implement

Implement Skill

Quick Ref: Execute single issue end-to-end. Output: code changes + commit + closed issue.

YOU MUST EXECUTE THIS WORKFLOW. Do not just describe it.

Execute a single issue from start to finish.

CLI dependencies: bd (issue tracking), ao (ratchet gates). Both optional — see skills/shared/SKILL.md for fallback table. If bd is unavailable, use the issue description directly and track progress via TaskList instead of beads.

Execution Steps

Given /implement <issue-id-or-description>:

Step 0: Pre-Flight Checks (Resume + Gates)

For resume protocol details, read skills/implement/references/resume-protocol.md.

For ratchet gate checks and pre-mortem gate details, read skills/implement/references/gate-checks.md.

Step 0.5: Pull Relevant Knowledge

# Pull knowledge scoped to this issue (if ao available)
ao lookup --bead <issue-id> --limit 3 2>/dev/null || true

Apply retrieved knowledge (mandatory when results returned):

If learnings or patterns are returned, do NOT just load them as passive context. For each returned item:

1. Check: does this learning apply to the current issue? (answer yes/no)
2. If yes: treat it as an implementation constraint — does it warn about an approach? suggest a pattern? flag a known pitfall?
3. Reference applicable learnings in your implementation decisions (e.g., "per learning X, avoiding approach Y")
4. Cite applicable learnings by filename in commit messages or PR descriptions

After reviewing, record each citation with the correct type:

# Only use "applied" when the learning actually influenced your output.
# Use "retrieved" for items that were loaded but not referenced in your work.
ao metrics cite "<learning-path>" --type applied 2>/dev/null || true   # influenced a decision
ao metrics cite "<learning-path>" --type retrieved 2>/dev/null || true # loaded but not used

Section evidence: When lookup results include section_heading, matched_snippet, or match_confidence fields, prefer the matched section over the whole file — it pinpoints the relevant portion. Higher match_confidence (>0.7) means the section is a strong match; lower values (<0.4) are weaker signals. Use the matched_snippet as the primary context rather than reading the full file.

Skip silently if ao is unavailable or returns no results.

Step 1: Get Issue Details

If beads issue ID provided (e.g., gt-123):

bd show <issue-id> 2>/dev/null

If plain description provided: Use that as the task description.

If no argument: Check for ready work:

bd ready 2>/dev/null | head -3

Step 2: Claim the Issue

bd update <issue-id> --status in_progress 2>/dev/null

Step 2a: Build Context Briefing

if command -v ao &>/dev/null; then
    ao context assemble --task='<issue title and description>'
fi

This produces a 5-section briefing (GOALS, HISTORY, INTEL, TASK, PROTOCOL) at .agents/rpi/briefing-current.md with secrets redacted. Read it before gathering additional context.

Step 2b: Apply Behavioral Discipline

Before exploring or editing, load the behavioral discipline standard from /standards and write a short execution frame for yourself:

• Assumptions: what is known, what is ambiguous, and which unknowns would change the solution
• Smallest change: the minimum patch that could satisfy the request
• Blast radius: which files or surfaces are in scope, plus what is explicitly out of scope
• Verification: the tests, commands, or gates that will prove the work is done

Rules:

• If ambiguity would materially change the implementation, ask before editing instead of silently choosing.
• If a simpler approach exists than the heavier path implied by the prompt, say so and prefer it.
• If you notice unrelated cleanup, create a bead or note it separately; do not fold it into the patch.
• Every changed line should trace back to the request or to cleanup that your change made necessary.

Step 3: Gather Context

USE THE TASK TOOL to explore relevant code:

Tool: Task
Parameters:
  subagent_type: "Explore"
  description: "Gather context for: <issue title>"
  prompt: |
    Find code relevant to: <issue description>

    1. Search for related files (Glob)
    2. Search for relevant keywords (Grep)
    3. Read key files to understand current implementation
    4. Identify where changes need to be made

    Return:
    - Files to modify (paths)
    - Current implementation summary
    - Suggested approach
    - Any risks or concerns

Step 3.5: Grep for Existing Utilities

Before implementing any new function or utility, grep the codebase for existing implementations:

# Search for the function name pattern you're about to create
grep -rn "<function-name-pattern>" --include="*.go" --include="*.py" --include="*.ts" .

