@rse/ase 0.9.35 → 0.9.37

package/dst/ase-hook.js

@@ -250,6 +250,11 @@ export default class HookCommand {
         const val = cfg.get("agent.persona");
         if (typeof val === "string")
             persona = val;
+        /*  determine project boxing transparency  */
+        let boxing = process.env.ASE_PROJECT_BOXING ?? "white";
+        const valBoxing = cfg.get("project.boxing");
+        if (typeof valBoxing === "string")
+            boxing = valBoxing;
         /*  determine headless mode  */
         const headless = (process.env.ASE_HEADLESS ?? "false") === "true" ? "true" : "false";
         /*  provide ASE information to Anthropic Claude Code CLI shell commands
@@ -260,6 +265,7 @@ export default class HookCommand {
                 `export ASE_PLUGIN_ROOT=${quote([pluginRoot])}\n` +
                 `export ASE_USER_ID=${quote([userId])}\n` +
                 `export ASE_PROJECT_ID=${quote([projectId])}\n` +
+                `export ASE_PROJECT_BOXING=${quote([boxing])}\n` +
                 `export ASE_TASK_ID=${quote([taskId])}\n` +
                 `export ASE_SESSION_ID=${quote([sessionId])}\n` +
                 `export ASE_HEADLESS=${quote([headless])}\n` +
@@ -274,6 +280,7 @@ export default class HookCommand {
                 `<ase-persona-style>${persona}</ase-persona-style>\n` +
                 `<ase-user-id>${userId}</ase-user-id>\n` +
                 `<ase-project-id>${projectId}</ase-project-id>\n` +
+                `<ase-project-boxing>${boxing}</ase-project-boxing>\n` +
                 `<ase-task-id>${taskId}</ase-task-id>\n` +
                 `<ase-session-id>${sessionId}</ase-session-id>\n` +
                 `<ase-headless>${headless}</ase-headless>\n` +
@@ -289,7 +296,7 @@ export default class HookCommand {
         const banner = `\n⧉ ASE: ⎈ version: ${versionCurrentPlugin}${versionHint !== "" ? " " + versionHint.replaceAll(/\*/g, "") : ""}` +
             `\n⧉ ASE: ※ user: ${userId}, ⚑ project: ${projectId}` +
             `\n⧉ ASE: ◉ task: ${taskId}, ⏻ session: ${sessionId}` +
-            `\n⧉ ASE: ☯ persona: ${persona}`;
+            `\n⧉ ASE: ☯ persona: ${persona}, ▢ boxing: ${boxing}`;
         /*  inject markdown into session context.
             Anthropic Claude Code CLI and OpenAI Codex CLI expect the context nested in
             "hookSpecificOutput"; GitHub Copilot CLI expects a flat top-level

