Harness Setup

---
name: harness-setup
description: '[Quality] Use when setting up an agent quality harness with feedforward guides and feedback sensors.'
---

> Codex compatibility note:
> - Invoke repository skills with `$skill-name` in Codex; this mirrored copy rewrites legacy Claude `/skill-name` references.
> - Task tracker mandate: BEFORE executing any workflow or skill step, create/update task tracking for all steps and keep it synchronized as progress changes.
> - User-question prompts mean to ask the user directly in Codex.
> - Ignore Claude-specific mode-switch instructions when they appear.
> - Strict execution contract: when a user explicitly invokes a skill, execute that skill protocol as written.
> - Subagent authorization: when a skill is user-invoked or AI-detected and its protocol requires subagents, that skill activation authorizes use of the required `spawn_agent` subagent(s) for that task.
> - Do not skip, reorder, or merge protocol steps unless the user explicitly approves the deviation first.
> - For workflow skills, execute each listed child-skill step explicitly and report step-by-step evidence.
> - If a required step/tool cannot run in this environment, stop and ask the user before adapting.
<!-- CODEX:PROJECT-REFERENCE-LOADING:START -->
## Codex Project-Reference Loading (Hook-Independent)

Claude and Codex use static project-reference loading as the authority; hooks may accelerate discovery but never replace the explicit read.
When coding, planning, debugging, testing, or reviewing, open project docs explicitly using this routing.

**Always read:**
- `docs/project-config.json` (project-specific paths, commands, modules, and workflow/test settings)
- `docs/project-reference/docs-index-reference.md` (routes to the full `docs/project-reference/*` catalog)
- `docs/project-reference/lessons.md` (always-on guardrails and anti-patterns)

**Missing/stale context route:** If `docs/project-config.json`, the docs index, `lessons.md`, `CLAUDE.md`, `AGENTS.md`, or any task-required reference doc is missing or stale, auto-run `$project-init` or the narrow setup route (`$project-config`, `$docs-init`, `$scan-all`, `$scan --target=<key>`, `$claude-md-init`) before ordinary project-specific work. If Codex mirrors or `AGENTS.md` are missing/stale, ask the user to run `$sync-codex`; do not auto-run it.

**Situation-based docs:**
- Project structure/architecture/tech-stack/deployment/setup (any layer — backend, frontend, or infra): `project-structure-reference.md`
- Backend/CQRS/API/domain/entity changes: `backend-patterns-reference.md`, `domain-entities-reference.md`
- Frontend/UI/styling/design-system: `frontend-patterns-reference.md`, `scss-styling-guide.md`, `design-system/README.md`
- Spec authoring, `docs/specs/` pathing, or TC format: `feature-spec-reference.md`, `spec-system-reference.md`, `spec-principles.md`
- Behavior/public-contract changes or spec-test-code sync: `workflow-spec-test-code-cycle-reference.md` plus the spec docs above
- Derived spec indexes/ERDs/reimplementation guides: `spec-system-reference.md` and source Feature Specs under `docs/specs/`
- Integration test implementation/review: `integration-test-reference.md`
- E2E test implementation/review: `e2e-test-reference.md`
- Code review/audit work: `code-review-rules.md` plus domain docs above based on changed files

Do not read all docs blindly. Start from `docs-index-reference.md`, then open only relevant files for the task.
<!-- CODEX:PROJECT-REFERENCE-LOADING:END -->

<!-- PROMPT-ENHANCE:STEP-TASK-ANCHOR:START -->

> **[BLOCKING]** Execute skill steps in declared order. NEVER skip, reorder, or merge steps without explicit user approval.
> **[BLOCKING]** Before each step or sub-skill call, update task tracking: set `in_progress` when step starts, set `completed` when step ends.
> **[BLOCKING]** Every completed/skipped step MUST include brief evidence or explicit skip reason.
> **[BLOCKING]** If Task tools are unavailable, create and maintain an equivalent step-by-step plan tracker with the same status transitions.

<!-- PROMPT-ENHANCE:STEP-TASK-ANCHOR:END -->

## Quick Summary

**Goal:** Wire every feedforward guide and feedback sensor into the greenfield project so all later AI coding agents operate with maximum guidance and self-correct against quality gates BEFORE human review — raising first-attempt quality and catching defects at the earliest, cheapest stage.

**Summary:**
- **Testability contract:** resolve Unit/Integration/System/E2E applicability from runner/config evidence; record owner/root/data, copy-ready full + focused commands, zero-match behavior, CI/simple-Windows entry, unique run/data identity, and repeat proof; unresolved applicable fields block handoff, while non-applicable tiers require evidence-backed `N/A`.

- BLOCK on the `$linter-setup` prerequisite first — computational sensors (linters, hooks, CI gates) MUST exist before any phase runs; this skill never installs them itself.
- Walk phases A→F as a hard barrier sequence: detect stack → author feedforward guides (CLAUDE.md conventions, anti-patterns, pattern catalog) → confirm computational sensors → wire inferential review skills to lifecycle gates → define behaviour/test strategy → emit inventory.
- Treat every feedforward-guide and sensor choice as ask the user directly-gated — never auto-decide content — why: harness conventions bind every future agent and silent choices propagate.
- Write `.ai/workspace/harness/harness-inventory.md` incrementally (append per phase, never held in memory) — keep it a LIVING document updated as new sensors are added.

**Main steps (run in order — each BLOCKS the next):**

1. **Guards** — BLOCK until `$linter-setup` verified (linter config + pre-commit hook + CI gate present); detect existing inventory (enhance, never skip).
2. **Phase A — Stack Detection** — read plan / architecture-design / tech-stack reports; write `stack-profile.md`; ask the user directly on any undetectable field.
3. **Phase B — Feedforward Guides** — author/enhance CLAUDE.md/AGENTS.md (architecture patterns, anti-patterns, naming, module boundaries) + skill-activation rules + `docs/architecture/*` notes + pattern catalog; confirm by asking the user directly.
4. **Phase C — Computational Sensors** — confirm `$linter-setup` outputs; list config paths (invoke `$linter-setup` if any missing).
5. **Phase D — Inferential Sensors** — wire review skills to lifecycle gates (`$why-review` pre-impl · `$code-review` pre-commit · `$domain-entities-review` post-impl · `$production-readiness-review` + `$security-review` pre-release · `$scan-codebase-health` recurring · `$integration-test-review` feature-area TC audit BOTH pre-release AND recurring — closes the diff-scoped blind spot); record under "## Review Gates".
6. **Phase E — Behaviour Harness** — pick spec format, define test pyramid + approved fixtures, gate on mutation score (NEVER line %), add property/behavior coverage; write `test-strategy.md`.
7. **Phase F — Inventory Report** — append `harness-inventory.md` (feedforward + computational/inferential sensors + open gaps); present by asking the user directly.
8. **Next Steps** — ask the user directly: `$feature-implement` (recommended) · `$why-review` · skip.

**Produces:**

- Feedforward guides: CLAUDE.md/AGENTS.md conventions, architecture docs, pattern catalogs, skill activation rules
- Computational feedback sensors: configured via `$linter-setup` (linters, formatters, pre-commit hooks, CI gates)
- Inferential feedback sensors: AI review skills wired to lifecycle stages
- Harness inventory: `.ai/workspace/harness/harness-inventory.md`

**When invoked:** After `$scaffold` + `$linter-setup` in greenfield workflow. Assumes scaffolding complete.

**Does NOT do:** Install linters or configure formatters — that is `$linter-setup`'s responsibility.

---

## Activation Guards

**Check 1 — Linter-setup prerequisite (BLOCK if missing):**
Before running any phases, verify `$linter-setup` completed by checking for:

- Linter config file at project root (e.g., `.eslintrc`, `pyproject.toml`, `.editorconfig`)
- Pre-commit hook config (e.g., `.husky/`, `.pre-commit-config.yaml`)
- CI quality gate definition

If any missing → ask the user directly: "$linter-setup appears incomplete. Computational feedback sensors must be in place before harness setup. Run $linter-setup first, then return here?"
**BLOCK** Phase A/B/C/D/E until linter-setup verification passes.

**Check 2 — Existing harness inventory:**
Check for `.ai/workspace/harness/harness-inventory.md`

- If found → ask the user directly: "Harness inventory already exists — re-run to enhance existing harness, or skip?"
- Proceed even when `CLAUDE.md`/`AGENTS.md` present — those are feedforward guides this skill may enhance, NEVER signals to skip

---

## Phase A — Stack Detection

Read from: `plan.md` frontmatter → architecture-design report → tech-stack-comparison report.

