# AGENTS.md

## RULE 0 - THE FUNDAMENTAL OVERRIDE PEROGATIVE

If I tell you to do something, even if it goes against what follows below, YOU MUST LISTEN TO ME. I AM IN CHARGE, NOT YOU.

---

## RULE NUMBER 1: NO FILE DELETION

**YOU ARE NEVER ALLOWED TO DELETE A FILE WITHOUT EXPRESS PERMISSION.** Even a new file that you yourself created, such as a test code file. You have a horrible track record of deleting critically important files or otherwise throwing away tons of expensive work. As a result, you have permanently lost any and all rights to determine that a file or folder should be deleted.

**YOU MUST ALWAYS ASK AND RECEIVE CLEAR, WRITTEN PERMISSION BEFORE EVER DELETING A FILE OR FOLDER OF ANY KIND.**

---

## Irreversible Git & Filesystem Actions — DO NOT EVER BREAK GLASS

> **Note:** Treat destructive commands as break-glass. If there's any doubt, stop and ask.

1. **Absolutely forbidden commands:** `git reset --hard`, `git clean -fd`, `rm -rf`, or any command that can delete or overwrite code/data must never be run unless the user explicitly provides the exact command and states, in the same message, that they understand and want the irreversible consequences.
2. **No guessing:** If there is any uncertainty about what a command might delete or overwrite, stop immediately and ask the user for specific approval. "I think it's safe" is never acceptable.
3. **Safer alternatives first:** When cleanup or rollbacks are needed, request permission to use non-destructive options (`git status`, `git diff`, `git stash`, copying to backups) before ever considering a destructive command.
4. **Mandatory explicit plan:** Even after explicit user authorization, restate the command verbatim, list exactly what will be affected, and wait for a confirmation that your understanding is correct. Only then may you execute it—if anything remains ambiguous, refuse and escalate.
5. **Document the confirmation:** When running any approved destructive command, record (in the session notes / final response) the exact user text that authorized it, the command actually run, and the execution time. If that record is absent, the operation did not happen.

---

## Toolchain: Rust & Cargo

We only use **Cargo** in this project, NEVER any other package manager.

- **Edition/toolchain:** Follow `rust-toolchain.toml` (if present). Do not assume stable vs nightly.
- **Dependencies:** Explicit versions for stability; keep the set minimal.
- **Configuration:** Cargo.toml only
- **Unsafe code:** Forbidden (`#![forbid(unsafe_code)]`)

### Release Profile

Use the release profile defined in `Cargo.toml`. If you need to change it, justify the
performance/size tradeoff and how it impacts determinism and cancellation behavior.

---

## Code Editing Discipline

### No Script-Based Changes

**NEVER** run a script that processes/changes code files in this repo. Brittle regex-based transformations create far more problems than they solve.

- **Always make code changes manually**, even when there are many instances
- For many simple changes: use parallel subagents
- For subtle/complex changes: do them methodically yourself

### No File Proliferation

If you want to change something or add a feature, **revise existing code files in place**.

**NEVER** create variations like:
- `mainV2.rs`
- `main_improved.rs`
- `main_enhanced.rs`

New files are reserved for **genuinely new functionality** that makes zero sense to include in any existing file. The bar for creating new files is **incredibly high**.

---

## Backwards Compatibility

We do not care about backwards compatibility—we're in early development with no users. We want to do things the **RIGHT** way with **NO TECH DEBT**.

- Never create "compatibility shims"
- Never create wrapper functions for deprecated APIs
- Just fix the code directly

---

## Compiler Checks (CRITICAL)

**After any substantive code changes, you MUST verify no errors were introduced:**

```bash
# Check for compiler errors and warnings
cargo check --all-targets

# Check for clippy lints (pedantic + nursery are enabled)
cargo clippy --all-targets -- -D warnings

# Verify formatting
cargo fmt --check
```

If you see errors, **carefully understand and resolve each issue**. Read sufficient context to fix them the RIGHT way.

---

## Testing

### Unit & Property Tests

```bash
# Run all tests
cargo test

# Run with output
cargo test -- --nocapture
```

When adding or changing primitives, add tests that assert the core invariants:

- no task leaks
- no obligation leaks
- losers are drained after races
- region close implies quiescence

Prefer deterministic lab-runtime tests for concurrency-sensitive behavior.

