@rse/ase 0.9.49 → 0.9.51

package/dst/ase-hook.js

@@ -145,12 +145,9 @@ export default class HookCommand {
             pluginRootVars = ["PLUGIN_ROOT", "CLAUDE_PLUGIN_ROOT"];
         else
             pluginRootVars = ["CLAUDE_PLUGIN_ROOT"];
-        let pluginRoot = "";
-        for (const pluginRootVar of pluginRootVars)
-            if ((process.env[pluginRootVar] ?? "") !== "") {
-                pluginRoot = process.env[pluginRootVar];
-                break;
-            }
+        const pluginRoot = pluginRootVars
+            .map((varName) => process.env[varName] ?? "")
+            .find((value) => value !== "") ?? "";
         if (pluginRoot === "")
             throw new Error(`${pluginRootVars.join("/")} environment variable is not set`);
         return pluginRoot;
@@ -254,7 +251,7 @@ export default class HookCommand {
         const guidance = setting("agent.guidance", "ASE_GUIDANCE_LEVEL", "normal");
         const boxing = setting("project.boxing", "ASE_PROJECT_BOXING", "white");
         /*  determine headless mode  */
-        const headless = (process.env.ASE_HEADLESS ?? "false") === "true" ? "true" : "false";
+        const headless = process.env.ASE_HEADLESS === "true" ? "true" : "false";
         /*  provide ASE information to Anthropic Claude Code CLI shell commands
             (Anthropic Claude Code CLI only -- GitHub Copilot CLI has no equivalent mechanism)  */
         const envFile = tool === "claude" ? (process.env.CLAUDE_ENV_FILE ?? "") : "";
@@ -300,15 +297,14 @@ export default class HookCommand {
             "systemMessage" field for this -- GitHub Copilot CLI has no equivalent);
             the trailing help hint is emitted only if the guidance level asks for it  */
         const banner = "\n" +
-            `\n⧉ ASE: ⎈ version: ${versionCurrentPlugin}${versionHint !== "" ? " " + versionHint.replaceAll(/\*/g, "") : ""}` +
+            `\n⧉ ASE: ⎈ version: ${versionCurrentPlugin}${versionHint !== "" ? " " + versionHint.replace(/\*/g, "") : ""}` +
             `\n⧉ ASE: ※ user: ${userId}, ⚑ project: ${projectId}` +
             `\n⧉ ASE: ◉ task: ${taskId}, ⏻ session: ${sessionId}` +
             `\n⧉ ASE: ☯ persona: ${persona}, ▶ guidance: ${guidance}, ▢ boxing: ${boxing}` +
             (guidance === "normal" || guidance === "verbose" ?
                 "\n" +
                     "\n⧉ ASE: ▷ hint: use \"/ase-help-intent <intent-description>\" for skill command proposal" +
-                    "\n⧉ ASE: ▷ hint: use \"/ase-help-skill [<skill-name>]\" for skill catalog or skill manpage" : "") +
-            "\n";
+                    "\n⧉ ASE: ▷ hint: use \"/ase-help-skill [<skill-name>]\" for skill catalog or skill manpage" : "");
         /*  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
@@ -434,10 +430,10 @@ export default class HookCommand {
         tools, but the decision logic is shared by the "pre-tool-use" and
         "permission-request" handlers.  */
     decideApproval(tool, spec, input) {
-        const toolName = typeof input[spec.toolNameField] === "string" ?
-            input[spec.toolNameField] : "";
-        let toolInput = {};
+        const rawName = input[spec.toolNameField];
         const rawInput = input[spec.toolInputField];
+        const toolName = typeof rawName === "string" ? rawName : "";
+        let toolInput = {};
         if (spec.toolInputIsString && typeof rawInput === "string")
             toolInput = this.parseJSON(rawInput, toolInputSchema);
         else if (!spec.toolInputIsString && typeof rawInput === "object" && rawInput !== null) {

package/dst/ase-statusline.js

@@ -159,6 +159,23 @@ const probeMemory = () => {
         return { used: 0, total: 0 };
     }
 };
+/*  set of reasoning effort levels GitHub Copilot CLI offers in its effort picker  */
+const EFFORTS = new Set([
+    "low", "medium", "high", "xhigh", "max"
+]);
+/*  split a GitHub Copilot CLI "model.display_name" into its plain model name and its
+    reasoning effort: Copilot CLI renders the display name as the model label, followed
+    by the optional request multiplier, the optional reasoning effort and the optional
+    context tier, all separated by " · " (e.g. "gpt-5.4 (2x) · high · 1M context"), so
+    only a segment matching a known effort level is taken as the effort  */
+const splitCopilotModel = (display) => {
+    const parts = display.split(" · ");
+    const effort = parts.filter((part) => EFFORTS.has(part.toLowerCase()));
+    const name = parts.filter((part) => !EFFORTS.has(part.toLowerCase()));
+    if (effort.length === 0)
+        return { name: display, effort: "" };
+    return { name: name.join(" · "), effort: effort[0].toLowerCase() };
+};
 /*  memoize a zero-argument function, computing its value at most once on first use  */
 const memoize = (fn) => {
     let cache = null;
@@ -286,6 +303,15 @@ export default class StatuslineCommand {
                 }
                 return { taskId, persona, guidance };
             });
+            const getModel = memoize(() => {
+                const display = data.model?.display_name ?? "";
+                /*  under GitHub Copilot CLI the reasoning effort is only available as
+                    a segment of the display name, so split it off again and let the
+                    regular "effort" field of Anthropic Claude Code CLI still win  */
+                const split = tool === "copilot" && display !== "" ?
+                    splitCopilotModel(display) : { name: display, effort: "" };
+                return { name: split.name, effort: data.effort?.level ?? split.effort };
+            });
             const getGit = memoize(() => probeGit(data.workspace?.current_dir ?? ""));
             const getMem = memoize(() => probeMemory());
             /*  identifier to renderer map: each callback fetches its own information
@@ -308,12 +334,12 @@ export default class StatuslineCommand {
                 s: () => emit(`${prefix("⏻", "session")}${c.bold(getSession())}`),
                 /*  ==== MODEL ====  */
                 m: () => {
-                    const model = data.model?.display_name ?? "";
-                    emit(`${prefix("⚙", "model")}${c.bold(model)}`);
+                    const { name } = getModel();
+                    emit(`${prefix("⚙", "model")}${c.bold(name)}`);
                 },
                 e: () => {
-                    const effort = data.effort?.level ?? "unknown";
-                    emit(`${prefix("⚒", "effort")}${c.bold(effort)}`);
+                    const { effort } = getModel();
+                    emit(`${prefix("⚒", "effort")}${c.bold(effort !== "" ? effort : "unknown")}`);
                 },
                 t: () => {
                     const thinking = data.thinking?.enabled === true ? "yes" : "no";

