# agentic-resources — Agent Instructions

## Repo Identity

**Purpose:** Iterating towards optimal agentic performance.

**Domain:** helix_forge
**Repo slug:** agentic-resources
**Topic ID:** `f39fa2a3-c491-414c-a91b-b4c5fcc6139c`
**Workplan prefix:** `AGENTIC-WP-`

---

## Dev Workflow

The deliverable code lives in `session_memory/` (the Helix Forge coding-session
memory system). It is **pure-stdlib Python 3.11+** — `tomllib`, `sqlite3`,
`dataclasses`; no third-party runtime dependencies and no build step. `pytest` is
the only dev dependency. Run everything from the repo root.

| Need | Command |
|------|---------|
| Python | `python3` (3.11+ required for `tomllib`; developed on 3.12) |
| Install deps | none at runtime; for tests: `pip install pytest` (or `uv pip install pytest`) |
| Test | `python3 -m pytest` (full suite) · `python3 -m pytest tests/test_curate_review.py` (one file) · `-q` for quiet |
| Lint / build | none configured — keep changes matching surrounding style |
| Run: ingest sweep | `python3 -m session_memory.ingest` (`--dry-run`, `--config PATH`) |
| Run: detect | `python3 -m session_memory.detect` (`--json`, `--min-frequency N`) |
| Run: curate | `python3 -m session_memory.curate` (`--auto-approve`, `--json`) |
| Config | `session_memory/config.toml`; local store under `session_memory/.store/` (gitignored) |

**Verify a change before declaring it done:** run `python3 -m pytest` (expect all
green), and for pipeline changes do a live `ingest → detect → curate` pass against
the local store. See `session_memory/README.md` for the full layout and the
detect → curate → distribute flow.

### Editing files — Read before you Edit

**Read a file (or the region you'll touch) before Edit/Write.** The most common
error across our own captured coding sessions was *"File has not been read yet.
Read it first before writing to it"* — 12 of 27 real sessions, 8 repos
(`docs/ASSESSMENT-infra-friction.md`). Two cheap reflexes eliminate it:

- **Read → then Edit/Write.** Don't blind-write a file you haven't read this
  session; the edit tools reject it and the retry wastes a turn.
- **On `File has been modified since read`, re-Read then re-Edit.** A stale read
  means the file changed under you — refresh before retrying, don't loop.

---

## State Hub Integration

The Custodian State Hub tracks work across all domains. Interact via HTTP REST —
there is no MCP server for Codex agents.

| Context | URL |
|---------|-----|
| Local workstation | `http://127.0.0.1:8000` |
| Remote via tunnel | `http://127.0.0.1:18000` |

### Orient at session start

```bash
# Offline brief — works without hub connection
cat .custodian-brief.md

# Active workstreams for this domain
curl -s "http://127.0.0.1:8000/workstreams/?topic_id=f39fa2a3-c491-414c-a91b-b4c5fcc6139c&status=active" \
  | python3 -m json.tool

# Check inbox
curl -s "http://127.0.0.1:8000/messages/?to_agent=agentic-resources&unread_only=true" \
  | python3 -m json.tool
```

Mark a message read:
```bash
curl -s -X PATCH "http://127.0.0.1:8000/messages/<id>/read" \
  -H "Content-Type: application/json" -d '{}'
```

### Log progress (required at session close)

```bash
curl -s -X POST http://127.0.0.1:8000/progress/ \
  -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
  -d '{
    "summary": "what was done",
    "event_type": "note",
    "author": "codex",
    "workstream_id": "<uuid>",
    "task_id": "<uuid>"
  }'
```

Omit `workstream_id` / `task_id` when not applicable.

### Update task status

```bash
curl -s -X PATCH "http://127.0.0.1:8000/tasks/<task_id>" \
  -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
  -d '{"status": "progress"}'
# values: wait | todo | progress | done | cancel
```

### Flag a task for human review

```bash
curl -s -X PATCH "http://127.0.0.1:8000/tasks/<task_id>" \
  -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
  -d '{"needs_human": true, "intervention_note": "reason"}'
```

---

## Session Protocol

**Start:**
1. `cat .custodian-brief.md` — domain goal and open workstreams (offline-safe)
2. Check inbox: `GET /messages/?to_agent=agentic-resources&unread_only=true`; mark read
3. Scan workplans: `ls workplans/` — note `status: ready`, `active`, or `blocked` files and open tasks
4. Check human-needed tasks: `GET /tasks/?needs_human=true`

**During work:**
- Update task statuses in workplan files as tasks progress
- Record significant decisions via `POST /decisions/`

**Close:**
1. Update workplan file task statuses to reflect progress
2. Log: `POST /progress/` with a summary of what changed
3. Note for the custodian operator: after workplan file changes, run from
   `~/state-hub`:
   ```bash
   make fix-consistency REPO=agentic-resources
   ```
   This syncs task status from files into the hub DB.

---

## Workplan Convention (ADR-001)

Work items originate as files in this repo — not in the hub. The hub is a
read/cache/index layer that rebuilds from files.

**File location:** `workplans/AGENTIC-WP-NNNN-<slug>.md`

**Archived location:** finished workplans may move to
`workplans/archived/YYMMDD-AGENTIC-WP-NNNN-<slug>.md`. The `YYMMDD` prefix is
the completion/archive date; the frontmatter `id` does not change.

**Ad Hoc Tasks:** small opportunistic fixes discovered during a session use
`workplans/ADHOC-YYYY-MM-DD.md` with task ids `ADHOC-YYYY-MM-DD-T01`, etc. Use
this only for low-risk work completed directly; create a normal workplan for
anything needing analysis, design, approval, dependencies, or multiple phases.

**Frontmatter:**

```yaml
---
id: AGENTIC-WP-NNNN
type: workplan
title: "..."
domain: helix_forge
repo: agentic-resources
status: proposed | ready | active | blocked | backlog | finished | archived
owner: codex
topic_slug: ...
created: "YYYY-MM-DD"
updated: "YYYY-MM-DD"
state_hub_workstream_id: "<uuid>"   # written by fix-consistency — do not edit
---
```

Use `proposed` for a new draft, `ready` after review against current repo
state, and `finished` after implementation. `stalled` and `needs_review` are
derived health labels, not frontmatter statuses.

**Task block format** (one per `##` section):

```
## Task Title

` ` `task
id: AGENTIC-WP-NNNN-T01
status: wait | todo | progress | done | cancel
priority: high | medium | low
state_hub_task_id: "<uuid>"         # written by fix-consistency — do not edit
` ` `

Task description text.
```

Status progression: `todo` → `progress` → `done`; use `wait` for waiting/blocked work and `cancel` for stopped work.

To create a new workplan:
1. Write the file following the format above
2. Notify the custodian operator to run `make fix-consistency REPO=agentic-resources`
   (or send a message to the hub agent via `POST /messages/`)