Kiro Task Generation Fix: Dot-Separated Sequences Issue

Hey guys! Let's dive into a common hiccup some of us are facing with Kiro – the dreaded dot-separated sequences in task generation that are throwing a wrench into Spec mode execution. This article breaks down the issue, explores why it's happening, and most importantly, how we can fix it. We'll keep it casual and super practical, so you can get back to smooth sailing with your tasks in no time!

The Problem: Dot-Separated Tasks in Kiro

So, here's the deal: when generating tasks.md from a design.md file, Kiro sometimes splits tasks into subtasks and numbers them using a dot-separated format – think 1.1, 2.3, or even 11.2. Now, this might seem perfectly logical from a numbering standpoint, but Kiro's Spec mode doesn't quite see it that way. It prefers tasks to be numbered with hyphens (like 1-1), and these dot-separated numbers just aren't being recognized as valid tasks. This is a major pain point because it prevents us from executing tasks in Spec mode, which is where all the cool automated checks and validations happen.

This dot-separated numbering issue can be a real roadblock in your workflow. Imagine you've meticulously crafted your design.md file, outlining all the necessary steps for your project. You then generate tasks.md, expecting a neatly formatted list ready for Spec mode. But instead, you're greeted with a list of tasks that Kiro can't properly interpret. This forces you into a manual correction process, where you have to go through the file and replace all the dots with hyphens. This is not only time-consuming but also prone to errors. You might miss a dot here or there, leading to tasks being skipped or misinterpreted during execution. This whole situation can lead to frustration and a feeling that the tool, which is meant to simplify your workflow, is actually making it more complicated.

Moreover, this issue highlights a gap in the documentation. There's no clear indication that tasks must be hyphenated to be recognized. This lack of clarity can lead to confusion and wasted time as users try to figure out why their tasks aren't running in Spec mode. Many users, like the one who initially reported this problem, might end up executing tasks in Vibe mode as a workaround. While Vibe mode can still get the job done, it misses out on the benefits of Spec mode, such as automated checks and validations, which are crucial for maintaining quality and consistency in your projects. This is why it’s so important to address this issue and make sure Kiro's task generation is optimized for Spec mode execution.

Why Is This Happening? (Likely Culprit: Japanese Numbering Conventions)

Okay, so why is Kiro spitting out these dot-separated numbers in the first place? The original user who flagged this issue dropped a major hint: they were using Japanese instructions. This is a crucial piece of the puzzle because Japanese numbering conventions often use dots. So, it seems like the Large Language Model (LLM) powering Kiro's task generation is picking up on these conventions and applying them, which is awesome for some contexts, but not so much for Spec mode.

Think about it: LLMs are trained on massive amounts of text data, and they learn to identify patterns and relationships within that data. When given Japanese instructions, the LLM is naturally going to be influenced by the common numbering practices found in Japanese writing. This means that it's more likely to generate dot-separated numbers, as this is a standard way of creating numbered lists in Japanese. This is a testament to the LLM's ability to adapt to different linguistic contexts, but in this particular case, it's leading to a conflict with Kiro's task recognition system.

This also underscores the challenges of building AI-powered tools that are truly multilingual. While the LLM's ability to understand and generate text in multiple languages is impressive, it also means that developers need to be mindful of how different linguistic conventions might impact the tool's functionality. In this case, the use of Japanese numbering conventions is inadvertently causing a problem with Spec mode execution. To solve this, we need to fine-tune Kiro's task generation process to be more aware of these language-specific nuances and to ensure that tasks are always formatted in a way that is compatible with Spec mode.

It's also worth noting that this issue might not be limited to Japanese. Other languages might have their own unique numbering conventions that could potentially cause similar problems. For example, some languages might use Roman numerals or letters instead of numbers for subtasks. Therefore, a comprehensive solution would involve making Kiro's task generation process more flexible and adaptable to different numbering styles, while still ensuring compatibility with Spec mode.

The Solution: Tuning Kiro for Hyphenated Tasks

The fix here is pretty straightforward: we need to tune Kiro's task generation to avoid dot-separated numbering and stick with the hyphenated format that Spec mode loves. This likely involves tweaking the LLM's prompts or post-processing the generated tasks.md to replace dots with hyphens. The key is to ensure that the output consistently aligns with Kiro's task recognition requirements. This will save us a lot of manual work and ensure that tasks are correctly identified and executed in Spec mode.

There are several ways this tuning can be approached. One option is to modify the prompts that are fed into the LLM. By explicitly instructing the LLM to use hyphenated numbering, we can steer it away from generating dot-separated sequences. This could involve adding a specific instruction like,