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CascadingDev - AI–Human Collaboration System

Process & Architecture Design Document (v2.1)

Feature ID: FR_2025-10-21_initial-feature-request
Status: Design Approved (Ready for Implementation)
Date: 2025-10-21 (Updated: 2025-11-01)
Owners: Rob (maintainer), AI_Moderator (process steward)
Contributors: AI_Claude, AI_Deepseek, AI_Junie, AI_Chat-GPT, AI_GitHubCopilot

Implementation Status (2025-11-01)

✅ Currently Implemented (Milestone M0-M1)

Stage 1: Request - Feature request creation and automation
Stage 2: Feature Discussion - Discussion file generation, voting, summaries
Cascading Rules System - .ai-rules.yml loading and merging
AI Patch Generation - Claude API integration, diff application
Vote Tracking - VOTE: line parsing, summary updates
Pre-commit Hook - Automation orchestration, file staging
Setup Script - Project initialization with Ramble GUI

🚧 In Progress (Current Focus)

Stage 3: Design Discussion Gate - Currently skipped, being implemented
- Will create design.discussion.md when feature status = READY_FOR_DESIGN
- Will maintain design/design.md document
- Requires design_gate_writer and design_discussion_writer rules

📋 Planned (Milestones M2-M4)

Stage 4: Implementation Discussion - Task tracking, human approval gates
Stage 5: Testing Discussion - Test planning, bug sub-cycles
Stage 6: Review Discussion - Final review, release promotion
Stage 7: Release - Changelog generation, version tagging
Moderator Protocol - Nudge system, escalation paths
Bug Sub-Cycles - Integrated bug tracking within features

Executive Summary
Repository Layout
Stage Model & Operational Procedure
Voting, Quorum & Etiquette
Cascading Rules System
Orchestration Architecture
Moderator Protocol
Error Handling & Resilience
Security & Secrets Management
Performance & Scale Considerations
Testing Strategy
Implementation Plan
Risks & Mitigations
Template Evolution
Roles & Agent Personas
Glossary
Appendices

Executive Summary

We are implementing a Git-native, rules-driven workflow that enables seamless collaboration between humans and multiple AI agents across the entire software development lifecycle. The system uses cascading .ai-rules.yml configurations and a thin Bash pre-commit hook to automatically generate and maintain development artifacts (discussions, design docs, reviews, diagrams, plans). A Python orchestrator provides structured checks and status reporting while preserving the fast Bash execution path.

Scope clarification: The document you are reading is the CascadingDev system design. It is not copied into user projects. End-users get a short USER_GUIDE.md and a create_feature.py tool; their first feature request defines the project, and its later design doc belongs to that project, not to CascadingDev.

*Git-Native Philosophy: Every conversation, decision, and generated artifact lives in the same version-controlled environment as the source code. There are no external databases, dashboards, or SaaS dependencies required for the core workflow.

Objective:

Establish a reproducible, self-documenting workflow where 90% of documentation, status artifacts and code changes are generated automatically from development discussions, while maintaining human oversight for all promotion gates and releases.

Core Principles

Lightweight & Fast: Everything stored in Git as Markdown; minimal external dependencies
Single Source of Truth: Repository contains all conversations, decisions, and code artifacts
Self-Driving with Human Safety: AI agents can propose and vote; humans must approve critical stages
Deterministic & Reversible: All automated actions are diffed, logged, and easily revertible
Composable Rules: Nearest-folder precedence via cascading .ai-rules.yml configurations

Innovative Features

Stage-Per-Discussion Model: Separate conversation threads for each development phase
Automated Artifact Generation: Discussions automatically drive corresponding documentation
Integrated Bug Sub-Cycles: Test failures automatically spawn bug reports with their own mini-lifecycle
Intelligent Promotion Gates: Status-based transitions with configurable voting thresholds
Multi-Agent Role Specialization: Different AI personas with stage-specific responsibilities

System Overview:

The architecture consists of a lightweight Bash pre-commit hook for artifact generation, a Python orchestrator for state evaluation and policy enforcement, and optional adapters for model and API integrations (Claude, Gitea, etc.). Together they form a layered, rule-driven automation stack.

Human → Git Commit → Pre-commit Hook → AI Generator → Markdown Artifact
                ↑                                     ↓
              Orchestrator ← Discussion Summaries ← AI Moderator

Repository Layouts

This section clarifies three different directory structures that are easy to confuse:

Terminology

CascadingDev Repo — The tooling project (this repository) that builds installers
Install Bundle — The distributable artifact created by tools/build_installer.py
User Project — A new repository scaffolded when a user runs the installer

A) CascadingDev Repository (Tooling Source)

This is the development repository where CascadingDev itself is maintained.

CascadingDev/                          # This repository
├─ automation/                         # Workflow automation scripts
│  ├─ runner.py                        # AI rules orchestrator invoked from hooks
│  ├─ config.py                        # Cascading .ai-rules loader
│  ├─ patcher.py                       # Diff generation + git apply helpers
│  └─ workflow.py                      # Vote parsing, status reporting
├─ src/cascadingdev/                   # Core Python modules
│  ├─ cli.py                           # Developer CLI (cdev command)
│  ├─ setup_project.py                 # Installer script (copied to bundle)
│  └─ utils.py                         # Version management, utilities
├─ assets/                             # Single source of truth for shipped files
│  ├─ hooks/
│  │  └─ pre-commit                    # Git hook template (bash script)
│  ├─ templates/                       # Templates copied to user projects
│  │  ├─ USER_GUIDE.md                 # Daily usage guide
│  │  ├─ feature_request.md            # Feature request template
│  │  ├─ feature.discussion.md         # Discussion template
│  │  ├─ feature.discussion.sum.md     # Summary template
│  │  ├─ design_doc.md                 # Design document template
│  │  ├─ root_gitignore                # Root .gitignore template
│  │  ├─ process/
│  │  │  └─ policies.yml               # Machine-readable policies
│  │  └─ rules/
│  │     ├─ root.ai-rules.yml          # Root cascading rules
│  │     └─ features.ai-rules.yml      # Feature-level rules
│  └─ runtime/                         # Scripts copied to bundle & user projects
│     ├─ ramble.py                     # GUI for feature creation (PySide6/PyQt5)
│     ├─ create_feature.py             # CLI for feature creation
│     └─ .gitignore.seed               # Gitignore seed patterns
├─ tools/                              # Build and test automation
│  ├─ build_installer.py               # Creates install bundle
│  ├─ smoke_test.py                    # Basic validation tests
│  └─ bundle_smoke.py                  # End-to-end installer testing
├─ install/                            # Build output directory (git-ignored)
│  └─ cascadingdev-<version>/          # Generated installer bundle (see section B)
├─ docs/                               # System documentation
│  ├─ DESIGN.md                        # This comprehensive design document
│  └─ INSTALL.md                       # Installation instructions
├─ tests/                              # Test suite (planned, not yet implemented)
│  ├─ unit/
│  ├─ integration/
│  └─ bin/
├─ VERSION                             # Semantic version (e.g., 0.1.0)
├─ pyproject.toml                      # Python package configuration
├─ README.md                           # Public-facing project overview
└─ CLAUDE.md                           # AI assistant guidance

> **Maintainer vs. user tooling:** the `cdev` CLI (in `src/cascadingdev/`) is only used to build/test the CascadingDev installer. Once a user bootstraps a project, all automation is driven by the pre-commit hook invoking `automation/runner.py` under the control of the project's own `.ai-rules.yml` files.

FUTURE (planned but not yet implemented):
├─ automation/                         # 🚧 M1: Orchestration layer
│  ├─ workflow.py                      # Status reporting, vote parsing
│  ├─ adapters/
│  │  ├─ claude_adapter.py             # AI model integration
│  │  └─ gitea_adapter.py              # Gitea API integration
│  └─ agents.yml                       # Agent role definitions

Purpose: Development, testing, and building the installer. The assets/ directory is the single source of truth for all files shipped to users.

B) Install Bundle (Distribution Artifact)

This is the self-contained, portable installer created by tools/build_installer.py.

cascadingdev-<version>/                # Distributable bundle
├─ setup_cascadingdev.py               # Installer entry point (stdlib only)
├─ ramble.py                           # GUI for first feature (optional)
├─ create_feature.py                   # CLI tool for creating features
├─ assets/                             # Embedded resources
│  ├─ hooks/
│  │  └─ pre-commit                    # Pre-commit hook template
│  └─ templates/                       # All templates from source assets/
│     ├─ USER_GUIDE.md
│     ├─ feature_request.md
│     ├─ feature.discussion.md
│     ├─ feature.discussion.sum.md
│     ├─ design_doc.md
│     ├─ root_gitignore
│     ├─ process/
│     │  └─ policies.yml
│     └─ rules/
│        ├─ root.ai-rules.yml
│        └─ features.ai-rules.yml
├─ INSTALL.md                          # Bundle-local instructions
└─ VERSION                             # Version metadata

Purpose: End-user distribution. Can be zipped and shared. Requires only Python 3.10+ stdlib (PySide6 optional for GUI).

Rationale: Minimal, auditable, portable. No external dependencies for core functionality. Users can inspect all files before running.

C) User Project (Generated by Installer)

This is the structure created when a user runs setup_cascadingdev.py --target /path/to/project.

my-project/                            # User's application repository
├─ .git/                               # Git repository
│  └─ hooks/
│     └─ pre-commit                    # Installed automatically from bundle
├─ .gitignore                          # Generated from root_gitignore template
├─ .ai-rules.yml                       # Root cascading rules (from templates/rules/)
├─ USER_GUIDE.md                       # Daily workflow reference
├─ ramble.py                           # Copied from bundle (optional GUI helper)
├─ create_feature.py                   # Copied from bundle (CLI tool)
├─ Docs/                               # Documentation and feature tracking
│  ├─ features/                        # All features live here
│  │  ├─ .ai-rules.yml                 # Feature-level cascading rules
│  │  └─ FR_YYYY-MM-DD_<slug>/         # Individual feature folders
│  │     ├─ request.md                 # Original feature request
│  │     └─ discussions/               # Stage-specific conversation threads
│  │        ├─ feature.discussion.md        # Feature discussion
│  │        ├─ feature.discussion.sum.md    # Auto-maintained summary
│  │        ├─ design.discussion.md         # Design discussion
│  │        ├─ design.discussion.sum.md     # Auto-maintained summary
│  │        ├─ implementation.discussion.md # Implementation tracking
│  │        ├─ implementation.discussion.sum.md
│  │        ├─ testing.discussion.md        # Test planning
│  │        ├─ testing.discussion.sum.md
│  │        ├─ review.discussion.md         # Final review
│  │        └─ review.discussion.sum.md
│  │     ├─ design/                    # Design artifacts (created during design stage)
│  │     │  ├─ design.md               # Evolving design document
│  │     │  └─ diagrams/               # Architecture diagrams
│  │     ├─ implementation/            # Implementation artifacts
│  │     │  ├─ plan.md                 # Implementation plan
│  │     │  └─ tasks.md                # Task checklist
│  │     ├─ testing/                   # Testing artifacts
│  │     │  ├─ testplan.md             # Test strategy
│  │     │  └─ checklist.md            # Test checklist
│  │     ├─ review/                    # Review artifacts
│  │     │  └─ findings.md             # Code review findings
│  │     └─ bugs/                      # Bug sub-cycles (future)
│  │        └─ BUG_YYYYMMDD_<slug>/
│  │           ├─ report.md
│  │           ├─ discussion.md
│  │           └─ fix/
│  │              ├─ plan.md
│  │              └─ tasks.md
│  ├─ discussions/                     # Global discussions (future)
│  │  └─ reviews/                      # Code reviews from hook
│  └─ diagrams/                        # Auto-generated diagrams (future)
│     └─ file_diagrams/                # PlantUML from source files
├─ process/                            # Process configuration
│  ├─ policies.yml                     # Machine-readable policies (voting, gates)
│  └─ templates/                       # Local template overrides (optional)
├─ src/                                # User's application source code
│  └─ (user's code)
└─ tests/                              # User's test suite
   ├─ unit/
   └─ integration/

FUTURE (not currently created, planned for M1+):
├─ automation/                         # 🚧 M1: Orchestration layer
│  ├─ workflow.py                      # Vote parsing, status reporting
│  ├─ adapters/                        # Model and platform integrations
│  └─ agents.yml                       # Agent role configuration

Purpose: This is the user's actual project repository where they develop their application while using the CascadingDev workflow.

Key Points:

The first feature request defines the entire project's purpose
All discussions are version-controlled alongside code
Pre-commit hook maintains summary files automatically
Templates can be overridden locally in process/templates/
The automation/ directory is planned but not yet implemented (M1)

Installation & Distribution Architecture

First-Run Flow (User's Project Initialization)

User runs:

python setup_cascadingdev.py --target /path/to/users-project [--no-ramble] [--provider mock]

Installer actions:

Creates standard folders (Docs/, process/templates/, etc.)
Copies templates, ramble.py, and create_feature.py into the user project
Initializes git (main branch), writes .gitignore
Installs pre-commit hook
Optionally launches Ramble (unless --no-ramble) to help collect first Feature Request
Writes a concise USER_GUIDE.md into the user project root for day-to-day use

Seeds:

Docs/features/FR_<date>_initial-feature-request/request.md
Docs/features/.../discussions/feature.discussion.md
Docs/features/.../discussions/feature.discussion.sum.md

Initial commit message: “bootstrap Cascading Development scaffolding”.

Fallback: If Ramble JSON isn’t returned, installer prints to stderr and optionally falls back to terminal prompts.

Important: The CascadingDev DESIGN.md is not copied into user projects. The first feature’s design doc (created later at the design stage) becomes the project’s own design document.

Pre-Commit Hook (v1 behavior)

Fast regex secret scan on staged diffs
Ensures each *.discussion.md has a companion *.discussion.sum.md
Non-blocking status call to automation/workflow.py --status

Policy: v1 is non-blocking; blocking checks are introduced gradually in later versions.

Template META System & Ramble Integration

Overview

CascadingDev includes a sophisticated template metadata system that allows templates to be self-describing. This enables dynamic GUI generation, field validation, and flexible template rendering without hardcoding form structures in the installer.