package/dst/ase-skills.js

@@ -37,17 +37,19 @@ export class Skills {
             const time = pkg.time ?? {};
             const verEntry = version !== "" ? pkg.versions?.[version] : undefined;
             let repository = "";
+            let deps = "N.A.";
             if (verEntry !== undefined) {
                 const r = verEntry.repository;
                 if (typeof r === "string")
                     repository = r;
                 else if (r !== undefined && typeof r.url === "string")
                     repository = r.url;
+                deps = Object.keys(verEntry.dependencies ?? {}).length;
             }
-            return { version, time, repository };
+            return { version, time, repository, deps };
         }
         catch {
-            return { version: "", time: {}, repository: "" };
+            return { version: "", time: {}, repository: "", deps: "N.A." };
         }
     }
     /*  fetch GitHub stars given a repository URL (or empty string)  */
@@ -83,7 +85,7 @@ export class Skills {
     static async fetchMavenInfo(coord) {
         const [groupId, artifactId] = coord.split(":", 2);
         if (groupId === undefined || artifactId === undefined || groupId === "" || artifactId === "")
-            return { version: "", created: "", updated: "", repository: "" };
+            return { version: "", created: "", updated: "", repository: "", deps: "N.A." };
         try {
             const latest = await Skills.httpLimit(() => ofetch("https://search.maven.org/solrsearch/select" +
                 `?q=g:%22${encodeURIComponent(groupId)}%22+AND+a:%22${encodeURIComponent(artifactId)}%22` +
@@ -113,6 +115,7 @@ export class Skills {
             }
             const created = typeof firstTs === "number" ? new Date(firstTs).toISOString() : updated;
             let repository = "";
+            let deps = "N.A.";
             if (version !== "") {
                 try {
                     const pom = await Skills.httpLimit(() => ofetch(`https://repo1.maven.org/maven2/${groupId.replace(/\./g, "/")}` +
@@ -126,16 +129,31 @@ export class Skills {
                             if (url !== null)
                                 repository = url[1];
                         }
+                        /*  count the `<dependency>` entries of the direct
+                            `<dependencies>` block, skipping `test`/`provided`
+                            scopes; a `<dependencyManagement>` block is ignored
+                            as it only declares versions, not real dependencies  */
+                        const managed = /<dependencyManagement>[\s\S]*?<\/dependencyManagement>/gi;
+                        const stripped = pom.replace(managed, "");
+                        const depRe = /<dependency>([\s\S]*?)<\/dependency>/gi;
+                        let count = 0;
+                        let dep;
+                        while ((dep = depRe.exec(stripped)) !== null) {
+                            const scope = /<scope>\s*([^<\s]+)\s*<\/scope>/i.exec(dep[1]);
+                            if (scope === null || (scope[1] !== "test" && scope[1] !== "provided"))
+                                count++;
+                        }
+                        deps = count;
                     }
                 }
                 catch {
                     repository = "";
                 }
             }
-            return { version, created, updated, repository };
+            return { version, created, updated, repository, deps };
         }
         catch {
-            return { version: "", created: "", updated: "", repository: "" };
+            return { version: "", created: "", updated: "", repository: "", deps: "N.A." };
         }
     }
     /*  fetch the "Used By" count from `mvnrepository.com` as a downloads proxy
@@ -180,7 +198,7 @@ export class Skills {
         -   "JavaScript"/"TypeScript": NPM registry (pacote) + GitHub stars + npm-downloads
         -   "Java"/"Kotlin":           Maven Central + GitHub stars + mvnrepository.com "Used By"
         -   "Unknown":                 not supported -- return empty result  */
-    static async info(stack, components) {
+    static async info(stack, components, staleMonths = 18, smallScope = false) {
         if (stack === "JavaScript" || stack === "TypeScript") {
             /*  per package: kick off packument and downloads in parallel,
                 then stars as soon as the packument resolves; across packages
@@ -194,7 +212,7 @@ export class Skills {
                 ]);
                 const created = p.time.created ?? "";
                 const updated = p.version !== "" ? (p.time[p.version] ?? "") : "";
-                const rank = Skills.computeRank(downloads, stars, created, updated);
+                const rank = Skills.computeRank(downloads, stars, created, updated, p.deps, staleMonths, smallScope);
                 return {
                     name,
                     version: p.version,
@@ -203,6 +221,7 @@ export class Skills {
                     repository: p.repository,
                     stars,
                     downloads,
+                    deps: p.deps,
                     rank
                 };
             }));
@@ -222,7 +241,7 @@ export class Skills {
                 const [i, downloads, stars] = await Promise.all([
                     infoPromise, downloadsPromise, starsPromise
                 ]);
-                const rank = Skills.computeRank(downloads, stars, i.created, i.updated);
+                const rank = Skills.computeRank(downloads, stars, i.created, i.updated, i.deps, staleMonths, smallScope);
                 return {
                     name,
                     version: i.version,
@@ -231,6 +250,7 @@ export class Skills {
                     repository: i.repository,
                     stars,
                     downloads,
+                    deps: i.deps,
                     rank
                 };
             }));
@@ -253,7 +273,7 @@ export class Skills {
         is structurally unavailable, e.g. Maven Central exposes no
         per-artifact download counts) is likewise treated as neutral `1`, so
         such stacks can still be ranked by the remaining metrics.  */
-    static computeRank(downloads, stars, created, updated) {
+    static computeRank(downloads, stars, created, updated, deps, staleMonths, smallScope) {
         const d = typeof downloads === "number" ? downloads + 1 : 1;
         const s = typeof stars === "number" ? stars + 1 : 1;
         const cMs = created !== "" ? Date.parse(created) : NaN;
@@ -277,7 +297,31 @@ export class Skills {
             entry rankable without rewarding the missing date.  */
         const lifespan = (!Number.isNaN(cMs) && !Number.isNaN(uMs)) ? Math.max(0, uMs - cMs) : 1;
         const recentness = !Number.isNaN(uMs) ? Math.exp(-Math.max(0, (now - uMs) / msPerDay) / halfLife) : 0.5;
-        return d * s * lifespan * recentness;
+        let rank = d * s * lifespan * recentness;
+        /*  hard, caller-tunable staleness penalty on top of the soft
+            `recentness` decay: unlike the smooth exp-decay above, this is a
+            two-tier *cliff* keyed off the `staleMonths` threshold. Past the
+            first tier (`staleMonths`) the rank is cut to `0.3x`, past the
+            second tier (`2 x staleMonths`, i.e. long abandoned) to `0.1x`.
+            A component below the first tier -- or one whose `updated` date
+            is unknown -- is left unpenalized.  */
+        if (!Number.isNaN(uMs)) {
+            const ageMonths = (now - uMs) / msPerDay / 30;
+            if (ageMonths > 2 * staleMonths)
+                rank *= 0.1;
+            else if (ageMonths > staleMonths)
+                rank *= 0.3;
+        }
+        /*  small-scope dependency-weight penalty: for a narrow, self-
+            contained need, dragging in a heavy dependency tree is usually
+            the wrong call, so each real component is demoted in proportion
+            to its own number of *direct* dependencies (`1 / (1 + deps)`).
+            A zero-dep component is left unpenalized; an unknown `deps` count
+            (`"N.A."`) is treated neutrally. This only applies when the
+            caller flags the need as small-scope.  */
+        if (smallScope && typeof deps === "number")
+            rank *= 1 / (1 + deps);
+        return rank;
     }
     /*  compute the per-alternative product-sum (rating) row from a
         weighted decision matrix. Each input row has the shape
@@ -318,20 +362,28 @@ export class SkillsMCP {
                 "version + earliest/latest release timestamps from the Maven Central Solr " +
                 "search endpoint, the SCM/project URL from the latest POM at `repo1.maven.org`, " +
                 "GitHub stars (if applicable), and the \"Used By\" count from `mvnrepository.com` " +
-                "as the `downloads` proxy. Returns a JSON `text` array of " +
-                "`{ name, version, created, updated, repository, stars, downloads, rank }` " +
-                "objects, sorted in descending order by `rank`. Failures of individual side " +
-                "calls are isolated and reported as `\"N.A.\"` or empty string so every entry " +
-                "has the full shape.",
+                "as the `downloads` proxy. The number of *direct* dependencies is read as `deps` " +
+                "(from the packument version entry for NPM, or the latest POM's `<dependencies>` " +
+                "block for Maven). Returns a JSON `text` array of " +
+                "`{ name, version, created, updated, repository, stars, downloads, deps, rank }` " +
+                "objects, sorted in descending order by `rank`. The `rank` applies a two-tier hard " +
+                "staleness penalty keyed off `staleMonths` (0.3x past the threshold, 0.1x past twice " +
+                "it) and, when `smallScope` is set, a dependency-weight penalty of `1/(1+deps)` so " +
+                "dependency-heavy components sink. Failures of individual side calls are isolated " +
+                "and reported as `\"N.A.\"` or empty string so every entry has the full shape.",
             inputSchema: {
                 stack: z.string()
                     .describe("Technology stack: \"JavaScript\", \"TypeScript\", \"Java\", \"Kotlin\", or \"Unknown\""),
                 components: z.array(z.string())
-                    .describe("List of package names (NPM) or Maven coordinates `groupId:artifactId` (Java/Kotlin)")
+                    .describe("List of package names (NPM) or Maven coordinates `groupId:artifactId` (Java/Kotlin)"),
+                staleMonths: z.number().optional()
+                    .describe("Staleness threshold in months (default 18); a release older than this is rank-penalized"),
+                smallScope: z.boolean().optional()
+                    .describe("If true, penalize each component by its direct-dependency count (small-scope need)")
             }
         }, async (args) => {
             try {
-                const result = await Skills.info(args.stack, args.components);
+                const result = await Skills.info(args.stack, args.components, args.staleMonths, args.smallScope);
                 return {
                     content: [{ type: "text", text: JSON.stringify(result) }]
                 };

package/package.json

@@ -6,7 +6,7 @@
     "homepage":                             "http://github.com/rse/ase",
     "repository":                           { "url": "git+https://github.com/rse/ase.git", "type": "git" },
     "bugs":                                 { "url": "http://github.com/rse/ase/issues" },
-    "version":                              "0.9.35",
+    "version":                              "0.9.37",
     "license":                              "Apache-2.0",
     "author": {
         "name":                             "Dr. Ralf S. Engelschall",

package/plugin/.claude-plugin/plugin.json

@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 {
     "name":        "ase",
-    "version":     "0.9.35",
+    "version":     "0.9.37",
     "description": "Agentic Software Engineering (ASE)",
     "keywords":    [ "agentic", "software", "engineering" ],
     "homepage":    "https://ase.tools",

package/plugin/.codex-plugin/plugin.json

@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 {
     "name":        "ase",
-    "version":     "0.9.35",
+    "version":     "0.9.37",
     "description": "Agentic Software Engineering (ASE)",
     "keywords":    [ "agentic", "software", "engineering" ],
     "homepage":    "https://ase.tools",

