conductor(tracks): Add two deferred future tracks

- aggregation_smarter_summaries: Sub-agent summarization, hash-based caching - system_context_exposure: Expose hidden _SYSTEM_PROMPT for user customization
2026-03-22 12:43:47 -04:00
parent dd520dd4db
commit abe1c660ea
7 changed files with 355 additions and 1 deletions
--- a/conductor/tracks/system_context_exposure_20260322/metadata.json
+++ b/conductor/tracks/system_context_exposure_20260322/metadata.json
@@ -0,0 +1,16 @@
+{
+  "name": "system_context_exposure",
+  "created": "2026-03-22",
+  "status": "future",
+  "priority": "medium",
+  "affected_files": [
+    "src/ai_client.py",
+    "src/gui_2.py",
+    "src/models.py"
+  ],
+  "related_tracks": [
+    "discussion_hub_panel_reorganization (in_progress)",
+    "aggregation_smarter_summaries (future)"
+  ],
+  "notes": "Deferred from discussion_hub_panel_reorganization planning. The _SYSTEM_PROMPT in ai_client.py is hidden from users - this exposes it for customization."
+}
--- a/conductor/tracks/system_context_exposure_20260322/plan.md
+++ b/conductor/tracks/system_context_exposure_20260322/plan.md
@@ -0,0 +1,41 @@
+# Implementation Plan: System Context Exposure
+
+## Phase 1: Backend Changes
+Focus: Make _SYSTEM_PROMPT configurable
+
+- [ ] Task: Audit ai_client.py system prompt flow
+- [ ] Task: Move _SYSTEM_PROMPT to configurable storage
+- [ ] Task: Implement load/save of base system prompt
+- [ ] Task: Modify _get_combined_system_prompt() to use config
+- [ ] Task: Write tests for configurable system prompt
+- [ ] Task: Conductor - User Manual Verification 'Phase 1: Backend Changes'
+
+## Phase 2: UI Implementation
+Focus: Add base prompt editor to AI Settings
+
+- [ ] Task: Add UI controls to _render_system_prompts_panel
+- [ ] Task: Implement checkbox for "Use Default Base"
+- [ ] Task: Implement collapsible base prompt editor
+- [ ] Task: Add "Reset to Default" button
+- [ ] Task: Write tests for UI controls
+- [ ] Task: Conductor - User Manual Verification 'Phase 2: UI Implementation'
+
+## Phase 3: Persistence & Provider Testing
+Focus: Ensure persistence and cross-provider compatibility
+
+- [ ] Task: Verify base prompt persists across app restarts
+- [ ] Task: Test with Gemini provider
+- [ ] Task: Test with Anthropic provider
+- [ ] Task: Test with DeepSeek provider
+- [ ] Task: Test with Gemini CLI adapter
+- [ ] Task: Conductor - User Manual Verification 'Phase 3: Persistence & Provider Testing'
+
+## Phase 4: Safety & Defaults
+Focus: Ensure users can recover from bad edits
+
+- [ ] Task: Implement confirmation dialog before saving custom base
+- [ ] Task: Add validation for empty/invalid prompts
+- [ ] Task: Document the base prompt purpose in UI
+- [ ] Task: Add "Show Diff" between default and custom
+- [ ] Task: Write tests for safety features
+- [ ] Task: Conductor - User Manual Verification 'Phase 4: Safety & Defaults'
--- a/conductor/tracks/system_context_exposure_20260322/spec.md
+++ b/conductor/tracks/system_context_exposure_20260322/spec.md
@@ -0,0 +1,120 @@
+# Specification: System Context Exposure
+
+## 1. Overview
+
+This track exposes the hidden system prompt from `ai_client.py` to users for customization.
+
+**Current Problem:**
+- `_SYSTEM_PROMPT` in `ai_client.py` (lines ~118-143) is hardcoded
+- It contains foundational instructions: "You are a helpful coding assistant with access to a PowerShell tool..."