Status: ✅ Fully implemented (v0.1.0)

Template META Format

Templates can include JSON metadata inside HTML comments at the top of the file:

<!--META
{
  "kind": "feature_request",
  "ramble_fields": [
    {"name": "Title", "hint": "camelCase, ≤24 chars", "default": "initialProjectDesign"},
    {"name": "Intent"},
    {"name": "Summary", "hint": "≤2 sentences"}
  ],
  "criteria": {
    "Title": "camelCase, <= 24 chars",
    "Summary": "<= 2 sentences"
  },
  "hints": [
    "What is it called?",
    "Who benefits most?",
    "What problem does it solve?"
  ],
  "tokens": ["FeatureId", "CreatedDate", "Title", "Intent", "Summary"]
}
-->

# Feature Request: {Title}

**Intent**: {Intent}
**Summary**: {Summary}

**Meta**: FeatureId: {FeatureId} • Created: {CreatedDate}

META Fields Reference

Field	Type	Purpose	Example
`kind`	string	Template type identifier	`"feature_request"`
`ramble_fields`	array	Field definitions for Ramble GUI	See below
`criteria`	object	Validation rules per field	`{"Title": "camelCase, <= 24 chars"}`
`hints`	array	User guidance prompts	`["What is it called?"]`
`tokens`	array	List of available placeholder tokens	`["FeatureId", "Title"]`

ramble_fields Specification

Each field in ramble_fields is an object with:

{
  "name": "FieldName",        // Required: field identifier
  "hint": "display hint",     // Optional: shown to user as guidance
  "default": "defaultValue"   // Optional: pre-filled value
}

Example:

"ramble_fields": [
  {"name": "Title", "hint": "camelCase, ≤24 chars", "default": "initialProjectDesign"},
  {"name": "Intent"},
  {"name": "ProblemItSolves"},
  {"name": "BriefOverview"},
  {"name": "Summary", "hint": "≤2 sentences"}
]

How META is Processed

In setup_project.py (src/cascadingdev/setup_project.py:64-115):

Parsing (load_template_with_meta()):

meta, body = load_template_with_meta(template_path)
# meta = {"ramble_fields": [...], "criteria": {...}, ...}
# body = template text without META comment

Extraction (meta_ramble_config()):

fields, defaults, criteria, hints = meta_ramble_config(meta)
# fields = ["Title", "Intent", "Summary", ...]
# defaults = {"Title": "initialProjectDesign"}
# criteria = {"Title": "camelCase, <= 24 chars"}
# hints = ["What is it called?", ...]

Rendering (render_placeholders()):

values = {"Title": "myFeature", "FeatureId": "FR_2025-10-30_...", ...}
rendered = render_placeholders(body, values)
# Replaces {Token} and {{Token}} with actual values

Token Replacement Rules

The render_placeholders() function supports two-pass replacement:

First pass: Replace {{Token}} (double braces) - for tokens that shouldn't be re-processed
Second pass: Replace {Token} (single braces) using Python's .format_map()

System-provided tokens:

{FeatureId} - Generated feature ID (e.g., FR_2025-10-30_initial-feature-request)
{CreatedDate} - Current date in YYYY-MM-DD format
{Title}, {Intent}, etc. - User-provided field values

Ramble: AI-Powered Feature Capture GUI

Overview

Ramble is a sophisticated PySide6/PyQt5 GUI application that helps users articulate feature requests through AI-assisted structured input. It supports multiple AI providers, generates PlantUML diagrams, and returns validated JSON output.

Status: ✅ Fully implemented (v0.1.0)

Location: assets/runtime/ramble.py (copied to user projects and install bundle)

Key Features

Multi-Provider Architecture - Pluggable AI backends
Dynamic Field Generation - Driven by template META
Field Locking - Lock fields to preserve context across regenerations
PlantUML Integration - Auto-generate and render architecture diagrams
Validation Criteria - Per-field rules from template metadata
Graceful Fallback - Terminal prompts if GUI fails

Supported Providers

Provider	Status	Description	Usage
mock	✅ Stable	No external calls, derives fields from ramble text	Default, no setup required
claude	✅ Stable	Claude CLI integration via subprocess	Requires `claude` CLI in PATH

Provider Selection:

# Mock provider (no AI, instant)
python ramble.py --provider mock --fields Title Summary

# Claude CLI provider
python ramble.py --provider claude \
  --claude-cmd /path/to/claude \
  --fields Title Summary Intent

Provider Protocol

All providers implement the RambleProvider protocol:

class RambleProvider(Protocol):
    def generate(
        self,
        *,
        prompt: str,                    # User's base prompt
        ramble_text: str,               # User's freeform notes
        fields: List[str],              # Required field names
        field_criteria: Dict[str, str], # Validation rules per field
        locked_context: Dict[str, str], # Previously locked field values
    ) -> Dict[str, Any]:
        """
        Returns:
          {
            "summary": str,
            "fields": Dict[str, str],
            "uml_blocks": List[Tuple[str, Optional[bytes]]],
            "image_descriptions": List[str]
          }
        """
        ...

Mock Provider

Purpose: Fast, deterministic testing and offline use.

Behavior:

Derives summary from last 25 words of ramble text
Creates placeholder fields with word count
Generates simple actor-system UML diagram
Returns generic image descriptions

Example Output:

{
  "summary": "User wants to track metrics and export them.",
  "fields": {
    "Title": "Title: Derived from ramble (42 words). [criteria: camelCase, <=24 chars]",
    "Intent": "Intent: Derived from ramble (42 words).",
  },
  "uml_blocks": [("@startuml\nactor User\n...\n@enduml", None)],
  "image_descriptions": ["Illustrate the core actor..."]
}

Claude CLI Provider

Purpose: Production-quality AI-generated structured output.

Setup Requirements:

# Install Claude CLI (npm)
npm install -g @anthropics/claude-cli

# Or provide custom path
python ramble.py --provider claude --claude-cmd /custom/path/to/claude

Features:

Spawns claude subprocess with structured prompt
Includes locked field context in prompt
Enforces per-field criteria
Extracts PlantUML blocks from response
Timeout protection (default 120s)
Debug logging to /tmp/ramble_claude.log

Constructor Options:

ClaudeCLIProvider(
    cmd="claude",              # Command name or path
    extra_args=[],             # Additional CLI args
    timeout_s=120,             # Subprocess timeout
    tail_chars=8000,           # Max response length
    use_arg_p=True,            # Use -p flag for prompt
    debug=False,               # Enable debug logging
    log_path="/tmp/ramble_claude.log"
)

Prompt Structure: The provider builds a comprehensive prompt including:

User's base prompt
Locked field context (from previously locked fields)
User's ramble notes
Required field list with criteria
PlantUML and image description requests
JSON output format specification

Integration with Installer

In setup_project.py:151-218 (run_ramble_and_collect()):

def run_ramble_and_collect(target: Path, provider: str = "mock", claude_cmd: str = "claude"):
    # 1. Load template META to get field configuration
    fr_tmpl = INSTALL_ROOT / "assets" / "templates" / "feature_request.md"
    meta, _ = load_template_with_meta(fr_tmpl)
    field_names, _defaults, criteria, hints = meta_ramble_config(meta)

    # 2. Build dynamic Ramble command from META
    args = [
        sys.executable, str(ramble),
        "--provider", provider,
        "--fields", *field_names,  # From template META
    ]

    if criteria:
        args += ["--criteria", json.dumps(criteria)]
    if hints:
        args += ["--hints", json.dumps(hints)]

    # 3. Launch Ramble, capture JSON output
    proc = subprocess.run(args, capture_output=True, text=True)

    # 4. Parse JSON or fall back to terminal prompts
    try:
        return json.loads(proc.stdout)
    except:
        # Terminal fallback: collect fields via input()
        return collect_via_terminal()

Ramble GUI Workflow

User writes freeform notes in the "Ramble" text area
Clicks "Generate" → Provider processes ramble text
Review generated fields → Edit as needed
Lock important fields → Prevents overwrite on regenerate
Regenerate if needed → Locked fields feed back as context
Review PlantUML diagrams → Auto-rendered if plantuml CLI available
Click "Submit" → Returns JSON to installer

Output Format:

{
  "summary": "One or two sentence summary",
  "fields": {
    "Title": "metricsExportFeature",
    "Intent": "Enable users to track and export usage metrics",
    "ProblemItSolves": "Currently no way to analyze usage patterns",
    "BriefOverview": "Add metrics collection and CSV/JSON export",
    "Summary": "Track usage metrics and export to various formats."
  }
}

Terminal Fallback

If Ramble GUI fails (missing PySide6, JSON parse error, etc.), the installer falls back to terminal input:

def ask(label, default=""):
    try:
        v = input(f"{label}: ").strip()
        return v or default
    except EOFError:
        return default

fields = {
    "Title": ask("Title (camelCase, <=24 chars)", "initialProjectDesign"),
    "Intent": ask("Intent", "—"),
    "Summary": ask("One- or two-sentence summary", ""),
}

Adding New Providers

To add a new provider (e.g., deepseek, openai):

Create provider class in ramble.py:

class DeepseekProvider:
    def generate(self, *, prompt, ramble_text, fields, field_criteria, locked_context):
        # Call Deepseek API
        response = call_deepseek_api(...)
        return {
            "summary": ...,
            "fields": {...},
            "uml_blocks": [...],
            "image_descriptions": [...]
        }

Register in CLI parser:

p.add_argument("--provider",
               choices=["mock", "claude", "deepseek"],  # Add here
               default="mock")

Instantiate in main():

if args.provider == "deepseek":
    provider = DeepseekProvider(api_key=os.getenv("DEEPSEEK_API_KEY"))

Advanced Features

PlantUML Support:

Ramble extracts @startuml...@enduml blocks from provider responses
Auto-renders to PNG if plantuml CLI available
Falls back to text display if rendering fails

Image Generation (Optional):

Supports Stability AI and Pexels APIs
Requires API keys via environment variables
Displays images in GUI if generated

Field Locking:

Checkbox next to each field
Locked fields are highlighted and included in next generation prompt
Enables iterative refinement without losing progress

Criteria Validation:

Displayed alongside each field as hints
Passed to AI provider to enforce constraints
No automatic validation (relies on AI compliance)

Configuration Examples

Basic usage (mock provider):

python ramble.py \
  --fields Title Intent Summary \
  --prompt "Describe your feature idea"

Production usage (Claude):

python ramble.py \
  --provider claude \
  --claude-cmd ~/.npm-global/bin/claude \
  --fields Title Intent ProblemItSolves BriefOverview Summary \
  --criteria '{"Title":"camelCase, <=24 chars","Summary":"<=2 sentences"}' \
  --hints '["What is it?","Who benefits?","What problem?"]' \
  --prompt "Describe your initial feature request"

Installer integration:

python setup_cascadingdev.py \
  --target /path/to/project \
  --provider claude \
  --claude-cmd /usr/local/bin/claude

Benefits of META + Ramble System

No Hardcoding: Field lists and validation rules live in templates
Dynamic Forms: GUI adapts to template changes automatically
Consistent UX: Same Ramble workflow for all template types
Extensible: Add new providers without changing core logic
Offline Capable: Mock provider works without network
AI-Assisted: Users get help articulating complex requirements
Reversible: All input is stored in git, easily editable later

Limitations & Future Work

Current Limitations:

No automatic field validation (relies on AI compliance)
PlantUML rendering requires external CLI tool
Claude provider requires separate CLI installation
No streaming/incremental updates during generation

Potential Enhancements (not yet planned):

Native API providers (no CLI subprocess)
Real-time field validation
Multi-turn conversation support
Provider comparison mode (generate with multiple providers)
Template validator that checks META integrity

Build & Release Process (repeatable)

Goal: deterministic “unzip + run” artifact for each version.

Always rebuild after edits

# Rebuild bundle every time you change assets/ or installer logic
python tools/build_installer.py

# Run ONLY the bundled copy
python install/cascadingdev-*/setup_cascadingdev.py --target /path/to/new-project

6.1 Versioning

Update VERSION (semver): MAJOR.MINOR.PATCH
Tag releases in git to match VERSION

6.2 Build the installer bundle

python3 tools/build_installer.py
# Output: install/cascadingdev-<version>/

6.3 Smoke test the bundle (verifies minimal Python+git system compatibility)

python3 install/cascadingdev-<version>/setup_cascadingdev.py --target /tmp/my-users-project --no-ramble
# then again without --no-ramble once GUI deps are ready

6.4 Package for distribution

cd install
zip -r cascadingdev-<version>.zip cascadingdev-<version>

Success criteria

Bundle runs on a clean machine with only Python + git
Creates expected files, installs hook, commits once
Optional GUI capture works under venv with PySide6/PyQt5

Environment Guidance (Ramble GUI)

Recommended: create and activate a local virtualenv before running the installer.

python3 -m venv .venv
source .venv/bin/activate
python -m pip install --upgrade pip wheel
python -m pip install PySide6   # or PyQt5

The installer calls sys.executable for ramble.py, so using the venv’s Python ensures GUI dependencies are found.

If GUI unavailable, run with --no-ramble or rely on terminal fallback.

Idempotency & Flags

Installer flags:

--target (required): destination path for the user’s project
--no-ramble: skip GUI prompt; seed using templates (or terminal fallback)
--provider: specify Ramble provider (default: mock)

Future flags (planned):

--force: overwrite existing files (or back up)
--copy-only: skip git init and hook install
--templates /path: override shipped templates

Reproducibility Playbook

To recreate the same result later or on another machine:

git checkout <tagged release>
python3 tools/build_installer.py
python3 install/cascadingdev-<version>/setup_cascadingdev.py --target <path>

(Optional) activate venv and install PySide6 before running if you want the GUI.