Extract:

- Primary language(s) and framework(s)
- Test framework and test runner
- CI provider/tooling
- Package manager and monorepo structure (if any)
- Module system and build tooling

Write detection result to `.ai/workspace/harness/stack-profile.md`.

If any field undetectable → ask the user directly to confirm before proceeding.

---

## Phase B — Feedforward Guide Setup (Inferential)

For each guide type, check if it exists; if not, create or enhance:

**1. CLAUDE.md / AGENTS.md — Architecture conventions**

- Add section: "Architecture Patterns" — document the patterns chosen in `$architecture-design` (e.g., Clean Architecture, CQRS, Repository)
- Add section: "Anti-Patterns" — explicit list of patterns to avoid for this stack
- Add section: "Naming Conventions" — language-idiomatic conventions for this repository
- Add section: "Module Boundaries" — which layers may import which; dependency direction rules

**2. Skill activation rules**

- Document in CLAUDE.md which skills auto-activate for common task types in this stack
- Example: "When modifying domain entities → activate `$domain-entities-review`"
- Example: "Before any commit → run `$code-review`"

**3. Architecture notes**

- Create `docs/architecture/` with:
    - `bounded-contexts.md` — domain boundaries and ownership
    - `dependency-rules.md` — allowed import directions between layers
    - `naming-conventions.md` — project-specific naming for files, classes, functions

**4. Pattern catalog**

- Create `docs/architecture/pattern-catalog.md`
- Document each pattern chosen in `$architecture-design` with DO/DON'T examples
- Anchor to actual project files once scaffolding produces them

Present list of guides created/updated by asking the user directly: "Feedforward guides above will be created/enhanced. Confirm or adjust?"

---

## Phase C — Computational Feedback Sensors

Confirm `$linter-setup` has completed:

- Check for linter config file at project root (e.g., `.eslintrc`, `pyproject.toml`, `.editorconfig`)
- Check for pre-commit hook config (e.g., `.husky/`, `.pre-commit-config.yaml`)
- Check for CI quality gate definition

If any missing → invoke `$linter-setup` before continuing.

Output: confirmation that computational sensors are in place, with file paths listed.

---

## Phase D — Inferential Feedback Sensors

Configure which AI review skills fire at each lifecycle stage. Present to user by asking the user directly:
"Which inferential sensors should be mandatory vs optional for this repository?"

**Pre-implementation (planning gate):**

- `$why-review` — validate design rationale before committing to implementation approach

**Pre-commit (lightweight review):**

- Document in CLAUDE.md: run `$code-review` before committing significant changes

**Post-implementation (domain model changes):**

- `$domain-entities-review` — when domain entity files are in the changeset

**Pre-release (mandatory gates):**

- `$production-readiness-review` — reliability and operational readiness
- `$security-review` — security review before production release

**Recurring drift detection:**

- `$scan-codebase-health` — schedule quarterly (or on CI schedule) to detect drift
- `$integration-test-review` — Missing Integration Test / Spec-Coverage Gate: feature-area-wide TC audit (Phase 3 addendum in that skill) catches orphaned Section-8 TCs and uncovered changed behavior. Wire BOTH pre-release (mandatory gate, alongside `$production-readiness-review` and `$security-review`) AND same recurring cadence as `$scan-codebase-health` — a diff-scoped run alone cannot see a TC whose covering test regressed outside the current change set; only a periodic feature-area sweep does.

Add the agreed sensor configuration to CLAUDE.md under "## Review Gates".

---

## Phase E — Behaviour Harness (Spec + Test Strategy)

Define the project's behaviour harness plan:

**Functional spec format:**

- ask the user directly: "Feature documentation format?" Options: feature-spec (8-section tech-free), TDD specs only, lightweight ADRs
- Establish `docs/specs/` or equivalent spec home

**Test strategy pyramid:**

- Unit: pure functions, domain entities, business logic (no I/O)
- Integration: subcutaneous CQRS tests, repository tests with real DB
- E2E: critical user journeys only (not full coverage — too slow)

**Approved fixtures pattern:**

- Pre-seed reference/lookup data as approved snapshots
- Integration tests are additive (never delete/reset data)

### Testability & Execution Matrix (write to `test-strategy.md`)

Copy the architecture-design contract into the strategy and resolve every tier from verified project/configuration evidence before choosing tools:

| Tier | Applicability + evidence | Owner | Runner/framework + config | Test root | Data/fixture policy | Full command | Focused/partial command | Zero-match behavior | CI gate | Simple/Windows entry point | Repeat proof |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Unit | `APPLICABLE` / `N/A — {evidence}` | {owner} | {runner/config} | {root} | {fixtures/factories} | `{command}` | `{filter}` | `{non-zero behavior}` | {gate} | `{command or .cmd}` | `{result or planned owner}` |
| Integration/System | `APPLICABLE` / `N/A — {evidence}` | {owner} | {runner/config} | {root} | {public-path + additive data} | `{command}` | `{filter}` | `{non-zero behavior}` | {gate} | `{command or .cmd}` | `{two no-reset runs}` |
| E2E | `APPLICABLE` / `N/A — {evidence}` | {owner} | {configured browser/config} | {root} | {reachable journey data} | `{command}` | `{filter}` | `{non-zero behavior}` | {gate} | `{command or .cmd}` | `{result or evidence-backed N/A}` |

`APPLICABLE` requires runner/framework/configuration/root/command evidence. If no E2E framework, configuration, and command are verified, record `N/A — {config/source evidence}`; do not infer a browser stack from generic examples. Full and focused commands must be copy-ready, report exact counts/exit status, and fail invalid or zero-match selection.

### Run, Data, Isolation & Repeat Policy (write beside the matrix)

For each applicable persistent-state tier, record the run/test identity generator and unique business-data suffix, supported public-path arrangement, realistic valid data, count-before-create idempotent/restart-safe reference setup, additive keyed accumulation with integrity checks, mutable-root and parallel-worker isolation, immutable data that may be shared, realistic actor pacing and observable arrange barriers, and the exact result. Require two consecutive no-reset full runs; until executed, mark the proof `planned — {owner}` rather than PASS. Keep property/invariant, mutation, change, and behavior coverage meaningful; line coverage remains diagnostic only.

**Test-strength sensors (NOT a line-coverage gate):**

- **Line coverage is a diagnostic only — NEVER gate a build on it.** Low coverage is a useful NEGATIVE signal (an area is untested → investigate); high coverage is NOT evidence of quality (lines can execute with no meaningful assertion). Report it as a diagnostic; do not fail CI on a coverage %.
- **Mutation score is the real test-strength metric — gate on this.** ask the user directly: "Configure a mutation-testing tool (e.g. Stryker / PITest / mutmut, per stack) as the CI test-quality gate?" A surviving mutant = a fault your tests did not catch = a missing/weak assertion. Add a minimum mutation-score threshold to CI as the computational test-strength sensor.
- **Property coverage (optional second sensor):** each named business invariant guarded by ≥1 property/metamorphic test. Track which invariants have a property test; an unguarded invariant is a gap to fill.
- **Keep behavior/change-coverage (meaningful, not a %):** every behavior-changing file must have a test that asserts the changed outcome — see `$integration-test-review` Gate 7. This is the right notion of "coverage"; the line-% is not.

Document agreed test strategy to `docs/architecture/test-strategy.md`.