Why: In context-orchestration-leverage, a worker created a duplicate estimateTokens function that already existed in context.go. A 5-second grep would have prevented the duplication and the rework needed to consolidate it.

If you find an existing implementation, reuse it. If it needs modification, modify it in place rather than creating a parallel version.

Step 3.6: Write Failing Tests First (TDD-First Default)

Before implementing, write tests that define the expected behavior:

1. Write tests covering: happy path, one error path, one edge case
2. Run tests to confirm they FAIL (RED confirmation)
   • If tests pass → feature already exists or tests are wrong. Investigate before proceeding.
3. Proceed to Step 4 with failing tests as the implementation target

# Run tests - ALL new tests must FAIL
# Python: pytest tests/test_<feature>.py -v
# Go: go test ./path/to/... -run TestNew
# Node: npm test -- --grep "new feature"

Test level selection: Classify each test by pyramid level (see the test pyramid standard (test-pyramid.md in the standards skill)):

• L0 (Contract): Write if the issue touches spec boundaries, file existence, or registration
• L1 (Unit): Write always for feature/bug issues — happy path, one error path, one edge case
• L2 (Integration): Write if the change crosses module boundaries or involves multiple components
• L3 (Component): Write if the change affects a full subsystem workflow (with mocked external deps)

If the issue includes test_levels metadata from /plan, use those levels. Otherwise, default to L1 + any applicable higher levels from the decision tree above. When delegating to /test, carry those selected levels and any BF expectations into the request context. --quick is not permission to collapse to L1-only coverage.

Bug-Finding Level Selection (alongside L0–L3):

If the implementation touches external boundaries (APIs, databases, file I/O):

• Add BF4 chaos test: mock the boundary to fail, verify graceful error handling
• This catches the bugs that L1 unit tests mock away

If the implementation includes data transformations (parse, render, serialize):

• Add BF1 property test: randomize inputs with hypothesis/gopter/fast-check
• This catches edge cases no human would write

If the implementation generates output files (configs, reports, manifests):

• Add BF2 golden test: generate canonical output, save as golden file, assert match

Reference: the test pyramid standard in /standards for full tooling matrix.

RED Verification Gate (mechanical): After writing tests, run the test suite and verify ALL new tests FAIL:

• If exit code == 0 (all tests PASS before implementation): BLOCK with "Tests pass before implementation -- either feature already exists or tests don't test new behavior. Investigate."
• If exit code != 0 (tests fail as expected): proceed to Step 4
• Skip if: --no-tdd flag is set, GREEN mode is active, or issue type is chore, docs, or ci

Skip conditions (any of these bypasses Step 3.5):

• GREEN mode is active (invoked by /crank --test-first — tests already exist)
• Issue type is chore, docs, or ci
• --no-tdd flag is set
• No test framework detected in the project

Note: Tests written here are MUTABLE — unlike GREEN mode's immutable tests, you may adjust these tests during implementation if you discover the initial test design was wrong. The goal is to think about behavior before code, not to be rigid.

Step 3.6a: Auto-Generate Tests via /test (lifecycle integration)

If skip conditions above are NOT met AND --no-lifecycle is NOT set:

Skill(skill="test", args="generate <feature-scope> --quick")

The generated test request must preserve the selected test_levels and BF expectations from Step 3.6. Review the generated tests. Adjust as needed (tests are MUTABLE in this context). If /test fails to produce useful output or is unavailable, fall back to manual test writing in Step 3.6 above.

Skip if: --no-lifecycle flag, GREEN mode active, issue type is chore/docs/ci, or /test is unavailable.

CI-safe tests: If the function under test shells out to an external CLI (bd, ao, gh), do NOT test the wrapper. Instead, test the underlying function that performs the testable work (event emission, state mutation, file I/O). See the Go standards (Testing section) for examples.