Roadmap (post-v0.1)

Expand pre-commit checks (summary normalization, rule validation)
CLI status report for current staged discussions and votes
Provide a developer CLI (cdev init …) that reuses installer logic
Unit tests for scaffolding helpers (src/cascadingdev/*)
Template override mechanism (--templates)

INSTALL.md Template for Bundles

The builder should emit an INSTALL.md alongside the installer bundle:

# CascadingDev Installer

## Requirements
- Python 3.10+ and git
- (Optional) PySide6 or PyQt5 for Ramble GUI

## Quick start
```bash
python setup_cascadingdev.py --target /path/to/users-project

Options

`--no-ramble`: skip GUI capture, use templates or terminal prompts
`--provider`: Ramble provider (default: mock)

Steps performed

Creates standard folder layout in target
Copies templates, DESIGN.md, ramble.py
Initializes git and installs pre-commit hook
Launches Ramble (unless --no-ramble)
Seeds first feature request & discussions
Makes initial commit

If GUI fails, use a virtualenv and `pip install PySide6`, or run with `--no-ramble`.

This ensures every distributed bundle includes explicit usage instructions.

Note: Each stage discussion has a companion summary maintained automatically next to it to provide a live, scannable state of the thread.

Naming Conventions

Feature Folder: Docs/features/FR_YYYY-MM-DD_/
Discussion Files: {stage}.discussion.md in discussions/ subfolder
Discussion summary: {stage}.discussion.sum.md in discussions/ subfolder
Bug Reports: bugs/BUG_YYYYMMDD_/ with standardized contents
Source Files: Maintain existing patterns in src/

Template Variables

Supported in path resolution:

{basename} — filename with extension (e.g., design.discussion.md)
{name} — filename without extension (e.g., design.discussion)
{ext} — file extension without dot (e.g., md)
{date} — current date in YYYY-MM-DD
{rel} — repository-relative path to the source file
{dir} — directory containing the source file
{feature_id} — nearest FR_* folder name (e.g., FR_2025-10-21_initial-feature-request)
{stage} — stage inferred from discussion filename (.discussion.md), e.g., feature|design|implementation|testing|review

Automation AI Configuration

Overview

The automation runner (automation/runner.py and automation/patcher.py) supports multiple AI providers with automatic fallback chains and intelligent model selection based on task complexity. This system balances cost, speed, and quality by routing simple tasks to fast models and complex tasks to premium models.

Configuration Architecture

Central Configuration: config/ai.yml

This file is copied to all generated projects and provides a single source of truth for AI provider preferences. It defines three command chains optimized for different use cases:

version: 1

runner:
  # Default command chain (balanced speed/quality)
  command_chain:
    - "claude -p"
    - "codex --model gpt-5"
    - "gemini --model gemini-2.5-flash"

  # Fast command chain (optimized for speed/cost)
  # Used when model_hint: fast in .ai-rules.yml
  command_chain_fast:
    - "claude -p"
    - "codex --model gpt-5-mini"
    - "gemini --model gemini-2.5-flash"

  # Quality command chain (optimized for complex tasks)
  # Used when model_hint: quality in .ai-rules.yml
  command_chain_quality:
    - "claude -p"
    - "codex --model o3"
    - "gemini --model gemini-2.5-pro"

  sentinel: "CASCADINGDEV_NO_CHANGES"

ramble:
  default_provider: mock
  providers:
    mock: { kind: mock }
    claude: { kind: claude_cli, command: "claude", args: [] }

Model Hint System

The .ai-rules.yml files can specify a model_hint field per rule to guide model selection:

rules:
  feature_discussion_writer:
    model_hint: fast  # Simple vote counting - use fast models
    instruction: |
      Maintain feature discussion with votes...      

  design_discussion_writer:
    model_hint: quality  # Complex architecture work - use quality models
    instruction: |
      Propose detailed architecture and design decisions...      

  implementation_gate_writer:
    model_hint: fast  # Gate checking is simple - use fast models
    instruction: |
      Create implementation discussion when design is ready...

Execution Flow

Rule Evaluation (automation/runner.py:90-112)
- Runner reads .ai-rules.yml and finds matching rule for staged file
- Extracts model_hint from rule config (or output_type override)
- Passes hint to generate_output(source_rel, output_rel, instruction, model_hint)
Prompt Construction (automation/patcher.py:371-406)
- Patcher receives model_hint and builds prompt
- Injects TASK COMPLEXITY: FAST or TASK COMPLEXITY: QUALITY line
- This hint helps Claude subagents auto-select appropriate model
Chain Selection (automation/patcher.py:63-77)
- ModelConfig.get_commands_for_hint(hint) selects appropriate chain
- Returns command_chain_fast, command_chain_quality, or default
- Falls back to default chain if hint-specific chain is empty
Fallback Execution (automation/patcher.py:409-450)
- call_model() iterates through selected command chain left→right
- First successful provider's output is used
- Errors are logged; subsequent providers are tried
- If all fail, error is raised (but pre-commit remains non-blocking)

Example Prompt with Hint

When model_hint: fast is set, the generated prompt includes:

You are a specialized patch generator for CascadingDev automation.

SOURCE FILE: Docs/features/FR_2025-11-01_auth/discussions/feature.discussion.md
OUTPUT FILE: Docs/features/FR_2025-11-01_auth/discussions/feature.discussion.sum.md
TASK COMPLEXITY: FAST

=== SOURCE FILE CHANGES (staged) ===
[diff content]

=== CURRENT OUTPUT FILE CONTENT ===
[summary file content]

INSTRUCTIONS:
Update the vote summary section...

The TASK COMPLEXITY: FAST line signals to Claude's subagent system to select cdev-patch (Haiku) instead of cdev-patch-quality (Sonnet).

Supported Providers

Provider	CLI Tool	Fast Model	Default Model	Quality Model
Claude	`claude -p`	Haiku (via subagent)	Auto-select	Sonnet (via subagent)
OpenAI Codex	`codex`	gpt-5-mini	gpt-5	o3
Google Gemini	`gemini`	gemini-2.5-flash	gemini-2.5-flash	gemini-2.5-pro

Claude Subagent Setup:

# Create ~/.claude/agents/cdev-patch.md and cdev-patch-quality.md
./tools/setup_claude_agents.sh

# Verify installation
claude agents list

The setup script creates two subagent files with descriptions that include "MUST BE USED when TASK COMPLEXITY is FAST/QUALITY", enabling Claude's agent selection to respond to the hint in the prompt.

Implementation Modules

Core modules:

automation/ai_config.py - Configuration loader (AISettings, RunnerSettings, RambleSettings)
- load_ai_settings(repo_root) - Loads and validates config/ai.yml
- RunnerSettings.get_chain_for_hint(hint) - Returns appropriate command chain
- parse_command_chain(raw) - Splits "||" delimited command strings
automation/runner.py - Orchestrates rule evaluation and output generation
- Reads model_hint from cascaded rule config (line 94)
- Passes hint through to generate_output() (line 112)
- Supports output_type hint overrides (line 100-102)
automation/patcher.py - Generates and applies AI patches
- ModelConfig.get_commands_for_hint(hint) - Selects command chain (line 63-77)
- build_prompt(..., model_hint) - Injects TASK COMPLEXITY line (line 371-406)
- call_model(..., model_hint) - Executes chain with fallback (line 409-450)

Cost Optimization Examples

Before (all tasks use same model):

Vote counting: Sonnet @ $3/M tokens → $0.003/commit
Design discussion: Sonnet @ $3/M tokens → $0.15/commit
Gate checking: Sonnet @ $3/M tokens → $0.002/commit

After (intelligent routing):

Vote counting: Haiku @ $0.25/M tokens → $0.0002/commit (93% savings)
Design discussion: Sonnet @ $3/M tokens → $0.15/commit (unchanged)
Gate checking: Haiku @ $0.25/M tokens → $0.00017/commit (91% savings)

For a project with 100 commits, savings of ~$0.30/commit × 70% simple tasks = $21 saved while maintaining quality for complex tasks.

Environment Overrides

Users can temporarily override config/ai.yml via environment variables:

# Override command for single commit
CDEV_AI_COMMAND="claude -p" git commit -m "message"

# Chain multiple providers
CDEV_AI_COMMAND="claude -p || codex --model gpt-5" git commit -m "message"

# Use only quality models for critical work
CDEV_AI_COMMAND="claude -p" git commit -m "critical refactor"

Environment variables take precedence over config/ai.yml but don't persist.

Stage Model & Operational Procedure

Complete Stage Lifecycle

Request → Feature Discussion → Design Discussion → Implementation Discussion → Testing Discussion → Review Discussion → Release

Stage Overview

Stage	Primary File	Promotion Trigger	Human Gate	Key Artifacts Created
1 Request	request.md	Created from template	–	feature.discussion.md, feature.discussion.sum.md
2 Feature Discussion	discussions/feature.discussion.md	Votes → READY_FOR_DESIGN	–	design.discussion.md, design/design.md
3 Design Discussion	discussions/design.discussion.md	Votes → READY_FOR_IMPLEMENTATION	–	implementation.discussion.md, implementation/plan.md, implementation/tasks.md
4 Implementation Discussion	discussions/implementation.discussion.md	All required tasks complete → READY_FOR_TESTING	✅ ≥1 human READY	testing.discussion.md, testing/testplan.md, testing/checklist.md
5 Testing Discussion	discussions/testing.discussion.md	All tests pass → READY_FOR_REVIEW	–	review.discussion.md, review/findings.md
6 Review Discussion	discussions/review.discussion.md	Human READY → READY_FOR_RELEASE	✅ ≥1 human READY	Release notes, follow-up FRs/Bugs
7 Release	–	Tag & changelog generated	✅ maintainer	Changelog, version bump, rollback notes

Stage 1: Request

Entry Criteria

Docs/features/FR_*/request.md created from template
Template completeness: intent, motivation, constraints, open questions

Artifacts Generated

request.md: Source feature request document

Automated Actions

Creates discussions/feature.discussion.md with standard header
Adds Summary and Participation sections
Appends initial AI comment with vote

Exit Criteria

Discussion file created and populated
Ready for feature discussion phase

Stage 2: Feature Discussion

File: discussions/feature.discussion.md

Header Template

---
type: discussion
stage: feature
status: OPEN  # OPEN | READY_FOR_DESIGN | REJECTED
feature_id: FR_YYYY-MM-DD_<slug>
stage_id: FR_YYYY-MM-DD_<slug>_feature
created: YYYY-MM-DD

promotion_rule:
  allow_agent_votes: true
  ready_min_eligible_votes: all
  reject_min_eligible_votes: all

participation:
  instructions: |
    - Append your input at the end as: "YourName: your comment…"
    - Every comment must end with a vote line: "VOTE: READY|CHANGES|REJECT"
    - Agents/bots must prefix names with "AI_"    

voting:
  values: [READY, CHANGES, REJECT]
---

Operational Flow

Participants append comments ending with vote lines
Latest vote per participant counts toward thresholds
AI_Moderator tracks unanswered questions and missing votes
When READY threshold met: status → READY_FOR_DESIGN

Promotion decisions obey thresholds in process/policies.yml (voting.quorum). The orchestrator re-evaluates eligibility before any status change.

Automated Actions on commit

Appends AI comment with vote
- Moderates discussion
- Establishes objectives with consensus
- Delegates in-conversation tasks
Creates/maintains discussions/feature.discussion.sum.md

Automation boundary: All actions occur within the same Git commit and are never auto-committed by the orchestrator.

Promotion Actions

Creates discussions/design.discussion.md (OPEN)
Creates design/design.md seeded from request + feature discussion

Stage 3: Design Discussion

File: discussions/design.discussion.md

Header

---
type: discussion
stage: design
status: OPEN  # OPEN | READY_FOR_IMPLEMENTATION | NEEDS_MORE_INFO
feature_id: FR_YYYY-MM-DD_<slug>
stage_id: FR_YYYY-MM-DD_<slug>_design
# ... same promotion_rule, participation, voting as feature
---

Operational Flow

AI_Architect updates design/design.md on each commit
Design doc evolves with discussion: options, decisions, risks, acceptance criteria
Participants vote on design completeness
When READY threshold met: status → READY_FOR_IMPLEMENTATION

Promotion decisions obey thresholds in process/policies.yml (voting.quorum). The orchestrator re-evaluates eligibility before any status change.

Automated Actions on commit

Appends AI comment with vote
- Moderates discussion
- establishes objective
- delegates in-conversation tasks
Creates/maintains discussions/design.discussion.sum.md
Creates/maintains design/design.md
Creates/maintains design/diagrams/*.puml files if any are produced during the discussion.

Design Document Structure

Context & Goals
Non-Goals & Constraints
Options Considered with Trade-offs
Decision & Rationale
Architecture Diagrams
Risks & Mitigations
Measurable Acceptance Criteria

Promotion Actions

Creates discussions/implementation.discussion.md (OPEN)
Creates implementation/plan.md and implementation/tasks.md
Creates implementation/tasks.md - Tasks are checkboxes aligned to acceptance criteria

Stage 4: Implementation Discussion

File: discussions/implementation.discussion.md

Header

---
type: discussion
stage: implementation
status: OPEN  # OPEN | READY_FOR_TESTING
feature_id: FR_YYYY-MM-DD_<slug>
stage_id: FR_YYYY-MM-DD_<slug>_implementation
promotion_rule:
  allow_agent_votes: true
  ready_min_eligible_votes: 1_human  # HUMAN GATE
  reject_min_eligible_votes: all
# ...
---

Operational Flow

AI_Implementer syncs implementation/tasks.md with discussion
Parse checkboxes and PR mentions from discussion posts
Link commits/PRs to tasks when mentioned ([#123], commit shas)
When all required tasks complete: status → READY_FOR_TESTING

Promotion decisions obey thresholds in process/policies.yml (voting.quorum). The orchestrator re-evaluates eligibility before any status change.

Automated Actions on commit

Appends AI comment with vote
- Moderates discussion
- establishes implementation objectives from Plan.md
- delegates implementation tasks from Tasks.md
Creates/maintains discussions/implementation.discussion.sum.md
Creates/maintains src/* files if any are produced during the discussion.

Task Management

Tasks.md maintained as single source of truth
Checkbox completion tracked automatically
PR and commit references linked automatically

Promotion Actions

Creates discussions/testing.discussion.md (OPEN)
Creates testing/testplan.md and testing/checklist.md
Test checklist derived from acceptance criteria + edge cases

Stage 5: Testing Discussion

File: discussions/testing.discussion.md

Header

type: discussion
stage: testing
status: OPEN  # OPEN | READY_FOR_REVIEW
feature_id: FR_YYYY-MM-DD_<slug>
stage_id: FR_YYYY-MM-DD_<slug>_testing
promotion_rule:
  allow_agent_votes: true
  ready_min_eligible_votes: all
  reject_min_eligible_votes: all

Operational Flow

AI_Tester syncs testing/checklist.md with discussion posts
Parse result blocks: [RESULT] PASS/FAIL: description
Mark corresponding checklist items pass/fail
On test failure: auto-create bug report with full sub-cycle

Promotion decisions obey thresholds in process/policies.yml (voting.quorum). The orchestrator re-evaluates eligibility before any status change.

Automated Actions on commit

Appends AI comment with vote
- Moderates discussion
- establishes testing objectives from testing/testplan.md and testing/checklist.md
- delegates testing tasks from testing/checklist.md