---

## MCP Agent Mail — Multi-Agent Coordination

A mail-like layer that lets coding agents coordinate asynchronously via MCP tools and resources. Provides identities, inbox/outbox, searchable threads, and advisory file reservations with human-auditable artifacts in Git.

### Why It's Useful

- **Prevents conflicts:** Explicit file reservations (leases) for files/globs
- **Token-efficient:** Messages stored in per-project archive, not in context
- **Quick reads:** `resource://inbox/...`, `resource://thread/...`

### Same Repository Workflow

1. **Register identity:**
   ```
   ensure_project(project_key=<abs-path>)
   register_agent(project_key, program, model)
   ```

2. **Reserve files before editing:**
   ```
   file_reservation_paths(project_key, agent_name, ["src/**"], ttl_seconds=3600, exclusive=true)
   ```

3. **Communicate with threads:**
   ```
   send_message(..., thread_id="FEAT-123")
   fetch_inbox(project_key, agent_name)
   acknowledge_message(project_key, agent_name, message_id)
   ```

4. **Quick reads:**
   ```
   resource://inbox/{Agent}?project=<abs-path>&limit=20
   resource://thread/{id}?project=<abs-path>&include_bodies=true
   ```

### Macros vs Granular Tools

- **Prefer macros for speed:** `macro_start_session`, `macro_prepare_thread`, `macro_file_reservation_cycle`, `macro_contact_handshake`
- **Use granular tools for control:** `register_agent`, `file_reservation_paths`, `send_message`, `fetch_inbox`, `acknowledge_message`

### Common Pitfalls

- `"from_agent not registered"`: Always `register_agent` in the correct `project_key` first
- `"FILE_RESERVATION_CONFLICT"`: Adjust patterns, wait for expiry, or use non-exclusive reservation
- **Auth errors:** If JWT+JWKS enabled, include bearer token with matching `kid`

---

## Beads (br) — Dependency-Aware Issue Tracking

Beads provides a lightweight, dependency-aware issue database and CLI (`br` / beads_rust) for selecting "ready work," setting priorities, and tracking status. It complements MCP Agent Mail's messaging and file reservations.

**Note:** `br` is non-invasive—it never executes git commands directly. You must run git commands manually after `br sync --flush-only`.

### Conventions

- **Single source of truth:** Beads for task status/priority/dependencies; Agent Mail for conversation and audit
- **Shared identifiers:** Use Beads issue ID (e.g., `br-123`) as Mail `thread_id` and prefix subjects with `[br-123]`
- **Reservations:** When starting a task, call `file_reservation_paths()` with the issue ID in `reason`

### Typical Agent Flow

1. **Pick ready work (Beads):**
   ```bash
   br ready --json  # Choose highest priority, no blockers
   ```

2. **Reserve edit surface (Mail):**
   ```
   file_reservation_paths(project_key, agent_name, ["src/**"], ttl_seconds=3600, exclusive=true, reason="br-123")
   ```

3. **Announce start (Mail):**
   ```
   send_message(..., thread_id="br-123", subject="[br-123] Start: <title>", ack_required=true)
   ```

4. **Work and update:** Reply in-thread with progress

5. **Complete and release:**
   ```bash
   br close br-123 --reason "Completed"
   ```
   ```
   release_file_reservations(project_key, agent_name, paths=["src/**"])
   ```
   Final Mail reply: `[br-123] Completed` with summary

### Mapping Cheat Sheet

| Concept | Value |
|---------|-------|
| Mail `thread_id` | `br-###` |
| Mail subject | `[br-###] ...` |
| File reservation `reason` | `br-###` |
| Commit messages | Include `br-###` for traceability |

---

## bv — Graph-Aware Triage Engine

bv is a graph-aware triage engine for Beads projects (`.beads/beads.jsonl`). It computes PageRank, betweenness, critical path, cycles, HITS, eigenvector, and k-core metrics deterministically.

**Scope boundary:** bv handles *what to work on* (triage, priority, planning). For agent-to-agent coordination (messaging, work claiming, file reservations), use MCP Agent Mail.