Step 4: Implement the Change

GREEN Mode check: If test files were provided (invoked by /crank --test-first):

1. Read all provided test files FIRST
2. Read the contract for invariants
3. Implement to make tests pass (do NOT modify test files)
4. Skip to Step 5 verification

Based on the context gathered:

1. Edit existing files using the Edit tool (preferred)
2. Write new files only if necessary using the Write tool
3. Follow existing patterns in the codebase
4. Keep changes minimal - don't over-engineer

Step 4a: Build Verification (CLI repos only)

If the project has a Go cmd/ directory or a Makefile with a build target, run build verification before proceeding to tests:

# Detect CLI repo
if [ -f go.mod ] && ls cmd/*/main.go &>/dev/null; then
    echo "CLI repo detected — running build verification..."

    # Build
    go build ./cmd/... 2>&1
    if [ $? -ne 0 ]; then
        echo "BUILD FAILED — fix compilation errors before proceeding"
        # Do NOT proceed to Step 5
    fi

    # Vet
    go vet ./cmd/... 2>&1

    # Smoke test: run the binary with --help
    BINARY=$(ls -t cmd/*/main.go | head -1 | xargs dirname | xargs basename)
    if [ -f "bin/$BINARY" ]; then
        ./bin/$BINARY --help > /dev/null 2>&1
        echo "Smoke test: $BINARY --help passed"
    fi
fi

If build fails: Fix compilation errors and re-run before proceeding. Do NOT skip to verification with a broken build.

If not a CLI repo: This step is a no-op — proceed directly to Step 5.

Step 4.5: Security Verification

Before proceeding to functional verification, check for common security issues in modified code:

Check	What to Look For	Action
Input validation	User/external input used without validation	Add validation at entry points
Output escaping	Raw data in HTML/templates (innerHTML, document.write, dangerouslySetInnerHTML)	Use framework auto-escaping or explicit sanitization
Path safety	Path traversal via .. sequences; file paths from user input without sanitization	Reject .., absolute paths; use filepath.Clean() or equivalent; verify path stays within allowed directory
Auth gates	Endpoints/handlers missing authentication or authorization checks	Add middleware or guard clauses
Content-Type	HTTP responses without explicit Content-Type headers	Set Content-Type to prevent MIME-sniffing attacks
CORS	Overly permissive CORS configuration (* origin, credentials: true)	Restrict to known origins; never combine wildcard with credentials
CSRF tokens	State-changing endpoints (POST/PUT/DELETE) without anti-CSRF tokens	Add anti-CSRF token validation; do not rely solely on cookies for auth
Rate limiting	Authentication, API, and upload endpoints without rate limits	Add rate-limit middleware; return 429 with Retry-After header

Skip when: The change does not involve HTTP handlers, user-facing input, file system operations, or template rendering. Pure internal refactors, test-only changes, and documentation edits skip this step.

If issues found: Fix before proceeding to Step 5. Log fixes in the commit message.

Step 5: Verify the Change

Success Criteria (all must pass):

• All existing tests pass (no new failures introduced)
• New code compiles/parses without errors
• No new linter warnings (if linter available)
• Change achieves the stated goal

Check for test files and run them:

# Find tests
ls *test* tests/ test/ __tests__/ 2>/dev/null | head -5

# Run tests (adapt to project type)
# Python: pytest
# Go: go test ./...
# Node: npm test
# Rust: cargo test

If tests exist: All tests must pass. Any failure = verification failed.

If no tests exist: Manual verification required:

• Syntax check passes (file compiles/parses)
• Imports resolve correctly
• Can reproduce expected behavior manually
• Edge cases identified during implementation are handled

If verification fails: Do NOT proceed to Step 5a. Fix the issue first.

Step 5a: Verification Gate (MANDATORY)

THE IRON LAW: NO COMPLETION CLAIMS WITHOUT FRESH VERIFICATION EVIDENCE

Before reporting success, you MUST:

1. IDENTIFY - What command proves this claim works?
2. RUN - Execute the FULL command (fresh, not cached output)
3. READ - Check full output AND exit code
4. VERIFY - Does output actually confirm the claim?
5. ONLY THEN - Make the completion claim

Forbidden phrases without fresh verification evidence:

• "should work", "probably fixed", "seems to be working"
• "Great!", "Perfect!", "Done!" (without output proof)
• "I just ran it" (must run it AGAIN, fresh)

Rationalization Table

Excuse	Reality
"Too simple to verify"	Simple code breaks. Verification takes 10 seconds.
"I just ran it"	Run it AGAIN. Fresh output only.
"Tests passed earlier"	Run them NOW. State changes.
"It's obvious it works"	Nothing is obvious. Evidence or silence.
"The edit looks correct"	Looking != working. Run the code.

