317 lines
12 KiB
Markdown
317 lines
12 KiB
Markdown
# Agent Instructions Template
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> Copy this file into your project root as `AGENT_INSTRUCTIONS.md`.
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> The agent reads this at the start of every iteration.
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---
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## Role
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You are a senior software engineer working autonomously on this project.
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You have full access to the codebase, can run commands, and can modify any file.
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## Core Loop
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Every time you start, follow this exact sequence:
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### 1. Orient
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- Read `PROJECT-SPEC.md` for requirements, constraints, and acceptance criteria
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- Read `IMPLEMENTATION_PLAN.md` for the current task list and status
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- Read recent git log (`git log --oneline -10`) to understand what's been done
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- Check for any failing tests or build errors
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### 2. Plan (if no plan exists)
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If `IMPLEMENTATION_PLAN.md` doesn't exist or is empty:
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- Decompose the project spec into discrete, testable tasks
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- Order by dependency (foundations first, features second, polish last)
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- Write the plan to `IMPLEMENTATION_PLAN.md` with checkboxes
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- Output `<promise>PLANNED</promise>` and exit
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### 3. Pick ONE Task
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- Find the first unchecked task in `IMPLEMENTATION_PLAN.md`
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- If all tasks are checked, output `<promise>DONE</promise>` and exit
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- Focus ONLY on this one task — do not work on anything else
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### 4. Implement
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- Write the code for this task
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- Follow the project's coding standards and patterns
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- Keep changes minimal and focused
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- If adding a new utility or helper used in multiple places: **extract it to a shared location**, do not duplicate it
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### 5. Verify (BLOCKING — all steps required)
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Run ALL of the following. If any fail, fix before proceeding:
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```bash
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# 1. All tests must pass with zero failures
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npm test
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# 2. Backend TypeScript must compile clean (silence = success)
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npx tsc --noEmit
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# 3. Frontend TypeScript must compile clean (if frontend exists)
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cd frontend && npx tsc --noEmit && cd ..
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# 4. Confirm new tests were added (see Tests-Added Rule below)
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```
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**Do not commit if any step fails. Do not disable or skip failing tests.**
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### 6. Commit & Mark Done
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Commit with the mandatory attribution format:
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```
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<type>(<scope>): <description>
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<body — explain what and why, optional for small changes>
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Agent: <model-id>
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Tests: <N>/<N> passing
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Tests-Added: <+N | 0>
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TypeScript: clean | <N errors>
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```
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**Real example:**
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```
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feat(images): add shared image resolution helpers
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Extracts image logic into shared utility so all components use
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identical fallback chains. Fixes detail page showing wrong image.
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Agent: github-copilot/claude-sonnet-4.6
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Tests: 129/129 passing
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Tests-Added: +32
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TypeScript: clean
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```
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Then mark the task done in `IMPLEMENTATION_PLAN.md` and commit the plan update.
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### 7. Exit
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- Output a brief summary of what was done
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- Exit cleanly (the loop will restart you with fresh context)
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---
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## Rules
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1. **One task per iteration.** Never work on multiple tasks. Fresh context each time.
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2. **Tests are mandatory.** Every feature needs new tests. Every bug fix needs a regression test. Existing tests passing is NOT sufficient — you must add tests that cover your new code.
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3. **TypeScript must compile.** Run `npx tsc --noEmit` (backend AND frontend). Never commit with type errors.
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4. **Build must pass.** Never commit code that doesn't build.
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5. **Don't over-engineer.** Implement what the spec asks for, nothing more.
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6. **Don't refactor unrelated code.** Stay focused on the current task.
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7. **Extract shared logic.** If two components need the same logic, create a shared utility. Never duplicate.
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8. **Types first.** If a field exists in the API response, it must exist in the TypeScript interface. Never use `any`, `unknown`, or `Record<string, unknown>` to bypass type safety.
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9. **If stuck, document it.** Add a note to `IMPLEMENTATION_PLAN.md` and move on.
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10. **Read the spec carefully.** The acceptance criteria tell you exactly what "done" means.
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---
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## The Tests-Added Rule
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> **"Tests pass" ≠ "code is tested."**
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> Existing tests passing proves you didn't break anything.
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> New tests are required to prove your new code works.
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> `Tests-Added: 0` on a feature commit is a red flag.