package/plugin/.github/plugin/plugin.json

@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 {
     "name":        "ase",
-    "version":     "0.9.35",
+    "version":     "0.9.37",
     "description": "Agentic Software Engineering (ASE)",
     "keywords":    [ "agentic", "software", "engineering" ],
     "homepage":    "https://ase.tools",

package/plugin/meta/ase-constitution.md

@@ -16,7 +16,7 @@ any skill flow:
 ⧉ **ASE**: ⎈ version: **<ase-version/>** <ase-version-hint/>
 ⧉ **ASE**: ※ user: **<ase-user-id/>**, ⚑ project: **<ase-project-id/>**
 ⧉ **ASE**: ◉ task: **<ase-task-id/>**, ⏻ session: **<ase-session-id/>**
-⧉ **ASE**: ☯ persona: **<ase-persona-style/>**
+⧉ **ASE**: ☯ persona: **<ase-persona-style/>**, ▢ boxing: **<ase-project-boxing/>**
 </template>
 
 Prohibitions

package/plugin/meta/ase-skill.md

@@ -243,6 +243,46 @@ Skill Identification
     steps at the end of a skill beside the explicit outputs via any
     <template/>.
 
+Artifact Boxing Transparency
+----------------------------
+
+-   *IMPORTANT*: The *boxing* of a project (indicated by
+    <ase-project-boxing/> configuration) classifies how *transparent*
+    its *source artifacts* (specification, architecture, source code,
+    documentation, infrastructure, task plan, and other artifacts) are,
+    and thus how *deeply* you *MUST* inspect or produce them and how
+    *much* of their internals you *MUST* surface.
+
+-   *IMPORTANT*: Boxing modulates only the *work depth* (inspection and
+    production thoroughness) and the *output visibility* (surfaced
+    content and findings) of *artifact-touching* skills, per the three
+    lists below. It *MUST* *NOT* alter the *communication style*
+    (governed exclusively by the persona), and it *MUST* *NOT* apply to
+    skills that neither read, critique, nor write any project source
+    artifact.
+
+    -   If <ase-project-boxing/> is `white`:
+        -   Transparency:      *fully*
+        -   Work depth:        inspect *fully*, produce *thoroughly*
+        -   Findings surfaced: *all*
+        -   Internals exposed: *full* (complete diffs, exhaustive rationale)
+
+    -   If <ase-project-boxing/> is `grey`:
+        -   Transparency:      *partially*
+        -   Work depth:        inspect *significant* parts, produce *reasonably*
+        -   Findings surfaced: *essentials*, summarize rest
+        -   Internals exposed: *key* only (essential hunks, condensed rationale), summarize rest
+
+    -   If <ase-project-boxing/> is `black`:
+        -   Transparency:      *none*
+        -   Work depth:        *minimum* work to satisfy the request
+        -   Findings surfaced: *none* (report only the *outcome*)
+        -   Internals exposed: *none* (no diffs, no code, no per-artifact explanation)
+
+-   *IMPORTANT*: Precedence rule: skill's *explicit* `black` branches
+    deterministically skip or suppress and *win* over the implicit decisions
+    above. Where no such branches exist, the decisions above apply.
+
 Template Patterns
 -----------------
 
@@ -360,3 +400,4 @@ Template Patterns
     clamped to zero so an over-long text never yields a negative count):
 
     <template><text/><ws/></template>
+

package/plugin/package.json

@@ -6,7 +6,7 @@
     "homepage":                             "http://github.com/rse/ase",
     "repository":                           { "url": "git+https://github.com/rse/ase.git", "type": "git" },
     "bugs":                                 { "url": "http://github.com/rse/ase/issues" },
-    "version":                              "0.9.35",
+    "version":                              "0.9.37",
     "license":                              "Apache-2.0",
     "author": {
         "name":                             "Dr. Ralf S. Engelschall",

package/plugin/skills/ase-arch-analyze/SKILL.md

@@ -121,6 +121,22 @@ interface quality, quality attributes, and architecture governance.
 
 <flow>
 1.  <step id="STEP 1: Investigate Code Base">
+
+    <if condition="<ase-project-boxing/> is equal `black`">
+
+    The project source artifacts are classified as a *black box*, so
+    the user does *not* want the architecture inspected or its findings
+    surfaced. *Skip* the entire investigation and reporting: do *not*
+    invoke any `Agent` tool and do *not* read any source, only output
+    the following <template/> and then *SKIP* the remaining steps STEP 2
+    through STEP 4:
+
+    <template>
+    <ase-tpl-bullet-normal/> **ARCHITECTURE ANALYSIS**: *suppressed* (`project.boxing` is `black`)
+    </template>
+
+    </if>
+
     Investigate the code from an *architectural* perspective. If the
     code base is large, you *MUST* use the `Agent` tool (not inline
     work) to create multiple sub-agents to split the investigation

package/plugin/skills/ase-arch-discover/SKILL.md

@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 ---
 name: ase-arch-discover
-argument-hint: "[--help|-h] [--limit|-l=12] <functionality>"
+argument-hint: "[--help|-h] [--limit|-l=12] [--staleness|-s=18] [--small-scope|-S] <functionality>"
 description: >
     Discover additional, third-party components (libraries/frameworks) for
     the technology stack to provide needed functionality.
@@ -25,7 +25,7 @@ Discover Components
 
 <expand name="getopt"
     arg1="ase-arch-discover"
-    arg2="--limit|-l=12">
+    arg2="--limit|-l=12 --staleness|-s=18 --small-scope|-S">
     $ARGUMENTS
 </expand>
 
@@ -166,18 +166,25 @@ for the technology stack to *provide* the *needed functionality*
             entries by Maven coordinate.
 
     6.  Call the `ase_component_info(stack: "<stack/>", components:
-        [ "<package-1/>", ..., "<package-C/>" ])` tool of the `ase` MCP
-        server *once* for the entire candidate set of discovered packages.
-        The tool dispatches internally on <stack/> and fetches all
-        metadata in maximum parallel and returns an array of objects `{
-        name, version, created, updated, repository, stars, downloads,
-        rank }`. For each
-        component <component-K/> (K=1-C) read from its corresponding
-        entry: <version-K/> from `version`, <updated-K/> from `updated`,
-        <created-K/> from `created`, <repository-K/> from `repository`,
-        <stars-K/> from `stars` (numeric or `N.A.`), <downloads-K/>
-        from `downloads` (numeric or `N.A.`) and <rank-K/> from `rank`
-        (numeric).
+        [ "<package-1/>", ..., "<package-C/>" ], staleMonths:
+        <getopt-option-staleness/>, smallScope: <getopt-option-small-scope/>)`
+        tool of the `ase` MCP server *once* for the entire candidate set of
+        discovered packages. When the <getopt-option-small-scope/> option is
+        enabled, the ranking treats the <functionality/> as *small-scope*,
+        i.e. narrow, self-contained, and low-effort enough that a
+        *dependency-free/hand-rolled* implementation is a realistic
+        alternative to pulling in a third-party component. The tool
+        dispatches internally on <stack/>
+        and fetches all metadata in maximum parallel and returns an array
+        of objects `{ name, version, created, updated, repository, stars,
+        downloads, deps, rank }`. For each component <component-K/>
+        (K=1-C) read from its corresponding entry: <version-K/> from
+        `version`, <updated-K/> from `updated`, <created-K/> from
+        `created`, <repository-K/> from `repository`, <stars-K/> from
+        `stars` (numeric or `N.A.`), <downloads-K/> from `downloads`
+        (numeric or `N.A.`), <deps-K/> from `deps` (numeric or `N.A.`)
+        and <rank-K/> from `rank` (numeric). The returned `rank` already
+        reflects the staleness and small-scope dependency penalties.
 