Creates/maintains discussions/testing.discussion.sum.md
Creates/maintains test/* files if any are produced during the discussion.

Bug Sub-Cycle Creation

bugs/BUG_YYYYMMDD_<slug>/
├─ report.md          # Steps, expected/actual, environment
├─ discussion.md      # Bug discussion (OPEN)
├─ discussion.sum.md  # Summary of Bug discussion
└─ fix/
   ├─ plan.md         # Fix implementation plan
   └─ tasks.md        # Fix tasks checklist
      └─ src/

Bug Resolution Flow

Bug follows mini Implementation→Testing cycle
On bug closure, return to main testing discussion
Bug results integrated into main test checklist

The bug sub-cycle mirrors Stages 4–6 (Implementation → Testing → Review) and inherits the same promotion and voting policies.

Automated Actions on commit

Appends AI comment with vote to discussion.md
- Moderates discussion
- establishes fix objectives from plan.md
- delegates fix tasks from tasks.md
Maintains discussions/discussion.sum.md
Creates/maintains fix/src/* files if any are produced during the discussion.

Promotion Actions

Creates or report to discussions/review.discussion.md (OPEN)
Creates review/findings_BUG_YYYYMMDD_.md with verification summary

Stage 6: Review Discussion

File: discussions/review.discussion.md

Header

---
type: discussion
stage: review
status: OPEN  # OPEN | READY_FOR_RELEASE | CHANGES_REQUESTED
feature_id: FR_YYYY-MM-DD_<slug>
stage_id: FR_YYYY-MM-DD_<slug>_review
promotion_rule:
  allow_agent_votes: true
  ready_min_eligible_votes: 1_human  # HUMAN GATE
  reject_min_eligible_votes: all
# ...
---

Operational Flow

AI_Reviewer summarizes into review/findings.md
Review covers: changes, risks, test evidence, deployment considerations
Can spawn follow-up feature requests or bugs from findings
When human READY present and no blockers: status → READY_FOR_RELEASE

Promotion decisions obey thresholds in process/policies.yml (voting.quorum). The orchestrator re-evaluates eligibility before any status change.

Follow-up Artifact Creation

New FR: ../../FR_YYYY-MM-DD_followup/request.md
New Bug: bugs/BUG_YYYYMMDD_review/report.md

Stage 7: Release

Entry Criteria

Review discussion status is READY_FOR_RELEASE

Automated Actions

Generate release notes from feature changes
Semver bump based on change type
Create git tag
Update changelog
Document rollback procedure

Post-Release

Queue post-release validation tasks
Update documentation as needed
Archive feature folder if complete

State machine summary: All stage transitions are governed by the orchestrator and thresholds defined in process/policies.yml. Human gates remain mandatory for Implementation and Release.

Voting, Quorum & Etiquette

Voting System

Vote Values: READY | CHANGES | REJECT

Format Requirements:

Each comment must end with: VOTE: READY|CHANGES|REJECT
Last line of comment, exact format
Multiple votes by same participant: latest wins
Trailing spaces are ignored; the vote must be the final non-empty line

Vote Parsing Examples:

Rob: I agree with this approach. VOTE: READY
→ Rob: READY

AI_Claude: Here's my analysis... VOTE: CHANGES
→ AI_Claude: CHANGES (if allow_agent_votes=true)

User: I have concerns... VOTE: CHANGES
Later: User: Actually, addressed now. VOTE: READY
→ User: READY (latest vote wins)

Update Rules

Latest vote per participant supersedes all prior votes in the same stage.
If a comment has multiple “VOTE:” lines, only the last valid line counts.
Empty or malformed vote lines are ignored (no implicit abstain).

Eligibility & Quorum

Default Policy (machine-readable in process/policies.yml):

version: 1
voting:
  values: [READY, CHANGES, REJECT]
  allow_agent_votes: true
  quorum:
    discussion:     { ready: all,      reject: all }
    implementation: { ready: 1_human,  reject: all }
    release:        { ready: 1_human,  reject: all }
eligibility:
  agents_allowed: true
  require_human_for: [implementation, release]
etiquette:
  name_prefix_agents: "AI_"
  vote_line_regex: "^VOTE:\\s*(READY|CHANGES|REJECT)\\s*$"
timeouts:
  discussion_stale_days: 3
  nudge_interval_hours: 24

Human Safety Gates:

Implementation promotion: ≥1 human READY required
Release promotion: ≥1 human READY required
Agent votes count toward discussion but cannot satisfy human requirements

Promotion Evaluation Algorithm

Parse latest vote per participant (apply vote_line_regex to final non-empty line).
Filter by eligibility (humans/agents per stage policy).
Check human-gate requirement (if configured for the stage).
Evaluate quorum thresholds from voting.quorum[stage]:
- ready: all → all eligible voters are READY (or no CHANGES/REJECT)
- ready: 1_human → at least one human READY
- reject: all → if any REJECT, fail promotion
If thresholds met → flip status to the target (e.g., READY_FOR_DESIGN) within the same commit and generate next artifacts.
If not met → append moderator summary and keep status unchanged.

Eligibility Definition

Eligible voter: any participant (human or agent) who posted in the current stage discussion and conforms to eligibility.* policy.
Human gate: stages listed in eligibility.require_human_for require ≥ 1 human READY regardless of agent votes.

Participation Etiquette

Conciseness: Keep comments action-oriented and focused
References: Link to files/sections when possible (design.md#architecture)
Naming: Agents must prefix with AI_ (e.g., AI_Architect)
Ownership: Suggest explicit owners for next steps (@AI_Architect: please draft...)
Timeliness: Respond to direct questions within 24 hours
Staleness & Nudges: If a stage has no new comments within discussion_stale_days, the AI_Moderator posts a nudge every nudge_interval_hours with missing votes and open questions.

Tie-breaks & Deadlocks

If votes include both READY and CHANGES/REJECT beyond the promotion timeout (promotion_timeout_days), the AI_Moderator escalates:
1. Summarize blocking points and owners,
2. Request explicit human decision,
3. If still unresolved after one more nudge window, maintain status and open a follow-up item in the summary’s ACTION_ITEMS.

Cascading Rules System

The Cascading Rules System defines how automation instructions are discovered and applied for any file committed in the repository. The nearest .ai-rules.yml file to a changed file determines how it will be processed. Rules can exist at three scopes:

Scope	Typical Path	Purpose
Global	`/.ai-rules.yml`	Default behavior for all files (e.g., code, diagrams)
Feature-Scoped	`Docs/features/.ai-rules.yml`	Rules specific to feature discussions and artifacts
Local / Experimental	`<feature>/local/.ai-rules.yml` (optional)	Overrides for prototypes or nested modules

Rule lookup always starts in the source file’s directory and walks upward until it finds a .ai-rules.yml, then merges settings from outer scopes, where nearest directory wins.

Global Rules (Root .ai-rules.yml)

version: 1

# Map file extensions to rule names
file_associations:
  "*.js":   "js-file"
  "*.ts":   "js-file"
  "*.puml": "puml-file"
  "*.md":   "md-file"

rules:
  js-file:
    description: "Generate PlantUML + review for JS/TS files"
    outputs:
      diagram:
        enabled: true
        path: "Docs/diagrams/file_diagrams/{basename}.puml"
        output_type: "puml-file"
        instruction: |
          Update the PlantUML diagram to reflect staged code changes.
          Focus on: key functions, control flow, data transformations, dependencies.
          Keep architectural elements clear and focused.          
      review:
        enabled: true
        path: "Docs/discussions/reviews/{date}_{basename}.md"
        output_type: "md-file"
        instruction: |
          Create technical review of code changes.
          Include: summary of changes, potential risks, edge cases,
          testing considerations, performance implications.
          Use concise bullet points.          

  puml-file:
    description: "Rules for PlantUML diagram files"
    instruction: |
      Maintain readable, consistent diagrams.
      Use descriptive element names, consistent arrow styles.
      Include brief legend for complex diagrams.      

  md-file:
    description: "Rules for Markdown documentation"
    instruction: |
      Use proper Markdown syntax with concise paragraphs.
      Use code fences for examples, lists for multiple points.
      Maintain technical, clear tone.      

settings:
  max_tokens: 4000
  temperature: 0.1
  model: "claude-sonnet-4-5-20250929"

Validation & Schema

Each .ai-rules.yml must pass a lightweight YAML schema check before execution:

version key is required (integer or semver)
file_associations maps glob patterns → rule names
Each rule under rules: must include at least one of:
- description, outputs: with path, output_type, and instruction
Unknown keys are ignored but logged as warnings.

Schema validation prevents mis-typed keys from silently breaking automation.

Feature-Scoped Rules (Docs/features/.ai-rules.yml)

version: 1

file_associations:
  "request.md":                          "feature_request"

  # discussions
  "feature.discussion.md":               "feature_discussion"
  "design.discussion.md":                "design_discussion"
  "implementation.discussion.md":        "impl_discussion"
  "testing.discussion.md":               "test_discussion"
  "review.discussion.md":                "review_discussion"

  # summaries (companions)
  "feature.discussion.sum.md":           "discussion_summary"
  "design.discussion.sum.md":            "discussion_summary"
  "implementation.discussion.sum.md":    "discussion_summary"
  "testing.discussion.sum.md":           "discussion_summary"
  "review.discussion.sum.md":            "discussion_summary"

rules:
  feature_request:
    outputs:
      feature_discussion:
        path: "{dir}/discussions/feature.discussion.md"
        output_type: "feature_discussion_writer"
        instruction: |
          If missing: create with standard header (stage: feature, status: OPEN),
          add Summary and Participation sections, then append initial AI comment with vote.
          If exists: no op.          

      # Also create the companion summary file if missing (blank sections with markers)
      feature_summary_init:
        path: "{dir}/discussions/feature.discussion.sum.md"
        output_type: "discussion_summary_init"
        instruction: |
          If missing, create companion summary with stable markers:
          DECISIONS, OPEN_QUESTIONS, AWAITING, ACTION_ITEMS, VOTES, TIMELINE, LINKS.
          If exists, do not modify.          

  feature_discussion:
    outputs:
      # 1) Append the new AI comment to the discussion (append-only)
      self_append:
        path: "{dir}/discussions/feature.discussion.md"
        output_type: "feature_discussion_writer"
        instruction: |
          Append concise comment signed with AI name, ending with a single vote line.
          Evaluate votes against header thresholds. If READY threshold met:
          - Flip status to READY_FOR_DESIGN (or FEATURE_REJECTED)
          Clearly state promotion decision. Append-only with minimal diff.          

      # 2) Update the companion summary (marker-bounded sections only)
      summary_companion:
        path: "{dir}/discussions/feature.discussion.sum.md"
        output_type: "discussion_summary_writer"
        instruction: |
          Create or update the summary file. Replace ONLY content between markers:
          DECISIONS, OPEN_QUESTIONS, AWAITING, ACTION_ITEMS, VOTES, TIMELINE, LINKS.
          Inputs: the entire feature.discussion.md and current header.
          Keep diffs minimal.          

      # 3) Promotion artifacts when READY_FOR_DESIGN
      design_discussion:
        path: "{dir}/discussions/design.discussion.md"
        output_type: "design_discussion_writer"
        instruction: |
          Create ONLY if feature discussion status is READY_FOR_DESIGN.
          Seed with standard header (stage: design, status: OPEN).          

      design_doc:
        path: "{dir}/design/design.md"
        output_type: "design_doc_writer"
        instruction: |
          Create ONLY if feature discussion status is READY_FOR_DESIGN.
          Seed from request.md and feature discussion.
          Include: Context, Options, Decision, Risks, Acceptance Criteria.          

      # Ensure design summary exists once design discussion begins
      design_summary_init:
        path: "{dir}/discussions/design.discussion.sum.md"
        output_type: "discussion_summary_init"
        instruction: |
          If missing, create companion summary with standard markers.
          If exists, do not modify unless via discussion_summary_writer.          

  design_discussion:
    outputs:
      design_update:
        path: "{dir}/design/design.md"
        output_type: "design_doc_writer"
        instruction: |
          Update design document to reflect latest design discussion.
          Ensure acceptance criteria are measurable and complete.
          Maintain all standard sections. Minimal diffs.          

      # Always keep the design summary in sync (marker-bounded)
      summary_companion:
        path: "{dir}/discussions/design.discussion.sum.md"
        output_type: "discussion_summary_writer"
        instruction: |
          Update only the marker-bounded sections from the discussion content.          

      impl_discussion:
        path: "{dir}/discussions/implementation.discussion.md"
        output_type: "impl_discussion_writer"
        instruction: |
          Create ONLY if design discussion status is READY_FOR_IMPLEMENTATION.          

      impl_plan:
        path: "{dir}/implementation/plan.md"
        output_type: "impl_plan_writer"
        instruction: |
          Create ONLY if design status is READY_FOR_IMPLEMENTATION.
          Draft implementation milestones and scope.          

      impl_tasks:
        path: "{dir}/implementation/tasks.md"
        output_type: "impl_tasks_writer"
        instruction: |
          Create ONLY if design status is READY_FOR_IMPLEMENTATION.
          Generate task checklist aligned to acceptance criteria.          

      # Ensure implementation summary exists at the moment implementation starts
      impl_summary_init:
        path: "{dir}/discussions/implementation.discussion.sum.md"
        output_type: "discussion_summary_init"
        instruction: |
          If missing, create companion summary with standard markers.          

  impl_discussion:
    outputs:
      tasks_sync:
        path: "{dir}/implementation/tasks.md"
        output_type: "impl_tasks_maintainer"
        instruction: |
          Parse checkboxes and PR mentions from implementation discussion.
          Synchronize tasks.md accordingly.
          When all required tasks complete, mark implementation discussion READY_FOR_TESTING.          

      summary_companion:
        path: "{dir}/discussions/implementation.discussion.sum.md"
        output_type: "discussion_summary_writer"
        instruction: |
          Update only the marker-bounded sections from the discussion content.
          Include unchecked items from ../implementation/tasks.md in ACTION_ITEMS.          

      test_discussion:
        path: "{dir}/discussions/testing.discussion.md"
        output_type: "test_discussion_writer"
        instruction: |
          Create ONLY if implementation status is READY_FOR_TESTING.          

      test_plan:
        path: "{dir}/testing/testplan.md"