package/package.json

@@ -6,7 +6,7 @@
     "homepage":                             "https://ase.tools",
     "repository":                           { "url": "git+https://github.com/rse/ase.git", "type": "git" },
     "bugs":                                 { "url": "https://github.com/rse/ase/issues" },
-    "version":                              "0.9.49",
+    "version":                              "0.9.51",
     "license":                              "Apache-2.0",
     "author": {
         "name":                             "Dr. Ralf S. Engelschall",
@@ -42,7 +42,7 @@
     },
     "dependencies": {
         "commander":                        "15.0.0",
-        "@dotenvx/dotenvx":                 "2.17.2",
+        "@dotenvx/dotenvx":                 "2.18.0",
         "yaml":                             "2.9.0",
         "valibot":                          "1.4.2",
         "execa":                            "10.0.0",

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

@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 {
     "name":        "ase",
-    "version":     "0.9.49",
+    "version":     "0.9.51",
     "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":     "0.9.49",
+    "version":     "0.9.51",
     "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":     "0.9.49",
+    "version":     "0.9.51",
     "description": "Agentic Software Engineering (ASE)",
     "keywords":    [ "agentic", "software", "engineering" ],
     "homepage":    "https://ase.tools",

package/plugin/agents/ase-code-lint.md

@@ -13,6 +13,10 @@ Workflow
 --------
 
 1.  Set the requested context: <context>$ARGUMENTS</context>.
+    The *first* whitespace-separated token of <context/> is the
+    comma-separated *aspect set* <aspects/> (a non-empty subset of the
+    aspect ids `A01`...`A20`). The *remaining* tokens are the source
+    code files to check.
 
 2.  Use the `Read` tool to read all source code files referenced by
     <context/>, plus all *related* source code files needed to really
@@ -25,7 +29,9 @@ Workflow
 4.  Set <problems/> to empty.
     Then check the read source code for the following aspects (each
     aspect is uniquely identified by its `aspect` id `A01 - XXX`...`A20
-    - XXX`):
+    - XXX`), but *strictly limited* to those aspects whose id is
+    contained in the aspect set <aspects/> -- all other aspects are
+    *not* checked and their problems are *never* reported:
 
     -   **A01 - FORMATTING**:
         Check for inconsistently formatted code and badly vertically
@@ -95,6 +101,20 @@ Workflow
         site as close as possible. For R4, prefer *parameterization*
         (table-driven, strategy map) over inheritance.
 
+        **PAYOFF GATE**: *Before* reporting any redundancy, draft the
+        solution diff and count its lines. The removed lines *MUST* be at
+        least *twice* the added lines (ratio >= 2:1, i.e. a net reduction
+        of at least 50%), where the added lines include the *entire*
+        extracted construct (signature, body, closing lines, comments,
+        type annotations) plus all replacing call sites. A break-even
+        proposal (e.g. 8 removed, 8 added) or any proposal below the 2:1
+        ratio *MUST* be *silently dropped* and *MUST* *NOT* be reported --
+        it merely relocates code instead of reducing it. Do *not* game
+        the ratio by compressing the extracted construct into unnatural
+        formatting or by omitting comments the code base style requires.
+        Two duplicated occurrences of a short block rarely pass this gate;
+        three or more occurrences usually do.
+
     -   **A07 - PATTERNS**:
         Check for broken design patterns, broken conventions, or broken
         best practices.

package/plugin/agents/ase-meta-proximity.md

@@ -0,0 +1,133 @@
+---
+name: ase-meta-proximity
+description: "Determine the Conceptual Proximity of a Topic"
+effort: high
+tools:
+    - "Agent"
+---
+
+@../meta/ase-control.md
+
+<define name="gather-facts">
+<if condition="<ground/> is equal `true`">
+Use the `ase-meta-search` skill in a sub-agent to gather facts with
+the following tool call and store the returned facts in the placeholder
+named `<arg2/>`:
+
+`Agent(
+    description: "Query Web Search Service",
+    subagent_type: "ase:ase-meta-search",
+    prompt: "Search the Internet/Web and gather facts about <arg1/>",
+    run_in_background: false
+)`
+
+<if condition="the placeholder named `<arg2/>` contains no usable facts">
+Set the placeholder named `<arg2/>` to empty, so the determination below
+silently falls back to model knowledge. You *MUST* *NOT* output any
+warning, because the caller expects the labeled list of step 4 as the
+*only* output.
+</if>
+</if>
+<else>
+Use the model's world knowledge and determine facts about <arg1/> and
+store those facts in the placeholder named `<arg2/>`.
+</else>
+</define>
+
+1.  Set <args>$ARGUMENTS</args>, the single whitespace-separated string.
+
+    <if condition="the *first* token of <args/> is equal `GROUND`">
+        Set <ground>true</ground> (grounding requested) and set <topic/>
+        to the *second and all following* tokens of <args/>.
+    </if>
+    <else>
+        Set <ground>false</ground> (no grounding requested) and set
+        <topic/> to *all* tokens of <args/>.
+    </else>
+
+    You *MUST* *NOT* output anything related to this step.
+
+2.  *Determine Topic*:
+
+    Determine the canonical name of the central *topic* which is stored
+    in <topic/>.
+
+    <expand name="gather-facts"
+        arg1="the following topic: <topic/>"
+        arg2="facts-topic"></expand>
+
+    Ground the determination of the canonical name of the topic <topic/>
+    in the facts of <facts-topic/> and do not contradict them. Update
+    <topic/> accordingly.
+
+    You *MUST* *NOT* output anything related to this step.
+
+3.  *Determine Proximity*:
+
+    Determine the *conceptual proximity* of the current <topic/> along
+    three *dimensions* in parallel:
+
+    -   **PARENT**:
+
+        The single most relevant *parent* topic (the broader topic that
+        <topic/> is a specialization of), which will be stored in
+        <parent/>.
+
+        <expand name="gather-facts"
+            arg1="the PARENT topic (the broader topic that the given topic is a specialization of) of the following topic: <topic/>"
+            arg2="facts-parent"></expand>
+
+        Ground the determination of the canonical name of the parent
+        topic <parent/> in the facts of <facts-parent/> and do not
+        contradict them.
+
+    -   **SIBLINGS**:
+
+        The *four* most relevant *sibling* topics (topics on the same
+        level that share the same parent), which will be stored in
+        <sibling-1/> to <sibling-4/>.
+
+        <expand name="gather-facts"
+            arg1="the SIBLING topics (topics on the same level that share the same parent) of the following topic: <topic/>"
+            arg2="facts-siblings"></expand>
+
+        Ground the determination of the canonical names of the most
+        relevant sibling topics <sibling-1/> to <sibling-4/> in the facts
+        of <facts-siblings/> and do not contradict them.
+
+    -   **CHILDREN**:
+
+        The *four* most relevant *child* topics (narrower topics that
+        are specializations of <topic/>), stored in <child-1/> to
+        <child-4/>.
+
+        <expand name="gather-facts"
+            arg1="the CHILDREN topics (narrower topics that are specializations) of the following topic: <topic/>"
+            arg2="facts-children"></expand>
+
+        Ground the determination of the canonical names of the most
+        relevant child topics <child-1/> to <child-4/> in the facts of
+        <facts-children/> and do not contradict them.
+
+    You *MUST* determine *exactly* one parent, *exactly* four siblings,
+    and *exactly* four children. All nine proximity topics *MUST* be
+    *distinct* from each other and *MUST* *NOT* be <topic/> itself or a
+    mere synonym or spelling variant of it. You *MUST* *NOT* output
+    anything related to this step.
+
+4.  Return *exclusively* the following <template/> (no prose, no
+    preamble, no summary, and no Markdown formatting):
+
+    <template>
+    TOPIC:   <topic/>
+    PARENT:  <parent/>
+    SIBLING: <sibling-1/>
+    SIBLING: <sibling-2/>
+    SIBLING: <sibling-3/>
+    SIBLING: <sibling-4/>
+    CHILD:   <child-1/>
+    CHILD:   <child-2/>
+    CHILD:   <child-3/>
+    CHILD:   <child-4/>
+    </template>
+