---

## Phase F — Harness Inventory Report

Write `.ai/workspace/harness/harness-inventory.md`:

```markdown
# Harness Inventory

Generated: {date}
Stack: {detected stack from Phase A}

## Testability & Verification Contract

Copy the resolved `test-strategy.md` matrix into this inventory and keep the status current:

**Status:** `PASS | PARTIAL | BLOCKED`

| Tier | Applicability + evidence | Owner | Runner/config/root | Full | Focused/partial | Zero-match behavior | CI / simple-Windows entry point | Identity/data/isolation/fidelity policy | Repeat proof |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Unit | `APPLICABLE` / `N/A — {evidence}` | {owner} | {runner/config/root} | `{command}` | `{filter}` | `{non-zero behavior}` | {gate / command} | {policy reference} | {result/status} |
| Integration/System | `APPLICABLE` / `N/A — {evidence}` | {owner} | {runner/config/root} | `{command}` | `{filter}` | `{non-zero behavior}` | {gate / command} | {policy reference} | `{two no-reset runs}` |
| E2E | `APPLICABLE` / `N/A — {evidence}` | {owner} | {runner/config/root} | `{command}` | `{filter}` | `{non-zero behavior}` | {gate / command} | {policy reference} | `{result or evidence-backed N/A}` |

Missing/placeholder evidence is an open gap, not a PASS. The inventory must preserve the strategy's unique identity, additive-data, isolation, realistic-fidelity, and two-run proof fields; E2E N/A remains evidence-backed.

## Feedforward Guides

| Type          | File/Skill                           | Purpose                         |
| ------------- | ------------------------------------ | ------------------------------- |
| Inferential   | CLAUDE.md §Architecture Patterns     | Shapes AI architectural choices |
| Inferential   | CLAUDE.md §Anti-Patterns             | Prevents known bad patterns     |
| Inferential   | docs/architecture/pattern-catalog.md | DO/DON'T examples per pattern   |
| Computational | .editorconfig                        | Cross-IDE consistency           |

## Feedback Sensors — Computational

| Stage      | Tool/Hook          | What it catches                                |
| ---------- | ------------------ | ---------------------------------------------- |
| Pre-commit | {linter}           | Style violations, common errors                |
| Pre-commit | {formatter}        | Code formatting drift                          |
| CI         | {type-checker}     | Type errors                                    |
| CI         | {static-analyzer}  | Security, complexity, dead code                |
| CI         | {mutation-tool}    | Weak/missing assertions (test-strength GATE)   |
| CI         | {coverage-tool}    | Untested areas (DIAGNOSTIC only — never gated) |

## Feedback Sensors — Inferential

| Stage               | Skill/Agent             | What it catches                |
| ------------------- | ----------------------- | ------------------------------ |
| Pre-implementation  | $why-review             | Design rationale gaps          |
| Pre-commit          | $code-review            | Convention drift, logic errors |
| Post-implementation | $domain-entities-review | Domain model quality           |
| Pre-release         | $production-readiness-review             | Operational readiness          |
| Pre-release         | $security-review               | Security vulnerabilities       |
| Pre-release + Recurring | $integration-test-review (feature-area TC audit) | Orphaned Section-8 TCs, uncovered changed behavior |

## Open Gaps

| Area                     | Reason   | Risk           |
| ------------------------ | -------- | -------------- |
| {area not yet harnessed} | {reason} | {LOW/MED/HIGH} |
```

Present inventory to user for review by asking the user directly.

---

## Next Steps

ask the user directly:

- **"$feature-implement (Recommended)"** — Begin implementing the project plan with full harness in place
- **"$why-review"** — Review harness design rationale before proceeding
- **"Skip"** — Proceed manually without workflow guidance

---

> **[IMPORTANT]** Use task tracking to break ALL work into small tasks BEFORE starting — including tasks for each file read. This prevents context loss from long files. For simple tasks, AI MUST ATTENTION ask user whether to skip.

<!-- SYNC:critical-thinking-mindset -->

> **Critical Thinking Mindset** — Apply critical thinking, sequential thinking. Every claim needs traced proof, confidence >80% to act.
> **Anti-hallucination:** Never present guess as fact — cite sources for every claim, admit uncertainty freely, self-check output for errors, cross-reference independently, stay skeptical of own confidence — certainty without evidence root of all hallucination.

<!-- /SYNC:critical-thinking-mindset -->

<!-- SYNC:ai-mistake-prevention -->

> **AI Mistake Prevention** — Failure modes to avoid on every task:
>
> **Re-read files after context changes.** Context compaction, resume, or long-running work can make memory stale; verify current files before acting.
> **Verify generated content against source evidence.** AI hallucinates APIs, names, claims, and document facts. Check the relevant source before documenting or referencing.
> **Check downstream references before deleting or renaming.** Removing an artifact can stale docs, generated mirrors, configs, and callers; map references first.
> **Trace the full impact chain after edits.** Changing a definition can miss derived outputs and consumers. Follow the affected chain before declaring done.
> **Verify ALL affected outputs, not just the first.** One green check is not all green checks; validate every output surface the change can affect.
> **Assume existing values are intentional — ask WHY before changing OR flagging one as a defect.** Before changing or reporting a constant, limit, flag, cutoff, wording, or pattern, read nearby context and history, the CALLER's ordering, and 2+ sibling call sites of the same convention. A doc stating WHAT without WHY is missing rationale, not proof of a missing guard.
> **Surface ambiguity before acting — don't pick silently.** Multiple valid interpretations require an explicit question or stated assumption with risk.
> **Assert the outcome your system owns, not the intermediate state your infrastructure owns.** When verifying async work, assert the final business state — never the delivery/retry bookkeeping held in shared infrastructure that any co-running process can write. Such a check passes when run alone and flakes the moment anything else shares that infrastructure.
> **Keep shared guidance role-relevant.** Universal guidance must help every receiving skill or agent; code-specific obligations belong only in code-specific protocols.

<!-- /SYNC:ai-mistake-prevention -->

<!-- SYNC:harness-setup -->

> **Harness Engineering** — An outer agent harness has two jobs: raise first-attempt quality + provide self-correction feedback loops before human review.
>
> **Controls split:**
>
> | Axis        | Type          | Examples                                                                      | Frequency        |
> | ----------- | ------------- | ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- | ---------------- |
> | Feedforward | Computational | `.editorconfig`, strict compiler flags, enforced module boundaries            | Always-on        |
> | Feedforward | Inferential   | `CLAUDE.md` conventions, skill prompts, architecture notes, pattern catalogs  | Always-on        |
> | Feedback    | Computational | Linters, type checks, pre-commit hooks, ArchUnit/arch-fitness tests, mutation-score gate, CI gates | Pre-commit → CI  |
> | Feedback    | Inferential   | `$code-review` skill, `$production-readiness-review`, `$security-review`, LLM-as-judge passes         | Post-commit → CI |
>
> **Test-strength sensor — gate on mutation score, NOT line coverage.** Line coverage is a DIAGNOSTIC only: low coverage is a useful NEGATIVE signal (something is untested); high coverage is NOT evidence of quality (tests can execute lines without asserting intent) — NEVER fail a build on a line-coverage %. The real test-strength metric is **mutation score** (inject faults into changed code; surviving mutant = a missing/weak assertion = write the killing test); gate the build on it where a mutation tool exists. **Where no workable tool exists the obligation does NOT lapse — it falls back to the deliberate defect-seeding drill:** break the production code behind a top invariant, run the suite, record WHICH NAMED TEST went red, restore. Nothing went red ⇒ that behavior has no protection; write the killing test. The drill needs no tooling, works in every ecosystem, costs one edit-run-revert cycle per behavior, and is what makes test-strength checkable rather than aspirational — full contract in `SYNC:engineering-foundation-gate` **F4**. Add **property coverage** as a second sensor — each [HARD] §4 rule / §5 invariant guarded by ≥1 property/metamorphic test. The property tests themselves are REQUIRED for invariant-owning behaviors (`spec [mode=tests]` + `integration-test` force them, not opt-in); what is optional is only wiring property coverage as an *automated CI sensor* on top. Keep **behavior/change-coverage** (does each behavior-changing file have a test that asserts the changed outcome) — that notion is meaningful and stays.
>
> **Three harness types:**
>
> 1. **Maintainability** — Complexity, duplication, line-coverage (diagnostic only — never a gate), style. Easiest: rich deterministic tooling.
> 2. **Architecture fitness** — Module boundaries, dependency direction, performance budgets, observability conventions, and **build scalability** (an unchanged module is not rebuilt; the affected-only set is computable because dependencies are declared; cache hit-rate is measured, not assumed). Build scoping belongs here because it is enforced by the same boundary declarations — unenforced boundaries decay until the affected set is "everything".
> 3. **Behaviour** — Functional correctness. Hardest: gate on mutation score + property coverage; line coverage stays a diagnostic.
>
> **Keep quality left:** pre-commit sensors fire first (cheap), CI sensors fire second, post-review last (expensive).
>
> **Research-driven:** Never hardcode tool choices. Detect tech stack → research ecosystem → present top 2-3 options → user decides. Enforce strictest defaults; loosen only with explicit approval.
>
> **Harnessability signals:** Strong typing, explicit module boundaries, opinionated frameworks = easier to harness. Treat these as greenfield architectural choices, not just style preferences.