**CRITICAL: Use ONLY `--robot-*` flags. Bare `bv` launches an interactive TUI that blocks your session.**

### The Workflow: Start With Triage

**`bv --robot-triage` is your single entry point.** It returns:
- `quick_ref`: at-a-glance counts + top 3 picks
- `recommendations`: ranked actionable items with scores, reasons, unblock info
- `quick_wins`: low-effort high-impact items
- `blockers_to_clear`: items that unblock the most downstream work
- `project_health`: status/type/priority distributions, graph metrics
- `commands`: copy-paste shell commands for next steps

```bash
bv --robot-triage        # THE MEGA-COMMAND: start here
bv --robot-next          # Minimal: just the single top pick + claim command
```

### Command Reference

**Planning:**
| Command | Returns |
|---------|---------|
| `--robot-plan` | Parallel execution tracks with `unblocks` lists |
| `--robot-priority` | Priority misalignment detection with confidence |

**Graph Analysis:**
| Command | Returns |
|---------|---------|
| `--robot-insights` | Full metrics: PageRank, betweenness, HITS, eigenvector, critical path, cycles, k-core, articulation points, slack |
| `--robot-label-health` | Per-label health: `health_level`, `velocity_score`, `staleness`, `blocked_count` |
| `--robot-label-flow` | Cross-label dependency: `flow_matrix`, `dependencies`, `bottleneck_labels` |
| `--robot-label-attention [--attention-limit=N]` | Attention-ranked labels |

**History & Change Tracking:**
| Command | Returns |
|---------|---------|
| `--robot-history` | Bead-to-commit correlations |
| `--robot-diff --diff-since <ref>` | Changes since ref: new/closed/modified issues, cycles |

**Other:**
| Command | Returns |
|---------|---------|
| `--robot-burndown <sprint>` | Sprint burndown, scope changes, at-risk items |
| `--robot-forecast <id\|all>` | ETA predictions with dependency-aware scheduling |
| `--robot-alerts` | Stale issues, blocking cascades, priority mismatches |
| `--robot-suggest` | Hygiene: duplicates, missing deps, label suggestions |
| `--robot-graph [--graph-format=json\|dot\|mermaid]` | Dependency graph export |
| `--export-graph <file.html>` | Interactive HTML visualization |

### Scoping & Filtering

```bash
bv --robot-plan --label backend              # Scope to label's subgraph
bv --robot-insights --as-of HEAD~30          # Historical point-in-time
bv --recipe actionable --robot-plan          # Pre-filter: ready to work
bv --recipe high-impact --robot-triage       # Pre-filter: top PageRank
bv --robot-triage --robot-triage-by-track    # Group by parallel work streams
bv --robot-triage --robot-triage-by-label    # Group by domain
```

### Understanding Robot Output

**All robot JSON includes:**
- `data_hash` — Fingerprint of source beads.jsonl
- `status` — Per-metric state: `computed|approx|timeout|skipped` + elapsed ms
- `as_of` / `as_of_commit` — Present when using `--as-of`

**Two-phase analysis:**
- **Phase 1 (instant):** degree, topo sort, density
- **Phase 2 (async, 500ms timeout):** PageRank, betweenness, HITS, eigenvector, cycles

### jq Quick Reference

```bash
bv --robot-triage | jq '.quick_ref'                        # At-a-glance summary
bv --robot-triage | jq '.recommendations[0]'               # Top recommendation
bv --robot-plan | jq '.plan.summary.highest_impact'        # Best unblock target
bv --robot-insights | jq '.status'                         # Check metric readiness
bv --robot-insights | jq '.Cycles'                         # Circular deps (must fix!)
```

---

## UBS — Ultimate Bug Scanner

**Golden Rule:** `ubs <changed-files>` before every commit. Exit 0 = safe. Exit >0 = fix & re-run.

### Commands

```bash
ubs file.rs file2.rs                    # Specific files (< 1s) — USE THIS
ubs $(git diff --name-only --cached)    # Staged files — before commit
ubs --only=rust,toml src/               # Language filter (3-5x faster)
ubs --ci --fail-on-warning .            # CI mode — before PR
ubs .                                   # Whole project (ignores target/, Cargo.lock)
```

