@pennyfarthing/core 6.6.0

package/pennyfarthing-dist/guides/patterns/helper-delegation-pattern.md

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+# Helper Delegation Pattern
+
+**Pattern Type:** Strategic-to-Tactical Delegation
+**Agents Involved:** Opus (strategic), Haiku (mechanical)
+**Coordination Mechanism:** Task tool with `subagent_type`
+
+## Problem Statement
+
+AI agents face a fundamental tension between strategic reasoning and mechanical execution:
+
+1. **Context Waste:** Opus-level models burn expensive context on mechanical tasks (git commands, file scanning, session updates)
+2. **Instruction Drift:** Agents tend to ignore multi-step markdown instructions during handoffs, leading to incomplete state updates
+3. **Reliability Gap:** Strategic agents make creative decisions well but may skip critical mechanical steps
+4. **Cost Inefficiency:** Using expensive models for simple, deterministic tasks is wasteful
+
+Without delegation, agents may:
+- Forget to update session files during handoffs
+- Skip verification steps (tests, lint, git status)
+- Burn context on repetitive scanning operations
+- Make mechanical errors that a simpler, focused agent wouldn't
+
+## Solution
+
+Delegate mechanical work to **Haiku subagents** via Claude Code's Task tool. This creates a two-tier architecture:
+
+```
+Opus Agent (strategic)
+    │
+    ├── Makes decisions, analyzes problems, writes code
+    │
+    └── Delegates mechanical work via Task tool
+            │
+            ├── workflow-status-check (state detection)
+            ├── generic-sm-setup (research backlog or setup story)
+            ├── generic-sm-finish (preflight checks or execute finish)
+            ├── sm-handoff (SM→TEA/Dev with Jira/branch verification)
+            ├── generic-handoff (TEA/Dev/Reviewer phase transitions)
+            ├── reviewer-preflight (test/lint data gathering)
+            └── testing-runner (test execution)
+```
+
+The key insight: **Make critical behaviors AUTOMATIC via subagent delegation** rather than relying on agents to follow markdown instructions.
+
+## State Diagram
+
+```
+┌─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐
+│                      HELPER DELEGATION FLOW                              │
+└─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┘
+
+    ┌──────────────────┐
+    │   Opus Agent     │
+    │   (strategic)    │
+    └────────┬─────────┘
+             │
+             │ Task tool invocation
+             │ subagent_type: "workflow-status-check"
+             │
+             ▼
+    ┌──────────────────┐
+    │  Haiku Subagent  │
+    │   (mechanical)   │
+    └────────┬─────────┘
+             │
+             │ Executes bash, reads files,
+             │ updates session, returns report
+             │
+             ▼
+    ┌──────────────────┐
+    │  Structured      │
+    │  Markdown Report │
+    └────────┬─────────┘
+             │
+             │ Opus receives result,
+             │ continues strategic work
+             │
+             ▼
+    ┌──────────────────┐
+    │   Opus Agent     │
+    │   (continues)    │
+    └──────────────────┘
+```
+
+### Delegation Categories
+
+```
+┌─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐
+│ CATEGORY          │ SUBAGENT               │ PURPOSE                    │
+├───────────────────┼────────────────────────┼────────────────────────────┤
+│ State Detection   │ workflow-status-check  │ Scan files, report state   │
+├───────────────────┼────────────────────────┼────────────────────────────┤
+│ Setup/Init        │ generic-sm-setup       │ Research or setup (MODE)   │
+│                   │ sm-handoff             │ SM→TEA/Dev with Jira/branch│
+├───────────────────┼────────────────────────┼────────────────────────────┤
+│ Phase Handoff     │ generic-handoff        │ TEA/Dev/Reviewer transitions│
+├───────────────────┼────────────────────────┼────────────────────────────┤
+│ Verification      │ reviewer-preflight     │ Gather facts before review │
+│                   │ testing-runner         │ Execute tests, report      │
+├───────────────────┼────────────────────────┼────────────────────────────┤
+│ Finish/Cleanup    │ generic-sm-finish      │ Preflight or execute (PHASE)│
+└─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┘
+```
+
+## Implementation
+
+### Invocation Pattern
+
+Use Claude Code's Task tool with the `subagent_type` parameter:
+
+```yaml
+Task tool:
+  subagent_type: "workflow-status-check"
+  model: "haiku"                           # Optional, defaults to haiku
+  description: "Check workflow state"
+  prompt: |
+    CALLING_AGENT: SM
+    PROJECT_ROOT: $CLAUDE_PROJECT_DIR
+
+    Scan .session files and git status to determine workflow state.
+```
+
+### Placeholder Substitution
+
+Subagent definitions use placeholders that the calling agent fills:
+
+```markdown
+# Subagent Definition (.pennyfarthing/agents/tea-handoff.md)
+---
+name: tea-handoff
+tools: Bash, Read, Edit, Grep
+model: haiku
+---
+You are a workflow handoff assistant for story {STORY_ID}.