     7.  Sort, in descending order, the discovered candidate components
         <component-K/> (K=1-C) by their `rank` field and trim the result
@@ -192,7 +199,15 @@ for the technology stack to *provide* the *needed functionality*
         you should not stumble over) is its single most distinguishing
         perspective, and remember this as an <info-K/> (K=1-N) formatted
         like `<type/>: <hint/>` where <type/> is one of `USP`, `Crux`,
-        or `Gotcha` and <hint/> is a 1-6 word hint. Do not output
+        or `Gotcha` and <hint/> is a 1-6 word hint.
+
+        *Staleness override*: determine the coarse age <age-K/> (like
+        `2y`) of the last release from <updated-K/>. If <updated-K/> is
+        known and its age exceeds *twice* <getopt-option-staleness/>
+        months, *append* to <info-K/> the hint `Gotcha: stale/abandoned
+        -- last release <age-K/> ago`; else if its age exceeds
+        <getopt-option-staleness/> months, *append* to <info-K/> the
+        hint `Gotcha: aging -- last release <age-K/> ago`. Do not output
         anything.
     </step>
 
@@ -217,11 +232,11 @@ for the technology stack to *provide* the *needed functionality*
         <template>
         <ase-tpl-bullet-normal/> **COMPONENT RANKING**:
 
-        | ⚑ *Component* | ▣ *Package*    | ❖ *Version*  | ↓ *Downloads*      | ⎈ *Stars*      | ⏲ *Updated*      | ☆ *Created*  |
-        | :------------ | :------------- | -----------: | -----------------: | -------------: | :--------------- | :----------- |
-        | **<name-1/>** | `<package-1/>` | <version-1/> | **<downloads-1/>** | **<stars-1/>** | **<updated-1/>** | <created-1/> |
+        | ⚑ *Component* | ▣ *Package*    | ❖ *Version*  | ↓ *Downloads*      | ⎈ *Stars*      | ⏲ *Updated*      | ☆ *Created*  | ⚭ *Dep.*   |
+        | :------------ | :------------- | -----------: | -----------------: | -------------: | :--------------- | :----------- | ---------: |
+        | **<name-1/>** | `<package-1/>` | <version-1/> | **<downloads-1/>** | **<stars-1/>** | **<updated-1/>** | <created-1/> | <deps-1/>  |
         [...]
-        | **<name-N/>** | `<package-N/>` | <version-N/> | **<downloads-N/>** | **<stars-N/>** | **<updated-N/>** | <created-N/> |
+        | **<name-N/>** | `<package-N/>` | <version-N/> | **<downloads-N/>** | **<stars-N/>** | **<updated-N/>** | <created-N/> | <deps-N/>  |
         </template>
     </step>
 </flow>

package/plugin/skills/ase-arch-discover/help.md

@@ -8,6 +8,8 @@
 `ase-arch-discover`
     [`--help`|`-h`]
     [`--limit`|`-l=12`]
+    [`--staleness`|`-s=18`]
+    [`--small-scope`|`-S`]
     *functionality*
 
 ##  DESCRIPTION
@@ -20,9 +22,13 @@ The skill determines the project's technology stack (TypeScript,
 JavaScript, Kotlin, or Java), derives essential keywords from the
 requested functionality, queries the corresponding package registry
 (NPM or Maven Central), retrieves metadata (version, downloads,
-stars, dates) via the `ase_component_info` MCP tool, and reports
-the top-ranked components as a Markdown table together with a single
-distinguishing hint (USP, Crux, or Gotcha) per component.
+stars, dates, dependency count) via the `ase_component_info` MCP tool,
+and reports the top-ranked components as a Markdown table together with
+a single distinguishing hint (USP, Crux, or Gotcha) per component.
+
+The ranking penalizes *stale* components (last release older than the
+`--staleness` threshold) and, when the `--small-scope` option is given,
+demotes dependency-heavy components.
 
 ##  OPTIONS
 
@@ -31,6 +37,19 @@ distinguishing hint (USP, Crux, or Gotcha) per component.
     in the final ranking (default: 12). Raise it for a broader, more
     exhaustive survey, lower it for a quicker, narrower lookup.
 
+`--staleness`|`-s=18`:
+    The *staleness threshold* in months (default: 18). A component whose
+    last release is older than this is rank-penalized and flagged with an
+    `aging` gotcha; older than *twice* the threshold, it is penalized
+    harder and flagged as `stale/abandoned`.
+
+`--small-scope`|`-S`:
+    Treat the requested *functionality* as *small-scope* (default: off).
+    When enabled, the ranking demotes dependency-heavy components by a
+    dependency-weight penalty, since a dependency-free/hand-rolled
+    implementation is a realistic alternative for narrow, self-contained
+    functionality.
+
 ##  ARGUMENTS
 
