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name: using-beads-bv description: Use when coordinating dependency-aware task planning with beads (bd) CLI and bv graph sidecar - covers ready work selection, priority management, and robot flags for deterministic outputs

Using Beads and bv

Overview

Beads provides a lightweight, dependency-aware issue database. The bd CLI manages tasks, while bv provides graph metrics and execution planning.

Project: steveyegge/beads

When to Use

• Coordinating multi-agent work with dependencies
• Finding ready work (no blockers)
• Priority management and task sequencing
• Understanding project graph metrics

Don't use: Simple single-session tasks (use TodoWrite instead).

Quick Reference

Command	Description
bd ready	Show issues ready to work (no blockers)
bd list --status=open	All open issues
bd list --status=in_progress	Active work
bd show <id>	Issue details with dependencies
bd create --title="..." --type=task	Create new issue
bd update <id> --status=in_progress	Claim work
bd close <id>	Mark complete

bv Robot Flags (AI Sidecar)

CRITICAL: Always use --robot-* flags. The interactive TUI will block your session!

bv --robot-help          # All AI-facing commands
bv --robot-insights      # JSON graph metrics (PageRank, critical path, cycles)
bv --robot-plan          # JSON execution plan with parallel tracks
bv --robot-priority      # Priority recommendations with reasoning
bv --robot-recipes       # List available recipes
bv --robot-diff --diff-since <commit>  # Changes since commit/date

Example: Get Execution Plan

bv --robot-plan

Returns JSON with:

• Parallel tracks (what can run concurrently)
• Items per track
• Unblocks lists (what each completion frees up)

Common Workflows

Starting Work

bd ready                                  # Find available work
bd show <id>                              # Review issue details
bd update <id> --status=in_progress       # Claim it

Completing Work

bd close <id1> <id2> ...                  # Close completed issues
bd sync                                   # Push to remote

Creating Dependent Work

bd create --title="Implement feature X" --type=feature --priority=P2
bd create --title="Write tests for X" --type=task --priority=P2
bd dep add <tests-id> <feature-id>        # Tests depend on feature

Priority Levels

Use numeric priorities (NOT "high"/"medium"/"low"):

Priority	Use Case
P0	Critical - blocking everything
P1	High - needs immediate attention
P2	Medium - standard work
P3	Low - nice to have
P4	Backlog - future consideration

Conventions

• Single source of truth: Use Beads for task status/priority/dependencies
• Shared identifiers: Use beads issue ID (e.g., agent-relay-123) in commit messages
• Message subjects: Prefix with [agent-relay-123] for traceability

Session Close Protocol

Before ending any session:

bd sync                 # Commit beads changes
git add <files>         # Stage code changes
git commit -m "..."     # Include bd-### in message
bd sync                 # Commit any new beads changes
git push                # Push to remote

Anti-Patterns

Mistake	Fix
Using bv without robot flags	Always use --robot-* flags
Managing tasks in markdown	Use bd as single task queue
Missing issue IDs in commits	Always include bd-###
Using high/medium/low priority	Use P0-P4 numeric format