        output_type: "testplan_writer"
        instruction: |
          Create ONLY if implementation status is READY_FOR_TESTING.
          Derive strategy from acceptance criteria.          

      test_checklist:
        path: "{dir}/testing/checklist.md"
        output_type: "testchecklist_writer"
        instruction: |
          Create ONLY if implementation status is READY_FOR_TESTING.
          Generate test checklist covering acceptance criteria and edge cases.          

      test_summary_init:
        path: "{dir}/discussions/testing.discussion.sum.md"
        output_type: "discussion_summary_init"
        instruction: |
          If missing, create companion summary with standard markers.          

  test_discussion:
    outputs:
      checklist_update:
        path: "{dir}/testing/checklist.md"
        output_type: "testchecklist_maintainer"
        instruction: |
          Parse [RESULT] PASS/FAIL blocks from test discussion.
          Update checklist accordingly with evidence links.
          On test failure, create appropriate bug report.          

      summary_companion:
        path: "{dir}/discussions/testing.discussion.sum.md"
        output_type: "discussion_summary_writer"
        instruction: |
          Update marker-bounded sections from the discussion content.
          Surface FAILs in OPEN_QUESTIONS or AWAITING with owners.          

      bug_report:
        path: "{dir}/bugs/BUG_{date}_auto/report.md"
        output_type: "bug_report_writer"
        instruction: |
          Create bug report ONLY when test failure has clear reproduction steps.
          Initialize bug discussion and fix plan in the same folder.          

      review_discussion:
        path: "{dir}/discussions/review.discussion.md"
        output_type: "review_discussion_writer"
        instruction: |
          Create ONLY if all test checklist items pass.
          Set testing discussion status to READY_FOR_REVIEW.          

      review_findings:
        path: "{dir}/review/findings.md"
        output_type: "review_findings_writer"
        instruction: |
          Create summary of verified functionality, risks, and noteworthy changes.          

      review_summary_init:
        path: "{dir}/discussions/review.discussion.sum.md"
        output_type: "discussion_summary_init"
        instruction: |
          If missing, create companion summary with standard markers.          

  review_discussion:
    outputs:
      summary_companion:
        path: "{dir}/discussions/review.discussion.sum.md"
        output_type: "discussion_summary_writer"
        instruction: |
          Update marker-bounded sections from the discussion content.
          Decisions should include READY_FOR_RELEASE with date and follow-ups.          

      followup_feature:
        path: "../../FR_{date}_followup/request.md"
        output_type: "feature_request_writer"
        instruction: |
          Create follow-up feature request ONLY when review identifies an enhancement.          

      followup_bug:
        path: "{dir}/bugs/BUG_{date}_review/report.md"
        output_type: "bug_report_writer"
        instruction: |
          Create bug report ONLY when review identifies a defect.
          Seed discussion and fix plan.          

  # Generic writer invoked when a *.discussion.sum.md file itself is staged/edited
  discussion_summary:
    outputs:
      normalize:
        path: "{dir}/{basename}.sum.md"
        output_type: "discussion_summary_normalizer"
        instruction: |
          Ensure standard header exists and marker blocks are present.
          Do not rewrite content outside markers.

The shipped defaults focus on the feature → implementation flow; downstream stages (design, testing, review) reuse the same pattern and can be enabled by extending .ai-rules.yml inside the generated project.

5.3 Rule Resolution Precedence

Nearest Directory: Check source file directory and parents upward
Feature Scope: Docs/features/.ai-rules.yml for feature artifacts
Global Fallback: Root .ai-rules.yml for code files
Conflict Resolution: Nearest rule wins, with logging of override decisions

Orchestration Architecture

Principles

Single-commit boundary: automation only stages changes within the current commit; it never creates new commits or loops.
Deterministic prompts: identical inputs produce identical patches (prompt hashing + stable sorting of inputs).
Nearest-rule wins: rule resolution favors the closest .ai-rules.yml.
Fail fast, explain: on any failure, keep the index untouched and write actionable diagnostics to .git/ai-rules-debug/.

Bash Pre-commit Hook

Core Responsibilities:

Collect staged files (Added/Modified only)
Resolve rules via cascading lookup
Build context prompts from staged content
Call AI model via CLI for patch generation
Apply patches with robust error handling

Prompt Envelope (deterministic)

BEGIN ENVELOPE
VERSION: 1
SOURCE_FILE: <rel_path>
RULE: <rule_name>/<output_key>
FEATURE_ID: <feature_id>
STAGE: <stage>
POLICY_SHA256: <sha of process/policies.yml>
CONTEXT_FILES: <sorted list>
PROMPT_SHA256: <sha of everything above + inputs>
--- INPUT:FILE ---
<trimmed content or staged diff>
--- INPUT:POLICY ---
<process/policies.yml relevant subset>
--- INSTRUCTION ---
<rules.outputs[*].instruction>
END ENVELOPE

On output, the model must return only a unified diff between <<<AI_DIFF_START>>> and <<<AI_DIFF_END>>>. The orchestrator records PROMPT_SHA256 alongside the patch for reproducibility.

Execution Order (per staged file)

resolve_rules(rel_path) → pick nearest .ai-rules.yml, match file_associations, assemble outputs.
build_prompt(ctx) → gather file content/diff, parsed headers, policy, {feature_id}/{stage} and neighboring artifacts.
invoke_model(prompt) → receive a unified diff envelope (no raw text rewrites).
sanitize_diff() → enforce patch constraints (no path traversal, within repo, size limits).
apply_patch() → try 3-way apply, then strict apply; stage only on success.
log_diagnostics() → write resolution.log, raw/clean/sanitized/final diffs.

Enhanced Template Support:

# Add/extend in resolve_template() function
resolve_template() {
  local tmpl="$1" rel_path="$2"
  local today dirpath basename name ext feature_id stage
  today="$(date +%F)"
  dirpath="$(dirname "$rel_path")"
  basename="$(basename "$rel_path")"
  name="${basename%.*}"
  ext="${basename##*.}"
  # nearest FR_* ancestor as feature_id
  feature_id="$(echo "$rel_path" | sed -n 's|.*Docs/features/\(FR_[^/]*\).*|\1|p')"
  # infer stage from <stage>.feature.discussion.md when applicable
  stage="$(echo "$basename" | sed -n 's/^\([A-Za-z0-9_-]\+\)\.discussion\.md$/\1/p')"
  echo "$tmpl" \
    | sed -e "s|{date}|$today|g" \
          -e "s|{rel}|$rel_path|g" \
          -e "s|{dir}|$dirpath|g" \
          -e "s|{basename}|$basename|g" \
          -e "s|{name}|$name|g" \
          -e "s|{ext}|$ext|g" \
          -e "s|{feature_id}|$feature_id|g" \
          -e "s|{stage}|$stage|g"
}

Patch Application Strategy:

Preserve Index Lines: Enable 3-way merge capability
Try 3-way First: git apply --index --3way --recount --whitespace=nowarn
Fallback to Strict: git apply --index if 3-way fails
Debug Artifacts: Save raw/clean/sanitized/final patches to .git/ai-rules-debug/

Additional Safeguards:

Reject patches that:
- create or edit files outside the repo root
- exceed 200 KB per artifact (configurable)
- modify binary or non-targeted files for the current output
Normalize line endings; ensure new files include headers when required.
Abort on conflicting hunks; do not partially apply a file’s patch.

Discussion File Optimization:

Prefer append-only edits with optional header flips
For large files: generate full new content and compute diff locally
Minimize hunk drift through careful patch construction
Enforce append-only: refuse hunks that modify prior lines except header keys explicitly allowed (status, timestamps, feature_id, stage_id).

Python Orchestrator (automation/workflow.py)

Phase 1 (Non-blocking Status):

#!/usr/bin/env python3
import json, os, sys, subprocess, re
from pathlib import Path

def main():
    changed_files = read_changed_files()
    status_report = analyze_discussion_status(changed_files)
    if status_report:
        print("AI-Workflow Status Report")
        print(json.dumps(status_report, indent=2))
    sys.exit(0)  # Always non-blocking in v1

Core Functions:

Vote Parsing: Parse discussion files, track latest votes per participant
Threshold Evaluation: Compute eligibility and quorum status
Status Reporting: JSON output of current discussion state
Decision Hints: Suggest promotion based on policy rules

Optimization Notes:

Memoize load_policy() and parse_front_matter() with LRU caches.
Reuse a single regex object for vote_line_regex.
Avoid re-reading unchanged files by comparing git hash-object results.

CLI (v1):

workflow.py --status # print stage/vote status for staged files
workflow.py --summarize # regenerate summary sections to stdout (no write)
workflow.py --dry-run # run full pipeline but do not stage patches
Outputs are written to stdout and .git/ai-rules-debug/orchestrator.log.

Future Enhancements:

Policy enforcement based on process/policies.yml
Gitea API integration for issue/PR management
Advanced agent coordination and task routing

Model Invocation (env-configured)

AI_MODEL_CMD (default: claude) and AI_MODEL_OPTS are read from env.
AI_RULES_SEED allows deterministic sampling where supported.
If the model returns non-diff output, the hook aborts with diagnostics.

Environment toggles:

AI_RULES_MAX_JOBS caps parallel workers (default 4)
AI_RULES_CACHE_DIR overrides .git/ai-rules-cache
AI_RULES_DISABLE_CACHE=1 forces re-generation
AI_RULES_CI=1 enables dry-run & cache-only in CI

Gitea Integration (Future)

Label System:

stage/*: stage/discussion, stage/design, stage/implementation, etc.
blocked/*: blocked/needs-votes, blocked/needs-human
needs/*: needs/design, needs/review, needs/tests

Automated Actions:

Open/label PRs for implementation transitions
Post status summaries to PR threads
Create tracking issues for feature implementation
Report status checks to PRs

Happy Path (single changed discussion file)

git add Docs/features/FR_x/.../feature.discussion.md
└─ pre-commit
   ├─ resolve_rules → feature_discussion + summary_companion
   ├─ build_prompt (PROMPT_SHA256=…)
   ├─ invoke_model → <<<AI_DIFF_START>>>…<<<AI_DIFF_END>>>
   ├─ sanitize_diff + guards
   ├─ apply_patch (3-way → strict)
   └─ write logs under .git/ai-rules-debug/

Moderator Protocol

AI_Moderator Responsibilities

Conversation Tracking:

Monitor unanswered questions (>24 hours)
Track missing votes from active participants
Identify stale threads needing attention
Flag direct mentions that need responses

Signals & Triggers

Unanswered Qs: any line ending with ? or prefixed Q: with an @owner and no reply within response_timeout_hours.
Missing Votes: participants who posted in the stage but whose last non-empty line does not match vote_line_regex.
Stale Discussion: no new comments within discussion_stale_days.
Promotion Drift: conflicting votes present beyond promotion_timeout_days.

Progress Reporting:

Compute current vote tallies and thresholds
List participants who haven't voted recently
Summarize promotion status and remaining requirements
Highlight blocking issues or concerns

Comment Template & Constraints:

Max 10 lines, each ≤ 120 chars.
Sections in order: UNANSWERED, VOTES, ACTION ITEMS, STATUS.
Always end with VOTE: CHANGES (so it never promotes by itself).

Task Allocation:

Suggest explicit owners for pending tasks
Example: "AI_Architect: please draft the acceptance criteria section"
Example: "Rob: could you clarify the deployment timeline?"

Escalation Path:

If blockers persist past promotion_timeout_days, ping owners + maintainer.
If still unresolved after one more nudge interval, create a follow-up entry in the summary’s ACTION_ITEMS with owner + due date.

Moderator Implementation

Rule Definition (in Docs/features/.ai-rules.yml):

discussion_moderator_nudge:
  outputs:
    self_append:
      path: "{dir}/discussions/{stage}.feature.discussion.md"
      output_type: "discussion_moderator_writer"
      instruction: |
        Act as AI_Moderator. Analyze the entire discussion and:
        
        UNANSWERED QUESTIONS:
        - List any direct questions unanswered for >24 hours (mention @names)
        - Flag questions that need clarification or follow-up
        
        VOTE STATUS:
        - Current tally: READY: X, CHANGES: Y, REJECT: Z
        - Missing votes from: [list of participants without recent votes]
        - Promotion status: [based on header thresholds]
        
        ACTION ITEMS:
        - Suggest specific next owners for pending tasks
        - Propose concrete next steps with deadlines
        
        Keep comment under 10 lines. End with "VOTE: CHANGES".
        Append-only; minimal diff; update nothing else.
        UNANSWERED: list @owners for Qs > response_timeout_hours.
        VOTES: READY=X, CHANGES=Y, REJECT=Z; Missing=[@a, @b]
        ACTION: concrete next steps with @owner and a due date.
        STATUS: promotion readiness per process/policies.yml (voting.quorum).
        Constraints: ≤10 lines; ≤120 chars/line; append-only; end with:
        VOTE: CHANGES

Nudge Frequency: Controlled by nudge_interval_hours in policies

Automation boundary: Moderator comments are appended within the current commit; no auto-commits are created.

Error Handling & Resilience

Safety Invariants

No auto-commits: automation only stages changes in the current commit.
Atomic per-file: a patch for a file applies all-or-nothing; no partial hunks.
Append-first for discussions: prior lines are immutable except allowed header keys.
Inside repo only: patches cannot create/modify files outside the repository root.
Deterministic retry: identical inputs → identical patches (same prompt hash).

Common Failure Modes

Patch Application Issues:

Symptom: Hunk drift on large files, merge conflicts
Mitigation: 3-way apply with index preservation, append-only strategies
Fallback: Local diff computation from full new content
Exit code: 2 (apply failure); write final.diff and apply.stderr

Model Output Problems:

Symptom: Malformed diff, missing markers, invalid patch format
Mitigation: Extract between markers, validate with git apply --check
Fallback: Clear diagnostics with patch validation output
Exit code: 3 (invalid diff); write raw.out, clean.diff, sanitize.log

Tooling Dependencies:

Symptom: Missing yq, claude, or other required tools
Mitigation: Pre-flight checks with clear error messages
Fallback: Graceful degradation with feature-specific disabling
Exit code: 4 (missing dependency); write preflight.log

Rule Conflicts:

Symptom: Multiple rules matching same file with conflicting instructions
Mitigation: Nearest-directory precedence with conflict logging
Fallback: Global rule application with warning
Exit code: 5 (rule resolution); write resolution.log

Guardrail Violations:

Symptom: Patch touches forbidden paths, exceeds size, or edits outside markers
Mitigation: Reject patch, print exact guard name and offending path/line count
Exit code: 6 (guardrail); write guards.json

Retry & Idempotency

Re-run the same commit contents → identical PROMPT_SHA256 and identical patch.
To force a new generation, change only the source file content or the rule instruction.
