agent-framework/.onboarding.md

# Onboarding a Project

This document defines the **Agent Protocol** for initializing a new project. When the agent is asked to "Onboard a project," it must follow these steps.

## The Exploration Ritual

The agent's first task in any project is to perform an "Initial Exploration" to establish context.

### Step 1: Discovery
The agent must:
1. Explore the project root using `ls` and `find`.
2. Read `.automaton/.agent.md`
3. Read `.automaton/.rules.md`
4. Read the global `~/.automaton/.agent.md`

### Step 2: Reporting
The agent must report back with:
- Confirmation that the framework files were found and read.
- A summary of the project rules.
- The expected workflow for this project.
- Key observations from the project structure.

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## The Lifecycle of a Project

Once onboarded, the project moves through these phases. The agent should use the provided prompts to transition between them.

### Easier workflow with "orchestrate"

Instead of memorizing trigger phrases for each phase, you can just say **"orchestrate"** or **"continue"** and the Orchestrator will:
- In **Autopilot mode**: automatically drive the task all the way to completion
- In **manual mode**: tell you the next step and give you the command

### Phase 1: Research
**Template**: `prompts/research.md`
**Output**: `SPEC.md`
**Trigger**: *"Research {task-description}"* (or just *"orchestrate"* in manual mode)
**Interaction**: Agent will grill you for requirements, edge cases, and constraints. Present draft for review. Get your sign-off before finalizing.

### Phase 1b: Design (Optional)
**Template**: `prompts/design.md`
**Output**: `DESIGN.md`
**Trigger**: *"Design the {task-name} task"* (or just *"orchestrate"* in manual mode)
**Interaction**: Agent will grill you for design decisions, trade-offs, and constraints. Present draft for review. Get your sign-off before finalizing.

### Phase 1c: Test Design (Optional)
**Template**: `prompts/test_design.md`
**Output**: `TEST_PLAN.md`
**Trigger**: *"Design tests for the {task-name} task"* (or just *"orchestrate"* in manual mode)
**Interaction**: Agent will grill you for test coverage, edge cases, and test strategy. Present draft for review. Get your sign-off before finalizing.

### Phase 2: Implementation
**Template**: `prompts/implement.md`
**Output**: Code changes + test results
**Trigger**: *"Implement the {task-name} task"* (or just *"orchestrate"* in manual mode)
**Note**: The implementer follows the TEST_PLAN.md (if present) and implements code with tests using TDD.

### Phase 3: Bug Finding
**Template**: `prompts/bug_finder.md`
**Output**: `BUG_REPORT.md`
**Trigger**: *"Find bugs in the {task-name} task"* (or just *"orchestrate"* in manual mode)

### Phase 4: Adversarial Verification
**Template**: `prompts/adversarial_bug_find.md`
**Output**: `ADVERSARIAL_BUG_REPORT.md`
**Trigger**: *"Perform adversarial bug find for {task-name}"* (or just *"orchestrate"* in manual mode)

### Phase 5: Documentation Review
**Template**: `prompts/doc_review.md`
**Output**: `DOC_REVIEW.md`
**Trigger**: *"Review docs for the {task-name} task"* (or just *"orchestrate"* in manual mode)

### Phase 6: Referee
**Template**: `prompts/referee.md`
**Output**: `VERDICT.md`
**Trigger**: *"Review the {task-name} task"* (or just *"orchestrate"* in manual mode)

## Prompt Rendering Convention

All prompts are stored as template files in `~/.automaton/prompts/`. They use `{placeholder}` syntax.

### Placeholders
- `{project}`: Absolute path to the project root.
- `{task-name}`: The task folder name (kebab-case).
- `{task-description}`: A brief, clear summary of the current work.

When the agent receives a trigger command, it must:
1. Read the corresponding template file.
2. Replace all `{placeholders}` with the actual project values.
3. Execute the rendered prompt.