<!-- /SYNC:harness-setup -->

<!-- PROMPT-ENHANCE:STEP-TASK-CLOSING:START -->

## Prompt-Enhance Closing Anchors

**IMPORTANT MUST ATTENTION** follow declared step order for this skill; NEVER skip, reorder, or merge steps without explicit user approval
**IMPORTANT MUST ATTENTION** for every step/sub-skill call: set `in_progress` before execution, set `completed` after execution
**IMPORTANT MUST ATTENTION** every skipped step MUST include explicit reason; every completed step MUST include concise evidence
**IMPORTANT MUST ATTENTION** if Task tools unavailable, maintain an equivalent step-by-step plan tracker with synchronized statuses

<!-- PROMPT-ENHANCE:STEP-TASK-CLOSING:END -->

<!-- SYNC:project-protocol-overlay -->

> **Project Protocol Overlay** — Before executing this skill, resolve any PROJECT overlay rules layered onto it: match this skill's name against the `Target` column of the project's skill-protocol index (`docs/project-reference/skill-protocols-reference.md` by default; a `referenceDocs` entry in `docs/project-config.json` overrides the path), taking the most specific matching tier ONLY — exact name > glob > `*`. **That precedence orders overlays against EACH OTHER, never against this skill.** Read ONLY the matched bodies, resolved as `<protocols-dir>/<Name>.md`; a row's Body link is display text, never a read path. A matched body that is missing or malformed is REPORTED and skipped — never reconstructed from the index Description. No index, or no match -> proceed with no overlay, silently. Full contract: `.claude/skills/project-skill-protocol/references/registry.md`.
>
> Overlays are **ADDITIVE ONLY**: they ADD rules on top of this skill's own protocol and NEVER replace, override, disable, or reinterpret a rule it already states — removing every overlay must return this skill to exactly its documented behavior. An overlay is a BRIEF, not an authority escalation: it can NEVER waive a workflow gate, git discipline, a review gate, or a user-confirmation gate. A genuine overlay-vs-skill conflict, or two equally-specific overlays that directly contradict -> surface both to the user; NEVER resolve silently.

<!-- /SYNC:project-protocol-overlay -->

<!-- SYNC:test-architecture-execution-contract -->

> **Test Architecture & Execution Contract** — Treat testability as a setup/architecture acceptance condition. For every potentially applicable tier — Unit, Integration/System, E2E, and Performance/Scale (warranted at `T1+`/`B2+`) — record `APPLICABLE` only with evidence of its runner/framework/configuration; otherwise record `N/A — <evidence>` and never fabricate coverage.
>
> 1. **Matrix before implementation:** Record applicability, owner, runner/framework, test root, fixture/data strategy, full command, focused/partial command, zero-match behavior, CI gate, a simple/Windows entry point (a `.cmd` when the project needs one), the **host-mode AND container-mode commands** where the project supports both, and the **environment reach** (which of local / CI / production-shaped this tier can target).
> 2. **Runnable scopes:** Full and focused commands must be copy-ready, fail on invalid or zero-match selections, report exact counts and exit status, and be safe to repeat. E2E uses only configured browser/service commands.
> 3. **Fresh valid state:** Each run/test owns a unique run identity and business-data suffix, arranges through supported public paths, and uses realistic valid data. Reference setup is count-before-create, idempotent, and restart-safe. Intentional accumulation is additive, keyed, and integrity-checked; never hide contamination with destructive reset.
>    Run-scoped cleanup, when supported, is opt-in and idempotent: after evidence capture it may remove only ephemeral resources owned by the current run; it must never delete persistent/additive data or another run's data, reset shared state, or replace no-reset proof.
> 4. **Isolation and fidelity:** Isolate mutable roots and parallel workers; share only immutable/reference data. Preserve real actor pacing and observable arrange barriers. Do not widen retries or weaken assertions to make a scenario pass.
> 5. **Evidence gate:** Report command, scope, identity, seed/accumulation mode, exact result, and repeat proof. For each applicable persistent-state suite, require two consecutive no-reset full runs. Treat line coverage as diagnostic only; use meaningful property/invariant, mutation, change, and behavior coverage signals.
> 6. **Execution modes and environment reach:** A tier claiming two run modes must have **BOTH exercised** — the bare-host command and the fully-containerized command, driven from ONE source of truth for config and topology; record which mode CI exercises, because an unexercised mode rots silently and a claimed-but-rotten mode is worse than one never claimed. The SAME suite must reach local, CI and (where warranted) a production-shaped target, **parameterized by configuration, never by forked test code** — only one fork ever stays maintained, so forking guarantees divergence. A target lacking a required capability reports `ENVIRONMENT-BLOCKED`, never a silent pass. Tests unsafe against production are excluded by an **ENFORCED** mechanism whose absence fails loudly, not by a convention someone must remember; *"runs in prod"* means a safe, declared, **NON-MUTATING** subset. Reproducibility underwrites all of it — pinned toolchain, locked dependencies, declared external prerequisites — which is the difference between a suite that passes anywhere and one that passes on its author's machine. Depth → `SYNC:engineering-foundation-gate` **F1/F2/F3**.
>
> **Ownership:** Architecture/harness defines the matrix; scaffold/workflow makes it runnable; test writers implement tier-specific cases; reviewers verify the contract; the runner reports; seed-data owners preserve uniqueness, idempotency, realism, and accumulation integrity. Missing required evidence blocks setup completion.