Store checkpoint:

bd update <issue-id> --append-notes "CHECKPOINT: Step 5a verification passed at $(date -Iseconds)" 2>/dev/null

GREEN Mode (Test-First Implementation)

When invoked by /crank with --test-first, the worker receives:

• Failing tests (immutable — DO NOT modify)
• Contract (contract-{issue-id}.md)
• Issue description

GREEN Mode Rules:

1. Read failing tests FIRST — understand what must pass
2. Read contract — understand invariants and failure modes
3. Implement ONLY enough to make all tests pass
4. Do NOT modify test files — tests are immutable in GREEN mode
5. Do NOT add features beyond what tests require
6. Diff check (mechanical): After implementation, verify no test files were modified:

   MODIFIED_TESTS=$(git diff --name-only -- '*_test.go' '*_test.py' '*.test.ts' '*.test.js' '*.spec.ts' '*.spec.js')
   if [ -n "$MODIFIED_TESTS" ]; then
     echo "BLOCK: GREEN mode violation: test file modified: $MODIFIED_TESTS"
     # Revert test changes and re-implement without modifying tests
   fi
   

   Opt-out: --allow-test-modification flag (for cases where test fixtures need updating)
7. BLOCKED if spec error — if contract contradicts tests or is incomplete, write BLOCKED with reason

Verification (GREEN Mode):

1. Run test suite → ALL tests must PASS
2. Standard Iron Law (Step 5a) still applies — fresh verification evidence required
3. No untested code — every line must be reachable by a test

Test Immutability Enforcement:

• Workers may ADD new test files but MUST NOT modify existing test files provided by the TEST WAVE
• If a test appears wrong, write BLOCKED with the specific test and reason — do NOT fix it

Step 5b: Autonomous Quality Loop (Pre-Commit)

Before committing, run a fix-verify loop on all files modified in this session (max 3 iterations):

Iteration N:

1. List modified files: git diff --name-only HEAD
2. Read each modified file completely — do not skim
3. Check for defects:
   • Wrong variable references (copy-paste errors, stale names)
   • Silent error swallowing (_ = err or empty catch blocks)
   • Hardcoded values that should be configurable or constants
   • Missing edge cases identified during implementation
   • Inconsistencies with existing patterns in the codebase
   • Unused imports or variables
   • Complexity budget violations (function cyclomatic complexity >15)
4. Lifecycle review (once per loop, first iteration only): If --no-lifecycle is NOT set AND lifecycle tier is standard or full AND staged changes exist:

   Skill(skill="review", args="--diff --staged --quick")
   

   Merge review findings into the defect list. CRITICAL → HIGH, WARNING → MEDIUM, NIT → LOW. This runs EXACTLY ONCE (first iteration only) — do NOT re-run review after fixes. Skip if: --no-lifecycle flag, lifecycle tier is minimal or fast, no staged changes.

4a. Complexity-triggered refactor check (once per loop, first iteration only): If --no-lifecycle is NOT set AND lifecycle tier is full AND any modified function has cyclomatic complexity > 15:

Skill(skill="refactor", args="<high-cc-function> --dry-run")

Treat refactor suggestions as MEDIUM findings. Do NOT auto-apply — report only. Skip if: --no-lifecycle flag, lifecycle tier is not full, no function exceeds CC > 15.

5. Report findings as a numbered list with severity (HIGH/MEDIUM/LOW)
6. HIGH findings: Fix immediately, re-run tests, re-sweep (next iteration)
   • If a fix causes test regression: revert the fix, report as unresolvable, proceed
7. MEDIUM/LOW findings: Report in commit message, proceed

Loop termination:

• 0 HIGH findings → exit loop, proceed to Step 6
• 3 iterations exhausted with HIGH findings remaining → BLOCK commit. Report remaining HIGHs and stop. Do NOT proceed to Step 6.
  • Override: --force-commit allows proceeding with documented HIGHs (explicit opt-in only)

Output: Record iteration count, findings per iteration, and remaining items.