package/plugin/meta/ase-constitution.md

@@ -1,48 +1,21 @@
 
-ASE Constitution
-================
+# ASE Constitution
 
 You are an expert-level AI coding assistant.
 You have the **Agentic Software Engineering (ASE)** companion toolkit enabled,
 which boosts you to an expert-level Software Engineering AI agent.
 
-If ((<ase-agent-tool/> is equal to `copilot`) *AND* (<ase-headless/> is empty
-or not set) *AND* (<ase-guidance-level/> is not equal to `none`)) you *MUST* output
-the following <template/> *exactly once* as the very *first* thing in
-your *first* response of this session -- *before* any other text,
-*before* any tool call, and *before* entering any skill flow:
-
-<template>
-⧉ **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/>**, ▶ guidance: **<ase-guidance-level/>**, ▢ boxing: **<ase-project-boxing/>**
-</template>
-
-If ((<ase-agent-tool/> is equal to `copilot`) *AND* (<ase-headless/> is
-empty or not set) *AND* (<ase-guidance-level/> is equal to `normal` or
-`verbose`)) you *MUST* output the following <template/> *exactly once*
-as the very *second* thing in your *first* response of this session,
-too:
-
-<template>
-⧉ **ASE**: ▷ hint: use "/ase-help-intent *intent-description*" for skill command proposal
-⧉ **ASE**: ▷ hint: use "/ase-help-skill [*skill-name*]" for skill catalog or skill manpage
-</template>
-
-Prohibitions
-------------
+## Prohibitions
 
 - Do *not* factor out code blocks into their own functions without good reason.
 - Do *not* factor out deeply nested code constructs into individual functions.
 - Do *not* split continuous chunks of code fewer than 100 lines into individual functions.
 - Do *not* use braces around single-statement blocks in "if" and "while" constructs unless the language requires them.
-- Do *not* insist on early "return" in "if" blocks if an "else" block exists.
+- Do *not* insist on early "return" in "if" blocks, if an "else" block exists.
 - Do *not* remove any whitespace in the code formatting -- keep whitespace aligned with code base.
 - Do *not* produce any trailing white-spaces on any lines.
 
-Commandments
-------------
+## Commandments
 
 - Be *honest* and *transparent* in all your responses.
 - *Ground* factual and technical claims in verifiable evidence (code base, local files, or web)
@@ -51,7 +24,8 @@ Commandments
 - Use *concise* and *type-safe code* only.
 - Use *precise* and *surgical code changes* only.
 - Be very *pedantic* on code style.
-- Place a *blank line before a comment line*, but not when it is the first line of a block or an end-of-line comment.
+- Place a *blank line before any comment line*,
+  but not when it is the first line of a block or an end-of-line comment.
 - Keep code and comment *formatting exactly as in the existing code*.
 - Use *regular comments* `/*  [...]  */` instead of end-of-line comments `//  [...]`.
 - Use *two leading/trailing spaces within comments* as in `/*  [...]  */`.

package/plugin/meta/ase-persona.md

@@ -1,6 +1,5 @@
 
-Persona Communication Style
----------------------------
+## Persona Communication Style
 
 *IMPORTANT*: The communication style in your outputs *MUST* follow the
 following conditional rules. Re-evaluate and internalize them for each
@@ -60,7 +59,7 @@ requested communication style at any time during a session.
             -   `<subject/> <action/> <object/>.`
             -   `<subject/> <action/>.`
         -   <keywords/> is only one to four keywords summarizing the <details/>
-        -   <details/> is one to four prose sentences explaining the aspect
+        -   <details/> is one to four concise prose sentences explaining the aspect
 
 -   If <ase-persona-style/> is `telegrapher`, or `caveman`:
     -   You *MUST* *use only* bullet point lists without blank lines between bullet points.

package/plugin/package.json

@@ -6,7 +6,7 @@
     "homepage":                             "https://ase.tools",
     "repository":                           { "url": "git+https://github.com/rse/ase.git", "type": "git" },
     "bugs":                                 { "url": "https://github.com/rse/ase/issues" },
-    "version":                              "0.9.49",
+    "version":                              "0.9.51",
     "license":                              "Apache-2.0",
     "author": {
         "name":                             "Dr. Ralf S. Engelschall",
@@ -17,7 +17,7 @@
         "@rse/stx":                         "1.1.6",
         "markdownlint":                     "0.41.1",
         "markdownlint-cli2":                "0.23.1",
-        "eslint":                           "10.7.0",
+        "eslint":                           "10.8.0",
         "@eslint/markdown":                 "8.0.3",
         "eslint-markdown":                  "0.12.1"
     },

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

@@ -137,9 +137,17 @@ problems in *performance* and *efficiency*, or problems in *security*.
     persisted). With the default floor `LOW`, all problems are kept.
     `ACCEPTED` problems are *never* dropped.
 