<!-- /SYNC:test-architecture-execution-contract -->

<!-- SYNC:engineering-foundation-gate -->

> **Engineering Foundation Gate** — CONDITIONAL, evidence-gated, profile-tiered. Judges the PROJECT'S ENGINEERING FOUNDATION: _can this team build, run, test and change the system safely — anywhere, repeatably, as it grows?_ Its companions judge the running system's DESIGN (`scale-technique-gate`: is technique X present? · `scenario-stress-eval`: does it survive scenario Y?) — a system can score perfectly on both while nobody but its author can build it. **State OUTCOMES, never tools:** detect the stack, research the current ecosystem, present 2–3 options, the user decides, record the decision — best practice turns over, the outcome does not.
>
> 1. **Derive the project profile FIRST — from evidence, never assumed.** `Lifecycle` **G** greenfield (foundation being created) / **B** brownfield (foundation exists, under audit) · scale `T0`–`T3` (**reuse** `scale-technique-catalog.md`, never re-derive) · criticality `B0`–`B3` with its criticality-signal floor (**reuse** `scenario-stress-catalog.md`) · repo shape `R0` single module / `R1` few (2–5) / `R2` many modules, multi-team / `R3` monorepo estate · runtime surface. Cite `file:line`/config/CI + confidence. Unknown axis → state the assumption and take the **LOWER** tier; NEVER default to `T3`/`B3`/`R3` — an over-stated profile turns this gate into busywork a small team correctly ignores.
> 2. **Judge all 7 dimensions — always all 7, never a filtered subset** (an omitted row is indistinguishable from an overlooked one). Depth belongs to the named owner; this gate decides only present/absent:
>    - **F1 Reproducible environment** (ALL profiles — the floor) — one documented path takes a clean machine to a running system; toolchain versions pinned; dependencies locked to exact versions; every external prerequisite declared with a way to obtain or fake it; config environment-injected, never machine-implicit; build deterministic. This is what kills _"works on my machine"_ — not carelessness, but a build depending on ambient state nobody declared. → `scaffold` · `architecture-scalability-review`
>    - **F2 Dual execution modes** (`T1+`, multi-contributor, or containerized target; `B2+` regardless of scale) — the system runs on the **bare host** AND **fully containerized** from ONE source of truth for config and topology, and the suites run in BOTH directions (host-run against a containerized system, and wholly inside a container). Both modes **exercised**, so neither rots. Host mode buys a fast inner loop and a debugger; container mode buys CI/production parity and a trustworthy day one — a project with only one teaches people to work around it undocumented. A mode honestly dropped with a stated reason is `N/A`; the defect is the **claimed-but-rotten** mode. → `scaffold` · `devops` · `production-readiness-review`
>    - **F3 Environment-portable tests** (local+CI all profiles; production-shaped `T1+`/`B2+`) — the SAME suites run against local, CI and production-like targets, **parameterized by configuration, never by forked test code** (only one fork ever stays maintained, so forking guarantees divergence). Missing capability reports `ENVIRONMENT-BLOCKED` rather than silently passing; unsafe-in-production tests are excluded by an **enforced** mechanism whose absence fails loudly, not by a convention someone must remember. _"Runs in prod"_ means a safe, declared, **NON-MUTATING** subset. → `test-architecture-execution-contract` · `integration-test-review`
>    - **F4 Test-strength proof** (wherever tests exist) — evidence the suite **actually fails when the code is wrong**; a passing suite means nothing until it is known to be capable of failing for the right reason. Strongest available first: (a) **automated fault injection** scoped to CHANGED code — a surviving defect is a missing or vacuous assertion; gate on it where the ecosystem offers a workable tool. (b) **Deliberate defect-seeding drill — the universal fallback, needing no tooling and available in every ecosystem:** break the production code behind a top invariant, run the suite, record **WHICH NAMED TEST went red**, restore. Nothing went red ⇒ that behavior has no protection — write the killing test. (c) **Assertion-intent audit:** flag assertions that would still hold under an inverted implementation, that assert only non-nullness or a type, that re-assert the input, or that assert infrastructure bookkeeping instead of the outcome the system owns. **Line coverage is a DIAGNOSTIC, never a gate** — low coverage is a useful negative signal; high coverage is not evidence of quality, and gating on the percentage reliably produces tests written to touch lines rather than protect behavior. **Scope boundary — do NOT re-litigate a solved question:** this gate asks only whether the PROJECT HAS a test-strength mechanism wired into its harness at all; PER-CHANGE enforcement is already owned by `integration-test-review` Gate 1's Mutation Probe Ledger (tool path + manual fallback, ledger required either way). Report the setup gap here, the assertion gap there, never both. → `harness-setup` (sensor design) · `integration-test-review` (per-change enforcement)
>    - **F5 Performance & scale-under-data** (`T1+`/`B2+` for a real tier; `T0`/`B0` = one documented largest-expected-volume check) — performance **MEASURED by something that RUNS and CAN FAIL**, not reasoned about. The companion gates can be fully satisfied by a system that has never once been run against a large dataset; this is the executable counterpart. Requires: a runnable perf tier with a documented command (it belongs in the tier matrix); on-demand **realistic volume AND realistic shape** — distribution, cardinality, skew, not a million identical rows; **named latency/throughput/memory budgets the run ASSERTS** (a perf test that only reports numbers is a dashboard, and eventually nobody reads it); growth compared across **≥2 volumes ~10× apart**, because one data point cannot distinguish O(n) from O(n²); and resource exhaustion as a **tested, bounded** outcome — backpressure, paging or a clean error rather than an OOM kill, with unbounded result-sets, unbounded in-memory accumulation and unbounded concurrency provably absent or bounded on the paths that matter. State whether a number is a regression signal or a capacity statement. → `performance-review` · `seed-test-data`
>    - **F6 Build & change scalability** (`R1+` declared style + boundaries; `R2+` computable affected set, enforced checks, measured incrementality) — build/test cost and blast radius **do NOT grow with the codebase**. Every project is fast on day one; the foundation question is whether the tenth module costs what the second did. Requires: the affected module/sub-domain set is **COMPUTABLE** because inter-module dependencies are explicit and declared; incrementality and caching are real and **measured** (claimed caching that never hits is an invisible failure); boundaries enforced **MECHANICALLY**, since unenforced boundaries decay silently until the affected set is "everything"; a **declared** architecture style (modular monolith / clean / hexagonal / layered — which one matters far less than that one is declared, written down and enforced, because an undeclared style is indistinguishable from none after two years); implementation hidden behind abstraction so a technology swaps without touching business code (depth → `complexity-prevention`); and a fast scoped inner-loop check — if the only available check is the slow exhaustive one, that is the finding. **Scope boundary:** `architecture-scalability-review` **G2 Build & CI Scalability** already SCORES incremental/affected-only/caching/monorepo posture and **G4** scores boundary enforcement — where that review has run, cite its verdict rather than re-scoring; this gate only confirms the dimension was examined and is not silently absent. → `architecture-scalability-review` (G2/G4 depth) · `architecture-review` (diff-level boundary drift) · `complexity-prevention` (cost of change in the code itself)
>    - **F7 Mechanical quality harness** (format + lint + type/static analysis + build/test at ALL profiles; architecture-fitness `R1+`; dependency health + secret scanning wherever real data ships, unconditional at `B2+`; complexity/duplication + drift `R1+`/`T1+`) — no human reviewer spends attention on a defect class a machine could have caught; reviewer attention is the scarcest resource in the project. **Account for EVERY class or record it `N/A` with a reason** — an unlisted class is an unexamined one: formatting · lint/correctness · type & static analysis · complexity & duplication · **executable architecture-fitness** · dependency vulnerability & license · secret scanning · build/test gates plus the **F4** signal · documentation/config drift. Local and CI must run the **SAME** command, configuration and version (divergence means CI failures nobody can reproduce); checks must **ENFORCE**, not warn (an unread warning stream is not a harness); strictest reasonable defaults, loosened only with a recorded reason, since a large silent suppression list is itself a finding; cheap checks first, expensive last. Brownfield adoption uses a **ratchet** — fail on NEW violations, tolerate the existing baseline — which counts as `PRESENT`, not partial, because it stops regression from day one. → `linter-setup` · `harness-setup` · `security-review`
> 3. **Assign one verdict per dimension:** `PRESENT` (achieved and proven by cited evidence) · `MISSING-WARRANTED` · `PARTIAL-WITH-PATH` (gap named + concrete incremental step) · `N/A-by-profile` (below the warranting profile — **a correctly-lean project is a PASS here, never a gap; never report it as a deficiency**) · `OVER-ENGINEERED` (present but unwarranted → advise AGAINST, name the carrying cost) · `UNVERIFIED` (could not be checked — say so honestly; **NEVER score an unverified dimension `PRESENT`**).
> 4. **Authority is context-split — the one place this gate differs from its two companions.** **CREATING** a foundation (greenfield init, scaffold, a plan standing up build/test/CI) → a `MISSING-WARRANTED` dimension is **BLOCKING**: you are choosing the foundation right now, so omitting a warranted one must be an explicit decision, not a silent default. **AUDITING** an existing foundation (brownfield review, architecture audit, changes review) → **ADVISORY ONLY**: emit the matrix plus a prioritized adoption path and **NEVER mutate any score, `/20`, `/24`, verdict band, or gate PASS/FAIL**. — why the split: the cost of adding a foundation is near zero at creation and high afterwards, so strictness should track that cost; blocking a review of a ten-year-old codebase on foundations it never had produces a useless report, not a better project.
> 5. **Anti-over-engineering guard (first-class, and symmetric).** Do NOT demand a container mode of a single-author local utility, a distributed load-generation platform for a small internal service, affected-set computation or boundary enforcement for a single module, or four overlapping analyzers reporting one defect class (the carrying cost is noise and slow builds, and people learn to ignore the output). Splitting a small system into many modules to _look_ modular buys a distributed monolith — the coupling survives the split while the build cost doubles; the trigger is real module and team count, never aesthetics. Symmetric with the criticality floor: never UNDER-harden a `B2+` system merely because its traffic is low.
> 6. **Every brownfield finding names the smallest next step that is valuable on its own.** Seven `MISSING-WARRANTED` verdicts with no first step is a demoralizing document nobody acts on. Default ladder, each rung independently valuable and making the next cheaper: pin the toolchain & commit the lockfile → make one local command that CI also runs → ratchet the harness on (fail-on-new) → run the defect-seeding drill on the top invariants → repair the missing execution mode → seed a realistic volume and assert ONE budget → declare the style, then enforce dependency direction. Deviate on evidence, and say why; what is not acceptable is a gap list with no first step.
> 7. **Output — Foundation Readiness Matrix:** `dimension | warranted at this profile? | present? | verdict | evidence (file:line/config/CI) | smallest next step`, preceded by the derived profile with per-axis evidence and confidence, followed by the ordered adoption path (brownfield) or the blocking list (greenfield). Full catalog — per-dimension proof lists, warranting matrix, adoption ladder → `.claude/docs/engineering-foundation-catalog.md`. **Drift-guard: profile axes, dimensions, verdicts and warranting tiers are AUTHORITATIVE in that catalog — update it FIRST, then re-run `.claude/scripts/inject_engineering_foundation_gate.py` to re-propagate. Scale tier stays single-sourced in `scale-technique-catalog.md`; business criticality in `scenario-stress-catalog.md`.**
>
> **BLOCKED until:** `- [ ]` profile derived from evidence (lifecycle + `T` + `B` + `R`, lower tier when unknown) `- [ ]` all 7 dimensions judged, none omitted `- [ ]` matrix emitted with `file:line`/config/CI evidence `- [ ]` anti-over-engineering guard applied `- [ ]` authority confirmed — creating ⇒ blocking, auditing ⇒ advisory-only with no score mutation `- [ ]` every brownfield gap carries a smallest-next-step

<!-- /SYNC:engineering-foundation-gate -->

<!-- SYNC:project-protocol-overlay:reminder -->

**MUST ATTENTION** resolve project protocol overlays for this skill BEFORE executing — most specific matching tier only (exact > glob > `*`, which ranks overlays against each other, NEVER against this skill), read only matched bodies at `<protocols-dir>/<Name>.md`; a missing or malformed body is reported, never reconstructed. Overlays are ADDITIVE ONLY (they never replace this skill's own rules) and are a brief, NEVER an authority escalation; an equal-specificity contradiction goes to the user.