+- Users can only see/appending their custom portion via `_custom_system_prompt`
+- The base prompt that defines core agent capabilities is invisible
+
+**Goal:**
+- Make `_SYSTEM_PROMPT` visible and editable in the UI
+- Allow users to customize the foundational agent instructions
+- Maintain sensible defaults while enabling expert customization
+
+## 2. Current State Audit
+
+### Hidden System Prompt Location
+`src/ai_client.py`:
+```python
+_SYSTEM_PROMPT: str = (
+ "You are a helpful coding assistant with access to a PowerShell tool (run_powershell) and MCP tools (file access: read_file, list_directory, search_files, get_file_summary, web access: web_search, fetch_url). "
+ "When calling file/directory tools, always use the 'path' parameter for the target path. "
+ ...
+)
+```
+
+### Related State
+- `_custom_system_prompt` - user-defined append/injection
+- `_get_combined_system_prompt()` - merges both
+- `set_custom_system_prompt()` - setter for user portion
+
+### UI Current State
+- AI Settings → System Prompts shows global and project prompts
+- These are injected as `[USER SYSTEM PROMPT]` after `_SYSTEM_PROMPT`
+- But `_SYSTEM_PROMPT` itself is never shown
+
+## 3. Functional Requirements
+
+### 3.1 Base System Prompt Visibility
+- Add "Base System Prompt" section in AI Settings
+- Display current `_SYSTEM_PROMPT` content
+- Allow editing with syntax highlighting (it's markdown text)
+
+### 3.2 Default vs Custom Base
+- Maintain default base prompt as reference
+- User can reset to default if they mess it up
+- Show diff between default and custom
+
+### 3.3 Persistence
+- Custom base prompt stored in config or project TOML
+- Loaded on app start
+- Applied before `_custom_system_prompt` in `_get_combined_system_prompt()`
+
+### 3.4 Provider Considerations
+- Some providers handle system prompts differently
+- Verify behavior across Gemini, Anthropic, DeepSeek
+- May need provider-specific base prompts
+
+## 4. Data Model
+
+### 4.1 Config Storage
+```toml
+[ai_settings]
+base_system_prompt = """..."""
+use_default_base = true
+```
+
+### 4.2 Combined Prompt Order
+1. `_SYSTEM_PROMPT` (or custom base if enabled)
+2. `[USER SYSTEM PROMPT]` (from AI Settings global/project)
+3. Tooling strategy (from bias engine)
+
+## 5. UI Design
+
+**Location:** AI Settings panel → System Prompts section
+
+```
+┌─ System Prompts ──────────────────────────────┐
+│ ☑ Use Default Base System Prompt              │
+│                                              │
+│ Base System Prompt (collapsed by default):    │
+│ ┌──────────────────────────────────────────┐ │
+│ │ You are a helpful coding assistant...     │ │
+│ └──────────────────────────────────────────┘ │
+│                                              │
+│ [Show Editor] [Reset to Default]              │
+│                                              │
+│ Global System Prompt:                         │
+│ ┌──────────────────────────────────────────┐ │
+│ │ [current global prompt content]           │ │
+│ └──────────────────────────────────────────┘ │
+└──────────────────────────────────────────────┘
+```
+
+When "Show Editor" clicked:
+- Expand to full editor for base prompt
+- Syntax highlighting for markdown
+- Character count
+
+## 6. Acceptance Criteria
+
+- [ ] `_SYSTEM_PROMPT` visible in AI Settings
+- [ ] User can edit base system prompt
+- [ ] Changes persist across app restarts
+- [ ] "Reset to Default" restores original
+- [ ] Provider APIs receive modified prompt correctly
+- [ ] No regression in agent behavior with defaults
+
+## 7. Out of Scope
+- Changes to actual agent behavior logic
+- Changes to tool definitions or availability
+- Changes to aggregation or context handling
+
+## 8. Dependencies
+- `ai_client.py` - `_SYSTEM_PROMPT` and `_get_combined_system_prompt()`
+- `gui_2.py` - AI Settings panel rendering
+- `models.py` - Config structures