+    Then sort the surviving problems in <problems/> by their `severity`
+    field from highest to lowest in the fixed order `HIGH`, `MEDIUM`,
+    `LOW`, `ACCEPTED`, so the reporting starts with the most severe
+    problem. Within the same severity, keep the `file`/`line` order
+    established in STEP 2.
+
     Then renumber the surviving problems contiguously as `P<n/>` with
-    <n/> = 1, 2, ... in the original ordering. If *all* problems are
-    dropped, skip the per-problem report but still purge any stale
+    <n/> = 1, 2, ... in that sorted ordering, so `P1` is the most severe
+    problem and the persisted `ase-issue-P<n/>` keys follow the reported
+    sequence. If *all* problems are dropped, skip the per-problem report
+    but still purge any stale
     persisted problems with a *single* `ase_kv_batch` call to the `ase`
     MCP server with `transactional` set to `true` and a `commands`
     parameter array holding exactly one `{ command: "clear", prefix:

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

@@ -33,8 +33,10 @@ The `--severity`|`-S`=(`LOW`|`MEDIUM`|`HIGH`) option sets a *severity
 floor* (default `LOW`): problems below the chosen threshold are silently
 suppressed (neither reported nor persisted), ordered `LOW` < `MEDIUM` <
 `HIGH`. The default `LOW` keeps all problems; `ACCEPTED` problems are
-never suppressed. Surviving problems are renumbered contiguously as
-`P<n>`.
+never suppressed. Surviving problems are reported in *descending
+severity* order `HIGH`, `MEDIUM`, `LOW`, `ACCEPTED` - keeping the
+`file`/`line` order within the same severity - and are renumbered
+contiguously as `P<n>`, so `P1` is the most severe problem.
 
 The skill investigates the code base silently, reports each detected
 problem as a `PROBLEM` entry with severity (`LOW`, `MEDIUM`, `HIGH`) and

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

@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 ---
 name: ase-code-lint
-argument-hint: "[--help|-h] [--auto|-a] [--severity|-S=(LOW|MEDIUM|HIGH)] <source-reference>"
+argument-hint: "[--help|-h] [--auto|-a] [--severity|-S=(LOW|MEDIUM|HIGH)] [--include|-i=<aspect>[,...]] [--exclude|-e=<aspect>[,...]] <source-reference>"
 description: >
     Lint source code for potential code quality problems.
     Use when the user wants to "lint" or "check" source code.
@@ -20,7 +20,7 @@ Lint Source Code
 
 <expand name="getopt"
     arg1="ase-code-lint"
-    arg2="--auto|-a --severity|-S=(LOW|MEDIUM|HIGH)">
+    arg2="--auto|-a --severity|-S=(LOW|MEDIUM|HIGH) --include|-i=(none|A01|A02|A03|A04|A05|A06|A07|A08|A09|A10|A11|A12|A13|A14|A15|A16|A17|A18|A19|A20)... --exclude|-e=(none|A01|A02|A03|A04|A05|A06|A07|A08|A09|A10|A11|A12|A13|A14|A15|A16|A17|A18|A19|A20)...">
     $ARGUMENTS
 </expand>
 
@@ -48,7 +48,31 @@ related to a set of code quality aspects.
 
     </if>
 
-    First, use the following <template/> to give a hint on this step:
+    First, determine the *effective aspect set* <aspects/>, i.e., the
+    code quality aspects which are checked at all. For this, parse
+    <getopt-option-include/> and <getopt-option-exclude/> as
+    comma-separated token lists, silently dropping the `none` sentinel
+    and any empty token. If a token <token/> is *not* one of the aspect
+    ids `A01`...`A20`, only output the following <template/> and then
+    *STOP* the entire flow (do not perform any further steps):
+
+    <template>
+    ⧉ **ASE**: ✪ skill: **ase-code-lint**, ▶ ERROR: invalid aspect id: **<token/>**
+    </template>
+
+    Otherwise set <aspects/> to *all* twenty aspect ids `A01`...`A20`
+    if both lists are empty, to the *include* list if only it is
+    non-empty, to all twenty *minus* the *exclude* list if only it is
+    non-empty, and to the *include* list *minus* the *exclude* list if
+    both are non-empty. If the resulting <aspects/> is *empty*, only
+    output the following <template/> and then *STOP* the entire flow
+    (do not perform any further steps):
+
+    <template>
+    ⧉ **ASE**: ✪ skill: **ase-code-lint**, ▶ ERROR: options `--include` and `--exclude` cancel out to an empty aspect set
+    </template>
+
+    Then, use the following <template/> to give a hint on this step:
 
     <template>
     <ase-tpl-bullet-secondary/> **LINT INVESTIGATION**
@@ -72,16 +96,17 @@ related to a set of code quality aspects.
         Agent(
             description:       "Lint Investigation (<batch-index/>/<batch-count/>)",
             subagent_type:     "ase:ase-code-lint",
-            prompt:            <batch/>,
+            prompt:            "<aspects/> <batch/>",
             run_in_background: false
         )
     ```
 
-    Here <batch/> is the space-separated list of the source code file
-    paths of the corresponding batch, <batch-index/> is the 1-based
-    index of that batch, and <batch-count/> is the total number of
-    batches, so that each parallel invocation is distinguishable in
-    the progress display.
+    Here <aspects/> is the comma-separated list of the effective aspect
+    ids (without any spaces), <batch/> is the space-separated list of
+    the source code file paths of the corresponding batch,
+    <batch-index/> is the 1-based index of that batch, and
+    <batch-count/> is the total number of batches, so that each
+    parallel invocation is distinguishable in the progress display.
 
     Parse the result message of each `Agent` tool invocation as a JSON
     array and concatenate all those arrays. Then *deduplicate* the
@@ -104,6 +129,12 @@ related to a set of code quality aspects.
     *silently drop* all other problems. With the default floor `LOW`, all
     problems are kept. `ACCEPTED` problems are *never* dropped.
 
+    Finally, sort the surviving problems in <problems/> by their
+    `severity` field from highest to lowest in the fixed order `HIGH`,
+    `MEDIUM`, `LOW`, `ACCEPTED`, so the subsequent reporting starts with
+    the most severe problem. Within the same severity, keep the
+    `file`/`line` order established above.
+
     You *MUST* *NOT* output anything else in this STEP 1.
 
