Skill: IDEA Maintenance Cycle
Automated maintenance workflow that orchestrates idea-tools skills.
When to Use
- Regular IDEA project maintenance
- After multiple structural changes
- Before/after major development phases
- Weekly/monthly maintenance routine
When NOT to Use
- For single operations (use idea-tools skills directly)
- For new project setup (use
/idea onboard) - For quick sync only (use
/idea sync-modules)
Workflow Steps
1. Pre-Flight Check
[ ] Verify .idea directory exists
[ ] Check for uncommitted IDEA config changes
[ ] Validate current module structure
2. Safety Backup
Invoke idea-tools:config-backup:
/idea backup
Creates timestamped backup before any modifications.
3. Module Synchronization
Invoke idea-tools:module-sync:
/idea sync-modules
- Discover Git submodules
- Scan PARA folders
- Update modules.xml
- Create/update .iml files
4. Scope Generation
Create/update file scopes:
- Individual PARA category scopes
- Composite scopes (Active Work, Knowledge Base)
- Configuration scopes (Claude Config, Obsidian Config)
5. Verification
[ ] Modules load without errors
[ ] Scopes are accessible
[ ] VCS mappings correct
[ ] No orphaned .iml files
6. Status Report
Generate maintenance report:
IDEA Maintenance Report - 2026-01-31
Backup: idea_config_2026-01-31-xyz.zip
Modules: 12 synced (3 new, 0 removed)
Scopes: 15 updated
VCS Mappings: 8 configured
Status: SUCCESS
Command Reference
/idea maintenance
Full maintenance cycle with all steps.
Options:
--dry-run- Preview changes without applying--skip-backup- Skip safety backup (not recommended)--verbose- Detailed output
Example:
/idea maintenance --verbose
Orchestrated Skills
This skill orchestrates:
| Skill | Purpose |
|---|---|
idea-tools:config-backup | Safety backup creation |
idea-tools:module-sync | Module synchronization |
Error Handling
| Error | Recovery |
|---|---|
| Backup failed | Check disk space, permissions |
| Sync failed | Restore from backup: /idea restore |
| Scope error | Manual scope recreation in IDEA |
| Verification failed | Review report, fix issues manually |
Best Practices
- Run weekly - Keep IDEA config in sync with project changes
- Before major changes - Always backup first
- Review reports - Check for unexpected changes
- Keep backups - Don't delete old backups prematurely
Security & Permissions
- Required tools: Read, Write, Bash
- Files modified:
.idea/*,.backups/idea/* - Confirmations: None (backup protects against issues)
Metadata
author: Christian Kusmanow / Claude
version: 1.0.0
last_updated: 2026-01-31
depends_on:
- idea-tools:config-backup
- idea-tools:module-sync