### Output Format

```
⚠️  Category (N errors)
    file.rs:42:5 – Issue description
    💡 Suggested fix
Exit code: 1
```

Parse: `file:line:col` → location | 💡 → how to fix | Exit 0/1 → pass/fail

### Fix Workflow

1. Read finding → category + fix suggestion
2. Navigate `file:line:col` → view context
3. Verify real issue (not false positive)
4. Fix root cause (not symptom)
5. Re-run `ubs <file>` → exit 0
6. Commit

### Bug Severity

- **Critical (always fix):** Memory safety, use-after-free, data races, SQL injection
- **Important (production):** Unwrap panics, resource leaks, overflow checks
- **Contextual (judgment):** TODO/FIXME, println! debugging

---

## ast-grep vs ripgrep

**Use `ast-grep` when structure matters.** It parses code and matches AST nodes, ignoring comments/strings, and can **safely rewrite** code.

- Refactors/codemods: rename APIs, change import forms
- Policy checks: enforce patterns across a repo
- Editor/automation: LSP mode, `--json` output

**Use `ripgrep` when text is enough.** Fastest way to grep literals/regex.

- Recon: find strings, TODOs, log lines, config values
- Pre-filter: narrow candidate files before ast-grep

### Rule of Thumb

- Need correctness or **applying changes** → `ast-grep`
- Need raw speed or **hunting text** → `rg`
- Often combine: `rg` to shortlist files, then `ast-grep` to match/modify

### Rust Examples

```bash
# Find structured code (ignores comments)
ast-grep run -l Rust -p 'fn $NAME($$$ARGS) -> $RET { $$$BODY }'

# Find all unwrap() calls
ast-grep run -l Rust -p '$EXPR.unwrap()'

# Quick textual hunt
rg -n 'println!' -t rust

# Combine speed + precision
rg -l -t rust 'unwrap\(' | xargs ast-grep run -l Rust -p '$X.unwrap()' --json
```

---

## Morph Warp Grep — AI-Powered Code Search

**Use `mcp__morph-mcp__warp_grep` for exploratory "how does X work?" questions.** An AI agent expands your query, greps the codebase, reads relevant files, and returns precise line ranges with full context.

**Use `ripgrep` for targeted searches.** When you know exactly what you're looking for.

**Use `ast-grep` for structural patterns.** When you need AST precision for matching/rewriting.

### When to Use What

| Scenario | Tool | Why |
|----------|------|-----|
| "How is pattern matching implemented?" | `warp_grep` | Exploratory; don't know where to start |
| "Where is the quick reject filter?" | `warp_grep` | Need to understand architecture |
| "Find all uses of `Regex::new`" | `ripgrep` | Targeted literal search |
| "Find files with `println!`" | `ripgrep` | Simple pattern |
| "Replace all `unwrap()` with `expect()`" | `ast-grep` | Structural refactor |

### warp_grep Usage

```
mcp__morph-mcp__warp_grep(
  repoPath: "/path/to/dcg",
  query: "How does the safe pattern whitelist work?"
)
```

Returns structured results with file paths, line ranges, and extracted code snippets.

### Anti-Patterns

- **Don't** use `warp_grep` to find a specific function name → use `ripgrep`
- **Don't** use `ripgrep` to understand "how does X work" → wastes time with manual reads
- **Don't** use `ripgrep` for codemods → risks collateral edits

<!-- bv-agent-instructions-v1 -->

---

## Beads Workflow Integration

This project uses [beads_viewer](https://github.com/Dicklesworthstone/beads_viewer) for issue tracking. Issues are stored in `.beads/` and tracked in git.

**Note:** `br` is non-invasive—it never executes git commands directly. You must run git commands manually after `br sync --flush-only`.