     </step>
@@ -443,7 +474,7 @@ related to a set of code quality aspects.
 
         <if condition="<getopt-option-auto/> is not equal `true`">
         <ase-tpl-hint level="verbose">
-        Use `/ase-code-lint --auto` to apply all corrections unattended, and `--severity` to raise the reporting floor.
+        Use `/ase-code-lint --auto` to apply all corrections unattended, `--severity` to raise the reporting floor, and `--include`/`--exclude` to narrow the checked aspects.
         </ase-tpl-hint>
         </if>
 

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

@@ -9,6 +9,8 @@
     [`--help`|`-h`]
     [`--auto`|`-a`]
     [`--severity`|`-S`=(`LOW`|`MEDIUM`|`HIGH`)]
+    [`--include`|`-i`=*aspect*[`,`...]]
+    [`--exclude`|`-e`=*aspect*[`,`...]]
     *source-reference*
 
 ##  DESCRIPTION
@@ -25,6 +27,22 @@ correction interactively (or refine it via a free-text hint, which
 re-proposes the correction without limit) or - with `--auto` - applies
 all corrections automatically.
 
+By default all twenty code quality aspects are checked. The `--include`
+and `--exclude` options narrow this to an *effective aspect set*: with
+`--include` only, exactly the listed aspects are checked; with
+`--exclude` only, all aspects except the listed ones; with both, the
+included ones minus the excluded ones. An unknown aspect id, or a
+combination which cancels out to an empty set, aborts the skill with an
+error. The twenty aspect ids are:
+
+```text
+A01 FORMATTING     A06 REDUNDANCY       A11 TYPING          A16 SECURITY
+A02 COMPREHENSION  A07 PATTERNS         A12 ERROR-HANDLING  A17 ARCHITECTURE
+A03 CLEANLINESS    A08 COMPLICATEDNESS  A13 MEMORY-LEAK     A18 LOGIC
+A04 SPELLING       A09 CONCISENESS      A14 CONCURRENCY     A19 FLOW
+A05 COMPLEXITY     A10 SMELLS           A15 PERFORMANCE     A20 DEAD-CODE
+```
+
 ##  OPTIONS
 
 `--auto`|`-a`:
@@ -35,7 +53,19 @@ all corrections automatically.
     Set the *severity floor* (default `LOW`): findings below the chosen
     threshold are silently suppressed, ordered `LOW` < `MEDIUM` <
     `HIGH`. The default `LOW` keeps all findings; `ACCEPTED` findings are
-    never suppressed.
+    never suppressed. Surviving findings are reported in *descending
+    severity* order `HIGH`, `MEDIUM`, `LOW`, `ACCEPTED`, keeping the
+    `file`/`line` order within the same severity.
+
+`--include`|`-i`=*aspect*[`,`...]:
+    Restrict the checked code quality aspects to the given
+    comma-separated list of aspect ids (e.g. `A01,A04`). Without this
+    option, all twenty aspects are checked.
+
+`--exclude`|`-e`=*aspect*[`,`...]:
+    Remove the given comma-separated list of aspect ids from the checked
+    code quality aspects. Applied *after* `--include`, so `-i A01,A02 -e
+    A02` checks `A01` only.
 
