02 | Codex App: Desktop Workflow and Clear Task Threads

Treat the App as a task workspace

The upstream course is App-first. The desktop App is not merely a terminal chat in a window: it keeps task descriptions, project context, change review, Git state, and follow-up actions in one workspace. Its purpose is to make the current work, the changes, and the next verification step visible.

Each thread should hold one describable goal. Separating a bug fix, a PR review, and a module exploration makes context and risk easier to revisit than turning one conversation into a weekly catch-all.

Three working modes

• Explore and plan: read the project, identify assumptions, find files and verification paths; do not write yet.
• Controlled implementation: state the goal, file scope, and constraints; inspect the resulting diff.
• Review and handoff: check Git state, test results, risk, and follow-up work before handing the result to another person or thread.

If requirements are unclear, scope is large, or verification is unknown, start with exploration. Create a separate implementation thread after the plan is understood.

Four fields for every task

The course puts context before action. A task description can follow this compact structure:

Goal: the problem to solve.
Scope: readable or editable directories, files, and branches.
Constraints: behavior, data, and operations that must not change.
Verification: tests, pages, or manual checks that prove the result.

These fields give Commands, project instructions, MCP, Skills, and plugins a proper task boundary. “Optimize the project” is not a safe direct-write request.

Make threads reviewable

After a task, preserve the original goal, actual changes, verification evidence, and unresolved risk. The upstream guide treats GitHub/PR, Commands, MCP, Skills, Plugins, Subagents, and Automations as different capability layers around that workflow. Learn threads and review first, then add a layer when a concrete problem calls for it.

The reliable desktop loop is: clear task → plan → small execution → diff → verification → handoff.