and gathering the information from Step 1.
```
---
## Usage Instructions
### When to Use This Prompt
Use this prompt when:
- ✅ Reached a major milestone (e.g., 95%+, 100% task completion)
- ✅ About to start a complex or risky feature
- ✅ All tests are passing
- ✅ Staging environment is stable
- ✅ Ready for a production release
- ✅ Regular checkpoint interval (every 3-6 months)
### How to Use
1. **Ensure Prerequisites:**
- All tests passing locally
- Staging tested and stable
- Know what feature you're starting next
- VERSION file is current
- On develop branch
2. **Copy the Prompt:**
- Copy the entire prompt from the code block above
- Paste into your LLM conversation
3. **Answer Questions:**
- LLM will ask for feature name
- Confirm version and status
- Approve documentation changes
4. **Verify Success:**
- LLM will provide summary
- Check that tag and branch exist on GitHub
- Verify documentation was updated
### What This Prompt Does
- Reads the checkpoint creation procedures
- Gathers current project information
- Creates tag with proper naming
- Creates backup branch with proper naming
- Verifies creation was successful
- Updates ROLLBACK_PROCEDURES.md
- Commits documentation changes
- Provides completion summary
---
## Example Conversation Flow
**You paste the prompt, then:**
```
Current Version: 0.35.0
Task Status: 203/203 tasks complete (100%)
Current Commit: abc123def "feat: complete help portal"
Branch: develop (up to date)
```
"Before proceeding, please answer:
1. What feature are we about to start?
2. Have all tests passed?
3. Has staging been tested?"
**You:**
"1. AI integration feature
2. Yes, all tests passing
3. Yes, staging is stable"
**LLM:** "Creating checkpoint for v0.35.0 before AI integration..."
[Creates tag and branch]
"Checkpoint created successfully. Updating documentation..."
[Shows you the documentation changes]
"Here are the changes I'm about to make to ROLLBACK_PROCEDURES.md. Should I proceed with commit? (Yes/No)"
**You:** "Yes"
**LLM:** "Committed. Checkpoint complete! Summary: [provides summary]"
---
## Common Scenarios
### Scenario 1: Major Milestone Reached
```
Feature starting: video-tutorials
Status: 197/203 (97%)
Version: 0.29.0
Reason: Before starting Help Portal video section
```
**Result:**
- Tag: `v0.29.0-stable`
- Branch: `backup/pre-video-tutorials-2025-01-17`
### Scenario 2: 100% Completion
```
Feature starting: ai-integration
Status: 203/203 (100%)
Version: 0.35.0
Reason: All tasks complete, starting new phase
```
**Result:**
- Tag: `v0.35.0-stable`
- Branch: `backup/pre-ai-integration-2025-07-15`
### Scenario 3: Before Risky Feature
```
Feature starting: database-migration
Status: 195/203 (96%)
Version: 0.32.0
Reason: Major schema changes upcoming
```
**Result:**
- Tag: `v0.32.0-stable`
- Branch: `backup/pre-database-migration-2025-06-20`
### Scenario 4: Quarterly Checkpoint
```
Feature starting: Q3-development
Status: 198/203 (97.5%)
Version: 0.34.0
Reason: End of Q2, regular checkpoint
```
**Result:**
- Tag: `v0.34.0-stable`
- Branch: `backup/quarterly-checkpoint-2025-q2`
---
## Verification Checklist
After LLM completes, verify:
- [ ] Tag exists on GitHub: `git ls-remote --tags origin | grep stable`
- [ ] Branch exists on GitHub: `git branch -r | grep backup/`
- [ ] Can view tag on GitHub: https://github.com/[org]/{{{YOUR APPLICATION}}}/tags
- [ ] Documentation changes are accurate
- [ ] Ready to start new feature development
---
## Troubleshooting
### Tag Already Exists
**LLM will see error:** "tag 'v0.35.0-stable' already exists"
**Tell LLM:** "Delete the existing tag and recreate it:
```bash
git tag -d v0.35.0-stable
git push origin --delete v0.35.0-stable
```
Then retry the checkpoint creation."
### Branch Already Exists
**LLM will see error:** "branch 'backup/...' already exists"
**Tell LLM:** "Use a different date or add a suffix to the branch name, or delete the existing branch if it was created in error."
### Wrong Version Number
**You notice version is wrong after checkpoint created**
**Tell LLM:** "We need to recreate the checkpoint with the correct version number. First, delete the tag and branch we just created, update the VERSION file, then run the checkpoint creation again."
---
## Post-Checkpoint Actions
### Optional: Update BACKUP_SUMMARY.md
**Tell LLM:** "Please update BACKUP_SUMMARY.md with the new checkpoint information, replacing all references to the previous checkpoint."
### Announce to Team
Use this template to announce:
```
📍 **New Stable Checkpoint Created**
- **Tag:** v[VERSION]-stable
- **Branch:** backup/pre-[feature]-YYYY-MM-DD
- **Status:** [X]/[Y] tasks ([Z]%)
- **Purpose:** Rollback point before [feature]
- **Docs:** See docs/ROLLBACK_PROCEDURES.md
We can now safely begin [feature] development. If critical issues arise, we have a clear rollback path.
```
### Begin New Feature Work
You're now ready to:
- Start the new feature development
- Make experimental changes safely
- Try risky refactors
- Knowing you can rollback if needed
---
**Last Updated:** January 17, 2025
**Related Files:**
- [CREATING_STABLE_CHECKPOINTS.md](../CREATING_STABLE_CHECKPOINTS.md) - Full checkpoint creation guide
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Create New Checkpoint (Git)
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