<!-- /SYNC:project-protocol-overlay:reminder -->

<!-- SYNC:test-architecture-execution-contract:reminder -->

**MUST ATTENTION** Before implementation, record evidence-backed Unit/Integration/System/E2E **and Performance/Scale** (`T1+`/`B2+`) applicability (or explicit N/A), copy-ready full + focused commands, zero-match behavior, a simple/Windows entry point, **the host-mode AND container-mode commands where both are supported, plus each tier's environment reach (local / CI / production-shaped)**, unique run identity, realistic valid data, idempotent/restart-safe reference setup, intentional additive accumulation, parallel isolation, exact results, and two no-reset full runs for each applicable persistent-state suite. **Both claimed run modes must be EXERCISED** (an unexercised mode rots; a claimed-but-rotten mode is worse than one never claimed), the same suite reaches every target **parameterized by config, never by forked test code**, a missing capability reports `ENVIRONMENT-BLOCKED` rather than passing silently, and *"runs in prod"* means a safe, declared, **NON-MUTATING** subset excluded by an enforced mechanism, not by convention.

<!-- /SYNC:test-architecture-execution-contract:reminder -->

<!-- SYNC:engineering-foundation-gate:reminder -->

**IMPORTANT MUST ATTENTION** engineering-foundation gate — judges whether the team can **build, run, test and change** the system safely, anywhere, as it grows (its companions judge the running system's design; a system can pass both while nobody but its author can build it). Derive the profile from evidence FIRST: lifecycle **G**reenfield/**B**rownfield · scale `T0`–`T3` (reuse `scale-technique-catalog.md`) · criticality `B0`–`B3` with its signal floor (reuse `scenario-stress-catalog.md`) · repo shape `R0`–`R3` — take the **LOWER** tier when unknown, NEVER default to `T3`/`B3`/`R3`. Judge **ALL 7** dimensions, never a subset: **F1** reproducible environment (pinned toolchain, locked deps, declared prerequisites, deterministic build — kills _"works on my machine"_) · **F2** dual execution modes (bare host AND fully containerized from one source of truth, suites runnable BOTH directions, both exercised so neither rots — the defect is the claimed-but-rotten mode) · **F3** environment-portable tests (same suites local/CI/production-shaped, parameterized by CONFIG not forked code; missing capability ⇒ `ENVIRONMENT-BLOCKED` not silent pass; _"runs in prod"_ = a safe NON-MUTATING subset) · **F4** test-strength proof (automated fault injection on changed code where a tool exists, else the universal **defect-seeding drill** — break the code behind a top invariant, record WHICH NAMED TEST went red, restore; nothing red ⇒ no protection. **Line coverage is a DIAGNOSTIC, never a gate**) · **F5** performance measured by something that **RUNS and CAN FAIL** (realistic volume AND shape, **asserted** budgets not a dashboard, ≥2 volumes ~10× apart to expose super-linear growth, resource exhaustion bounded rather than an OOM kill) · **F6** build & change scalability (computable affected set, measured incrementality, **mechanically** enforced boundaries, a **declared** architecture style, implementation hidden behind abstraction) · **F7** mechanical harness completeness (every machine-catchable class accounted for or `N/A`; local and CI run the SAME command; checks **ENFORCE**, not warn; brownfield uses a fail-on-new **ratchet**). Verdicts: `PRESENT`/`MISSING-WARRANTED`/`PARTIAL-WITH-PATH`/`N/A-by-profile`/`OVER-ENGINEERED`/`UNVERIFIED`. **Authority splits — CREATING a foundation ⇒ `MISSING-WARRANTED` is BLOCKING; AUDITING one ⇒ ADVISORY ONLY, never mutating any score, verdict band or PASS/FAIL.** Anti-over-engineering is first-class and symmetric (a correctly-lean project is a PASS; never under-harden a `B2+` system for low traffic). Every brownfield gap names the smallest next step. **State OUTCOMES, never tools.** Full catalog → `.claude/docs/engineering-foundation-catalog.md` (authoritative — update it FIRST, then re-run `inject_engineering_foundation_gate.py`).

<!-- /SYNC:engineering-foundation-gate:reminder -->

## Closing Reminders

**IMPORTANT MUST ATTENTION** Testability contract: resolve evidence-backed Unit/Integration/System/E2E rows, copy-ready full/focused commands, zero-match failures, owner/root/data, CI/simple-Windows entry, unique run identity, and repeat proof before claiming setup, review, or test completion.
**IMPORTANT MUST ATTENTION Goal:** Wire every feedforward guide and feedback sensor into the project so all later AI agents self-correct against quality gates BEFORE human review — raising first-attempt quality and catching defects at the earliest, cheapest stage.

**IMPORTANT MUST ATTENTION Protocols in force (concise digest of the SYNC/shared blocks this skill carries):**

- **Critical Thinking:** critical + sequential thinking; every claim traced, confidence >80% to act.
- **AI Mistake Prevention:** verify generated content against evidence, trace downstream references, verify all affected outputs, re-read after context loss, surface ambiguity.
- **Harness Engineering:** feedforward + feedback loops; gate on mutation score, never line-coverage %, keep quality left.

**IMPORTANT MUST ATTENTION Main steps (in order — each BLOCKS the next):** Guards (verify `$linter-setup`) → A Stack Detection (`stack-profile.md`) → B Feedforward Guides (CLAUDE.md patterns/anti-patterns/naming/boundaries + skill-activation rules + pattern catalog) → C Computational Sensors (confirm linter/hook/CI) → D Inferential Sensors (wire `$why-review`, `$code-review`, `$domain-entities-review`, `$production-readiness-review`, `$security-review`, `$scan-codebase-health`, `$integration-test-review` missing-test/spec-coverage gate to gates) → E Behaviour Harness (spec format + test pyramid + mutation-score gate + `test-strategy.md`) → F Inventory Report (`harness-inventory.md`) → Next Steps. NEVER skip or reorder — why: each phase consumes the prior phase's verified output.

**IMPORTANT MUST ATTENTION** BLOCK on the `$linter-setup` prerequisite first — ALWAYS verify computational sensors (linter config, pre-commit hook, CI gate) exist before any phase runs — why: keep quality left; cheapest gates must precede inferential ones, and this skill never installs them itself
**IMPORTANT MUST ATTENTION** NEVER auto-decide feedforward-guide or sensor content — present the draft and confirm by asking the user directly — why: harness conventions bind every future agent; silent choices propagate to all later sessions
**IMPORTANT MUST ATTENTION** write `.ai/workspace/harness/harness-inventory.md` incrementally (append after each phase) — NEVER hold findings in memory — why: long context drifts and silently drops findings
**IMPORTANT MUST ATTENTION** walk phases A→F as a hard barrier sequence — NEVER skip or reorder; each phase BLOCKS the next until its guard passes — why: a later phase consumes the prior phase's verified output
**IMPORTANT MUST ATTENTION** gate the behaviour harness on mutation score + property coverage — NEVER fail a build on a line-coverage % — why: lines execute without asserting intent, so coverage % is a diagnostic only, never a quality gate
**IMPORTANT MUST ATTENTION** wire `$integration-test-review`'s feature-area-wide TC audit as a Phase D sensor BOTH pre-release AND on the SAME recurring cadence as `$scan-codebase-health` — never pre-release only — why: a diff-scoped-only run cannot see a §8 TC whose covering test regressed outside the current change set; only a periodic feature-area sweep catches it
**IMPORTANT MUST ATTENTION** research tool choices per detected stack — NEVER hardcode a linter/formatter/mutation tool — present top 2-3 options, enforce strictest defaults, loosen only with explicit approval — why: harnessability depends on the actual stack, not a default
**IMPORTANT MUST ATTENTION** harness inventory is a LIVING document — update it when new sensors are added later — why: a stale inventory misrepresents the active feedback loop
**IMPORTANT MUST ATTENTION** grep 3+ existing guides/sensors before authoring a new one; verify fit (same stack, gate stage, lifecycle) before copying a nearby pattern — why: closest example ≠ matching preconditions
**IMPORTANT MUST ATTENTION** cite `file:line` / config-path evidence for every detected sensor and stack fact (confidence >80% to act, <60% DO NOT recommend) — NEVER speculate a tool exists; grep the config to confirm — why: a hallucinated sensor leaves a real gap unguarded
**IMPORTANT MUST ATTENTION** bootstrap task tracking before phases — task tracking one todo per phase, mark `in_progress`/`completed` as you go; on context loss the current task list first — why: resume work, never duplicate phases

