work-items-to-jira

# Work Items to Jira Tickets

Take an already-broken-down `work-items.md` file (produced by `/plan-work-items`) and publish each slice as a Jira ticket in a single target project.

The breakdown work — drafting slices, assigning symbolic IDs, specifying dependencies, inventorying references — has already been done upstream. This skill's job is to validate the format, confirm the target, create one ticket per slice through the Atlassian MCP server, link the within-file dependencies, and place the tickets in the chosen column.

## Rules

- **Every slice posts into one Jira project.** This skill does not split work across repos or projects. A `work-items.md` that names multiple code repos still produces tickets in the single project you name; the repo prose is informational only.
- **Dependencies are within-file only.** Every SYM named in a `Depends on` line must resolve to another slice in the same file. A `Depends on` that names an unknown SYM is a format error to surface for repair.
- **Symbolic-ID prefixes:** accept whatever the input uses. Any uppercase prefix shape is valid (`W-N`, `V2-N`, `EV-N`, …); the prefix has no effect on Jira placement.
- **Defaults:** issue type `Story`, no assignee, reporter taken from the Atlassian MCP identity, and the project's initial status (Backlog). Each is overridable per run; nothing is assigned or moved unless asked.
- **Parenting is optional and determines the child issue type.** `--parent <KEY>` accepts an epic or a standard issue (a story, task, or bug). Under an **epic**, each item is a standard issue (default `Story`). Under a **story** (any standard issue), each item is a **subtask** (default the project's subtask issue type). You cannot parent under a subtask. `--epic <KEY>` is a deprecated alias for `--parent`; it resolves the same way regardless of the named issue's actual type.
- **Every slice ticket MUST carry the reference artifacts an implementer needs** — API/event contracts, design references, schema docs, runbooks, ADRs, coding standards. Tickets that consume an HTTP endpoint or event payload MUST reference the contract section that defines it. Full include/exclude list in [references/reference-artifact-inventory.md](./references/reference-artifact-inventory.md).
- **NEVER include process artifacts in ticket descriptions.** Excluded: iteration histories, decision logs, review findings, team findings, facilitation summaries, gap analyses, and anything under an `artifacts/` subfolder of the plan that is not a contract or design reference.
- **No screenshot upload or image embedding.** Design references are carried as links, not uploaded into Jira. See [references/jira-ticket-template.md](./references/jira-ticket-template.md).

## Process

### 0. Atlassian MCP preflight (hard requirement)

This skill cannot run without a configured and connected Atlassian MCP server. Confirm it is reachable by calling `mcp__claude_ai_Atlassian__getAccessibleAtlassianResources` to retrieve the cloud ID(s). If the tool is unavailable, the call errors, or it returns no accessible resources, **stop immediately** and tell the user the skill requires the Atlassian MCP server to be installed, configured, and authenticated. Do not fall back to any other publishing target.

If more than one site is accessible, note which are available; you will confirm the right one while resolving the project in Step 3.

### 1. Locate the work-items file

If the path is not provided, ask for it. The input is a single `work-items.md` produced by `/plan-work-items`. Read it. Its format is described in [references/work-items-file-format.md](./references/work-items-file-format.md).

### 2. Gather the run options

Read these from the arguments and conversation; do not guess defaults the user did not ask for:

- **Target project or board** — `--project <KEY>` (e.g., `ACME`) or `--board <name/URL>`. **Required.** If absent, ask for it in Step 3.
- **Parent** — `--parent <KEY>` (an epic like `ACME-12`, or a story / standard issue like `ACME-34`) or an issue URL. Optional. When present, every created ticket is parented to it. `--epic <KEY>` is accepted as a deprecated alias for the same option; if both are given and name different keys, stop and ask which one. The parent's hierarchy level decides the child issue type (resolved in Step 3): standard issues under an epic, subtasks under a story.
- **Issue type** — `--type <name>`. Optional; defaults to `Story` at the project top level or under an epic, and to the project's subtask issue type when the parent is a story.
- **Assignee** — `--assignee <accountId or email>`. Optional; defaults to unassigned.
- **Column** — `--column <name>`. Optional; defaults to the project's initial status (Backlog).

### 3. Resolve the target against Jira

Using the cloud ID from Step 0, resolve everything concretely now so failures surface before any ticket is created:

- **Project (required).** If given a project key, confirm it with `mcp__claude_ai_Atlassian__getVisibleJiraProjects`. If given a board, resolve it to its underlying project (list projects and match; if a board maps to more than one project or is ambiguous, ask the user which project to use). If no project or board was provided, ask for one — do not proceed without a project key.
- **Parent (optional).** If a parent was named (`--parent`, or the deprecated `--epic`), fetch it with `mcp__claude_ai_Atlassian__getJiraIssue` to confirm it exists and is in the target project, then read its issue type's hierarchy level to decide the child mode:
  - **Epic** (an epic-type issue, hierarchy level above standard) → children are **standard-level issues**; the effective default issue type is `Story`.
  - **Standard issue** (Story, Task, Bug — hierarchy level 0) → children must be **subtasks**; the effective default issue type is the project's subtask type (resolved in the next bullet).
  - **Subtask** → **stop**: a subtask cannot have children. Tell the user to name an epic or a standard issue instead.