If no modified files or sweep finds zero issues on first pass, proceed directly to Step 5c.

Step 5c: Generate Behavioral Spec (Optional)

Skip if: --no-spec flag, or issue type is docs/chore/ci.

After verification passes, produce a behavioral spec documenting what the implementation does. This feeds Stage 4 behavioral validation (STEP 1.8 in /validation).

mkdir -p .agents/specs
cat > .agents/specs/<issue-id>.json <<'SPEC'
{
    "id": "auto-<issue-id>",
    "version": 1,
    "date": "<YYYY-MM-DD>",
    "goal": "<one-line: what user outcome this implementation serves>",
    "narrative": "<2-3 sentences: what the implementation does and how a user interacts with it>",
    "expected_outcome": "<what a satisfied user observes when this works correctly>",
    "acceptance_vectors": [
        {
            "dimension": "<name: correctness|performance|usability|security|...>",
            "threshold": <0.0-1.0>,
            "check": "<optional: mechanical check command>"
        }
    ],
    "satisfaction_threshold": 0.7,
    "scope": {
        "files": ["<list of modified files>"],
        "functions": ["<key functions added/modified>"],
        "behaviors": ["<behavioral descriptions>"]
    },
    "source": "agent",
    "status": "active"
}
SPEC

Guidelines:

• acceptance_vectors should capture the BEHAVIORAL contract, not test assertions. Example: {"dimension": "isolation", "threshold": 1.0, "check": "echo ... | bash hook; test $? -eq 2"}
• Include at least 2 acceptance vectors (correctness + one other dimension).
• scope.files must match the files you actually modified (not planned files).
• The spec is validated by the evaluator council during STEP 1.8 — it is NOT visible to YOU during implementation (holdout isolation applies to agent-built specs the same way it applies to human-written scenarios).

If skipped: Log "Behavioral spec skipped (reason: <flag|issue-type>)" and proceed.

Step 6: Commit the Change

If the change is complete and verified:

git add <modified-files>
git commit -m "<descriptive message>

Implements: <issue-id>"

Step 7: Close the Issue

bd update <issue-id> --status closed 2>/dev/null

Step 7a: Record Implementation in Ratchet Chain

After successful issue closure, record in ratchet:

# Check if ao CLI is available
if command -v ao &>/dev/null; then
  # Get the commit hash as output artifact
  COMMIT_HASH=$(git rev-parse HEAD 2>/dev/null || echo "")
  CHANGED_FILES=$(git diff --name-only HEAD~1 2>/dev/null | tr '\n' ',' | sed 's/,$//')

  if [ -n "$COMMIT_HASH" ]; then
    # Record successful implementation
    # Determine TDD mode for ratchet tracking
    # Values: red (wrote failing tests), green (GREEN mode from crank),
    #         skipped (skip conditions met), no-tdd (explicitly disabled)
    TDD_MODE="red"  # default when TDD was followed
    # Override based on context:
    # GREEN mode → "green", skip conditions → "skipped", --no-tdd → "no-tdd"

    ao ratchet record implement \
      --tdd-mode "$TDD_MODE" \
      --output "$COMMIT_HASH" \
      --files "$CHANGED_FILES" \
      --issue "<issue-id>" \
      2>&1 | tee -a .agents/ratchet.log

    if [ $? -eq 0 ]; then
      echo "Ratchet: Implementation recorded (commit: ${COMMIT_HASH:0:8})"
    else
      echo "Ratchet: Failed to record - chain.jsonl may need repair"
    fi
  else
    echo "Ratchet: No commit found - skipping record"
  fi
else
  echo "Ratchet: ao CLI not available - implementation NOT recorded"
  echo "  Run manually: ao ratchet record implement --output <commit>"
fi

On failure/blocker: Record the blocker in ratchet:

if command -v ao &>/dev/null; then
  ao ratchet record implement \
    --status blocked \
    --reason "<blocker description>" \
    2>/dev/null
fi

Fallback: If ao is not available, the issue is still closed via bd but won't be tracked in the ratchet chain. The skill continues normally.