**Anti-Rationalization:**

| Evasion                                         | Rebuttal                                                                                  |
| ----------------------------------------------- | ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
| "Linter probably set up — skip the prereq check" | Grep for the config files. No `file:line` proof = BLOCK Phase A/B/C/D/E until verified.   |
| "I'll pick the obvious linter myself"            | NEVER auto-decide — present top 2-3 by asking the user directly; the user owns binding conventions. |
| "High line coverage means tests are strong"      | Coverage is a diagnostic, not a gate. Gate on mutation score; lines run without asserting. |
| "Inventory's small, I'll hold it in memory"      | Append per phase to the inventory file — context loss silently drops findings.            |
| "CLAUDE.md exists, harness already done"         | CLAUDE.md is a feedforward guide to ENHANCE, never a signal to skip phases.               |

**IMPORTANT MUST ATTENTION** BLOCK on `$linter-setup` before any phase · NEVER auto-decide harness content (ask the user directly-gate) · gate behaviour on mutation score, NEVER on line-coverage %.

<!-- CODEX:SYNC-PROMPT-PROTOCOLS:START -->
## Static Prompt Protocol Mirror (Auto-Synced)

Source: `.claude/.ck.json` + `.claude/skills/shared/sync-inline-versions.md` (`:full` blocks) + `.claude/scripts/lib/hookless-prompt-protocol.cjs` (legacy filename; static protocol composer)

## [WORKFLOW-EXECUTION-PROTOCOL] [BLOCKING] Workflow Execution Protocol — MANDATORY IMPORTANT MUST CRITICAL. Do not skip for any reason.

**Generic portability boundary:** Reusable skills and protocol text stay project-neutral; project-specific conventions are discovered from docs/project-config.json and docs/project-reference/. Apply shared AI-SDD from `shared/sdd-artifact-contract.md`. Read `docs/project-config.json` and `docs/project-reference/docs-index-reference.md`, then open the project reference docs named there immediately before the first target read, grep, edit, test, or analysis. For spec, test-case, behavior-change, public-contract, or `docs/specs/` work, route through the local spec docs named by the docs index: `feature-spec-reference.md`, `spec-system-reference.md`, `spec-principles.md`, and `workflow-spec-test-code-cycle-reference.md` when specs/tests/code must stay synchronized. If either file or a required reference doc is missing or stale, auto-run `$project-init` (or the narrow lower-level route such as `$project-config`, `$docs-init`, `$scan-all`, or `$scan --target=<key>`) before ordinary project-specific work. After compaction, resume, delegation, or a material context change, re-read the required docs and state `Reference docs read: ... | Not applicable: ...`; a hook reminder or prior conversation is not proof that the files are loaded. Any supported AI tool may execute when this shared context and local docs are available.

1. **DETECT:** If the prompt starts with an explicit slash skill/workflow command, execute it directly. Otherwise match the prompt against the workflow catalog and skill list.
2. **ANALYZE:** Choose the best option: execute directly, invoke a skill, activate a standard workflow, or compose a custom step combination.
3. **AUTO-SELECT:** Pick the best option yourself. Do not ask the user to choose between direct execution, skill, standard workflow, or custom workflow.
4. **ACTIVATE:** For a selected workflow, call `$start-workflow <workflowId>`; for a selected skill, invoke that skill; for a custom workflow, sequence custom steps directly; for direct execution, proceed with the task.
5. **CREATE TASKS:** task tracking for ALL workflow/skill/custom steps before execution when the selected path has multiple steps.
6. **PARALLELIZE:** Before executing the task list, tag each task `PAR` (independent inputs + write set disjoint from every other `PAR` task) or `SEQ` (name the blocking dependency), group `PAR` tasks into waves, declare the wave plan, and spawn each wave's sub-agents in ONE message — all-return barrier per wave, fan-out one level deep unless a sub-agent's own definition authorizes further fan-out. Sequential-by-default is a defect when tasks are independent; do not parallelize shared write targets, output-consuming tasks, trivial single-file work, ordering a skill or workflow explicitly fixes, or user-approval gates.
7. **EXECUTE:** Advance per the **Workflow Step Advancement & Parallel Phases** rule in your context instructions — model-driven; a sub-agent completion advances a step identically to an inline call; a parallel-phase group is an all-return barrier (advance only after ALL members return, never serialize it)
## Shared AI-SDD Protocol Markers

Source: `.claude/skills/shared/sync-inline-versions.md`

## SYNC:ai-sdd-artifact-contract

> **AI-SDD Artifact Contract** — Shared spec-driven development rules stay portable and source-owned.
>
> 1. Keep reusable AI-SDD principles in `.claude`; put repository-specific paths, commands, owners, products, and formats in project config/reference docs.
> 2. Preserve cycle: `spec -> plan -> tasks -> implement -> verify -> update spec/docs`.
> 3. Trace every requirement or invariant through decision, task, TC/test, source evidence, and docs/spec update.
> 4. Treat code-to-spec extraction as reference-only until accepted by the canonical spec owner.
> 5. Any supported AI tool may plan, implement, review, or verify with synced context; using multiple tools is optional.
> 6. Update `.claude` source first, then sync generated mirrors; do not manually edit `.agents`, `.codex`, or `AGENTS.md`. — why: mirrors are generated artifacts; hand-edits are overwritten on the next sync
> 7. If `docs/project-config.json`, root instruction files, or a required project-reference doc is missing or stale, auto-run `$project-init` or the narrow lower-level route before ordinary project-specific work.
>
> **Active reference:** `shared/sdd-artifact-contract.md` in the active skills root.

---

## SYNC:ai-sdd-artifact-contract:reminder

- **MANDATORY** Apply `shared/sdd-artifact-contract.md`; keep reusable AI-SDD in `.claude` and local rules in project docs.
- **MANDATORY** Code-to-spec extraction is reference-only until canonical acceptance; any supported AI tool may execute with synced context.
- **MANDATORY** Update `.claude` source before syncing generated mirrors; do not manually edit `.agents`, `.codex`, or `AGENTS.md`.
- **MANDATORY** Missing or stale project config, root instruction files, or required reference docs route project-specific work through `$project-init` or the narrow setup route automatically.
**[TASK-PLANNING] [MANDATORY]** BEFORE executing any workflow or skill step, create/update task tracking for all planned steps, then keep it synchronized as each step starts/completes.
## [LESSON-LEARNED-REMINDER] [BLOCKING] Task Planning & Continuous Improvement — MANDATORY. Do not skip.

Break work into small tasks (task tracking) before starting. Add final task: "Analyze AI mistakes & lessons learned".