 *functionality*:
@@ -57,6 +76,12 @@ Discover a broader set of up to 20 HTTP client components:
 ❯ /ase-arch-discover --limit 20 HTTP client with retries
 ```
 
+Discover HTTP clients, flagging any without a release in the last 12 months:
+
+```text
+❯ /ase-arch-discover --staleness 12 HTTP client with retries
+```
+
 ##  SEE ALSO
 
 [`ase-arch-analyze`](../ase-arch-analyze/help.md), [`ase-meta-search`](../ase-meta-search/help.md), [`ase-meta-evaluate`](../ase-meta-evaluate/help.md).

package/plugin/skills/ase-code-analyze/SKILL.md

@@ -54,6 +54,20 @@ problems in *performance* and *efficiency*, or problems in *security*.
 
 2.  <step id="STEP 2: Investigate Code Base">
 
+    <if condition="<ase-project-boxing/> is equal `black`">
+
+    The project source artifacts are classified as a *black box*, so
+    the user does *not* want them inspected or their problems surfaced.
+    *Skip* the entire investigation and analysis: do *not* invoke any
+    `Glob` or `Agent` tool and do *not* read any source, only output
+    the following <template/> and then *SKIP* the remaining step STEP 3:
+
+    <template>
+    <ase-tpl-bullet-normal/> **CODE ANALYSIS**: *suppressed* (`project.boxing` is `black`)
+    </template>
+
+    </if>
+
     First, use the following <template/> to give a hint on this step:
 
     <template>
@@ -109,14 +123,19 @@ problems in *performance* and *efficiency*, or problems in *security*.
 
 3.  <step id="STEP 3: Show Results">
 
-    Before reporting, *apply the severity floor* selected via
-    <getopt-option-severity/> (default `LOW`): define the ordinal rank
-    `LOW`=1, `MEDIUM`=2, `HIGH`=3. *Keep* a detected problem if and only
-    if its `severity` field is `ACCEPTED` *or* `rank(severity)` is greater
-    than or equal to `rank(<getopt-option-severity/>)`; *silently drop*
-    all other problems (they are neither reported nor persisted). With
-    the default floor `LOW`, all problems are kept. `ACCEPTED` problems
-    are *never* dropped.
+    Before reporting, determine the *effective severity floor* <floor/>:
+    define the ordinal rank `LOW`=1, `MEDIUM`=2, `HIGH`=3, start from
+    <floor><getopt-option-severity/></floor> (default `LOW`), and - if
+    <ase-project-boxing/> is equal `grey` - raise <floor/> to `MEDIUM`
+    whenever its current rank is below `rank(MEDIUM)` (grey boxing
+    surfaces only *material* findings of severity `MEDIUM` and above).
+
+    Then *apply the effective severity floor* <floor/>: *Keep* a detected
+    problem if and only if its `severity` field is `ACCEPTED` *or*
+    `rank(severity)` is greater than or equal to `rank(<floor/>)`;
+    *silently drop* all other problems (they are neither reported nor
+    persisted). With the default floor `LOW`, all problems are kept.
+    `ACCEPTED` problems are *never* dropped.
 
     Then renumber the surviving problems contiguously as `P<n/>` with
     <n/> = 1, 2, ... in the original ordering. If *all* problems are

package/plugin/skills/ase-code-craft/SKILL.md

@@ -140,8 +140,11 @@ permitted way to persist artifacts is via `ase_task_save(...)`.
     You *MUST* perform the following sub-steps *internally* and *without
     any output* until and including the recommendation decision. Only
     sub-steps 4-6 below are allowed to produce output, and only if
-    <getopt-option-auto/> is equal `false`. If <getopt-option-auto/> is
-    equal `true`, *skip* the reporting sub-steps 4-6 entirely (perform
+    <getopt-option-auto/> is equal `false` *and* <ase-project-boxing/>
+    is *not* equal `black`.
+
+    If <getopt-option-auto/> is equal `true` or <ase-project-boxing/> is
+    equal `black`, *skip* the reporting sub-steps 4-6 entirely (perform
     no output at all) to speed up processing.
 
     1.  *Propose* corresponding *feature approach*, including optionally,
@@ -187,7 +190,7 @@ permitted way to persist artifacts is via `ase_task_save(...)`.
         <ase-tpl-foot title="APPROACHES"/>
         </template>
 
-    7.  <if condition="<getopt-option-auto/> is not equal `true`">
+    7.  <if condition="<getopt-option-auto/> is not equal `true` and <ase-project-boxing/> is not equal `black`">
 
         In the following, you *MUST* *NOT* use your built-in
         <user-dialog-tool/> tool! Instead, you *MUST* just show a

package/plugin/skills/ase-code-explain/SKILL.md

@@ -43,6 +43,23 @@ code and *explain* it in a *brief*, *standardized*, and *concise* way.
     Second, explain *WHY* the code does it (*rationale*).
 
     Keep your explanations *brief* and *concise*.
+
+    <if condition="<ase-project-boxing/> is equal `black`">
+
+    The project source artifacts are classified as a *black box*, so the
+    user wants only the *minimal* surface explanation. Output *only* the
+    *WHAT* block (omit the *WHY* block) with the following <template/>:
+
+    <template>
+    <ase-tpl-bullet-normal/> **WHAT** (You should know what):
+    - [...]
+    - [...]
+    - [...]
+    </template>
+
+    </if>
+    <else>
+
     Output the result with the following <template/>:
 
     <template>
@@ -56,9 +73,21 @@ code and *explain* it in a *brief*, *standardized*, and *concise* way.
     - [...]
     - [...]
     </template>
+
+    </else>
     </step>
 
 3.  <step id="STEP 3: ANALOGY and DIAGRAM">
+
+    <if condition="<ase-project-boxing/> is equal `black`">
+
+    The project source artifacts are classified as a *black box*, so
+    deeper elaboration is *not* wanted. *Skip* this STEP 3 and the
+    following STEP 4 entirely: do *not* output any ANALOGY, DIAGRAM,
+    CRUXES, or GOTCHAS, and do *not* dispatch any diagram rendering.
+
+    </if>
+
     **Give insights with ANALOGY and DIAGRAM**.
 
     First, give an analogy by comparing the code to something from

package/plugin/skills/ase-code-insight/SKILL.md

@@ -34,6 +34,21 @@ Give *insights* into the project through the source code of <getopt-arguments/>.
 
 <flow>
 1.  <step id="STEP 1: PROJECT ABSTRACT">
+
+    <if condition="<ase-project-boxing/> is equal `black`">
+
+    The project source artifacts are classified as a *black box*, so the
+    user does *not* want them inspected or their internals surfaced.
+    *Skip* the entire insight gathering: do *not* read any source, only
+    output the following <template/> and then *SKIP* the remaining steps
+    STEP 2 through STEP 4:
+
+    <template>
+    <ase-tpl-bullet-normal/> **PROJECT INSIGHT**: *suppressed* (`project.boxing` is `black`)
+    </template>
+
+    </if>
+
     Determine an <abstract/> summary of this project.
     For this, check a potentially existing `README.*` file
     or scan the source files and figure it out indirectly.

package/plugin/skills/ase-code-lint/SKILL.md

@@ -33,6 +33,21 @@ related to a set of code quality aspects.
 
 1.  <step id="STEP 1: Investigation">
 
+    <if condition="<ase-project-boxing/> is equal `black`">
+
+    The project source artifacts are classified as a *black box*, so
+    the user does *not* want them inspected or their problems surfaced.