--dry-run prints the unified diff without staging; useful for CI and reproduction.

Recovery Procedures

Quick Triage Map

Failure	Where to Look	Fast Fix
Patch won’t apply	`.git/ai-rules-debug/*/apply.stderr`	Rebase or re-run after pulling; if discussion, ensure append-only
Invalid diff envelope	`raw.out`, `clean.diff`, `sanitize.log`	Check that model returned `<<<AI_DIFF_START/END>>>`; shorten file context
Rule not found	`resolution.log`	Verify `file_associations` and `{stage}`/`{feature_id}` resolution
Guardrail breach	`guards.json`	Reduce patch size, keep edits within markers, or adjust config limit
Missing dependency	`preflight.log`	Install tool or disable rule until available

Manual Override:

# Bypass hook for emergency edits
git commit --no-verify -m "Emergency fix: manually overriding discussion status"

# Manually update discussion header
# type: discussion -> status: READY_FOR_IMPLEMENTATION

Debug Artifacts:

All patch variants saved to .git/ai-rules-debug/
Timestamped files: raw, clean, sanitized, final patches
Commit-specific directories for correlation
Rule resolution decisions saved to .git/ai-rules-debug/resolution.log including matched rule, output keys, and template-expanded paths.

Rollback Strategy:

All generated artifacts are staged separately
Easy partial staging: git reset HEAD for specific artifacts
Full reset: git reset HEAD~1 to undo entire commit with generations

Regenerate Safely:

 # See what would be generated without staging anything
 automation/workflow.py --dry-run
 # Apply only after inspection
 git add -p

Bypass & Minimal Patch:

 # Temporarily bypass the hook for urgent hand-edits
 git commit --no-verify -m "Hotfix: manual edit, will reconcile with rules later"

Audit Trail

Patch Sanitization & Guards (summary)

Validate unified diff headers; reject non-diff content.
Enforce append-only on discussions; allow header keys: status, feature_id, stage_id, timestamps.
Enforce marker-bounded edits for *.discussion.sum.md.
Limit per-artifact patch size (default 200 KB; configurable).
Reject paths escaping repo root or targeting binaries.
See Appendix B for the normative, full rule set.

Execution Logging:

All rule invocations logged with source→output mapping
Patch application attempts and outcomes recorded
Vote calculations and promotion decisions documented

Debug Bundle:

.git/ai-rules-debug/
├─ 20251021-143022-12345-feature.discussion.md/
│  ├─ raw.out          # Raw model output
│  ├─ clean.diff       # Extracted patch
│  ├─ sanitized.diff   # After sanitization
│  └─ final.diff       # Final applied patch
└─ execution.log       # Chronological action log

Operator Checklist (1-minute)

git status → confirm only intended files are staged.
Open .git/ai-rules-debug/…/apply.stderr (if failed) or final.diff.
If discussion file: ensure your change is append-only.
Re-run automation/workflow.py --dry-run and compare diffs.
If still blocked, bypass with --no-verify, commit, and open a follow-up to reconcile.

Security & Secrets Management

Security Principles

No plaintext secrets in Git — ever.
Scan before stage — block secrets at pre-commit, not in CI.
Redact on write — debug logs and prompts never store raw secrets.
Least scope — env vars loaded only for the current process; not persisted.

Secret Protection

Never Commit:

API keys, authentication tokens
Personal identifying information
Internal system credentials
Private configuration data

Secret Scanning & Blocking (pre-commit):

Run lightweight detectors before rule execution; fail fast on matches.
Suggested tools (any one is fine): git-secrets, gitleaks, or trufflehog (regex mode).
Provide a repo-local config at process/secrets.allowlist to suppress false positives.

Redaction Policy:

If a candidate secret is detected in an input file, the hook aborts.
If a secret appears only in model output or logs, it is replaced with ***REDACTED*** before writing artifacts.

Inbound/Outbound Data Handling:

Inbound (source & discussions): if a suspected secret is present, the hook blocks the commit and points to the line numbers.
Outbound (logs, envelopes, diffs): redact values and include a [REDACTED:<key>] tag to aid debugging without leakage.

Environment Variables:

# Current approach
export CLAUDE_API_KEY="your_key"
# Future .env approach (git-ignored)
# .env file loaded via python-dotenv in Python components

.gitignore (additions):

.env
.env.* 
# .env.local, .env.prod, etc. 
*.key 
*.pem 
*.p12 
secrets/*.json
secrets/*.yaml

Provide non-sensitive examples as *.sample:

.env.sample with placeholder keys
automation/config.sample.yml showing structure without values

Configuration Management:

Keep sensitive endpoints in automation/config.yml
Use environment variable substitution in configuration
Validate no secrets in discussions, rules, or generated artifacts
Substitution happens in-memory during prompt build; no expanded values are written back to disk.
Maintain a denylist of key names that must never appear in artifacts: API_KEY, ACCESS_TOKEN, SECRET, PASSWORD, PRIVATE_KEY.

Access Control

Repository Security:

Assume all repository contents are potentially exposed
No sensitive business logic in prompt instructions
Regular security reviews of rule definitions
Guardrails: outputs cannot target paths outside repo root; writes to secrets/ are blocked.

Agent Permissions:

Limit file system access to repository scope
Validate output paths stay within repository
Sanitize all file operations for path traversal
Prompt Redaction: when building the model prompt, mask env-like values with ***REDACTED*** for any key matching the denylist or high-entropy detector.
See Appendix B: Diff Application Rules (Normative) for the full list of path/size/marker guardrails enforced during patch application.

Incident Response & Rotation

If a secret is accidentally committed, immediately:
1. Rotate the key at the provider,
2. Purge it from Git history (e.g., git filter-repo),
3. Invalidate caches and re-run the secret scanner.
Track rotations in a private runbook (outside the repo).

Preflight Checks (hook)

Verify required tools present: git, python3, yq (optional), chosen secret scanner.
Run secret scanner against staged changes; on hit → exit 11.
Validate .ai-rules.yml schema; on error → exit 12.
Confirm patch guards (size/paths); violations → exit 13.
Diagnostics: write to .git/ai-rules-debug/preflight.log.

Performance & Scale Considerations

Optimization Strategies

Deterministic Caching & Batching:

Prompt cache: reuse model outputs when PROMPT_SHA256 is identical.
Batch compatible files: same rule/output pairs with small contexts can be grouped.
Stable ordering: sort staged files + outputs before batching to keep results repeatable.
Cache location: .git/ai-rules-cache/ (keys by PROMPT_SHA256 + rule/output).

Prompt Efficiency:

Pass staged diffs instead of full file contents when possible
Use concise, structured instructions with clear formatting
Limit context to relevant sections for large files
Preload policy once per run; inject only relevant subsections into the prompt
Memoize parsed front-matter (YAML) and ASTs across files in the same run
Trim discussion context to the last N lines (configurable) + stable summary

Discussion Management:

Append-only edits with periodic summarization
Compact status reporting in moderator comments
Archive completed discussions if they become too large
Sliding-window summarization: regenerate {stage}.discussion.sum.md when diff > threshold lines
Limit TIMELINE to the last 15 entries (configurable)

Batch Operations:

Process multiple related files in single model calls when beneficial
Cache rule resolutions for multiple files in same directory
Parallelize independent output generations
Cap parallelism with AI_RULES_MAX_JOBS (default 4) to avoid CPU thrash.
Deduplicate prompts for identical contexts across multiple outputs.

Scaling Limits

File Size Considerations:

Small (<100KB): Full content in prompts
Medium (100KB-1MB): Diff-only with strategic context
Large (>1MB): Chunked processing or summary-only approaches
Very large (>5MB): refuse inline context; require pre-summarized artifacts

Context Window Strategy:

Hard cap prompt body at 200 KB per output (configurable)
If over cap: (1) include diff; (2) include header + last 200 lines; (3) link to file path

AST/Diagram Work:

Cache ASTs in .git/ai-rules-cache/ast/ keyed by <rel_path>:<blob_sha>
Rate-limit diagram updates to once per file per commit (guard duplicate runs)

Repository Size:

Current approach suitable for medium-sized repositories
For very large codebases: scope rules to specific directories
Consider rule disabling for generated/binary assets

Rate Limiting:

Model API calls: implement throttling and retry logic
Gitea API: respect rate limits with exponential backoff
File operations: batch where possible to reduce I/O

Performance Telemetry (optional)

Write .git/ai-rules-debug/perf.json with per-output timings: { resolve_ms, prompt_ms, model_ms, sanitize_ms, apply_ms, bytes_in, bytes_out }
Summarize totals at end of run for quick regressions spotting.

Testing Strategy

Goals

Prove determinism (same inputs → same patch).
Prove guardrails (append-only, marker-bounded, path/size limits).
Prove promotion math (votes, quorum, human gates).
Keep runs fast and hermetic (temp repo, mock clock, seeded RNG).

Testing Tiers

Unit Tests (Python):

Vote parsing and eligibility calculation
Policy evaluation and quorum determination
Rules resolution and conflict handling
Template variable substitution

Integration Tests (Bash + Python):

End-to-end rule → prompt → patch → apply cycle
Discussion status transitions and promotion logic
Error handling and recovery procedures
Multi-file rule processing

Artifact Validation:

PlantUML syntax checking: plantuml -checkonly
Markdown structure validation
Template completeness checks
YAML syntax validation

Golden & Snapshot Tests:

Prompt Envelope Golden: compare against tests/gold/envelopes/<case>.txt
Diff Output Golden: compare unified diffs in tests/gold/diffs/<case>.diff
Summary Snapshot: write {stage}.discussion.sum.md and compare against tests/snapshots/<case>/<stage>.discussion.sum.md (markers only)

Property-Based Tests:

Using hypothesis to fuzz discussion comments; invariants:
- last non-empty line drives the vote
- regex vote_line_regex never matches malformed lines
- marker-bounded writer never edits outside markers

Mutation Tests (optional):

Run mutmut on automation/workflow.py vote math and ensure tests fail when logic is mutated.

Test Architecture

tests/
├─ unit/
│  ├─ test_votes.py
│  ├─ test_policies.py
│  ├─ test_rules_resolution.py
│  └─ test_template_variables.py
├─ integration/
│  ├─ run.sh                    # Main test runner
│  ├─ lib.sh                    # Test utilities
│  ├─ fixtures/
│  │  └─ repo_skeleton/         # Minimal test repository
│  │     ├─ .ai-rules.yml
│  │     ├─ Docs/features/.ai-rules.yml
│  │     └─ Docs/features/FR_test/
│  │        ├─ request.md
│  │        └─ discussions/
│  │  └─ data/
│  │     ├─ bigfile.md          # >1MB to trigger chunking
│  │     ├─ bad.diff            # malformed diff for sanitizer tests
│  │     ├─ secrets.txt         # simulated secrets for scanner tests
│  │     └─ envelopes/          # golden prompt envelopes
│  ├─ gold/
│  │  ├─ envelopes/
│  │  └─ diffs/
│  └─ test_cases/
│     ├─ test_feature_promotion.sh
│     ├─ test_design_generation.sh
│     ├─ test_bug_creation.sh
│     ├─ test_append_only_guard.sh
│     ├─ test_summary_snapshot.sh
│     ├─ test_secret_scanner_block.sh
│     ├─ test_ci_cache_only_mode.sh
│     ├─ test_moderator_nudge.sh
│     └─ test_rule_precedence.sh
├─ bin/
│  └─ claude                    # Fake deterministic model
├─ snapshots/
│  └─ FR_test_case/
│     ├─ feature.discussion.sum.md
│     └─ design.discussion.sum.md
└─ README.md

Hermetic Test Utilities

Mock clock: set SOURCE_DATE_EPOCH to freeze {date} expansions.
Temp repo: each test case creates a fresh TMP_REPO with isolated .git.
Seeded RNG: set AI_RULES_SEED for deterministic model variants.
Filesystem isolation: tests write only under TMPDIR and .git/ai-rules-*.

Fake Model Implementation

Purpose: Deterministic testing without external API dependencies

Implementation (tests/bin/claude):

#!/bin/bash
# Fake Claude CLI for testing
# Reads prompt envelope from stdin, outputs a unified diff or injected error.
# Controls:
#  AI_FAKE_ERR=diff|apply|malformed   (force error modes)
#  AI_FAKE_SEED=<int>                 (deterministic variant)
#  AI_FAKE_MODE=discussion|design     (which template to emit)

set -euo pipefail
prompt="$(cat)"

if [[ "${AI_FAKE_ERR:-}" == "malformed" ]]; then
  echo "this is not a diff"
  exit 0
fi

target_file=$(echo "$prompt" | awk '/^SOURCE_FILE:/ {print $2}')
if echo "$prompt" | grep -q "RULE: .*feature_discussion/self_append"; then
cat << 'EOF'

<<<AI_DIFF_START>>>
diff --git a/Docs/features/FR_test/discussions/feature.discussion.md b/Docs/features/FR_test/discussions/feature.discussion.md
index 1234567..890abcd 100644
--- a/Docs/features/FR_test/discussions/feature.discussion.md
+++ b/Docs/features/FR_test/discussions/feature.discussion.md
@@ -15,3 +15,6 @@ voting:
 
 ## Summary
 Test feature for validation
 +
 +## Participation
 +AI_Test: This is a test comment. VOTE: READY
EOF
elif echo "$prompt" | grep -q "RULE: .*discussion_summary_writer"; then
cat << 'EOF'
<<<AI_DIFF_START>>>
diff --git a/Docs/features/FR_test/discussions/feature.discussion.sum.md b/Docs/features/FR_test/discussions/feature.discussion.sum.md
index 1111111..2222222 100644
--- a/Docs/features/FR_test/discussions/feature.discussion.sum.md
+++ b/Docs/features/FR_test/discussions/feature.discussion.sum.md
@@ -5,3 +5,4 @@
 <!-- SUMMARY:VOTES START -->
 ## Votes (latest per participant)
 READY: 1 • CHANGES: 0 • REJECT: 0
 - Rob
<!-- SUMMARY:VOTES END -->
<<<AI_DIFF_END>>>
EOF
else
    # Default patch for other file types
    echo "<<<AI_DIFF_START>>>"
    echo "diff --git a/README.md b/README.md"
    echo "index 0000000..0000001 100644"
    echo "--- a/README.md"
    echo "+++ b/README.md"
    echo "@@ -0,0 +1,1 @@"
    echo "+Generated by fake model"
    echo "<<<AI_DIFF_END>>>"fi

Integration Test Runner

Key Test Scenarios

Feature Promotion: request.md → feature.discussion.md → READY_FOR_DESIGN
Design Generation: design.discussion.md → design.md updates
Bug Creation: test failure → auto bug report generation
Error Recovery: Malformed patch → graceful failure with diagnostics
Rule Conflicts: Multiple rule matches → nearest-directory resolution
Append-Only Guard: attempt to edit earlier lines in discussion → reject
Summary Snapshot: only markers mutate; outside text preserved
Secret Scanner: staged secret blocks commit with exit 11
CI Cache-only: with AI_RULES_CI=1 and cache miss → exit 20
Moderator Nudge: comment ≤10 lines, ends with VOTE: CHANGES
Rule Precedence: local overrides feature, feature overrides global

Test Execution

# Run full test suite
cd tests/integration
./run.sh

# Run specific test case
./test_cases/test_feature_promotion.sh

Makefile (optional)

.PHONY: test unit integ lint
test: unit integ
unit:
- pytest -q tests/unit
integ:
- cd tests/integration && ./run.sh
lint:
- ruff check automation src || true

Continuous Validation

Pre-commit Checks:

PlantUML syntax validation for generated diagrams
Markdown link validation
YAML syntax checking for rule files