 ##  ARGUMENTS
 
@@ -62,6 +92,18 @@ Lint a directory, reporting only `MEDIUM` and `HIGH` findings:
 ❯ /ase-code-lint -S MEDIUM src/handlers/
 ```
 
+Lint a source file for the formatting and spelling aspects only:
+
+```text
+❯ /ase-code-lint -i A01,A04 src/server.ts
+```
+
+Lint a directory for all aspects except dead code:
+
+```text
+❯ /ase-code-lint --exclude A20 src/handlers/
+```
+
 ##  SEE ALSO
 
 [`ase-code-analyze`](../ase-code-analyze/help.md), [`ase-code-resolve`](../ase-code-resolve/help.md), [`ase-code-refactor`](../ase-code-refactor/help.md),

package/plugin/skills/ase-help-skill/catalog.md

@@ -6,6 +6,7 @@
 ⎈   **RESEARCH**
 ○   `ase-meta-search`:     Search the Internet/Web
 ○   `ase-meta-proximity`:  Determine the Conceptual Proximity of a Topic
+○   `ase-meta-quotes`:     Find Quotes on a Topic
 ○   `ase-meta-brainstorm`: Collaboratively Brainstorm a Topic
 ○   `ase-meta-chat`:       Query Foreign LLM for Chat
 ○   `ase-meta-quorum`:     Query Multiple AIs for Quorum Answer

package/plugin/skills/ase-meta-eli5/help.md

@@ -58,4 +58,4 @@ Explain a recent topic grounded in Internet/Web facts:
 
 ##  SEE ALSO
 
-[`ase-code-explain`](../ase-code-explain/help.md), [`ase-meta-search`](../ase-meta-search/help.md), [`ase-docs-distill`](../ase-docs-distill/help.md).
+[`ase-code-explain`](../ase-code-explain/help.md), [`ase-meta-search`](../ase-meta-search/help.md), [`ase-meta-quotes`](../ase-meta-quotes/help.md), [`ase-docs-distill`](../ase-docs-distill/help.md).

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

@@ -37,37 +37,6 @@ relevant *child* topics:
 <topic><getopt-arguments/></topic>
 </objective>
 
-<define name="gather-facts">
-<if condition="<getopt-option-ground/> is equal `true`">
-Set <prompt>Search the Internet/Web and gather facts about
-<arg1/></prompt>.
-
-Then use the `ase-meta-search` skill in a sub-agent to gather facts with
-the following tool call and store the returned facts in the placeholder
-named `<arg2/>`:
-
-`Agent(
-    description: "Query Web Search Service",
-    subagent_type: "ase:ase-meta-search",
-    prompt: "<prompt/>",
-    run_in_background: false
-)`
-
-<if condition="the placeholder named `<arg2/>` contains no usable facts">
-Set the placeholder named `<arg2/>` to empty, so the determination below
-falls back to model knowledge, and output the following <template/>:
-
-<template>
-<ase-tpl-bullet-secondary/> **WARNING**: grounding found no usable facts -- falling back to model knowledge.
-</template>
-</if>
-</if>
-<else>
-Use the model's world knowledge and determine facts about <arg1/> and
-store those facts in the placeholder named `<arg2/>`.
-</else>
-</define>
-
 <flow>
 
 1.  <step id="STEP 1: Check Topic">
@@ -88,69 +57,59 @@ store those facts in the placeholder named `<arg2/>`.
     *REPEAT* the following sub-steps in a *LOOP* until either
     <getopt-option-loop/> is *not* equal `true` (then the loop runs
     exactly *once* and stops after rendering), or the user declines/cancels
-    the dialog in sub-step 5:
-
-    1.  *Determine Topic*:
-
-        Determine the canonical name of the central *topic* which is stored
-        in <topic/>.
-
-        <expand name="gather-facts"
-            arg1="the following topic: <topic/>"
-            arg2="facts-topic"></expand>
-
-        Ground the determination of the canonical name of the topic
-        <topic/> in the facts of <facts-topic/> and do not contradict
-        them. Update <topic/> accordingly.
-
-    2.  *Determine Proximity*:
-
-        Determine the *conceptual proximity* of the current <topic/>
-        along three *dimensions*:
-
-        -   **PARENT**:
-
-            The single most relevant *parent* topic (the broader topic
-            that <topic/> is a specialization of), which will be stored
-            in <parent/>.
+    the dialog in sub-step 4:
 
-            <expand name="gather-facts"
-                arg1="the PARENT topic (the broader topic that the given topic is a specialization of) of the following topic: <topic/>"
-                arg2="facts-parent"></expand>
+    1.  *Determine Proximity*:
 
-            Ground the determination of the canonical name of the parent
-            topic <parent/> in the facts of <facts-parent/> and do not
-            contradict them.
+        Set <parent/>, <sibling-1/> to <sibling-4/>, and <child-1/> to
+        <child-4/> to empty, so that a stale proximity of a previously
+        navigated topic can never leak into the rendering below.
 
-        -   **SIBLINGS**:
+        Set <prompt><topic/></prompt>.
 
-            The *four* most relevant *sibling* topics (topics on the
-            same level that share the same parent), which will be stored
-            in <sibling-1/> to <sibling-4/>.
-
-            <expand name="gather-facts"
-                arg1="the SIBLING topics (topics on the same level that share the same parent) of the following topic: <topic/>"
-                arg2="facts-siblings"></expand>
-
-            Ground the determination of the canonical names of the most
-            relevant sibling topics <sibling-1/> to <sibling-4/> in the
-            facts of <facts-siblings/> and do not contradict them.
-
-        -   **CHILDREN**:
-
-            The *four* most relevant *children* topics (narrower topics
-            that are specializations of <topic/>), stored in <child-1/>
-            to <child-4/>.
+        <if condition="<getopt-option-ground/> is equal `true`">
+        Set <prompt>GROUND <topic/></prompt>, so the agent grounds its
+        determination in Internet/Web facts instead of using model
+        knowledge only.
+        </if>
 
-            <expand name="gather-facts"
-                arg1="the CHILDREN topics (narrower topics that are specializations) of the following topic: <topic/>"
-                arg2="facts-children"></expand>
+        Determine the canonical name of the central *topic* and its
+        *conceptual proximity* along the three *dimensions* **PARENT**
+        (the single broader topic that <topic/> is a specialization of),
+        **SIBLINGS** (the four most relevant topics on the same level
+        that share the same parent), and **CHILDREN** (the four most
+        relevant narrower topics that are specializations of <topic/>) by
+        using the `ase-meta-proximity` agent in a sub-agent with the
+        following tool call:
+
+        `Agent(
+            description: "Determine Conceptual Proximity",
+            subagent_type: "ase:ase-meta-proximity",
+            prompt: "<prompt/>",
+            run_in_background: false
+        )`
+
+        Parse the returned labeled list and set <topic/> to the value of
+        its `TOPIC:` line, <parent/> to the value of its `PARENT:` line,
+        <sibling-1/> to <sibling-4/> to the values of its four `SIBLING:`
+        lines, and <child-1/> to <child-4/> to the values of its four
+        `CHILD:` lines.
+
+        <if condition="
+            the sub-agent returned no usable proximity OR
+            it did not yield a canonical topic, exactly one parent,
+            exactly four siblings, and exactly four children
+        ">
+        Determine the canonical topic name, the parent, the siblings, and
+        the children from model knowledge instead, and output the
+        following <template/>:
 
-            Ground the determination of the canonical names of the most
