{ "track_id": "nagent_review_20260608", "name": "nagent Review (Mike Acton's data-oriented LLM agent reference)", "initialized": "2026-06-08", "owner": "tier2-tech-lead", "priority": "medium", "status": "active", "type": "reference + analysis + future-track scoping", "scope": { "new_files": [ "conductor/tracks/nagent_review_20260608/spec.md", "conductor/tracks/nagent_review_20260608/report.md", "conductor/tracks/nagent_review_20260608/comparison_table.md", "conductor/tracks/nagent_review_20260608/decisions.md", "conductor/tracks/nagent_review_20260608/nagent_takeaways_20260608.md" ], "modified_files": [], "external_resources": [ "nagent README: https://github.com/macton/nagent/blob/main/README.md", "nagent source: https://github.com/macton/nagent (all 11 source files read in full)" ] }, "blocked_by": [], "blocks": [ "sub_conversation_runner_app_1to1_20260608_PLACEHOLDER", "rag_pre_staging_sub_convo_20260608_PLACEHOLDER", "llm_client_stateless_class_20260608_PLACEHOLDER", "intent_dsl_for_meta_tooling_20260608_PLACEHOLDER", "git_history_injection_20260608_PLACEHOLDER", "per_file_conversation_log_20260608_PLACEHOLDER", "py_coedited_files_tool_20260608_PLACEHOLDER", "ts_c_coedited_files_tool_20260608_PLACEHOLDER", "split_patch_lib_20260608_PLACEHOLDER", "raw_transcript_persistence_per_take_20260608_PLACEHOLDER" ], "estimated_phases": 0, "spec": "spec.md", "plan": null, "v2_review": { "date": "2026-06-12", "report": "nagent_review_v2_20260612.md", "nagent_commits_reviewed": [ "2c3c78b (2026-06-11 03:32:50) Add conversation compaction and restore initial context on load", "67a3ea5 (2026-06-11 23:09:57) Add knowledge harvest, tag parser, and claude-code provider", "5e269ca (2026-06-12 00:17:34) Add project context, prompt caching, and conversation direction", "ee72cb4 (2026-06-11 23:10:12) Rewrite README prompt around a teaching arc and regenerate README" ], "nagent_pushed_at_review": "2026-06-12T00:25:52Z", "nagent_head_at_review": "eb6be32a", "new_patterns_identified": [ "Knowledge harvest (nagent-gc) - new Candidate 11, HIGH priority", "Stable-to-volatile context ordering for prompt caching - new Candidate 12, MEDIUM priority", "Conversation compaction (--compact) - new Candidate 13, MEDIUM priority", "Project context files (context.yaml) - new Candidate 14, LOW priority", "Save-with-graceful-summary-failure - new Candidate 15, TBD pending source read", "claude-code provider (subscription auth) - existing Gemini CLI analog, no new track", "Per-file knowledge notes (knowledge/files/{file_id}.md) - bundle with Candidate 11", "Delete-to-turn-off feature flags - design pattern, not a track", "Delegation reframed as context management (not parallelism) - design pattern, not a track" ], "v1_artifacts_staleness": { "report_md": "9 of 16 sections need updates; new sub-sections on knowledge harvest, compaction, caching, project context, claude-code", "comparison_table_md": "4 existing rows need updates; 4 new rows needed (knowledge harvest, prompt caching strategy, compaction, per-file notes)", "decisions_md": "4 existing candidates need updates; 5 new candidates (11-15) needed", "nagent_takeaways_20260608_md": "6 of 10 takeaways need updates; 3 new takeaways needed", "spec_md": "Still correct; no change needed", "state_toml_and_metadata_json": "Updated to reflect v2 review (this file)" }, "v1_artifacts_preserved": "All v1 files preserved per user instruction ('don't delete the old report'). v2 is additive.", "user_signal_recorded_for_v2": "User has not yet seen v2 findings; primary surface is Candidate 11 (knowledge harvest) and verification of Candidate 15 (save-with-graceful-failure).", "next_steps_recommended": [ "User review of v2 report", "If user approves: update v1 decisions.md / comparison_table.md / nagent_takeaways_20260608.md to integrate v2 findings", "Update agent workflow docs (AGENTS.md, conductor/workflow.md, conductor/product-guidelines.md) with v2 design principles", "Tier 2 source-read: verify 8 items in v2 report §8 before any new candidate is scoped", "After integration: consider whether to mark v1 track