Template variable validation

Performance Benchmarks:

Rule resolution time for typical commit
Patch generation and application duration
Memory usage during large file processing
CI Mode (AI_RULES_CI=1):
- Default to --dry-run and cache-only model lookups.
- On cache miss, print the missing PROMPT_SHA256, skip invocation, and exit 20.
- Use to keep CI fast and reproducible.

Coverage Targets:

≥90% line coverage on automation/workflow.py vote/quorum logic
≥80% branch coverage on rule resolution and guards

Success Criteria:

All golden prompts/diffs stable across runs (no drift)
Guardrail tests fail if append-only/marker or path checks are removed

Source Intelligence Automation (Auto-Review + Auto-Diagram)

Purpose

To keep technical documentation and diagrams in sync with evolving source code. On every staged change to src/**/*.js|ts|py, the automation layer:

Analyzes the diff and AST to produce a concise review summary
Extracts structure and updates a PlantUML diagram in Docs/diagrams/file_diagrams/

A) Folder Layout

src/
├─ automation/
│  ├─ __init__.py
│  ├─ analyzer.py            # parses diffs, extracts structure & metrics
│  ├─ reviewer.py            # writes review summaries (md)
│  ├─ diagrammer.py          # emits PUML diagrams
│  └─ utils/
│     ├─ git_tools.py        # staged diff, blob lookup
│     ├─ code_parser.py      # AST helpers (JS/TS/Python)
│     └─ plantuml_gen.py     # renders PlantUML text

B) Operational Flow (Triggered by Hook)

┌────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐
│  pre-commit hook (bash)                                │
│   └──> detect src/**/*.js|ts|py changes                │
│         ├─> call automation/analyzer.py --file <path>  │
│         │     ├─ parse diff + AST                      │
│         │     ├─ collect functions, classes, calls     │
│         │     └─ emit JSON summary                     │
│         ├─> reviewer.py  → Docs/discussions/reviews/   │
│         └─> diagrammer.py → Docs/diagrams/file_diagrams/│
└────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┘

Each stage emits a unified diff so the same patch-application rules (3-way apply, append-only) still apply.

C) Sample Rule (Root .ai-rules.yml)

js-file:
  description: "Generate PlantUML + review for JS/TS files"
  outputs:
    diagram:
      path: "Docs/diagrams/file_diagrams/{name}.puml"
      output_type: "puml-file"
      instruction: |
        Parse code structure and update a PlantUML diagram:
        - Modules, classes, functions
        - Control-flow edges between major functions        
    review:
      path: "Docs/discussions/reviews/{date}_{name}.md"
      output_type: "md-file"
      instruction: |
        Summarize this commit’s code changes:
        - What changed and why
        - Possible risks / performance / security notes
        - Suggested tests or TODOs

Similar rules exist for py-file, ts-file, etc.

D) Core Algorithms (pseudocode)

# 1 analyzer.py

def analyze_source(path):
    diff = git_diff(path)
    tree = parse_ast(path)
    funcs, classes = extract_symbols(tree)
    flows = extract_calls(tree)
    metrics = compute_metrics(tree)
    return {
        "file": path,
        "functions": funcs,
        "classes": classes,
        "flows": flows,
        "metrics": metrics,
        "diff_summary": summarize_diff(diff),
    }

# 2 diagrammer.py

def generate_puml(analysis):
    nodes = [*analysis["classes"], *analysis["functions"]]
    edges = analysis["flows"]
    puml = "@startuml\n"
    for n in nodes:
        puml += f"class {n}\n"
    for a, b in edges:
        puml += f"{a} --> {b}\n"
    puml += "@enduml\n"
    return puml

# 3 reviewer.py

def generate_review(analysis):
    return f"""# Auto Review — {analysis['file']}

## Summary
{analysis['diff_summary']}

## Key Functions
{', '.join(analysis['functions'][:10])}

## Potential Risks
- TODO: evaluate complexity or security implications

## Suggested Tests
- Unit tests for new/modified functions
"""

E) Outputs

.puml → Docs/diagrams/file_diagrams/{basename}.puml (keeps architecture maps current)
.md → Docs/discussions/reviews/{date}_{basename}.md (rolling code review history) Each output follows 3-way apply / append-only rules; every commit leaves a diff trail in .git/ai-rules-debug/.

F) Integration with Orchestrator

# automation/workflow.py (aggregation example)
if src_changed():
    from automation import analyzer, reviewer, diagrammer
    for f in changed_src_files:
        data = analyzer.analyze_source(f)
        diagrammer.update_puml(data)
        reviewer.update_review(data)

Future versions can post summaries to the feature’s implementation discussion and link diagrams into design/design.md.

G) Testing the Source Automation Layer

Unit: tests/unit/test_code_parser.py, tests/unit/test_puml_gen.py
Integration: tests/integration/test_cases/test_auto_review.sh, test_auto_diagram.sh
Fixtures: tests/integration/fixtures/repo_skeleton/src/ with fake commits to verify generation

H) Security & Performance Notes

Sandbox analysis only — no execution of user code
AST parsing limited to static structure
Large files (>5k lines): partial summarization
Output capped to ≤ 200 KB per artifact

I) Deliverables Added to Milestones

M0 → create src/automation/ skeleton
M1 → functional auto-review + auto-diagram for JS/TS files
M2 → extend to Python + PlantUML cross-linking in design docs

Discussion Summaries (Companion Artifacts per Stage)

What it is

For every {stage}.discussion.md, maintain a sibling {stage}.discussion.sum.md. It is append-minimal with bounded section rewrites only (between stable markers). Contents: decisions, vote tallies, open questions, awaiting replies, action items, compact timeline.

Where it lives

Docs/features/FR_.../
└─ discussions/
   ├─ feature.discussion.md
   ├─ feature.discussion.sum.md
   ├─ design.discussion.md
   ├─ design.discussion.sum.md
   ├─ implementation.discussion.md
   ├─ implementation.discussion.sum.md
   ├─ testing.discussion.md
   ├─ testing.discussion.sum.md
   ├─ review.discussion.md
   └─ review.discussion.sum.md

Header (machine-readable)

---
type: discussion-summary
stage: feature               # feature|design|implementation|testing|review
status: ACTIVE               # ACTIVE|SNAPSHOT|ARCHIVED
source_discussion: feature.discussion.md
feature_id: FR_YYYY-MM-DD_<slug>
updated: YYYY-MM-DDTHH:MM:SSZ
policy:
  allow_agent_votes: true
  require_human_for: [implementation, review]
---

Stable section markers (for tiny diffs)

# Summary — <Stage Title>

<!-- SUMMARY:DECISIONS START -->
## Decisions (ADR-style)
- (none yet)
<!-- SUMMARY:DECISIONS END -->

<!-- SUMMARY:OPEN_QUESTIONS START -->
## Open Questions
- (none yet)
<!-- SUMMARY:OPEN_QUESTIONS END -->

<!-- SUMMARY:AWAITING START -->
## Awaiting Replies
- (none yet)
<!-- SUMMARY:AWAITING END -->

<!-- SUMMARY:ACTION_ITEMS START -->
## Action Items
- (none yet)
<!-- SUMMARY:ACTION_ITEMS END -->

<!-- SUMMARY:VOTES START -->
## Votes (latest per participant)
READY: 0 • CHANGES: 0 • REJECT: 0
- (no votes yet)
<!-- SUMMARY:VOTES END -->

<!-- SUMMARY:TIMELINE START -->
## Timeline (most recent first)
- <YYYY-MM-DD HH:MM> <name>: <one-liner>
<!-- SUMMARY:TIMELINE END -->

<!-- SUMMARY:LINKS START -->
## Links
- Related PRs: –
- Commits: –
- Design/Plan: ../design/design.md
<!-- SUMMARY:LINKS END -->

How it updates

Trigger: whenever {stage}.discussion.md is staged, the hook also updates/creates {stage}.sum.md.

Deterministic logic:

Votes: parse latest vote per participant (eligibility per policy)
Decisions: if header status flips (e.g., READY_FOR_IMPLEMENTATION), append an ADR entry
Open Questions: lines ending with ? or flagged Q: with @owner if present
Awaiting Replies: mentions with no response from that participant within response_timeout_hours
Action Items: unchecked tasks (- ) with @owner remain tracked until checked
Timeline: last N (default 15) comment one-liners with timestamp and name
Links: auto-add PRs (#123), SHAs, and cross-file links

Rotation / snapshots (optional): when discussion grows large or on schedule, write discussions/summaries/.md (status: SNAPSHOT) and keep {stage}.sum.md trimmed while retaining Decisions/Open Q/Actions/Votes.

Rules (additions in Docs/features/.ai-rules.yml)

file_associations:
  "feature.discussion.md":        "feature_discussion"
  "design.discussion.md":         "design_discussion"
  "implementation.discussion.md": "impl_discussion"
  "testing.discussion.md":        "test_discussion"
  "review.discussion.md":         "review_discussion"

rules:
  feature_discussion:
    outputs:
      summary_companion:
        path: "{dir}/discussions/feature.discussion.sum.md"
        output_type: "discussion_summary_writer"
        instruction: |
          Create or update the summary file. Replace ONLY content between
          these markers: DECISIONS, OPEN_QUESTIONS, AWAITING, ACTION_ITEMS,
          VOTES, TIMELINE, LINKS. Do not touch other lines.
          Inputs: the entire feature.discussion.md.          
  design_discussion:
    outputs:
      summary_companion:
        path: "{dir}/discussions/design.discussion.sum.md"
        output_type: "discussion_summary_writer"
        instruction: |
          Same summary policy as feature.sum.md; also add link to ../design/design.md.          
  impl_discussion:
    outputs:
      summary_companion:
        path: "{dir}/discussions/implementation.discussion.sum.md"
        output_type: "discussion_summary_writer"
        instruction: |
          Same summary policy; include unchecked items from ../implementation/tasks.md.          
  test_discussion:
    outputs:
      summary_companion:
        path: "{dir}/discussions/testing.discussion.sum.md"
        output_type: "discussion_summary_writer"
        instruction: |
          Same summary policy; include failing test artifacts and ensure FAILs surface in Open Questions or Awaiting.          
  review_discussion:
    outputs:
      summary_companion:
        path: "{dir}/discussions/review.discussion.sum.md"
        output_type: "discussion_summary_writer"
        instruction: |
          Same summary policy; Decisions should note READY_FOR_RELEASE with date and follow-ups.

Orchestrator support (nice-to-have)

Provide workflow.py --summarize to output regenerated sections for tests/CI. Track awaiting replies via timestamps per author; if absent, mark as awaiting.

Testing additions

Unit: parsing of votes, questions, mentions, action items
Integration: commit a discussion with constructs → verify summary sections updated and only marker-bounded hunks changed
Failure: malformed discussion / huge file → generator still writes sections; timeline truncates; no crash

Why this helps

Newcomers can open {stage}.sum.md and immediately see the state. Humans keep talking in the discussion; the system curates the signal in the summary. Promotions are transparent via Decisions. Open loops are visible and assigned.

Implementation Plan

Milestone M0: Process Foundation

Deliverables:

setup_project.py (Initialize Cascading Development repo)
process/design.md (this document)
process/policies.md + process/policies.yml
process/templates/ (all four core templates)
automation/agents.yml (role mappings)
src/automation/ skeleton (analyzer.py, reviewer.py, diagrammer.py, utils/*)

Success Criteria:

All process documentation in place
Policy definitions machine-readable
Templates provide clear starting points

Milestone M1: Orchestrator MVP + Hook Enhancements

Deliverables:

automation/workflow.py (non-blocking status reporter)
Bash hook: {dir} template variable support
Bash hook: Index preservation for 3-way apply
Bash hook: Append-only optimization for discussions
Auto-review + auto-diagram operational for JS/TS via root rules (js-file)

Success Criteria:

Python orchestrator reports discussion status
Template variables work for feature folder paths
3-way apply handles merge conflicts gracefully

Milestone M2: Stage Automation & Moderator

Deliverables:

Enhanced Docs/features/.ai-rules.yml with stage rules
AI_Moderator implementation via discussion rules
Python orchestrator: policy-based decision hints
Test suite for feature promotion flow
Discussion summaries: rules (discussion_summary_writer) + tests

Success Criteria:

Feature requests auto-create discussions
Discussions promote through stages based on votes
Moderator provides useful conversation guidance

Milestone M3: Gitea Integration

Deliverables:

automation/adapters/gitea_adapter.py
Automated PR creation and labeling
Status reporting to PR threads
Issue tracking integration

Success Criteria:

Implementation stage auto-creates PRs
Review status visible in PR discussions
Labels reflect current stage and blockers

Milestone M4: Bash to Python Migration

Deliverables:

Core rule resolution logic in Python
Patch generation and application in Python
Bash hook as thin wrapper calling Python
Enhanced error handling and diagnostics

Success Criteria:

Maintains current functionality with better maintainability
Improved error messages and recovery options
Consistent behavior across all operations

Risks & Mitigations

Technical Risks

Over-Automation Bypassing Humans:

Risk: Critical decisions made without human oversight

Mitigation: Human READY gates for Implementation and Release stages
Control: Manual override capability for all automated promotions
Patch Instability on Large Files:

Risk: Hunk drift and merge conflicts in long discussions

Mitigation: 3-way apply with index preservation, append-only strategies
Fallback: Local diff computation from full content regeneration

Tooling Dependency Management:

Risk: Version conflicts or missing dependencies break system

Mitigation: Pre-flight validation with clear error messages
Recovery: Graceful degradation with feature flags

Context Limit Exceeded:

Risk: AI models cannot process very large discussions
Mitigation: Structured summarization, chunked processing
Alternative: Focus on recent changes with reference to history

13.2 Process Risks Vote Manipulation or Gaming:

Risk: Participants exploit voting system for unwanted outcomes
Mitigation: Clear etiquette policies, human override capability
Oversight: Moderator monitoring for voting patterns

Discussion Fragmentation:

Risk: Conversations become scattered across multiple files

Mitigation: Clear stage boundaries, cross-references between discussions
Tooling: Search and navigation aids for related artifacts

Agent Coordination Conflicts:

Risk: Multiple agents making conflicting changes
Mitigation: Clear role definitions, sequential processing
Resolution: Human maintainer as final arbiter

13.3 Adoption Risks Learning Curve:

Risk: New contributors struggle with system complexity

Mitigation: Comprehensive documentation, template guidance
Support: AI_Moderator provides onboarding assistance

Process Overhead:

Risk: System creates too much ceremony for small changes
Mitigation: Configurable rule enabling/disabling
Flexibility: Bypass options for trivial changes

Initial Setup & Bootstrapping

To streamline project onboarding and ensure every repository begins with a structured, traceable starting point, this system includes:

a one-time setup script (setup_cascadingdev.py) that initializes the folder structure and installs the hook,
a create_feature.py tool for creating feature requests (with or without Ramble),