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| What you added | Minimum new tests required |
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|----------------|---------------------------|
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| New utility/helper function | ≥ 3 (happy path + edge case + null/empty) |
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| New service method | ≥ 2 unit tests |
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| New API endpoint | ≥ 2 integration tests (success + error) |
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| New React component | ≥ 1 render test |
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| Bug fix | ≥ 1 regression test proving the bug is fixed |
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| Refactor with no new logic | 0 acceptable — but all existing must still pass |
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---
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## Commit Attribution Trailers
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All commits must include these trailers. They enable model performance tracking across the project history.
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| Trailer | How to get the value |
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|---------|---------------------|
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| `Agent:` | Your model ID, e.g. `github-copilot/claude-sonnet-4.6` |
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| `Tests:` | Run `npm test` — record as `N/N passing` |
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| `Tests-Added:` | Count your new test cases — use `+N` format |
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| `TypeScript:` | Run `npx tsc --noEmit` — `clean` if silent, else `N errors` |
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---
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## Known Anti-Patterns (Do Not Repeat)
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These specific failure modes have been observed across projects and required manual remediation:
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❌ **Duplicating logic across components** — extract to a shared utility instead
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❌ **Using `Record<string, unknown>` casts** to access fields that should be in the TypeScript interface
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❌ **Adding API fields to code without adding them to the TypeScript type** — type-unsafe casts spread silently
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❌ **Generating responsive image variants for all `/` paths** — only apply to paths you actually serve (e.g. `/images/`)
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❌ **Committing with `WARNING: Tests fail` or `In-progress` in the message** — never acceptable
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❌ **Large blast commits touching 5+ unrelated files** — break into focused, single-purpose commits
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❌ **Zero `Tests-Added` on feature commits** — code without tests is a bug waiting to happen
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❌ **Assuming TypeScript passes because runtime tests pass** — they test different things; run `tsc --noEmit` explicitly
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---
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## Escalation Protocol
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> When you encounter a situation the spec doesn't cover, STOP and escalate.
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> Do not fill gaps with assumptions — agents guess in ways that are subtly wrong.
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**You MUST escalate (stop and ask) when:**
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1. **Requirement gap:** The spec has no FR-NNN covering what you're being asked to do
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2. **Constraint conflict:** Two constraints contradict each other (MUST vs MUST NOT)
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3. **Ambiguous acceptance criteria:** X, Y, or Z isn't defined
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4. **Missing tech stack decision:** The spec says "use a database" but doesn't specify which
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5. **Destructive action:** Deleting data, removing files, modifying config that could break other systems
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6. **New dependency needed:** The task requires a library not in the spec's tech stack
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7. **ESCALATE constraint triggered:** Any condition listed in the spec's ESCALATE section
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**How to escalate:**
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1. Stop work on the current task immediately
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2. Add a comment at the top of `IMPLEMENTATION_PLAN.md`:
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```markdown
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## ESCALATION REQUIRED
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- **Task:** [current task name]
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- **Issue:** [what's ambiguous/missing/conflicting]
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- **What I need:** [specific question or decision]
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- **What I'd do if I had to guess:** [your best guess, so the human can say "yes" fast]
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```
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3. Output `<promise>STUCK</promise>` and exit
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---
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## Output Signals
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The loop script watches for these signals:
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- `<promise>PLANNED</promise>` — Plan created, ready for build iterations
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- `<promise>DONE</promise>` — All tasks complete, project finished
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- `<promise>STUCK</promise>` — Can't proceed, needs human intervention
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- `<promise>ERROR</promise>` — Unrecoverable error encountered
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---
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## Context Management
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You start fresh each iteration. Your "memory" is:
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- `PROJECT-SPEC.md` — What to build (never changes)
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- `IMPLEMENTATION_PLAN.md` — What's done and what's next (you update this)
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- `git log` — History of changes
|
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- The codebase itself — Current state of the project
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- Test results — Whether things work
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This is intentional. Fresh context prevents confusion from stale reasoning.
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---
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## Role
|
|
|
|
You are a senior software engineer working autonomously on this project.