**Extract lessons — ROOT CAUSE ONLY, not symptom fixes:**
1. Name the FAILURE MODE (reasoning/assumption failure), not symptom — "assumed API existed without reading source" not "used wrong enum value".
2. Generality test: does this failure mode apply to ≥3 contexts/codebases? If not, abstract one level up.
3. Write as a universal rule — strip project-specific names/paths/classes. Useful on any codebase.
4. Consolidate: multiple mistakes sharing one failure mode → ONE lesson.
5. **Recurrence gate:** "Would this recur in future session WITHOUT this reminder?" — No → skip `$learn`.
6. **Auto-fix gate:** "Could `$code-review`/`$code-simplifier`/`$security-review`/`$lint` catch this?" — Yes → improve review skill instead.
7. BOTH gates pass → ask user to run `$learn`.
**[CRITICAL-THINKING-MINDSET]** Apply critical thinking, sequential thinking. Every claim needs traced proof, confidence >80% to act.
**Anti-hallucination principle:** Never present guess as fact — cite sources for every claim, admit uncertainty freely, self-check output for errors, cross-reference independently, stay skeptical of own confidence — certainty without evidence root of all hallucination.
**AI Attention principle (Primacy-Recency):** Put the 3 most critical rules at both top and bottom of long prompts/protocols so instruction adherence survives long context windows.
**Goal-driven execution:** Define success criteria first, loop until verified, and stop only when observable checks pass.
**Tests verify intent:** Tests must protect business rules/invariants and fail when the protected intent breaks, not only mirror current behavior.
## Common AI Mistake Prevention (System Lessons)

- **Re-read files after context compaction.** Edit requires prior Read in same context; compaction wipes read state. Re-read before editing.
- **Grep for old terms after bulk replacements.** AI over-trusts find/replace completeness. Grep full repo after bulk edits for missed refs in docs/configs/catalogs.
- **Check downstream references before deleting.** Deletions cascade doc/code staleness. Map referencing files before removal.
- **After memory loss, check existing state before creating new.** Compaction wipes prior-work memory. Query current state to resume — never blindly duplicate.
- **Verify AI-generated content against actual code.** AI hallucinates APIs, class names, method signatures. Grep to confirm existence before documenting/referencing.
- **Trace full dependency chain after edits.** Changing a definition misses downstream consumers. Trace the full chain.
- **When renaming, grep ALL consumer file types.** Some file types silently ignore missing refs (no compile error). Search code, templates, configs, generated files.
- **Trace ALL code paths when verifying correctness.** Code existing ≠ code executing. Trace early exits, error branches, conditional skips — not just happy path.
- **Update docs that embed canonical data when source changes.** Docs inlining derived data (workflows, schemas, configs) go stale silently. Update all embedding docs alongside source.
- **Verify sub-agent results after context recovery.** Background agents may finish while parent compacted — grep-verify output, don't trust assumed completion.
- **Cross-check full target list against sub-agent assignments.** Parallel sub-agents by category miss boundary items. Reconcile union of assignments against target list before proceeding.
- **Sub-agents inherit knowledge only from their agent .md definition — use custom agent types, not built-in Explore.** Tool adoption = permission + knowledge + enforcement (numbered workflow step).
- **Persist sub-agent findings incrementally, not as a final batch.** Long sub-agents hit cutoffs before final write — findings lost. Instruct append-per-section to report file.
- **When debugging, ask "whose responsibility?" before fixing.** Trace caller (wrong data) vs callee (wrong handling). Fix at responsible layer — never patch symptom site.
- **Test failure → record a provisional verdict before trace/edit, then investigate.** Use the full five-way taxonomy: SOURCE-WRONG (production violates intent), TEST-WRONG (assertion/setup is stale), TEST-NOT-OPTIMAL (valid but fragile or low-signal test), ENVIRONMENT-BLOCKED (external state prevents a verdict), or AMBIGUOUS (intent/evidence cannot choose safely). Then trace root cause and triangulate against the governing spec (`docs/specs/**` if one exists) AND source. NEVER weaken an assertion, add a skip, relax a timeout, or change source merely to force green.
- **Grep ALL removed names after extraction/refactoring.** Primary file "done" ≠ secondary files clean. Grep entire scope for every removed symbol before declaring complete.
- **Assume existing values are intentional — ask WHY before changing OR flagging one as a defect.** Pattern-matching as "wrong" skips context. Before changing or reporting any constant/limit/flag/cutoff: read comments, git blame, the CALLER's ordering (the guarantee that makes the value correct usually lives in code running immediately BEFORE the cited line), and 2+ sibling call sites of the same convention. A doc stating WHAT without WHY is missing rationale, not proof of a missing guard — and in a validation pass, an accurate `file:line` citation proves the transcription, never the defect.
- **Verify ALL affected outputs, not just the first.** One build green ≠ all green. Multi-stack changes (backend/frontend/tests/docs) require verifying EVERY output.
- **Evaluate fit before copying a nearby pattern.** Closest example ≠ matching preconditions — verify the new context shares the same constraints, base classes, scope, lifetime.
- **Holistic-first debugging — resist nearest-attention trap.** Don't dive into first plausible cause. List EVERY precondition (config, env vars, paths, DB, endpoints, creds, versions, DI, data). Verify each against evidence (grep/query — not reasoning). Ask "what would falsify this?" — if nothing, it's not a hypothesis. Most expensive failure: going deeper in "obvious" layer while bug sits in layer never questioned.
- **Surgical changes — apply the diff test (context-aware).** Two modes: (1) Bug fix → every line traces to the bug; no restyling; orphan cleanup only for imports YOUR changes made unused. (2) Review/enhancement → implement improvements AND announce as "Enhancement beyond main request: [what]". Never silently scope-creep. Diff test: "Would this line exist if I wasn't asked to do X?" — if no, delete or announce.
- **Surface ambiguity before coding — don't pick silently.** Multiple valid interpretations → present each with effort: "[Request] could mean (1) [N h], (2) [N h]. Which matters?" List scope/format/volume/constraints assumptions first. If simpler path exists, say so. Never silently pick.
- **[MANDATORY FIRST ACTION] ALWAYS activate a suitable skill or workflow BEFORE responding.** Match task against workflow catalog + skill list; invoke via skill invocation or `$start-workflow <workflowId>`. NEVER answer or write code before checking. Skip = protocol violation.
- **Why-Review adversarial mindset — apply when reviewing any plan, decision, or design.** Default SKEPTIC not VALIDATOR: steel-man a rejected alternative, invert each stated reason ("what does it sacrifice?"), stress-test top 2-3 assumptions, run pre-mortem ("ships, fails in 3 months — what breaks?"), surface 1-2 alternatives author missed. Section presence ≠ quality; quality = causal reasoning + concrete mitigations + evidence, not "it's better" or "monitor closely".
- **Front-load report-write in sub-agent prompts for large reviews.** Many-file sub-agents hit budget before final write — findings lost. Design prompts so: (1) report-write is first explicit deliverable, (2) append per-file/section (not batched), (3) scope bounded so reads don't exhaust budget. Truncated mid-sentence with no report file → spawn narrower scope, don't retry same prompt.
- **After context compaction, re-verify all prior phase outcomes before continuing.** Summaries describe intent, not environment state (git index, filesystem, processes). On resume, FIRST audit: git status, re-read modified files, verify filesystem. Every "completed" claim is an untested hypothesis until evidence confirms.
- **OOM/memory: check row count before row size.** Triage: (1) Unbounded query — no DB filter for trigger? Push filter to DB; eliminates OOM. (2) Large rows? Projection reduces proportionally. Row reduction > projection in ROI.
- **Assert the outcome your system OWNS, never the intermediate state your INFRASTRUCTURE owns.** When testing anything asynchronous (queue/broker delivery, retries, background jobs, caches, replication), assert the final business/entity state. NEVER assert the delivery bookkeeping — consume/send status, attempt counts, last-error, row existence or counts in a broker, scheduler, or outbox/inbox table. That bookkeeping lives in shared infrastructure that ANY co-running process (a peer worker, a second replica, a leftover local container) can write, usually under a deterministic shared key, so the assertion silently tests the developer's environment instead of the system: green when run alone, flaky the instant anything else shares that broker + database. Gate question for every assertion: "would this hold no matter WHICH process did the work?" — if no, assert the converged data state instead. Corollary: process-local fault injection and in-process telemetry cannot gate work any process may perform — use them as stress amplifiers (arm → bounded window → disarm → assert convergence), never as preconditions.
- **Keep domain concepts out of generic/shared/infrastructure layers.** Reusable layer (shared library, framework, infra module) must reference NO consumer-specific domain concept — tenant/customer/product IDs, business entities, feature rules. Leak compiles + runs → passes review silently while coupling the "reusable" layer to one consumer. Keep shared type domain-free; push domain fields/logic down into the consumer via subclass/composition. — why: a layer coupled to one consumer's domain is no longer reusable.

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