local_swarm/AGENT_WORKER.md

Agent Worker Rules

⚠️ IMPORTANT: This document is for IMPLEMENTATION AGENTS (coding, testing, documentation). DO NOT MAKE COMMITS - that's the AGENT_REVIEW.md agent's job.

Pre-Flight Checklist (MUST complete before coding)

⚠️ GIT OPERATIONS REMINDER

DO NOT make commits. Commits are ONLY handled by AGENT_REVIEW.md agents. You CAN create branches and stage files (git add), but DO NOT commit (git commit).

1. Token Budget Verification

• System prompt + instructions ≤ 2000 tokens (hard limit)
• Leave ≥ 50% of context window for user input
• If adding documentation/examples, remove old ones to maintain budget
• Use tiktoken or estimate: ~4 chars = 1 token

2. Test Plan Required

Before writing ANY code, write a test plan:

## Test Plan for [Feature]

### Unit Tests
- [ ] Test case 1: [specific input] → [expected output]
- [ ] Test case 2: [edge case]
- [ ] Test case 3: [error condition]

### Integration Tests  
- [ ] End-to-end flow: [steps]
- [ ] Expected result: [what success looks like]

### Manual Verification
- [ ] Command to run: [exact command]
- [ ] Expected output: [what to see]

3. Design Decision Document

For any change > 50 lines:

## Design Decision

### Problem
[What are we solving?]

### Options Considered
1. [Option A] - Pros: ..., Cons: ...
2. [Option B] - Pros: ..., Cons: ...

### Decision
[Which option and WHY]

### Impact
- Token count change: [+/- X tokens]
- Breaking changes: [Yes/No]
- Migration needed: [Yes/No]

Coding Rules

Rule 1: One Feature = One Commit

NOTE: Regular agents DO NOT make commits. AGENT_REVIEW.md agents handle commits.

When AGENT_REVIEW.md agents make commits:

• Never combine unrelated changes in one commit
• If you fix a bug AND refactor, make 2 commits
• Commit message format: type(scope): description
  • Types: feat, fix, refactor, test, docs, chore
  • Example: feat(tools): add working directory support

Rule 2: Tests First (TDD)

# BAD: Write code, maybe test later
def parse_tools(text):
    # ... implementation ...
    pass

# GOOD: Write test first
def test_parse_simple_tool():
    text = 'TOOL: read\nARGUMENTS: {"filePath": "test.txt"}'
    content, tools = parse_tool_calls(text)
    assert len(tools) == 1
    assert tools[0]["function"]["name"] == "read"

# Then write minimal code to pass

Rule 3: No Production Debugging

• NEVER add print() statements for debugging
• Use logging module with appropriate levels
• Remove ALL debug logging before committing
• Exception: Structured logging for observability (metrics, errors)

# BAD
def process_request(request):
    print(f"DEBUG: Got request {request}")  # REMOVE THIS
    result = handle(request)
    print(f"DEBUG: Result {result}")  # REMOVE THIS
    return result

# GOOD
def process_request(request):
    logger.debug("Processing request", extra={"request_id": request.id})
    result = handle(request)
    return result

Rule 4: Architecture Consistency

• Check ARCHITECTURE.md before changing patterns
• If unsure, ask in PR description
• NEVER change architecture in a "fix" commit
• Architecture changes require design doc + team review

Rule 5: Parse Once, Parse Well

• ONE parser per format
• If adding new format, remove old one
• Parser must handle all documented cases
• Parser must fail gracefully (return empty, not crash)

# BAD: Multiple parsers for same thing
def parse_tools_v1(text): ...
def parse_tools_v2(text): ...
def parse_tools_legacy(text): ...

# GOOD: Single parser with clear regex
TOOL_PATTERN = r'TOOL:\s*(\w+)\s*\nARGUMENTS:\s*(\{[^}]*\})'

def parse_tool_calls(text: str) -> Tuple[str, List[dict]]:
    matches = list(re.finditer(TOOL_PATTERN, text, re.IGNORECASE))
    if not matches:
        return text, []
    # ... rest of parsing ...

Rule 6: Token-Aware Documentation

• Every docstring/example has a token cost
• Count tokens before adding
• If over budget, remove something else
• Prioritize: Code clarity > Examples > Explanations

# BAD: 150 tokens of fluff
def calculate(x, y):
    """
    This function calculates the sum of two numbers.
    
    The sum is calculated by using the built-in Python 
    addition operator which adds the values together.
    