+
+Session file: .session/{STORY_ID}-session.md
+Test files: {TEST_FILE_LIST}
+Failing count: {FAILING_COUNT}
+```
+
+When invoking:
+```yaml
+Task tool:
+  subagent_type: "tea-handoff"
+  prompt: |
+    STORY_ID: 5-2
+    TEST_FILE_LIST: internal/service/feature_test.go
+    FAILING_COUNT: 4
+    PASSING_COUNT: 0
+```
+
+### Subagent Definition Structure
+
+Each subagent follows this template (see `agents/*.md`):
+
+```markdown
+---
+name: subagent-name
+description: One-line description
+tools: Bash, Read, Edit, Grep    # Limited tool set
+model: haiku                       # Fast, cheap model
+---
+You are a [role] assistant. [Brief purpose].
+
+## Placeholders
+- `{PLACEHOLDER}` - Description
+
+## Project Root
+$CLAUDE_PROJECT_DIR (set by SessionStart hook)
+
+## Step 1: [First Action]
+```bash
+# Bash commands with placeholders
+```
+
+## Step 2: [Second Action]
+[More steps...]
+
+## Output Format
+```markdown
+## [Report Title]
+[Structured output template]
+```
+
+## Error Recovery
+[Retry pattern and escalation format]
+```
+
+### Real Example: workflow-status-check
+
+**Definition** (from `agents/workflow-status-check.md:14-45`):
+
+```bash
+# Step 1: Scan Session Files
+ls -la .session/*-session.md 2>/dev/null
+
+for f in .session/*-session.md; do
+    [ -f "$f" ] && head -50 "$f"
+done
+
+# Extract: Story ID, Phase, Status, Branch, Jira key
+```
+
+**State Determination** (lines 89-100):
+
+```
+Rules applied in order:
+1. MISSING_EPIC_CONTEXT: No epic context AND no sessions
+2. FINISH_STATE: Phase=approved OR (Phase=review AND Status=approved)
+3. NEW_WORK_STATE: No sessions AND no in_progress stories
+4. IN_PROGRESS_STATE: Session exists with active phase
+```
+
+**Output** (lines 129-183):
+
+```markdown
+## Workflow Status Report
+
+### Detected State
+**{STATE}**
+
+### Active Work Sessions
+| Story | Phase | Status | Days Active |
+|-------|-------|--------|-------------|
+
+### Agent Guidance
+**For {CALLING_AGENT}:** {specific action}
+```
+
+### Real Example: tea-handoff
+
+**Pre-flight Verification** (from `agents/tea-handoff.md:29-40`):
+
+```bash
+# Check TEA Assessment exists
+grep -q "## TEA Assessment" .session/{STORY_ID}-session.md
+# If NOT found: STOP
+```
+
+**Subagent-to-Subagent Delegation** (lines 42-67):
+
+```yaml
+# tea-handoff spawns testing-runner for verification
+subagent_type: "general-purpose"
+model: "haiku"
+prompt: |
+  Run tests and report results.
+  Run ID: {STORY_ID}-tea
+  Context: Verify tests are RED
+```
+
+**Session Update** (lines 79-92):
+
+```markdown
+1. Read current session file
+2. Add "TEA Assessment" section
+3. Mark workflow checkbox complete
+4. Add log entry: "Tests are RED. Ready for Dev."
+```
+
+### Result Handling
+
+Subagents return structured markdown that the calling Opus agent parses:
+
+```markdown
+## Pre-Flight Report: Story 5-2
+
+### Test Results
+| Repo | Passed | Failed | Status |
+|------|--------|--------|--------|
+| API  | 0      | 4      | RED    |
+
+### Readiness
+**Ready for Dev:** Yes
+```
+
+The Opus agent reads this report and decides next steps—it doesn't re-execute the mechanical work.
+
+## When to Use
+
+### Delegate When:
+
+| Scenario | Subagent | Why |
+|----------|----------|-----|
+| Determining workflow state | `workflow-status-check` | Scanning files is mechanical |
+| Creating branches/sessions | `generic-sm-setup MODE=setup` | Git operations are deterministic |
+| Verifying test state | `testing-runner` | Test execution is mechanical |
+| Updating session files | `generic-handoff` | State updates must be reliable |
+| Gathering review data | `reviewer-preflight` | Fact-finding, not judgment |
+| Sprint file updates | `generic-sm-finish` | Archiving is mechanical |
+
+### Don't Delegate When:
+
+| Scenario | Why Keep in Opus |
+|----------|------------------|
+| Making architectural decisions | Requires strategic reasoning |
+| Writing code/tests | Creative work needs full context |
+| Code review judgment | Adversarial analysis is strategic |
+| User interaction decisions | Context-dependent choices |
+| Error diagnosis | May need creative problem solving |
+
+### Decision Heuristic
+
+```
+Is the task...
+├── Deterministic (same input → same output)?
+│   └── YES → Delegate
+├── Requiring judgment or creativity?
+│   └── NO → Keep in Opus
+├── Repetitive across sessions?
+│   └── YES → Delegate
+├── Involving file scanning/git operations?