### Essential Commands

```bash
# View issues (launches TUI - avoid in automated sessions)
bv

# CLI commands for agents (use these instead)
br ready              # Show issues ready to work (no blockers)
br list --status=open # All open issues
br show <id>          # Full issue details with dependencies
br create --title="..." --type=task --priority=2
br update <id> --status=in_progress
br close <id> --reason="Completed"
br close <id1> <id2>  # Close multiple issues at once
br sync --flush-only  # Export to JSONL (then manually: git add .beads/ && git commit)
```

### Workflow Pattern

1. **Start**: Run `br ready` to find actionable work
2. **Claim**: Use `br update <id> --status=in_progress`
3. **Work**: Implement the task
4. **Complete**: Use `br close <id>`
5. **Sync**: Run `br sync --flush-only`, then `git add .beads/ && git commit -m "Update beads"`

### Key Concepts

- **Dependencies**: Issues can block other issues. `br ready` shows only unblocked work.
- **Priority**: P0=critical, P1=high, P2=medium, P3=low, P4=backlog (use numbers, not words)
- **Types**: task, bug, feature, epic, question, docs
- **Blocking**: `br dep add <issue> <depends-on>` to add dependencies

### Session Protocol

**Before ending any session, run this checklist:**

```bash
git status              # Check what changed
git add <files>         # Stage code changes
br sync --flush-only    # Export beads to JSONL
git add .beads/         # Stage beads changes
git commit -m "..."     # Commit code and beads
git push                # Push to remote
```

### Best Practices

- Check `br ready` at session start to find available work
- Update status as you work (in_progress → closed)
- Create new issues with `br create` when you discover tasks
- Use descriptive titles and set appropriate priority/type
- Always run `br sync --flush-only` then commit .beads/ before ending session

<!-- end-bv-agent-instructions -->

## Landing the Plane (Session Completion)

**When ending a work session**, you MUST complete ALL steps below. Work is NOT complete until `git push` succeeds.

**MANDATORY WORKFLOW:**

1. **File issues for remaining work** - Create issues for anything that needs follow-up
2. **Run quality gates** (if code changed) - Tests, linters, builds
3. **Update issue status** - Close finished work, update in-progress items
4. **PUSH TO REMOTE** - This is MANDATORY:
   ```bash
   git pull --rebase
   br sync --flush-only
   git add .beads/
   git commit -m "Update beads"
   git push
   git status  # MUST show "up to date with origin"
   ```
5. **Clean up** - Clear stashes, prune remote branches
6. **Verify** - All changes committed AND pushed
7. **Hand off** - Provide context for next session

**CRITICAL RULES:**
- Work is NOT complete until `git push` succeeds
- NEVER stop before pushing - that leaves work stranded locally
- NEVER say "ready to push when you are" - YOU must push
- If push fails, resolve and retry until it succeeds

---

## cass — Cross-Agent Session Search

`cass` indexes prior agent conversations (Claude Code, Codex, Cursor, Gemini, ChatGPT, etc.) so we can reuse solved problems.

**Rules:** Never run bare `cass` (TUI). Always use `--robot` or `--json`.

### Examples

```bash
cass health
cass search "async runtime" --robot --limit 5
cass view /path/to/session.jsonl -n 42 --json
cass expand /path/to/session.jsonl -n 42 -C 3 --json
cass capabilities --json
cass robot-docs guide
```

### Tips

- Use `--fields minimal` for lean output
- Filter by agent with `--agent`
- Use `--days N` to limit to recent history

stdout is data-only, stderr is diagnostics; exit code 0 means success.

Treat cass as a way to avoid re-solving problems other agents already handled.

---

## Note for Codex/GPT-5.2

You constantly bother me and stop working with concerned questions that look similar to this:

```
Unexpected changes (need guidance)

- Working tree still shows edits I did not make in Cargo.toml, Cargo.lock, src/runtime.rs, src/scope.rs. Please advise whether to keep/commit/revert these before any further work. I did not touch them.

Next steps (pick one)

1. Decide how to handle the unrelated modified files above so we can resume cleanly.
```

NEVER EVER DO THAT AGAIN. The answer is literally ALWAYS the same: those are changes created by the potentially dozen of other agents working on the project at the same time. This is not only a common occurence, it happens multiple times PER MINUTE. The way to deal with it is simple: you NEVER, under ANY CIRCUMSTANCE, stash, revert, overwrite, or otherwise disturb in ANY way the work of other agents. Just treat those changes identically to changes that you yourself made. Just fool yourself into thinking YOU made the changes and simply don't recall it for some reason.