and a concise USER_GUIDE.md in the user project for daily guidance.

Steps Performed:

Create the canonical folder structure under Docs/ and seed the initial FR folder.
Install the pre-commit hook and default configuration files.
Copy create_feature.py and (optionally) ramble.py into the user project root.
Optionally run Ramble to help collect the first feature; otherwise prompt via CLI.
Generate the first Feature Request folder and the initial discussion + summary.

Example Implementation

#!/usr/bin/env python3
"""
setup_project.py — Initialize AI–Human Collaboration repo
"""
import os, subprocess, datetime

def run_ramble():
    """Launch Ramble dialog to collect initial feature request"""
    subprocess.run(["python3", "ramble.py", "--prompt", "Describe your initial feature request"])

def main():
    today = datetime.date.today().isoformat()
    feature_dir = f"Docs/features/FR_{today}_initial-feature-request"
    os.makedirs(f"{feature_dir}/discussions", exist_ok=True)
    print(f"Creating {feature_dir}/ ...")

    # Generate initial request file from template
    request_md = os.path.join(feature_dir, "request.md")
    if not os.path.exists(request_md):
        with open(request_md, "w") as f:
            f.write("# Feature Request: Initial Project Setup\n\n"
                    "**Intent:** Describe project goals and first milestone.\n"
                    "**Motivation / Problem:** Why this system is needed.\n"
                    "**Constraints / Non-Goals:** ...\n"
                    "**Open Questions:** ...\n")

    # Run Ramble dialog to fill in details interactively
    print("Launching Ramble interactive prompt...")
    run_ramble()
    print("Setup complete — run create_feature.py to add more features.")

if __name__ == "__main__":
    main()

Rationale

This setup process ensures that every repository starts with a consistent structure and a human-authored origin document, created in a conversational way. It also guarantees that the automation and templates are initialized before any feature work begins.

14 Template Evolution

14.1 Versioning Strategy

Template Location as Version:

Current templates always in process/templates/
Breaking changes require new feature request and migration plan
Existing features use templates current at their creation

User Guide

The authoritative USER_GUIDE.md lives in CascadingDev’s source (assets/templates/USER_GUIDE.md) and is copied into user projects (root) at install time. Update the source and rebuild the bundle to propagate changes.

Migration Guidance:

Document template changes in release notes
Provide automated migration scripts for simple changes
Flag features using deprecated templates

14.2 Core Templates

Feature Request Template (process/templates/feature_request.md):

# Feature Request: <title>

**Feature ID**: <FR_YYYY-MM-DD_slug>
**Intent**: <one paragraph describing purpose>
**Motivation / Problem**: <why this is needed now>
**Constraints / Non-Goals**: <bulleted list of limitations>
**Rough Proposal**: <short implementation outline>
**Open Questions**: <bulleted list of uncertainties>
**Meta**: Created: <date> • Author: <name>
Discussion Template (process/templates/discussion.md):

---
type: discussion
stage: <feature|design|implementation|testing|review>
status: OPEN
feature_id: <FR_...>
created: <YYYY-MM-DD>

promotion_rule:
  allow_agent_votes: true
  ready_min_eligible_votes: all
  reject_min_eligible_votes: all

participation:
  instructions: |
    - Append your input at the end as: "YourName: your comment…"
    - Every comment must end with a vote line: "VOTE: READY|CHANGES|REJECT"
    - Agents/bots must prefix names with "AI_"

voting:
  values: [READY, CHANGES, REJECT]
---
## Summary
2-4 sentence summary of current state

## Participation
comments appended below
Design Document Template (process/templates/design_doc.md):

# Design — <FR id / Title>

## Context & Goals
## Non-Goals & Constraints
## Options Considered
## Decision & Rationale
## Architecture Diagram(s)
## Risks & Mitigations
## Acceptance Criteria (measurable)

Implementation Plan Template (process/templates/implementation_plan.md):

# Implementation Plan — <FR id / Title>

## Scope
## Milestones
- [ ] M0: Initial setup and scaffolding
- [ ] M1: Core functionality
- [ ] M2: Testing and refinement
## Tasks
- [ ] specific actionable task
## Test Strategy
## Done When
- <clear, verifiable completion criteria>

Discussion Summary Template (process/templates/summary.md):

# Summary — <Stage Title>
(Automatically maintained. Edit the discussion; this file will follow.)

<!-- SUMMARY:DECISIONS START -->
## Decisions (ADR-style)
- (none yet)
<!-- SUMMARY:DECISIONS END -->

<!-- SUMMARY:OPEN_QUESTIONS START -->
## Open Questions
- (none yet)
<!-- SUMMARY:OPEN_QUESTIONS END -->

<!-- SUMMARY:AWAITING START -->
## Awaiting Replies
- (none yet)
<!-- SUMMARY:AWAITING END -->

<!-- SUMMARY:ACTION_ITEMS START -->
## Action Items
- (none yet)
<!-- SUMMARY:ACTION_ITEMS END -->

<!-- SUMMARY:VOTES START -->
## Votes (latest per participant)
READY: 0 • CHANGES: 0 • REJECT: 0
- (no votes yet)
<!-- SUMMARY:VOTES END -->

<!-- SUMMARY:TIMELINE START -->
## Timeline (most recent first)
- <timestamp> <name>: <one-liner>
<!-- SUMMARY:TIMELINE END -->

<!-- SUMMARY:LINKS START -->
## Links
- Related PRs: –
- Commits: –
- Design/Plan: ../design/design.md
<!-- SUMMARY:LINKS END -->

Roles & Agent Personas

Human Roles

Maintainer:
- Final approval authority for critical stages
- System configuration and rule definition
- Conflict resolution and manual overrides
Contributor:
- Feature authorship and implementation
- Participation in discussions and voting
- Review and testing responsibilities

AI Agent Roles

Defined in automation/agents.yml:

agents:
  AI_Researcher:
    role: research_specialist
    stages: [request, discussion, design]
    capabilities: [web_search, documentation_review, best_practices]
    voting_weight: 0.5

  AI_Architect:
    role: software_architect
    stages: [design, implementation]
    capabilities: [system_design, tradeoff_analysis, diagram_generation]
    voting_weight: 0.8

  AI_Implementer:
    role: senior_developer
    stages: [implementation, review]
    capabilities: [code_generation, refactoring, testing_strategy]
    voting_weight: 0.7

  AI_Reviewer:
    role: quality_engineer
    stages: [review, test]
    capabilities: [code_review, risk_assessment, security_analysis]
    voting_weight: 0.9

  AI_Moderator:
    role: discussion_moderator
    stages: [discussion, design, review]
    capabilities: [progress_tracking, question_routing, vote_monitoring]
    voting_weight: 0.3

Role-Specific Responsibilities

AI_Researcher:
- Find prior art, RFCs, and reference implementations
- Research technical constraints and dependencies
- Identify potential risks and mitigation strategies
AI_Architect:
- Translate requirements into technical design plan
- Create and maintain architecture diagrams
- Evaluate trade-offs and make design recommendations
AI_Implementer:
- Propose code structure and implementation approaches
- Generate code snippets and refactoring suggestions
- Develop testing strategies and fixture plans
AI_Reviewer:
- Conduct adversarial code and design review
- Identify edge cases and failure modes
- Assess security and performance implications
AI_Moderator:
- Track discussion progress and participation
- Identify unanswered questions and missing votes
- Suggest next steps and task ownership

Glossary

FR: Feature Request — the initial document proposing new functionality
Gate: Promotion decision point between stages based on policy thresholds
Append-Only: Edit strategy that only adds new content to end of file, with optional header updates
3-way Apply: Patch application technique using blob IDs to reconcile content drift
Cascading Rules: Rule resolution system where nearest directory's rules override parent directories
Stage-Per-Discussion: Organizational pattern with separate conversation files for each development phase
Human Gate: Promotion requirement that cannot be satisfied by AI votes alone
Bug Sub-Cycle: Mini feature lifecycle automatically created for test failures
Template Variables: Placeholders ({basename}, {name}, {ext}, {date}, {rel}, {dir}, {feature_id}, {stage}) resolved in rule paths
Vote Threshold: Minimum number or type of votes required for promotion
Status Machine: Defined state transitions for discussion files (OPEN → READY_FOR_* → etc.)
Orchestrator: Central coordination component managing rule execution and status tracking

Appendices

Appendix A: Complete Policy Configuration

# process/policies.yml
version: 1
voting:
  values: [READY, CHANGES, REJECT]
  allow_agent_votes: true
  quorum:
    discussion:     { ready: all,      reject: all }
    design:         { ready: all,      reject: all }
    implementation: { ready: 1_human,  reject: all }
    testing:        { ready: all,      reject: all }
    review:         { ready: 1_human,  reject: all }
eligibility:
  agents_allowed: true
  require_human_for: [implementation, review]
etiquette:
  name_prefix_agents: "AI_"
  vote_line_regex: "^VOTE:\\s*(READY|CHANGES|REJECT)\\s*$"
  response_timeout_hours: 24
timeouts:
  discussion_stale_days: 3
  nudge_interval_hours: 24
  promotion_timeout_days: 14
moderation:
  max_lines: 10
  max_line_length: 120
security:
  scanners:
    enabled: true
    tool: gitleaks          # or git-secrets, trufflehog
    allowlist_file: process/secrets.allowlist
  redaction:
    apply_to:
      - logs
      - prompts
      - patches
    denylist_keys:
      - API_KEY
      - ACCESS_TOKEN
      - SECRET
      - PASSWORD
      - PRIVATE_KEY
  guards:
    block_paths:
      - secrets/
    max_patch_kb: 200
    forbid_binary_edits: true
performance:
  max_jobs: 4
  prompt_kb_cap: 200
  discussion_timeline_limit: 15
  cache:
    enabled: true
    dir: .git/ai-rules-cache
  batching:
    enabled: true
    max_batch: 4
  ast_cache:
    enabled: true
    dir: .git/ai-rules-cache/ast

Appendix B: Diff Application Rules (Normative)

Patch Sanitization Rules:
- Preserve index lines for 3-way merge capability
- Remove only fragile metadata (similarity, rename info)
- Keep file mode lines (new file mode, deleted file mode)
- Ensure proper header formatting for new files
Application Order:
- Attempt 3-way apply with recount and whitespace ignore
- Fall back to strict apply if 3-way fails
- For new files: use -p0 patch level with header rewriting
- Validate patch with --check before application
Error Handling:
- Save all patch variants for debugging
- Provide clear diagnostics on failure
- Suggest manual resolution steps when automated recovery fails

Appendix C: Complete Agent Definitions

# automation/agents.yml
version: 1
agent_defaults:
  voting_weight: 0.5
  require_human_approval: false

agents:
  AI_Researcher:
    role: research_specialist
    description: "Finds prior art, documentation, and best practices"
    stages: [request, discussion, design]
    capabilities: 
      - web_search
      - documentation_review  
      - best_practices_research
      - risk_identification
    voting_weight: 0.5

  AI_Architect:
    role: software_architect
    description: "Designs system architecture and evaluates trade-offs"
    stages: [design, implementation]
    capabilities:
      - system_design
      - tradeoff_analysis
      - diagram_generation
      - technology_selection
    voting_weight: 0.8

  AI_Implementer:
    role: senior_developer  
    description: "Implements features and creates testing strategies"
    stages: [implementation, review]
    capabilities:
      - code_generation
      - refactoring
      - testing_strategy
      - performance_optimization
    voting_weight: 0.7

  AI_Reviewer:
    role: quality_engineer
    description: "Conducts security, risk, and quality analysis"
    stages: [review, test]
    capabilities:
      - code_review
      - risk_assessment
      - security_analysis
      - quality_validation
    voting_weight: 0.9

  AI_Moderator:
    role: discussion_moderator
    description: "Tracks progress and ensures participation"
    stages: [discussion, design, review]
    capabilities:
      - progress_tracking
      - question_routing
      - vote_monitoring
      - task_allocation
    voting_weight: 0.3

Final Implementation Note

This v2.0 design document incorporates all insights from our collaborative discussion, providing a comprehensive framework for AI-human development collaboration. The system balances automation with appropriate human oversight, maintains the lightweight Git-native philosophy, and provides clear escalation paths from feature conception through release.

The stage-per-discussion model with automated artifact generation creates a self-documenting development process that scales from small features to large, complex implementations. The integrated bug sub-cycle ensures that quality issues are handled systematically without disrupting the main development flow.

Implementation Priority: Begin with Milestone M0 (process foundation) and proceed sequentially through the implementation plan, validating each milestone before proceeding to the next.

Document Version: 2.1 Last Updated: 2025-10-22 Status: READY_FOR_IMPLEMENTATION

Build Reference: This document (v2.1) applies to CascadingDev installer version matching VERSION in the repository root.

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CascadingDev - AI–Human Collaboration System

Process & Architecture Design Document (v2.1)

Implementation Status (2025-11-01)

✅ Currently Implemented (Milestone M0-M1)

🚧 In Progress (Current Focus)

📋 Planned (Milestones M2-M4)

Table of Contents

Executive Summary

Objective:

Core Principles

Innovative Features

System Overview:

Repository Layouts

Terminology

A) CascadingDev Repository (Tooling Source)

B) Install Bundle (Distribution Artifact)

C) User Project (Generated by Installer)

Installation & Distribution Architecture

First-Run Flow (User's Project Initialization)

Pre-Commit Hook (v1 behavior)

Template META System & Ramble Integration

Overview

Template META Format

META Fields Reference

ramble_fields Specification

How META is Processed

Token Replacement Rules

Ramble: AI-Powered Feature Capture GUI

Overview

Key Features

Supported Providers

Provider Protocol

Mock Provider

Claude CLI Provider

Integration with Installer

Ramble GUI Workflow

Terminal Fallback

Adding New Providers

Advanced Features

Configuration Examples

Benefits of META + Ramble System

Limitations & Future Work

Build & Release Process (repeatable)

Environment Guidance (Ramble GUI)

Idempotency & Flags

Reproducibility Playbook

Roadmap (post-v0.1)

INSTALL.md Template for Bundles

Options

Steps performed

Naming Conventions

Template Variables

Automation AI Configuration

Overview

Configuration Architecture

Model Hint System

Execution Flow

Example Prompt with Hint

Supported Providers

Implementation Modules

Cost Optimization Examples

Environment Overrides

Stage Model & Operational Procedure

Complete Stage Lifecycle

Stage Overview

Stage 1: Request

Entry Criteria

Artifacts Generated

Automated Actions

Exit Criteria

Stage 2: Feature Discussion

Header Template

Operational Flow

Automated Actions on commit

Promotion Actions

Stage 3: Design Discussion

Header

Operational Flow

Automated Actions on commit

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