# helix-forge — Agent Instructions

## Repo Identity

**Purpose:** HelixForge turns natural-language intent into governed, reusable software capabilities through architecture-aware discovery, validation, implementation, feedback, and reuse.

**Domain:** helix_forge
**Repo slug:** helix-forge
**Topic ID:** `f39fa2a3-c491-414c-a91b-b4c5fcc6139c`
**Workplan prefix:** `HF-WP-`

---

## Repo Orientation

This repository is currently documentation-first. Treat `INTENT.md` as the
primary source of truth, with `wiki/HelixForgeVision.md` carrying the compact
vision statement and `wiki/OrthogonalArchitectureSchema.md` preserving the
current Orthogonal Architecture Standard schema reference.

Current responsibilities:
- Define HelixForge as a capability-first development ecosystem.
- Preserve the Orthogonal Architecture Dimensions and VSM-inspired vocabulary
  that future implementation artifacts must follow.
- Track near-term work in `workplans/`, currently focused on using `ops-hub`
  as the first Inter-Hub extension pattern.

Current state:
- No application/runtime source code exists yet.
- No build, test, or package commands are defined yet.
- The repo already uses `HF-WP-` workplan IDs; keep that prefix unless the
  existing workplan files are deliberately migrated.

Useful orientation commands:

```bash
sed -n '1,220p' INTENT.md
sed -n '1,160p' workplans/HF-WP-0001-establish-ops-hub-first-extension.md
sed -n '1,120p' wiki/HelixForgeVision.md
```

When adding executable artifacts later, update this file with the real stack,
dependency, build, test, and validation commands.

## 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, if generated by StateHub consistency sync
test -f .custodian-brief.md && cat .custodian-brief.md || sed -n '1,120p' SCOPE.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=helix-forge&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": "in_progress"}'
# values: todo | in_progress | done | blocked
```

### 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. Read `.custodian-brief.md` when present; otherwise read `SCOPE.md` and `INTENT.md`
2. Check inbox: `GET /messages/?to_agent=helix-forge&unread_only=true`; mark read
3. Scan workplans: `ls workplans/` — note `status: active` files and open tasks
4. Check blocked 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
   `~/the-custodian/state-hub`:
   ```bash
   make fix-consistency REPO=helix-forge
   ```
   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/HF-WP-NNNN-<slug>.md`

**Archived location:** completed workplans may move to
`workplans/archived/YYMMDD-HF-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: HF-WP-NNNN
type: workplan
title: "..."
domain: helix_forge
repo: helix-forge
status: active | done
owner: codex
topic_slug: ...
created: "YYYY-MM-DD"
updated: "YYYY-MM-DD"
state_hub_workstream_id: "<uuid>"   # written by fix-consistency — do not edit
---
```

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

```
## Task Title

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

Task description text.
```

Status progression: `todo` → `in_progress` → `done` (or `blocked`)

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