+    *Skip* the entire investigation and reporting: do *not* invoke any
+    `Glob` or `Agent` tool and do *not* read any source, only output
+    the following <template/> and then *SKIP* the remaining steps STEP 2
+    and STEP 3:
+
+    <template>
+    <ase-tpl-bullet-normal/> **LINT**: *suppressed* (`project.boxing` is `black`)
+    </template>
+
+    </if>
+
     First, use the following <template/> to give a hint on this step:
 
     <template>
@@ -76,13 +91,18 @@ related to a set of code quality aspects.
     sort the list by `file` and then numerically by `line`, and set
     <problems/> to that list.
 
-    Then *apply the severity floor* selected via <getopt-option-severity/>
-    (default `LOW`): define the ordinal rank `LOW`=1, `MEDIUM`=2,
-    `HIGH`=3. *Keep* a problem in <problems/> if and only if its
-    `severity` field is `ACCEPTED` *or* `rank(severity)` is greater than
-    or equal to `rank(<getopt-option-severity/>)`; *silently drop* all
-    other problems. With the default floor `LOW`, all problems are kept.
-    `ACCEPTED` problems are *never* dropped.
+    Then determine the *effective severity floor* <floor/>: define the
+    ordinal rank `LOW`=1, `MEDIUM`=2, `HIGH`=3, start from
+    <floor><getopt-option-severity/></floor> (default `LOW`), and - if
+    <ase-project-boxing/> is equal `grey` - raise <floor/> to `MEDIUM`
+    whenever its current rank is below `rank(MEDIUM)` (grey boxing
+    surfaces only *material* findings of severity `MEDIUM` and above).
+
+    Then *apply the effective severity floor* <floor/>: *Keep* a problem
+    in <problems/> if and only if its `severity` field is `ACCEPTED` *or*
+    `rank(severity)` is greater than or equal to `rank(<floor/>)`;
+    *silently drop* all other problems. With the default floor `LOW`, all
+    problems are kept. `ACCEPTED` problems are *never* dropped.
 
     You *MUST* *NOT* output anything else in this step 1.
 
@@ -145,6 +165,7 @@ related to a set of code quality aspects.
 
         2.  Set <context></context> (set to empty).
             Set <diff></diff> (set to empty).
+            Set <diff-condensed></diff-condensed> (set to empty).
 
         3.  Iterate over the change set:
 
@@ -153,7 +174,9 @@ related to a set of code quality aspects.
             1.  Set <file/>         to the `file`         field of <item/>.
                 Set <change-hunks/> to the `change-hunks` field of <item/>.
 
-                Set <diff-file/> to the following <template/>:
+                Unless <ase-project-boxing/> is equal `grey` (where the
+                full unified diff is suppressed and this per-file header is
+                unused), set <diff-file/> to the following <template/>:
 
                 <template>
                 --- <file/> (original)
@@ -170,11 +193,18 @@ related to a set of code quality aspects.
                     Set <new-text/>       to the `new_text`       field of <item/>.
                     Set <context-after/>  to the `context_after`  field of <item/>.
 
-                2.  Determine the hunk *body* as an ordered list of lines,
-                    each carrying a one-character prefix (` ` for context,
-                    `-` for old-side, `+` for new-side). Build it by
-                    concatenating, in order and *skipping any part that is
-                    empty*:
+                2.  *Skip* this substep entirely when <ase-project-boxing/>
+                    is equal `grey` - the full unified diff is suppressed
+                    there, so none of the <hunk-body/>, <old-count/>,
+                    <new-count/>, <old-start/>, or <new-start/> values
+                    below are consumed (substep 4 builds only the condensed
+                    one-liner instead).
+
+                    Otherwise, determine the hunk *body* as an ordered list
+                    of lines, each carrying a one-character prefix (` ` for
+                    context, `-` for old-side, `+` for new-side). Build it
+                    by concatenating, in order and *skipping any part that
+                    is empty*:
 
                     - one ` `-prefixed line for *each* line of
                       <context-before/> (if non-empty),
@@ -217,7 +247,27 @@ related to a set of code quality aspects.
 
                     <template>`<file/>`:<line/></template>
 
-                4.  Append the following <template/> to <diff-file/>,
+                4.  <if condition="<ase-project-boxing/> is equal `grey`">
+
+                    The full unified diff is *suppressed* under grey boxing
+                    (see substep 5 below), so *skip* the full-diff append
+                    and instead build only a *condensed* one-line
+                    representation of this hunk: determine <old-snippet/>
+                    as the *single-line* collapse of <old-text/> (join its
+                    lines with ` ⏎ `, or `∅` when <old-text/> is empty for
+                    a pure insertion) and <new-snippet/> as the same
+                    collapse of <new-text/> (or `∅` when empty for a pure
+                    deletion). Then append the following <template/> to
+                    <diff-condensed/> as a new line:
+
+                    <template>
+                    <ase-tpl-bullet-signal/> `<file/>`:<line/>: `<old-snippet/>` → `<new-snippet/>`
+                    </template>
+
+                    </if>
+                    <else>
+
+                    Append the following <template/> to <diff-file/>,
                     emitting <hunk-body/> verbatim (one already-prefixed
                     line per line, with no extra blank or space-only lines):
 
@@ -226,9 +276,12 @@ related to a set of code quality aspects.
                     <hunk-body/>
                     </template>
 
+                    </else>
+
                 </for>
 
-            3.  Append <diff-file/> to <diff/>.
+            3.  Unless <ase-project-boxing/> is equal `grey` (where
+                <diff-file/> is unused), append <diff-file/> to <diff/>.
 
             </for>
 
@@ -241,7 +294,25 @@ related to a set of code quality aspects.
 
             </template>
 
-        5.  <if condition="<getopt-option-auto/> is not 'true'">
+        5.  <if condition="<getopt-option-auto/> is not 'true' and <ase-project-boxing/> is not equal `black`">
+
+            <if condition="<ase-project-boxing/> is equal `grey`">
+
+            The project source artifacts are classified as a *grey box*, so
+            the user does *not* want the full artifact internals surfaced:
+            *suppress* the full unified diff and instead show only the
+            *condensed* one-line-per-hunk representation. Report the
+            solution with the following <template/>:
+
+            <template>
+            <ase-tpl-bullet-normal/> **<aspect/> SOLUTION**:
+
+            <diff-condensed/>
+
+            </template>
+
+            </if>
+            <else>
 
             Report the solution with the following <template/>:
 
@@ -254,6 +325,8 @@ related to a set of code quality aspects.
 