Step 7b: Post-Implementation Ratchet Record

After implementation is complete:

if command -v ao &>/dev/null; then
  ao ratchet record implement --output "<issue-id>" 2>/dev/null || true
fi

Tell user: "Implementation complete. Run /validation to validate before pushing."

Step 8: Report to User

Tell the user:

1. What was changed (files modified)
2. How it was verified (with actual command output)
3. Issue status (closed)
4. Any follow-up needed
5. Ratchet status (implementation recorded or skipped)

Output completion marker:

<promise>DONE</promise>

If blocked or incomplete:

<promise>BLOCKED</promise>
Reason: <why blocked>

<promise>PARTIAL</promise>
Remaining: <what's left>

Lifecycle Integration Flags

Flag	Default	Description
--no-lifecycle	off	Skip ALL lifecycle skill auto-invocations (test gen, review, refactor)
--lifecycle=<tier>	matches complexity	Controls which lifecycle skills fire: minimal (test only), standard (+review), full (+refactor dry-run)

Lifecycle tier defaults to matching the current complexity level. Explicit --lifecycle=<tier> overrides.

Key Rules

• TDD by default - write failing tests before implementing (skip with --no-tdd)
• Lifecycle skills fire automatically - /test, /review, /refactor run at appropriate steps (disable with --no-lifecycle)
• Explore first - understand before changing
• Edit, don't rewrite - prefer Edit tool over Write tool
• Follow patterns - match existing code style
• Verify changes - run tests or sanity checks
• Commit with context - reference the issue ID
• Close the issue - update status when done

Without Beads

If bd CLI not available:

1. Skip the claim/close status updates
2. Use the description as the task
3. Still commit with descriptive message
4. Report completion to user

---

Examples

Implement Specific Issue

User says: /implement ag-5k2

What happens:

1. Agent reads issue from beads: "Add JWT token validation middleware"
2. Explore agent finds relevant auth code and middleware patterns
3. Agent edits middleware/auth.go to add token validation
4. Runs go test ./middleware/... — all tests pass
5. Commits with message "Add JWT token validation middleware\n\nImplements: ag-5k2"
6. Closes issue via bd update ag-5k2 --status closed

Result: Issue implemented, verified, committed, and closed. Ratchet recorded.

Pick Up Next Available Work

User says: /implement

What happens:

1. Agent runs bd ready — finds ag-3b7 (first unblocked issue)
2. Claims issue via bd update ag-3b7 --status in_progress
3. Implements and verifies
4. Closes issue

Result: Autonomous work pickup and completion from ready queue.

GREEN Mode (Test-First)

User says: /implement ag-8h3 (invoked by /crank --test-first)

What happens:

1. Agent receives failing tests (immutable) and contract
2. Reads tests to understand expected behavior
3. Implements ONLY enough to make tests pass
4. Does NOT modify test files
5. Verification: all tests pass with fresh output

Result: Minimal implementation driven by tests, no over-engineering.

Troubleshooting

Problem	Cause	Solution
Issue not found	Issue ID doesn't exist or local state looks stale	Run bd show <id> to verify; use bd vc status only if you need Dolt state
GREEN mode violation	Edited a file not related to the issue scope	Revert unrelated changes. GREEN mode restricts edits to files relevant to the issue
Verification gate fails	Tests fail or build breaks after implementation	Read the verification output, fix the specific failures, re-run verification
"BLOCKED" status	Contract contradicts tests or is incomplete in GREEN mode	Write BLOCKED with specific reason, do NOT modify tests
Fresh verification missing	Agent claims success without running verification command	MUST run verification command fresh with full output before claiming completion
Ratchet record failed	ao CLI unavailable or chain.jsonl corrupted	Implementation still closes via bd, but ratchet chain needs manual repair

Reference Documents

• references/gate-checks.md
• references/resume-protocol.md
• test — Test generation, coverage analysis, and TDD workflow