---

## Note on Built-in TODO Functionality

Also, if I ask you to explicitly use your built-in TODO functionality, don't complain about this and say you need to use beads. You can use built-in TODOs if I tell you specifically to do so. Always comply with such orders.

## TDD Requirements

Test-first development is mandatory:
1. **RED** - Write failing test first
2. **GREEN** - Minimal implementation to pass
3. **REFACTOR** - Clean up while green

## Key Patterns

Find the simplest solution that meets all acceptance criteria.
Use third party libraries whenever there's a well-maintained, active, and widely adopted solution (for example, date-fns for TS date math)
Build extensible pieces of logic that can easily be integrated with other pieces.
DRY principles should be loosely held.
Architecture MUST be clear and well thought-out. Ask the user for clarification whenever ambiguity is discovered around architecture, or you think a better approach than planned exists.

---

## Third-Party Library Usage

If you aren't 100% sure how to use a third-party library, **SEARCH ONLINE** to find the latest documentation and mid-2025 best practices.

---

## Gitlore Robot Mode

The `lore` CLI has a robot mode optimized for AI agent consumption with structured JSON output, meaningful exit codes, and TTY auto-detection.

### Activation

```bash
# Explicit flag
lore --robot issues -n 10

# JSON shorthand (-J)
lore -J issues -n 10

# Auto-detection (when stdout is not a TTY)
lore issues | jq .

# Environment variable
LORE_ROBOT=1 lore issues
```

### Robot Mode Commands

```bash
# List issues/MRs with JSON output
lore --robot issues -n 10
lore --robot mrs -s opened

# Show detailed entity info
lore --robot issues 123
lore --robot mrs 456 -p group/repo

# Count entities
lore --robot count issues
lore --robot count discussions --for mr

# Search indexed documents
lore --robot search "authentication bug"

# Check sync status
lore --robot status

# Run full sync pipeline
lore --robot sync

# Run ingestion only
lore --robot ingest issues

# Check environment health
lore --robot doctor

# Document and index statistics
lore --robot stats

# Quick health pre-flight check (exit 0 = healthy, 1 = unhealthy)
lore --robot health

# Generate searchable documents from ingested data
lore --robot generate-docs

# Generate vector embeddings via Ollama
lore --robot embed

# Agent self-discovery manifest (all commands, flags, exit codes)
lore robot-docs

# Version information
lore --robot version
```

### Response Format

All commands return consistent JSON:

```json
{"ok":true,"data":{...},"meta":{...}}
```

Errors return structured JSON to stderr:

```json
{"error":{"code":"CONFIG_NOT_FOUND","message":"...","suggestion":"Run 'lore init'"}}
```

### Exit Codes

| Code | Meaning |
|------|---------|
| 0 | Success |
| 1 | Internal error / health check failed / not implemented |
| 2 | Usage error (invalid flags or arguments) |
| 3 | Config invalid |
| 4 | Token not set |
| 5 | GitLab auth failed |
| 6 | Resource not found |
| 7 | Rate limited |
| 8 | Network error |
| 9 | Database locked |
| 10 | Database error |
| 11 | Migration failed |
| 12 | I/O error |
| 13 | Transform error |
| 14 | Ollama unavailable |
| 15 | Ollama model not found |
| 16 | Embedding failed |
| 17 | Not found (entity does not exist) |
| 18 | Ambiguous match (use `-p` to specify project) |
| 20 | Config not found |

### Configuration Precedence

1. CLI flags (highest priority)
2. Environment variables (`LORE_ROBOT`, `GITLAB_TOKEN`, `LORE_CONFIG_PATH`)
3. Config file (`~/.config/lore/config.json`)
4. Built-in defaults (lowest priority)

### Best Practices

- Use `lore --robot` or `lore -J` for all agent interactions
- Check exit codes for error handling
- Parse JSON errors from stderr
- Use `-n` / `--limit` to control response size
- Use `-q` / `--quiet` to suppress progress bars and non-essential output
- Use `--color never` in non-TTY automation for ANSI-free output
- TTY detection handles piped commands automatically
- Use `lore --robot health` as a fast pre-flight check before queries
- The `-p` flag supports fuzzy project matching (suffix and substring)