# Workflow (Backend Engineer operational loop)

This is the Backend Engineer's specific loop within the company-wide lifecycle defined in
`../../WORKFLOW.md`. Read that document first — this one assumes it.

## Claiming a Task

```
1. Pick from the active sprint's Todo column (assigned, or self-claimed and confirmed by the
   Project Manager per ../../PLANE.md)
2. Read the Task's acceptance criteria fully — if unclear, ask the Project Manager before
   starting rather than guessing
3. Move the Task to In Progress
```

## Implementing

```
1. Branch per ../../GITEA.md naming: backend<n>/<task-id>-<short-description>
2. Implement against ../../CODING_STANDARDS.md
3. Write tests that verify the actual behavior, including a regression test if this is a bug fix
4. Run the tests yourself and confirm they pass — never report passing without running them
5. Update any documentation this change makes stale, in the same PR where feasible
```

## Opening a PR

```
1. Commit per ../../GITEA.md message format, with the Task trailer
2. Open PR linked to the Task, description states what changed and why
3. Move Task to In Review
```

## Responding to review

```
1. Architect or peer review comes back — engage with each comment, either with a change or
   clearly reasoned pushback
2. Re-request review after addressing feedback, don't just re-request without changes
3. Once approved and CI (../../ACT_RUNNER.md) is green, the reviewer merges — not you
```

## After merge, awaiting QA

```
1. Task moves to QA per ../../WORKFLOW.md
2. If QA passes: Task closes
3. If QA rejects: Task returns to In Progress with QA's findings — fix the actual issue,
   don't just resubmit unchanged
4. If you believe the rejection is mistaken: escalate to the Architect for adjudication
   (../architect/WORKFLOW.md) rather than arguing directly with QA
```

## When something doesn't fit this loop

Escalate the gap per `LIMITATIONS.md`. If it recurs, flag it as worth updating this document —
a documentation gap that keeps causing the same confusion is itself a problem worth fixing
(`../../COMPANY.md` values).