+│   └── YES → Delegate
+└── Making decisions that affect flow?
+    └── Keep in Opus
+```
+
+## Error Recovery
+
+### Subagent Retry Pattern
+
+From `agents/generic-sm-setup.md` (Error Recovery section):
+
+```
+1. Log the failure: Note which step failed and why
+2. Diagnose: What specifically went wrong?
+3. Adjust: Try a different approach (max 2 retries)
+4. Escalate: If still failing, report to calling agent
+```
+
+### Escalation Format
+
+When subagents cannot complete their task:
+
+```markdown
+SETUP BLOCKED
+
+Step failed: [which step]
+Error: [error message]
+Diagnosis: [what went wrong]
+
+Recommended fix: [what calling agent should do]
+```
+
+### Common Failure Patterns
+
+| Failure | Subagent | Fix |
+|---------|----------|-----|
+| Jira claim failed | generic-sm-setup | Choose different story |
+| Tests all GREEN | generic-handoff | TEA must verify tests are correct |
+| PR not found | generic-handoff | Verify PR was created |
+| Session file missing | any handoff | Check path, may need recreation |
+| Git command failed | any | Check for uncommitted changes |
+
+### Never Silently Fail
+
+From `agents/workflow-status-check.md:195`:
+
+> If partial failure, report what worked and mark unknowns. **Never silently fail.**
+
+Subagents must always return a result, even if partial. The calling agent decides how to proceed.
+
+## Anti-Patterns
+
+### Direct Execution by Opus
+
+**Wrong:**
+```
+SM agent runs 50 lines of bash to scan session files,
+check git status, update sprint YAML, create branch...
+```
+Burns context, may skip steps, prone to errors.
+
+**Correct:**
+```yaml
+Task tool:
+  subagent_type: "generic-sm-setup"
+  prompt: |
+    MODE: setup
+    STORY_ID: 5-2
+    [other placeholders]
+```
+Haiku executes reliably, returns structured result.
+
+### Skipping Handoff Subagents
+
+**Wrong:**
+```
+TEA: "I wrote the tests. Dev, please continue."
+```
+Session file not updated, next agent unclear, state lost.
+
+**Correct:**
+```
+TEA: spawns tea-handoff → session updated → Dev activated
+```
+
+### Overloading Subagents
+
+**Wrong:**
+```yaml
+# Subagent doing too much
+prompt: |
+  1. Analyze code architecture
+  2. Decide which tests to write
+  3. Write the tests
+  4. Commit them
+  5. Update session
+```
+Mixing strategic (1-2) with mechanical (3-5).
+
+**Correct:**
+```yaml
+# Opus does strategic work, then delegates mechanical
+# OPUS: Decides tests, writes them
+# Then:
+subagent_type: "tea-handoff"
+prompt: |
+  STORY_ID: 5-2
+  TEST_FILES: [list from Opus work]
+  # Only mechanical: verify, update session
+```
+
+### Ignoring Subagent Results
+
+**Wrong:**
+```
+Opus spawns workflow-status-check, ignores output, proceeds anyway
+```
+
+**Correct:**
+```
+Opus spawns workflow-status-check
+→ Reads state (NEW_WORK_STATE, FINISH_STATE, etc.)
+→ Branches logic based on result
+```
+
+### Missing Error Handling
+
+**Wrong:**
+```markdown
+## Step 3: Update Sprint
+Edit sprint/current-sprint.yaml
+```
+No error handling, silent failures possible.
+
+**Correct:**
+```markdown
+## Step 3: Update Sprint
+Edit sprint/current-sprint.yaml
+
+If edit fails:
+- Log: "Sprint YAML update failed"
+- Diagnose: File locked? Wrong path?
+- Escalate: Report to calling agent
+```
+
+## Related Patterns
+
+- **TDD Flow Pattern** (`tdd-flow-pattern.md`): The workflow that uses delegation extensively
+- **Approval Gates Pattern** (`approval-gates-pattern.md`): How delegation supports review gates
+- **Fan-out/Fan-in Pattern** (`fan-out-fan-in-pattern.md`): Parallel delegation patterns
+
+## References
+
+### Subagent Definitions
+- State Detection: `agents/workflow-status-check.md`
+- SM Setup/Research: `agents/generic-sm-setup.md`
+- SM Finish: `agents/generic-sm-finish.md`
+- SM Handoff: `agents/sm-handoff.md`
+- Phase Transitions: `agents/generic-handoff.md`
+- Reviewer Preflight: `agents/reviewer-preflight.md`
+- Testing Runner: `agents/testing-runner.md`
+
+### Agent Definitions (Opus)
+- SM: `agents/sm.md`
+- TEA: `agents/tea.md`
+- Dev: `agents/dev.md`
+- Reviewer: `agents/reviewer.md`
+
+### Claude Code Documentation
+- Task tool: Spawns subagents with isolated context
+- `subagent_type` parameter: Routes to specialized agents
+- `model` parameter: Specifies haiku for mechanical work
+
+---
+
+*Last verified: 2026-01-06*
+*Pennyfarthing v4.0.0*