-            relevant children topics <child-1/> to <child-4/> in the
-            facts of <facts-children/> and do not contradict them.
+        <template>
+        <ase-tpl-bullet-secondary/> **WARNING**: proximity agent returned no usable result -- falling back to model knowledge.
+        </template>
+        </if>
 
-    3.  *Render Proximity*:
+    2.  *Render Proximity*:
 
         Output the result with the following <template/>, listing each
         proximity topic under its bullet-prefixed section header.
@@ -179,12 +138,12 @@ store those facts in the placeholder named `<arg2/>`.
         <ase-tpl-foot title="PROXIMITY TOPICS"/>
         </template>
 
-    4.  <if condition="<getopt-option-loop/> is not equal `true`">
+    3.  <if condition="<getopt-option-loop/> is not equal `true`">
         The loop runs only once in non-interactive mode: *break* out of
         the *loop* and stop processing without any further output.
         </if>
 
-    5.  *Navigate Proximity*:
+    4.  *Navigate Proximity*:
 
         In the following, you *MUST* *NOT* use your built-in
         <user-dialog-tool/> tool! Instead, you *MUST* just show a custom
@@ -207,7 +166,7 @@ store those facts in the placeholder named `<arg2/>`.
             CHILD-4:   ↓ <child-4/>
         </expand>
 
-        Check the tool <result/> and dispatch accordingly:
+        Check the <result/> and dispatch accordingly:
 
         -   If <result/> is `CANCEL`:
             *Break* out of the *loop* and stop processing without any

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

@@ -20,11 +20,12 @@ topic that *topic* specializes), *SIBLINGS* (the four most relevant
 topics on the same level, sharing the same parent), and *CHILDREN* (the
 four most relevant narrower topics that specialize *topic*).
 
-By default the proximity is derived from model knowledge only. With the
-`--ground`/`-g` option, the skill first searches the Internet/Web for
-facts about the topic via the `ase-meta-search` skill (dispatched in a
-sub-agent, querying all available search backends) and grounds the
-determination in the found facts.
+The determination itself is delegated to the `ase-meta-proximity` agent,
+which is shared with the `ase-meta-quotes` skill. By default the
+proximity is derived from model knowledge only. With the `--ground`/`-g`
+option, the agent first searches the Internet/Web for facts about the
+topic, about its broader topic, and about its narrower topics, and
+grounds the determination in the found facts.
 
 Without the `--loop`/`-l` option, the skill determines and prints the
 proximity of the given topic once and then stops. With the `--loop`/`-l`
@@ -33,14 +34,14 @@ interactive dialog; selecting one of them makes it the new *current
 topic* and restarts the determination from the beginning, so the user
 can *navigate* the topic taxonomy up (parent), sideways (siblings), and
 down (children). Cancelling the dialog exits the loop. When `--loop` is
-combined with `--ground`, each newly selected topic is re-grounded via
-the `ase-meta-search` sub-agent before its proximity is re-determined.
+combined with `--ground`, each newly selected topic is re-grounded by
+the `ase-meta-proximity` sub-agent before its proximity is re-determined.
 
 ##  OPTIONS
 
 `--ground`|`-g`:
-    Ground the determination in Internet/Web facts gathered via the
-    `ase-meta-search` skill before determining the proximity. Without
+    Ground the determination in Internet/Web facts gathered by the
+    `ase-meta-proximity` agent before determining the proximity. Without
     this option, the determination is derived from model knowledge only.
     When combined with `--loop`, every newly navigated-to topic is
     re-grounded.
@@ -75,4 +76,4 @@ Internet/Web facts:
 
 ##  SEE ALSO
 
-[`ase-meta-eli5`](../ase-meta-eli5/help.md), [`ase-meta-search`](../ase-meta-search/help.md), [`ase-code-explain`](../ase-code-explain/help.md).
+[`ase-meta-quotes`](../ase-meta-quotes/help.md), [`ase-meta-eli5`](../ase-meta-eli5/help.md), [`ase-meta-search`](../ase-meta-search/help.md), [`ase-code-explain`](../ase-code-explain/help.md).

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

@@ -0,0 +1,214 @@
+---
+name: ase-meta-quotes
+argument-hint: "[--help|-h] [--ground|-g] [--proximity|-p] [--count|-c <count>] <topic-keywords>"
+description: >
+    Find quotes for a set of topic keywords and place them into a
+    2x2 matrix, spanned by the presence of an author/origin and by
+    the literal containment of a keyword, optionally grounded in
+    Internet/Web facts and optionally widened to the conceptual
+    neighborhood of the topic. Use when the user wants "quotes",
+    "sayings", "aphorisms", or "citations" on a topic.
+user-invocable: true
+disable-model-invocation: false
+effort: high
+allowed-tools:
+    - "Agent"
+---
+
+@${CLAUDE_SKILL_DIR}/../../meta/ase-control.md
+@${CLAUDE_SKILL_DIR}/../../meta/ase-skill.md
+@${CLAUDE_SKILL_DIR}/../../meta/ase-getopt.md
+
+<skill name="ase-meta-quotes">
+Find Quotes on a Topic
+</skill>
+
+<expand name="getopt"
+    arg1="ase-meta-quotes"
+    arg2="--ground|-g --proximity|-p --count|-c=8">
+    $ARGUMENTS
+</expand>
+
+<objective>
+*Find* quotes for the following topic keywords:
+<keywords><getopt-arguments/></keywords>
+</objective>
+
+<flow>
+
+1.  <step id="STEP 1: Sanity Check Usage">
+
+    1.  <if condition="<keywords/> is empty">
+        Only output the following <template/> and then immediately *STOP*
+        processing the entire current skill:
+
+        <template>
+        ⧉ **ASE**: ✪ skill: **ase-meta-quotes**, ▶ ERROR: expected a `<topic-keywords>` argument
+        </template>
+        </if>
+
+    2.  Set <quotes></quotes> (set to empty).
+
+    3.  Determine the maximum total number of *quotes* to surface: set
+        <count/> to <getopt-option-count/>; if <getopt-option-count/> is
+        *non-numeric* or *less than or equal to 0*, use the default *8*
+        instead.
+
+    </step>
+
+2.  <step id="STEP 2: Harvest Quotes">
+
+    1.  Determine *quotes* -- sayings, aphorisms, maxims, proverbs, and
+        citations -- which are about the topic <keywords/>, and store them in
+        <quotes/>. Per quote, record its *text*, its *author* (a named person
+        or organization, if any is known), its *origin* (a named work,
+        standard, or document, if any is known), and <keywords/> as its
+        *source topic*.
+
+    2.  <if condition="<getopt-option-ground/> is equal `true`">
+
+        *Additionally* -- and never *instead* -- gather quotes from the
+        Internet/Web by using the `ase-meta-search` skill in a sub-agent
+        with the following tool call:
+
+        `Agent(
+            description: "Query Web Search Service",
+            subagent_type: "ase:ase-meta-search",
+            prompt: "Search the Internet/Web and gather quotes about the following topic: <keywords/>",
+            run_in_background: false
+        )`
+
+        Merge the returned quotes into <quotes/>, deduplicating quotes which
+        differ only in punctuation, capitalization, or attribution wording,
+        and remember for every quote whether the search *confirmed* its exact
+        wording and attribution.
+
+        <if condition="the sub-agent returned no usable quotes">
+        Output the following <template/> and continue with the model
+        knowledge only:
+
+        <template>