as completed (preserved in archive/) or leave active for further iterations" ] }, "v2_1_review": { "date": "2026-06-12", "report": "nagent_review_v2_1_20260612.md", "status": "v2.1 is the user-revised version; v2 is preserved as the draft per user instruction", "user_corrections_applied": [ "CLAUDE.md → AGENTS.md swap throughout (Manual Slop has AGENTS.md, not CLAUDE.md)", "Reframed Candidate 11 from 'RAG alternative' to 'third memory dimension' (curation + discussion + RAG + knowledge); removed heavy RAG emphasis", "Added new sub-section 2.10 'RAG integration discipline' (conservative RAG wiring; where RAG fits; where it does not)", "Expanded Candidate 12 with cache TTL GUI controls (sub-candidate 12b) per user's explicit 'how long the caches are available for (gemini has a limit for example)'", "Preserved v2 as the draft (NON-DESTRUCTIVE write to nagent_review_v2_1_20260612.md)", "Preserved Readme.md and docs/Readme.md as human-facing; proposed new agent-facing files (AGENTS.md @import update; new ./docs/AGENTS.md) instead" ], "nagent_source_reads_in_full": [ "bin/nagent (2524 lines) — main loop, build_initial_context at 606-745, conversation_cache_boundaries at 970-987, call_llm at 990-1019, compact_conversation at 1975-2019, --save-conversation at 2147, --branch-conversation at 2157, --compact at 2178", "bin/helpers/nagent_gc_lib.py (~700 lines, 27KB) — the knowledge harvest library", "bin/helpers/nagent_tags.py — the new explicit tag parser (replaces regex)", "bin/helpers/nagent_llm.py — 5+1 providers, cache_prefix_blocks, claude-code provider", "bin/nagent-gc — the GC CLI wrapper", "prompts/compact-conversation.md — compaction guidance prompt", "prompts/harvest-conversation.md — strict-JSON harvest prompt", "context/data-oriented-design.md (13084 bytes) — the canonical DOD reference (Tier 0/1/2, simplification pass, enforceable deliverables)", "CLAUDE.md (5832 bytes) — the agent-facing rules file with @import pattern" ], "new_candidates_proposed": [ "Candidate 11 REFRAMED (HIGH) — third memory dimension (not RAG alternative)", "Candidate 12 EXPANDED (MEDIUM) — 12a stable-to-volatile ordering + 12b cache TTL GUI controls", "Candidate 16 NEW (HIGH) — AGENTS.md @import pattern + canonical DOD file (foundation for other styleguides)" ], "new_artifacts_proposed_for_next_turn": { "new_agent_facing_files": [ "conductor/code_styleguides/data_oriented_design.md (NEW canonical DOD file)", "AGENTS.md (UPDATE — add @import line)", "./docs/AGENTS.md (NEW — agent-facing mirror of docs/Readme.md)" ], "new_styleguides": [ "conductor/code_styleguides/agent_memory_dimensions.md", "conductor/code_styleguides/rag_integration_discipline.md", "conductor/code_styleguides/cache_friendly_context.md", "conductor/code_styleguides/knowledge_artifacts.md", "conductor/code_styleguides/feature_flags.md" ], "new_project_docs": [ "docs/guide_knowledge_curation.md", "docs/guide_caching_strategy.md", "docs/guide_agent_memory_dimensions.md" ], "updates_to_existing_workflow_docs": [ "conductor/workflow.md (TDD protocol additions)", "conductor/product-guidelines.md (memory dimensions section)", "docs/guide_mma.md (context management framing)", "docs/guide_ai_client.md (cache TTL section)" ] }, "preserved_files_NOT_modified": [ "nagent_review_v2_20260612.md (v2 draft, per user instruction)", "report.md, comparison_table.md, decisions.md, nagent_takeaways_20260608.md (v1 review artifacts)", "spec.md, state.toml (original), metadata.json (pre-v2.1)", "Readme.md (project root, human-facing)", "docs/Readme.md (docs index, human-facing)" ] }, "nagent_principles_covered": [ "Durable work, disposable workers", "Text in, text out", "Conversations are editable state", "Visible output protocol", "The loop", "Per-file memory", "Repository history as data", "Historical coupling & artifact neighborhoods", "Disposable sub-conversations", "Controlled writes", "Large files as explicit artifacts", "Tool discovery", "Differences from frameworks", "Build your own" ], "manual_slop_features_audited": [ "Context composition (FileItem + ContextPreset + custom_slices + ast_mask)", "Discussion Takes + branching (project_manager.branch_discussion + promote_take)", "UI Snapshot history (HistoryManager + UISnapshot)", "Personas (Persona + PersonaManager)", "RAG (RAGEngine + ChromaDB + summarization)", "Multi-provider AI client (ai_client + 5 providers)", "MMA conductor (mma_exec.py + ConductorEngine + WorkerPool)", "MCP tools (45 tools + 3-layer security)", "Hook API (api_hooks + api_hook_client)", "GUI App/Controller state delegation" ], "user_corrections_applied": [ "Editable discussions: PARTIAL -> PARITY (DIFFERENT FOCUS)", "Per-file memory: DOMAIN MISMATCH -> MANUAL SLOP IS STRONGER IN CURATION DIMENSION", "Sub-conversations: removed 'PARITY stronger' claim; added 'GAP for 1:1 discussions'", "RAG: clarified as opt-in, not gap; user wants pre-staging via sub-conversation", "Personas: reframed as config bundling (not gap; can opt out via AI settings)", "Tool discovery: downgraded to 'intentional, low priority'; user has deferred DSL idea", "Editable discussions (second pass): report §3 now enumerates the full per-entry (A1-A7) + discussion-level (B1-B11) + undo/redo (C1-C5) operation matrix. Verdict remains PARITY (DIFFERENT FOCUS) but the gap is more precisely scoped: Manual Slop's editing is more granular at the typed-entry layer; nagent's is deeper at the raw-transcript layer." ], "domain_classification": { "Application_domain_pitfalls": [ "Provider-specific history in process globals", "AI client is a stateful singleton with module-level globals", "No non-MMA disposable sub-conversations (1:1 gap)", "RAG is not 'history as data' (fuzzy vs exact)", "Optional raw-transcript persistence (niche)" ], "Meta_Tooling_domain_pitfalls": [ "No structured output protocol (opaque function calling)", "Hard-coded tool discovery" ], "Application_features": [ "Context composition with FileItem-level curation memory", "Discussion Takes + branching (project_manager.branch_discussion + promote_take)", "UI Snapshot history (HistoryManager + UISnapshot)", "Personas as config bundling", "RAG as opt-in semantic search", "3-layer MCP security model + Execution Clutch" ], "Meta_Tooling_features_to_borrow": [ "nagent-style --description self-describing executables", "Intent-based DSL for compact tool calls" ] }, "verification_criteria": [ "spec.md exists and covers the 14 nagent principles", "report.md exists and is the primary deliverable", "comparison_table.md exists as flat side-by-side reference", "decisions.md exists with 10 future-track candidates", "nagent_takeaways_20260608.md exists with 10 actionable patterns (companion to report.md)", "Every pitfall is tagged with Application / Meta-Tooling / Both", "Pitfall #3 (conversations are editable) verdict is corrected to PARITY (DIFFERENT FOCUS) per user feedback", "Pitfall #6 (per-file memory) verdict is corrected to 'Manual Slop is stronger in curation dimension' per user feedback", "Pitfall #9 (sub-conversations) verdict notes MMA vs 1:1 distinction per user feedback", "Report §3 enumerates the per-entry (A1-A7) + discussion-level (B1-B11) + undo/redo (C1-C5) operation matrix for Manual Slop's editable-discussion system, with file:line citations into gui_2.py and history.py", "nagent_takeaways_20260608.md grounds each pattern in actual code with file:line references into both nagent source and Manual Slop source", "No code was modified by this track (reference/analysis only)" ], "links": { "report": "report.md", "comparison_table": "comparison_table.md", "decisions": "decisions.md", "takeaways": "nagent_takeaways_20260608.md", "user_signal_recorded": "User explicitly flagged SubConversationRunner + RAG pre-staging as wants during review", "related_tracks": [ "data_oriented_error_handling_20260606 (Fleury/Acton alignment)", "qwen_llama_grok_integration_20260606 (OpenAI-compatible helper)", "mcp_architecture_refactor_20260606 (sub-MCP extraction)", "data_structure_strengthening_20260606 (type aliases)" ], "external": [ "https://github.com/macton/nagent (nagent source code)", "https://github.com/macton/nagent/blob/main/README.md (nagent README)" ] } }