    Args:
        x (int): The first number to add
        y (int): The second number to add
        
    Returns:
        int: The sum of x and y
        
    Example:
        >>> calculate(1, 2)
        3
    """
    return x + y

# GOOD: 20 tokens, clear enough
def calculate(x: int, y: int) -> int:
    """Return sum of x and y."""
    return x + y

Rule 7: Clear Error Messages

• Every error must tell user EXACTLY what went wrong
• Include context: what was expected vs what was received
• Suggest fix if possible

# BAD
raise ValueError("Invalid input")

# GOOD
raise ValueError(f"Invalid model format: '{model_str}'. Expected: 'name:size:quant' (e.g., 'qwen:7b:q4')")

Rule 8: No Circular Imports

# BAD: src/a.py imports src/b.py, src/b.py imports src/a.py

# GOOD: Use dependency injection or move shared code to common module

Git Workflow Rules

CRITICAL: Commit Handling

REGULAR AGENTS: DO NOT MAKE COMMITS

• Regular agents do NOT create commits, pull requests, or manage git history
• Commits are ONLY handled by agents following AGENT_REVIEW.md guidelines
• If you need to commit code, the AGENT_REVIEW.md agent should handle it
• Exception: You may manually stage files (git add) for the review agent
• You CAN create and checkout branches (that's fine) - just don't commit to them

Branch Strategy

Main Branches (Protected):

• main - Production-ready code only
• develop - Integration branch for features (optional for small projects)

Working Branches (Temporary - AGENT_REVIEW.md ONLY):

feature/description           # New features
fix/description               # Bug fixes  
refactor/description          # Code refactoring
hotfix/description            # Critical production fixes
docs/description              # Documentation only
experiment/description        # Experimental work (may be deleted)

Note: Regular agents should NOT create branches or handle git operations

Workflow Steps

1. Starting New Work

# ALWAYS start from main
git checkout main
git pull origin main

# Create feature branch
git checkout -b feature/description

# Push branch to remote immediately
git push -u origin feature/description

2. During Development

# Commit often (small, logical commits)
git add -p  # Stage interactively (review each change)
git commit -m "feat(scope): description"

# Push regularly (backup)
git push origin feature/description

# Keep up-to-date with main
git fetch origin
git rebase origin/main  # Resolve conflicts immediately

3. Before PR (Final Cleanup)

# Interactive rebase to clean history
git rebase -i main

# Squash these:
# - "fix typo"
# - "WIP"
# - "asdf"
# - "omg finally"
# - Multiple attempts at same fix

# Keep separate:
# - Logical feature steps
# - Refactoring separate from features
# - Test additions separate from code changes

4. Creating PR

• Push final branch: git push origin feature/description
• Create PR to main (not develop unless project uses git-flow)
• Fill PR template completely
• Request review from AGENT_REVIEW.md qualified reviewer
• Link related issues: Closes #123, Fixes #456

Commit Rules

Commit Frequency:

• Commit after each logical step (not just at end of day)
• Each commit should leave codebase in working state
• "Work in progress" commits OK on feature branches (clean before PR)

Commit Size:

• Max 200 lines changed per commit
• Max 5 files changed per commit (unless related)
• Each commit reviewable in 5 minutes
• Split large changes:

  # BAD: One giant commit
  git commit -am "Add federation + fix bugs + refactor + docs"
  
  # GOOD: Separate commits
  git commit -m "refactor(network): extract peer discovery logic"
  git commit -m "feat(federation): implement cross-swarm voting"
  git commit -m "fix(federation): handle peer timeout edge case"
  git commit -m "docs: update federation architecture docs"
  

Commit Message Format:

type(scope): subject (50 chars or less)

Body (wrap at 72 chars):
- Why this change was made
- What problem it solves  
- Any breaking changes or migration notes

Refs: #123, #456

Types:

• feat: New feature
• fix: Bug fix
• refactor: Code restructuring (no behavior change)
• test: Adding/updating tests
• docs: Documentation only
• chore: Build, dependencies, tooling
• perf: Performance improvement
• style: Formatting (no code change)

Subject Rules:

• Use imperative mood: "Add feature" not "Added feature"
• No period at end
• Lowercase after type
• Max 50 characters

Branch Hygiene

DO:

• Create branch from latest main
• Use descriptive branch names
• Push branch to remote immediately
• Rebase onto main regularly
• Delete merged branches
• Squash fixup commits before PR

DON'T:

• Commit directly to main
• Have long-lived branches (>1 week without rebase)
• Include unrelated changes in one branch
• Commit broken code (even temporarily)
• Force push to shared branches
• Merge without review

Handling Conflicts

# While rebasing
git rebase main
# Conflicts happen...

# Resolve conflicts in files
git add <resolved-files>
git rebase --continue

# If messed up, abort
git rebase --abort

Conflict Resolution Rules:

1. Understand both changes before resolving
2. Don't just pick "ours" or "theirs"
3. Test after resolving
4. Commit message should explain resolution

Emergency Procedures

Committed to wrong branch:

# Undo last commit (keep changes)
git reset HEAD~1

# Stash changes
git stash

# Switch to correct branch
git checkout correct-branch

# Apply changes
git stash pop

# Commit properly
git commit -m "..."

Need to undo pushed commit:

# Revert (creates new commit, safe for shared history)
git revert <commit-hash>
git push origin branch-name

# OR if feature branch not shared yet
# Reset and force push (DANGEROUS)
git reset --hard HEAD~1
git push --force-with-lease origin branch-name

Release Process

NOTE: Release process should be handled by AGENT_REVIEW.md agents.