             </template>
 
+            </else>
+
             </if>
             <else>
 

package/plugin/skills/ase-code-refactor/SKILL.md

@@ -140,8 +140,11 @@ permitted way to persist artifacts is via `ase_task_save(...)`.
     You *MUST* perform the following sub-steps *internally* and *without
     any output* until and including the recommendation decision. Only
     sub-steps 4-6 below are allowed to produce output, and only if
-    <getopt-option-auto/> is equal `false`. If <getopt-option-auto/> is
-    equal `true`, *skip* the reporting sub-steps 4-6 entirely (perform
+    <getopt-option-auto/> is equal `false` *and* <ase-project-boxing/>
+    is *not* equal `black`.
+
+    If <getopt-option-auto/> is equal `true` or <ase-project-boxing/> is
+    equal `black`, *skip* the reporting sub-steps 4-6 entirely (perform
     no output at all) to speed up processing.
 
     1.  *Propose* corresponding *refactoring approach*, including
@@ -187,7 +190,7 @@ permitted way to persist artifacts is via `ase_task_save(...)`.
         <ase-tpl-foot title="APPROACHES"/>
         </template>
 
-    7.  <if condition="<getopt-option-auto/> is not `true`">
+    7.  <if condition="<getopt-option-auto/> is not equal `true` and <ase-project-boxing/> is not equal `black`">
 
         In the following, you *MUST* *NOT* use your built-in
         <user-dialog-tool/> tool! Instead, you *MUST* just show a

package/plugin/skills/ase-code-resolve/SKILL.md

@@ -194,8 +194,11 @@ permitted way to persist artifacts is via `ase_task_save(...)`.
     You *MUST* perform the following sub-steps *internally* and *without
     any output* until and including the recommendation decision. Only
     sub-steps 4-6 below are allowed to produce output, and only if
-    <getopt-option-auto/> is equal `false`. If <getopt-option-auto/> is
-    equal `true`, *skip* the reporting sub-steps 4-6 entirely (perform
+    <getopt-option-auto/> is equal `false` *and* <ase-project-boxing/>
+    is *not* equal `black`.
+
+    If <getopt-option-auto/> is equal `true` or <ase-project-boxing/> is
+    equal `black`, *skip* the reporting sub-steps 4-6 entirely (perform
     no output at all) to speed up processing.
 
     1.  *Propose* corresponding *resolution approach*, including optionally,
@@ -241,7 +244,7 @@ permitted way to persist artifacts is via `ase_task_save(...)`.
         <ase-tpl-foot title="APPROACHES"/>
         </template>
 
-    7.  <if condition="<getopt-option-auto/> is not `true`">
+    7.  <if condition="<getopt-option-auto/> is not equal `true` and <ase-project-boxing/> is not equal `black`">
 
         In the following, you *MUST* *NOT* use your built-in
         <user-dialog-tool/> tool! Instead, you *MUST* just show a

package/plugin/skills/ase-docs-proofread/SKILL.md

@@ -33,6 +33,21 @@ Analyze documents for spelling, punctuation, or grammar errors
 
 1.  <step id="STEP 1: Investigation">
 
+    <if condition="<ase-project-boxing/> is equal `black`">
+
+    The project source artifacts are classified as a *black box*, so
+    the user does *not* want them inspected or their problems surfaced.
+    *Skip* the entire investigation and reporting: do *not* invoke any
+    `Glob` or `Agent` tool and do *not* read any document, only output
+    the following <template/> and then *SKIP* the remaining steps STEP 2
+    and STEP 3:
+
+    <template>
+    <ase-tpl-bullet-normal/> **PROOFREAD**: *suppressed* (`project.boxing` is `black`)
+    </template>
+
+    </if>
+
     First, use the following <template/> to give a hint on this step:
 
     <template>
@@ -141,7 +156,26 @@ Analyze documents for spelling, punctuation, or grammar errors
             <description/>
             </template>
 
-        3.  <if condition="<getopt-option-auto/> is not 'true'">
+        3.  <if condition="<getopt-option-auto/> is not 'true' and <ase-project-boxing/> is equal `grey`">
+
+            The project source artifacts are classified as a *grey box*, so
+            the user does *not* want the full artifact internals surfaced:
+            *suppress* the full unified diff and instead show only a
+            *condensed* one-line representation. Determine <old-snippet/>
+            as the *single-line* collapse of <old-text/> (join its lines
+            with ` ⏎ `, or `∅` when <old-text/> is empty for a pure
+            insertion) and <new-snippet/> as the same collapse of
+            <new-text/> (or `∅` when empty for a pure deletion). Then
+            report the correction with the following <template/>:
+
+            <template>
+
+            <ase-tpl-bullet-normal/> **<type/> CORRECTION**: `<old-snippet/>` → `<new-snippet/>`
+
+            </template>
+
+            </if>
+            <elseif condition="<getopt-option-auto/> is not 'true'">
 
             Determine the hunk *body* as an ordered list of lines, each
             carrying a one-character prefix (` ` for context, `-` for
@@ -195,7 +229,7 @@ Analyze documents for spelling, punctuation, or grammar errors
 
             </template>
 
-            </if>
+            </elseif>
 
         4.  <if condition="<getopt-option-auto/> is not 'true'">
 

package/plugin/skills/ase-meta-changelog/SKILL.md

@@ -38,9 +38,12 @@ Format
 The *ChangeLog* file is a Markdown formatted file named `CHANGELOG.md`,
 and contains sections with headers in the style `N.M.K (YYYY-MM-DD)`.
 
-Each *ChangeLog* entry is always formatted as `<prefix/>: <summary/>`
-where the <prefix/> is one of the following tags and their usual related
-changes:
+Each *ChangeLog* entry is always formatted as...
+
+    `<change-type/> [<artifact-kind/>]: <summary/>`
+
+...where the <change-type/> is one of the following tags and their usual
+related changes:
 
     -   `FEATURE`:     new        functionality or configuration
     -   `IMPROVEMENT`: improved   functionality or configuration
@@ -49,9 +52,21 @@ changes:
     -   `CLEANUP`:     cleaned up functionality or configuration
     -   `REFACTOR`:    refactored functionality or configuration
 
+The <artifact-kind/> is one or more of the following *artifact* tags,
+classifying which kind of artifact the change primarily touches. If
+multiple artifact kinds apply, comma-separate them
+(e.g. `[arch, code]`):
+
+    -   `spec`:  requirement/specification artifacts
+    -   `arch`:  architecture/design artifacts
+    -   `code`:  source code artifacts
+    -   `docs`:  documentation artifacts
+    -   `infr`:  infrastructure/build/tooling artifacts
+    -   `othr`:  any other artifacts
+
 The <summary/> is not longer than about 60-80 characters. The
 *ChangeLog* entries for a single product release version are also always
-grouped and sorted according to the above <prefix/> list.
+grouped and sorted according to the above <change-type/> list.
 
 Processing
 ----------
@@ -123,6 +138,16 @@ Processing
     For each Git commit, reduce the Git commit messages to a single
     short <summary/> sentence, not longer than 60-80 characters.
 
+    For each entry, also determine the <artifact-kind/> *artifact kind*
