Improve daf-jira and daf-jira-mcp skills based on MCP integration learnings

[itdove]

Background

During MCP JIRA integration testing, we discovered two areas where the skills documentation could be improved to better guide AI agents when working with JIRA.

Issue 1: Unnecessary daf config reading in daf-jira skill

Current behavior:
The daf-jira skill or agent workflow suggests reading daf config show --json before using daf jira create.

Problem:

• daf jira create already has all the necessary logic built-in (field mappings, defaults, validation)
• Reading config first is redundant and adds unnecessary steps
• This guidance is only relevant when using MCP tools directly

Proposed fix:

• Remove or reduce the emphasis on reading config before daf jira create in the daf-jira skill
• Move the "read daf config first" guidance to the daf-jira-mcp skill where it's actually needed
• Make it clear that daf jira create is self-contained and doesn't require pre-reading config

Issue 2: ADF (Atlassian Document Format) vs Wiki Markup confusion

Current behavior:
Skills say to use "JIRA Wiki markup syntax" for all JIRA fields.

Problem discovered:
When using MCP JIRA tools (mcp__mcp-atlassian__jira_create_issue), some fields require Atlassian Document Format (ADF) instead of Wiki markup:

• Description field appeared to auto-convert Markdown to Wiki markup
• acceptance_criteria field (customfield_10718) failed with "Operation value must be an Atlassian Document (see the Atlassian Document Format)"
• It's unclear which fields need ADF vs plain text vs Wiki markup

Questions to investigate:

1. Which JIRA fields require ADF format when using MCP tools?
2. Does the MCP tool handle Markdown→ADF conversion automatically for some fields?
3. Should the skill document ADF format requirements, or recommend using daf jira create for complex fields?
4. Is there a JIRA API pattern to determine field format requirements (schema type, field metadata)?

Proposed investigation:

• Test various field types with MCP tools to determine ADF requirements
• Document which fields need special formatting
• Consider adding ADF format examples to daf-jira-mcp skill
• May need to recommend daf jira create over MCP for fields requiring ADF (complexity)

Acceptance Criteria

• daf-jira skill no longer suggests reading config before daf jira create
• daf-jira-mcp skill explicitly includes "read config first" as Step 1
• Research completed on which JIRA fields require ADF format
• daf-jira-mcp skill documents ADF requirements (or recommends daf commands for complex fields)
• Skills updated in repository: devflow/cli_skills/
• Skills deployed via daf skills command
• Documentation tested with real MCP integration scenarios

Related Files

• devflow/cli_skills/daf-jira/SKILL.md
• devflow/cli_skills/daf-jira-mcp/SKILL.md
• devflow/cli_skills/daf-jira-fields/SKILL.md (may need updates too)

[itdove]

✅ Session Complete

Project: devaiflow
Goal: Create JIRA Story under AAP-64025: Create a test ticket just to see if it works
Time Spent:
0h 14m total

• dvernier: 0h 14m
• unknown: 0h 0m
  Branch: main

No significant activity detected in this session.

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[itdove]

Pull request created: #349

[itdove]

✅ Session Complete

Project: devaiflow
Goal: #348: Improve daf-jira and daf-jira-mcp skills based on MCP integration learnings
Time Spent:
0h 10m total

• dvernier: 0h 10m
• unknown: 0h 0m
  Branch: 348

Great! While tests are running, let me create a summary of the changes made:

Summary of Changes

Issue addressed: #348 - Improve daf-jira and daf-jira-mcp skills based on MCP integration learnings

Changes Made:

1. daf-jira skill (devflow/cli_skills/daf-jira/SKILL.md)

• ✅ Clarified that daf jira create commands are self-contained
• ✅ Added explicit note: "You do NOT need to read daf config show --json before using daf commands"
• ✅ Updated MCP comparison to emphasize automatic config handling for daf commands

2. daf-jira-mcp skill (devflow/cli_skills/daf-jira-mcp/SKILL.md)

• ✅ Added CRITICAL notice at the top: "When using MCP JIRA tools, you MUST read DevAIFlow configuration first"
• ✅ Clarified the distinction between daf commands (self-contained) and MCP tools (manual config reading required)
• ✅ Added comprehensive ADF (Atlassian Document Format) documentation:
  • Explained when ADF is required vs Wiki markup
  • Provided ADF format examples
  • Documented known issues (acceptance_criteria field failures)
  • Recommended using daf commands for rich text fields to avoid ADF complexity
• ✅ Updated "When to Use daf Commands Instead" section with ADF considerations

Key Findings from Research:

ADF format requirements:

• daf jira create/update uses Wiki markup (JIRA API auto-converts to ADF for Cloud)
• MCP tools have inconsistent behavior - some fields auto-convert, others require explicit ADF
• Recommendation: Use daf jira commands to avoid ADF complexity; use MCP for reading/searching only

The skills are now deployed and will guide AI agents correctly!

Generated by DevAIFlow