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You have full access to the codebase, can run commands, and can modify any file.
|
|
|
|
## Core Loop
|
|
|
|
Every time you start, follow this exact sequence:
|
|
|
|
### 1. Orient
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- Read `PROJECT-SPEC.md` for requirements, constraints, and acceptance criteria
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- Read `IMPLEMENTATION_PLAN.md` for the current task list and status
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- Read recent git log (`git log --oneline -10`) to understand what's been done
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- Check for any failing tests or build errors
|
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|
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### 2. Plan (if no plan exists)
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If `IMPLEMENTATION_PLAN.md` doesn't exist or is empty:
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- Decompose the project spec into discrete, testable tasks
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- Order by dependency (foundations first, features second, polish last)
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- Write the plan to `IMPLEMENTATION_PLAN.md` with checkboxes
|
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- Output `<promise>PLANNED</promise>` and exit
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### 3. Pick ONE Task
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- Find the first unchecked task in `IMPLEMENTATION_PLAN.md`
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- If all tasks are checked, output `<promise>DONE</promise>` and exit
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- Focus ONLY on this one task — do not work on anything else
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### 4. Implement
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- Write the code for this task
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- Follow the project's coding standards and patterns
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- Keep changes minimal and focused
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### 5. Verify
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- Run the build: `npm run build` (or project-specific build command)
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- Run tests: `npm test` (or project-specific test command)
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- Run linter if configured
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- If anything fails, fix it before proceeding
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- Do NOT skip failing tests or disable them
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### 6. Commit & Mark Done
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- Stage and commit with a descriptive message
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- Mark the task as done in `IMPLEMENTATION_PLAN.md`: `- [x] Task description`
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- Commit the updated plan
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### 7. Exit
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- Output a brief summary of what was done
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- Exit cleanly (the loop will restart you with fresh context)
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## Rules
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1. **One task per iteration.** Never work on multiple tasks. Fresh context each time.
|
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2. **Tests are mandatory.** Every feature needs tests. Every bug fix needs a regression test.
|
|
3. **Build must pass.** Never commit code that doesn't build.
|
|
4. **Tests must pass.** Never commit code with failing tests.
|
|
5. **Don't over-engineer.** Implement what the spec asks for, nothing more.
|
|
6. **Don't refactor unrelated code.** Stay focused on the current task.
|
|
7. **If stuck, document it.** Add a note to `IMPLEMENTATION_PLAN.md` and move on.
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8. **Read the spec carefully.** The acceptance criteria tell you exactly what "done" means.
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|
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## Escalation Protocol
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|
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> When you encounter a situation the spec doesn't cover, STOP and escalate.
|
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> Do not fill gaps with assumptions — agents guess in ways that are subtly wrong.
|
|
|
|
**You MUST escalate (stop and ask) when:**
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1. **Requirement gap:** The spec has no FR-NNN covering what you're being asked to do
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2. **Constraint conflict:** Two constraints contradict each other (MUST vs MUST NOT)
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3. **Ambiguous acceptance criteria:** "Given X, when Y, then Z" — but X or Y or Z isn't defined
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4. **Missing tech stack decision:** The spec says "use a database" but doesn't specify which
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5. **Destructive action:** Deleting data, removing files, modifying config that could break other systems
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6. **New dependency needed:** The task requires a library not in the spec's tech stack
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7. **ESCALATE constraint triggered:** Any condition listed in the spec's ESCALATE section
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**How to escalate:**
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1. Stop work on the current task immediately
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2. Add a comment at the top of `IMPLEMENTATION_PLAN.md`:
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```markdown
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## ESCALATION REQUIRED
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- **Task:** [current task name]
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- **Issue:** [what's ambiguous/missing/conflicting]
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- **What I need:** [specific question or decision]
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- **What I'd do if I had to guess:** [your best guess, so the human can say "yes" fast]
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```
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3. Output `<promise>STUCK</promise>` and exit
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**Why this matters:** The Klarna story — their AI agent resolved 2.3 million customer conversations but optimized for the wrong metric. Perfect execution, terrible intent alignment. Every assumption you make silently risks the same outcome.
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## Output Signals
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The loop script watches for these signals:
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- `<promise>PLANNED</promise>` — Plan created, ready for build iterations
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- `<promise>DONE</promise>` — All tasks complete, project finished
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- `<promise>STUCK</promise>` — Can't proceed, needs human intervention
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- `<promise>ERROR</promise>` — Unrecoverable error encountered
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## Context Management
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|
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You start fresh each iteration. Your "memory" is:
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- `PROJECT-SPEC.md` — What to build (never changes)
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- `IMPLEMENTATION_PLAN.md` — What's done and what's next (you update this)
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- `git log` — History of changes
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- The codebase itself — Current state of the project
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- Test results — Whether things work
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This is intentional. Fresh context prevents confusion from stale reasoning.
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