+    tag(s) from the paths of the changed files. To classify a changed
+    file to its artifact class, call the `ase_artifact_list(kind: [
+    ... ])` tool of the `ase` MCP server *once*, passing the `kind`
+    tokens (`spec`, `arch`, `code`, `docs`, `infr`, `othr`), and read
+    the returned `artifacts` array of `{ kind, files }` objects to match
+    each changed file to its kind. Map the matched lower-cased kind back
+    to its upper-cased <artifact-kind/> tag, and comma-separate multiple
+    tags when more than one artifact class applies.
+
     If a <summary/> is too short or especially is not comprehensible
     enough because of too little context information, add some essential
     context, especially references to the class/module/package, etc.
@@ -144,11 +169,11 @@ Processing
     Without immediately modifying the `CHANGELOG.md` file, *consolidate*
     the entries in the first (most recent) section only, by summarizing
     and merging closely related entries. Perform the entry consolidation
-    per <prefix/> group only.
+    per <change-type/> group only.
 
     Without immediately modifying the `CHANGELOG.md` file, *sort* the
     entries in the first (most recent) section only. Instead of the
-    chronological commit order, group the entries by the <prefix/>es.
+    chronological commit order, group the entries by the <change-type/>s.
 
     </step>
 

package/plugin/skills/ase-meta-changelog/help.md

@@ -15,10 +15,13 @@ The `ase-meta-changelog` skill helps to *complete*, *consolidate*, and
 file, based on the underlying *Git* commits and the currently staged
 changes in the Git *index*.
 
-Each entry is formatted as `<prefix>: <summary>` where *prefix* is
-one of `FEATURE`, `IMPROVEMENT`, `BUGFIX`, `UPDATE`, `CLEANUP`, or
-`REFACTOR`. Entries are grouped and sorted by this prefix. The
-date in the section header is also updated to the current date.
+Each entry is formatted as `<change-type> [<artifact-kind>]: <summary>`
+where *change-type* is one of `FEATURE`, `IMPROVEMENT`, `BUGFIX`,
+`UPDATE`, `CLEANUP`, or `REFACTOR`, and *artifact-kind* is one or more
+comma-separated *artifact class* tags out of `spec`, `arch`, `code`,
+`docs`, `infr`, or `othr`. Entries are grouped and sorted by this
+prefix. The date in the section header is also updated to the current
+date.
 
 ##  EXAMPLES
 

package/plugin/skills/ase-meta-diff/SKILL.md

@@ -123,10 +123,28 @@ Procedure
             *not* output any further explanation.
         </if>
 
+    4.  <if condition="
+            <ase-project-boxing/> is equal `black` and
+            (<getopt-option-coherence/> is equal `true` or
+             <getopt-option-risk/> is equal `true` or
+             <getopt-option-blast/> is equal `true`)
+        ">
+        The project source artifacts are classified as a *black box*, so
+        the user does *not* want the staged changes scrutinized or their
+        coherence, risk, and blast-radius findings surfaced. The
+        requested scrutiny of STEP 3 through STEP 5 is therefore
+        suppressed: only output the following <template/> and then *SKIP*
+        the remaining steps STEP 3 through STEP 5:
+
+        <template>
+        <ase-tpl-bullet-normal/> **DIFF SCRUTINY**: *suppressed* (`project.boxing` is `black`)
+        </template>
+        </if>
+
     </step>
 
 3.  <step id="STEP 3: Assess Intent Coherence"
-        condition="<getopt-option-coherence/> is equal `true` and <diff/> is NOT empty">
+        condition="<getopt-option-coherence/> is equal `true` and <diff/> is NOT empty and <ase-project-boxing/> is not equal `black`">
 
     1.  From the *same* captured <diff/> and <stat/>, *reconstruct the
         single intended change* as a thesis - the one logical, coherent purpose
@@ -203,7 +221,7 @@ Procedure
     </step>
 
 4.  <step id="STEP 4: Score Against Risk Rubric"
-        condition="<getopt-option-risk/> is equal `true` and <diff/> is NOT empty">
+        condition="<getopt-option-risk/> is equal `true` and <diff/> is NOT empty and <ase-project-boxing/> is not equal `black`">
 
     1.  Score the *same* captured <diff/> and <stat/> information
         against the four-axis rubric below. Each axis is scored on an
@@ -275,7 +293,7 @@ Procedure
     </step>
 
 5.  <step id="STEP 5: Render Blast-Radius Map"
-        condition="<getopt-option-blast/> is equal `true` and <diff/> is NOT empty">
+        condition="<getopt-option-blast/> is equal `true` and <diff/> is NOT empty and <ase-project-boxing/> is not equal `black`">
 
     1.  From the *same* captured <diff/> and <stat/>, *extract the
         touched modules* - the distinct changed source files (or their

package/plugin/skills/ase-meta-review/SKILL.md

@@ -67,6 +67,19 @@ Procedure
 
 2.  <step id="STEP 2: Review Investigation">
 
+    <if condition="<ase-project-boxing/> is equal `black`">
+
+    The project source artifacts are classified as a *black box*, so
+    the user does *not* want the staged changes scrutinized or their
+    findings surfaced. *Skip* the entire review investigation: do
+    *not* invoke the `Agent` tool and do *not* read any change, set
+    <findings/> to the *empty* list, set <verdict/> to `SKIPPED (boxing:
+    black)`, set <summary/> to a *one-line* neutral restatement of the
+    change intent derived solely from STEP 1, and proceed *directly* to
+    STEP 3.
+
+    </if>
+
     First, use the following <template/> to give a hint on this step:
 
     <template>
@@ -102,13 +115,20 @@ Procedure
     severity floor below, so the floor only affects which findings are
     *rendered*, never the verdict.
 
-    Then *apply the severity floor* selected via <getopt-option-severity/>
-    (default `LOW`): define the ordinal rank `LOW`=1, `MEDIUM`=2,
-    `HIGH`=3. *Keep* a finding in <findings/> if and only if its
-    `severity` field is `ACCEPTED` *or* `rank(severity)` is greater than
-    or equal to `rank(<getopt-option-severity/>)`; *silently drop* all
-    other findings. With the default floor `LOW`, all findings are kept.
-    `ACCEPTED` findings are *never* dropped.
+    Then determine the *effective severity floor* <floor/>: define the
+    ordinal rank `LOW`=1, `MEDIUM`=2, `HIGH`=3, start from
+    <floor><getopt-option-severity/></floor> (default `LOW`), and - if
+    <ase-project-boxing/> is equal `grey` - raise <floor/> to `MEDIUM`
+    whenever its current rank is below `rank(MEDIUM)` (grey boxing
+    surfaces only *material* findings of severity `MEDIUM` and above).
+    The floor affects only which findings are *rendered*, never the
+    <verdict/> derived above.
+
+    Then *apply the effective severity floor* <floor/>: *Keep* a finding
+    in <findings/> if and only if its `severity` field is `ACCEPTED` *or*
+    `rank(severity)` is greater than or equal to `rank(<floor/>)`;
+    *silently drop* all other findings. With the default floor `LOW`, all
+    findings are kept. `ACCEPTED` findings are *never* dropped.
 
     You *MUST* *NOT* output anything else in this STEP 2.