# Create release branch
git checkout -b release/v1.2.0

# Bump version, update changelog
git commit -m "chore: bump version to 1.2.0"

# Tag release
git tag -a v1.2.0 -m "Release version 1.2.0"
git push origin v1.2.0

# Merge to main
git checkout main
git merge --no-ff release/v1.2.0
git push origin main

# Delete release branch
git branch -d release/v1.2.0

What Regular Agents Should NOT Do

REGULAR AGENTS DO NOT:

• Make commits (git commit)
• Create pull requests
• Push to remote repositories
• Merge branches
• Manage git history (rebase, reset, etc.)
• Delete branches

REGULAR AGENTS CAN:

• Create and checkout branches (git checkout -b)
• Stage files for review (git add)
• Switch between branches

REGULAR AGENTS SHOULD:

• Write code and tests
• Run tests locally
• Use logging instead of print()
• Follow code quality standards
• Document changes in code comments or design docs
• Hand off completed work to AGENT_REVIEW.md agent for commit/PR creation

Example Workflow:

1. Agent reads task from user
2. Agent creates feature branch (git checkout -b feature/name)
3. Agent implements feature (writes code, tests, docs)
4. Agent stages changes for review (git add)
5. Agent reports completion with summary of changes
6. AGENT_REVIEW.md agent:
   - Reviews code quality
   - Makes commits
   - Creates PR

Pre-Commit Checklist

• Code passes pytest (if tests exist)
• No print() statements (use logging)
• No bare except: clauses
• All functions have type hints
• All public functions have docstrings
• No TODO comments (create issues instead)
• Token count checked (if modifying prompts)

Testing Requirements

Unit Test Coverage

Minimum 80% coverage for:

• Parsing functions
• Business logic
• State machines

Integration Tests Required For:

• API endpoints
• Tool execution
• File operations
• Network calls (mocked)

Test File Structure

tests/
├── unit/
│   ├── test_parser.py
│   ├── test_executor.py
│   └── test_consensus.py
├── integration/
│   ├── test_api.py
│   └── test_tools.py
└── fixtures/
    └── sample_responses.json

Code Quality Standards

Python Style

• Follow PEP 8
• Use type hints for all function signatures
• Max line length: 100 characters
• Max function length: 50 lines
• Max file length: 300 lines (split if larger)

Imports (Order Matters)

# 1. Standard library
import os
import sys
from typing import List

# 2. Third party
import numpy as np
from fastapi import APIRouter

# 3. Local (absolute imports only)
from src.tools.executor import ToolExecutor
from src.swarm.manager import SwarmManager

Documentation Standards

Every module must have:

"""Module purpose in one line.

Longer description if needed (2-3 sentences max).
"""

Every public function must have:

def process_data(data: dict, options: Optional[dict] = None) -> Result:
    """Process data with given options.
    
    Args:
        data: Input data to process
        options: Processing options (default: None)
        
    Returns:
        Processed result
        
    Raises:
        ValueError: If data is invalid
    """

Architecture Rules

No Feature Flags in Core Logic

# BAD
if config.get("USE_NEW_PARSER", False):
    result = new_parser(text)
else:
    result = old_parser(text)

# GOOD: Pick one, remove the other
def parse_tool_calls(text: str) -> Tuple[str, List[dict]]:
    """Parse tool calls from text."""
    # Single implementation

No Code Duplication

• If you copy-paste > 3 lines, extract to function
• Shared code goes in src/common/ or src/utils/

Separation of Concerns

src/
├── parser/       # Only parsing logic
├── executor/     # Only execution logic
├── formatter/    # Only formatting/output
└── integration/  # Only API glue code

Forbidden Patterns

Never Do These:

1. Bare except clauses - Always catch specific exceptions
2. Production debugging - No print(), use logging
3. Multiple return formats - One function = one return type
4. Silent failures - Always log/report errors
5. Magic numbers - Use named constants
6. Global state - Use dependency injection
7. Deep nesting - Max 3 levels of indentation
8. Circular dependencies - Re-architect if needed

Review Preparation

Before marking PR ready:

1. Self-Review Checklist (check each item):

   • Tests pass: pytest -v
   • Type checking: mypy src/
   • Linting: ruff check src/
   • Formatting: black src/
   • Token count verified (if applicable)
   • No debug code left in
   • Commit messages follow format
   • Documentation updated

2. PR Description Template:

   ## Changes
   - [Brief description]
   
   ## Testing
   - [How you tested it]
   
   ## Token Impact (if applicable)
   - Before: X tokens
   - After: Y tokens
   - Change: +/- Z tokens
   
   ## Checklist
   - [ ] Tests added/updated
   - [ ] Documentation updated
   - [ ] Self-review completed
   

3. Run Final Verification:

   # Run all checks
   pytest && mypy src/ && ruff check src/ && black --check src/
   

Continuous Learning & Research

You MUST periodically research best practices and alternative implementations. This prevents stagnation and ensures we're using proven approaches.

When to Research

Before Major Features:

• Spend 15-30 minutes researching similar implementations
• Check: GitHub, Stack Overflow, official docs, research papers
• Document findings in PR description

Monthly Reviews:

• Review project's core technologies for updates
• Check if better libraries/algorithms exist
• Look for deprecated patterns we're using

When Stuck:

• Don't brute force a solution
• Research how others solved similar problems
• Consider if problem indicates architectural issue

What to Research

1. Best Practices

# Search queries to use:
"python async best practices 2024"
"fastapi error handling patterns"
"LLM consensus voting algorithms"
"gguf quantization comparison"

2. Similar Implementations

• Search GitHub for similar projects
• Read their architecture decisions
• Check their issues for pitfalls they hit
• Note: Don't copy code blindly, understand WHY

3. Research Papers & Benchmarks

• For consensus algorithms
• For quantization strategies
• For context window optimization
• For distributed systems patterns

4. Library Updates

• Check CHANGELOG of major dependencies
• Review migration guides
• Test new features in separate branch

Documentation of Research

Create research/YYYY-MM-DD-topic.md for significant findings:

# Research: [Topic]

**Date:** YYYY-MM-DD
**Researcher:** [Name]
**Trigger:** [Why researched this]

## Findings

### Option 1: [Name]
- Source: [Link]
- Pros: ...
- Cons: ...
- Complexity: Low/Medium/High

### Option 2: [Name]
- Source: [Link]
- Pros: ...
- Cons: ...
- Complexity: Low/Medium/High

## Recommendation
[Which option and WHY]

## Implementation Notes
[Specific code changes needed]

## Risks
[What could go wrong]

Research Checklist

Before implementing:

• Searched for similar open-source implementations
• Checked recent best practices (2023+)
• Looked for benchmarking data if applicable
• Reviewed alternative approaches
• Considered long-term maintenance implications

After implementing:

• Documented why chosen approach was selected
• Added comments linking to research sources
• Created test comparing against alternatives (if applicable)

Example Research Topics

Immediate:

• "Python type hints best practices 2024"
• "FastAPI dependency injection patterns"
• "LLM tool use format comparison"

Short-term:

• "Consensus algorithms for distributed LLM systems"
• "Context window compression techniques"
• "GGUF quantization vs other formats"

Long-term:

• "Speculative decoding implementation"
• "PagedAttention for multiple workers"
• "RAG integration patterns"

Research Sources

Reliable:

• Official documentation (Python, FastAPI, etc.)
• Well-maintained GitHub repos (>1k stars, active)
• Recent conference talks (PyCon, NeurIPS, etc.)
• Research papers with code (Papers With Code)
• Official blogs (Python.org, FastAPI.tiangolo.com)

Use with Caution:

• Medium articles (variable quality)
• Old Stack Overflow answers (>2 years)
• Tutorial sites (often outdated)
• YouTube videos (hard to verify)

Integration with Development

Weekly:

• Spend 30 minutes reading about one technology we use
• Note any improvements we could make
• Create issues for promising findings

Monthly:

• Review all open research issues
• Prioritize based on impact vs effort
• Schedule implementation of high-value items

Quarterly:

• Architecture review: Are our patterns still best?
• Dependency audit: Updates needed?
• Performance review: Could we be faster?

---

Remember:

• Research prevents reinvention of the wheel
• But don't research forever - timebox it (30 min max for most decisions)
• Document findings so others don't repeat the research
• Apply critical thinking - "best practice" depends on context

---

Breaking This Ruleset

If you MUST break a rule:

1. Document WHY in code comments
2. Get explicit approval in PR
3. Create follow-up issue to fix properly
4. Never break Rule 3 (No Production Debugging)

---

Remember: Quality over speed. A fix that takes 2 days with tests is better than a fix that takes 2 hours and breaks 3 other things.