+        <ase-tpl-bullet-secondary/> **WARNING**: grounding found no usable quotes -- falling back to model knowledge.
+        </template>
+        </if>
+
+        </if>
+
+    </step>
+
+3.  <step id="STEP 3: Widen Topic via Proximity" condition="<getopt-option-proximity/> is equal `true`">
+
+    1.  Set <prompt><keywords/></prompt>.
+
+    2.  <if condition="<getopt-option-ground/> is equal `true`">
+        Set <prompt>GROUND <keywords/></prompt>, so the agent grounds
+        its determination in Internet/Web facts instead of using model
+        knowledge only.
+        </if>
+
+    3.  Determine the *conceptual neighborhood* of <keywords/> by using the
+        `ase-meta-proximity` agent in a sub-agent with the following
+        tool call:
+
+        `Agent(
+            description: "Determine Conceptual Proximity",
+            subagent_type: "ase:ase-meta-proximity",
+            prompt: "<prompt/>",
+            run_in_background: false
+        )`
+
+    4.  <if condition="the sub-agent returned no usable neighborhood">
+        Output the following <template/>, *SKIP* the remaining sub-steps
+        of this step, and continue with the quotes harvested in STEP 2
+        only:
+
+        <template>
+        <ase-tpl-bullet-secondary/> **WARNING**: proximity agent returned no usable result -- keeping the narrow topic only.
+        </template>
+        </if>
+
+    5.  Parse the returned labeled list and set <neighborhood/> to the values
+        of its `PARENT:` line (the *broader* topic), of its four
+        `SIBLING:` lines (the *same-level* topics), and of its four
+        `CHILD:` lines (the *narrower* topics).
+
+    6.  Harvest quotes for *each* topic of <neighborhood/> exactly as in
+        STEP 2 (Harvest Quotes), record the contributing neighborhood
+        topic as the *source topic* of each of those quotes, and merge
+        the results into <quotes/>.
+
+    </step>
+
+4.  <step id="STEP 4: Classify and Render Quotes">
+
+    1.  *Classify Quotes*:
+
+        Classify every quote of <quotes/> along two *orthogonal* axes:
+
+        -   **ATTRIBUTION**:
+            A quote is `ATTRIBUTED` if a named *author* and/or a named
+            *origin* is known for it, and `ANONYMOUS` otherwise.
+
+        -   **LITERALNESS**:
+            A quote is `LITERAL` if its text contains at least one of
+            the topic keywords of <keywords/> as a *whole word* --
+            matched *case-insensitively* and tolerating *inflections*
+            (e.g. `architect` and `architectural` match the keyword
+            `architecture`), but *never* as a mere *substring* (e.g.
+            `art` does *not* match `architecture`). A quote is
+            `THEMATIC` otherwise.
+
+        Both axes span the four *quadrants*:
+
+        -   `Q1` (`ATTRIBUTED` and `LITERAL`)
+        -   `Q2` (`ATTRIBUTED` and `THEMATIC`)
+        -   `Q3` (`ANONYMOUS`  and `LITERAL`)
+        -   `Q4` (`ANONYMOUS`  and `THEMATIC`)
+
+    2.  Finally, reduce <quotes/> to at most <count/> quotes in *total*,
+        distributed as evenly as possible across the four quadrants
+        and preferring the most relevant and most well-known quote per
+        quadrant.
+
+    3.  *Render Quotes*:
+
+        Render every quote on its own `○`-prefixed line, with the
+        following *suffixes* appended in this order:
+
+        -   ` — *<author/>*, <origin/>` in the two `ATTRIBUTED` quadrants,
+            omitting whichever of <author/> and <origin/> is unknown.
+
+        -   ` [from proximity: `<source-topic/>`]` if the quote was
+            harvested for a *neighborhood* topic in STEP 3 rather than for
+            <keywords/> itself.
+
+        -   ` *(unverified)*` if the exact wording or the attribution of
+            the quote could not be established with confidence -- but
+            omit this marker for a quote whose wording and attribution
+            the Internet/Web search of STEP 2.2 confirmed -- including
+            its re-application for a neighborhood topic in STEP 3.
+
+        Render the single line `○   (none)` for a quadrant without any
+        quote. Output the result with the following <template/>:
+
+        <template>
+        <ase-tpl-head title="QUOTES"/>
+
+        ●   **Q1 - ATTRIBUTED / LITERAL**:
+        ○   [...]
+
+        ●   **Q2 - ATTRIBUTED / THEMATIC**:
+        ○   [...]
+
+        ●   **Q3 - ANONYMOUS / LITERAL**:
+        ○   [...]
+
+        ●   **Q4 - ANONYMOUS / THEMATIC**:
+        ○   [...]
+
+        <ase-tpl-foot title="QUOTES"/>
+        </template>
+
+    </step>
+
+</flow>

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

@@ -0,0 +1,109 @@
+
+##  NAME
+
+`ase-meta-quotes` - Find Quotes on a Topic
+
+##  SYNOPSIS
+
+`ase-meta-quotes`
+    [`--help`|`-h`]
+    [`--ground`|`-g`]
+    [`--proximity`|`-p`]
+    [`--count`|`-c` *count*]
+    *topic-keywords*
+
+##  DESCRIPTION
+
+The `ase-meta-quotes` skill finds *quotes* -- sayings, aphorisms,
+maxims, proverbs, and citations -- for the supplied *topic-keywords* and
+places them into a *2x2 matrix*, reported as four labeled *quadrant*
+sections.
+
+Per quote, the skill records its *text*, its *author* (a named person or
+organization, if known), its *origin* (a named work, standard, or
+document, if known), and the topic it was harvested for (its *source
+topic*).
+
+The first dimension of the matrix is the *attribution* of a quote: a
+quote is `ATTRIBUTED` when a named author and/or a named origin is known
+for it, and `ANONYMOUS` otherwise. The second dimension is the
+*literalness* of a quote: a quote is `LITERAL` when its text contains at
+least one of the *topic-keywords* as a whole word -- matched
+case-insensitively and tolerating inflections (e.g. `architect` and
+`architectural` match the keyword `architecture`), but never as a mere
+substring (e.g. `art` does not match `architecture`) -- and `THEMATIC`
+otherwise. The two dimensions span the quadrants `Q1`
+(`ATTRIBUTED`/`LITERAL`), `Q2` (`ATTRIBUTED`/`THEMATIC`), `Q3`
+(`ANONYMOUS`/`LITERAL`), and `Q4` (`ANONYMOUS`/`THEMATIC`). A quadrant
+without any quote is rendered as `(none)`.
+
+Every quote is rendered on its own line and carries, where applicable,
+the suffixes `— <author>, <origin>` (in the two `ATTRIBUTED`
+quadrants, omitting whichever part is unknown), `[from proximity:
+<source-topic>]` (when the quote was contributed by a neighborhood topic
+under `--proximity` instead of by *topic-keywords* itself), and
+`(unverified)` (when the exact wording or the attribution could not be
+established with confidence). The `(unverified)` marker is dropped as
+soon as the Internet/Web search under `--ground` confirms the wording and
+the attribution of the quote.
+
+##  OPTIONS
+
+`--ground`|`-g`:
+    Gather quotes from the Internet/Web via the `ase-meta-search` skill
+    (dispatched in a sub-agent, querying all available search backends)
+    *in addition to* -- and never *instead* of -- the model knowledge,
+    merge them into the harvest while deduplicating quotes which differ
+    only in punctuation, capitalization, or attribution wording, and use
+    the search results to confirm the wording and the attribution of the
+    found quotes. When combined with `--proximity`, the determination of
+    the conceptual neighborhood is grounded in Internet/Web facts as
+    well. Should the search return no usable quotes, a warning is emitted
+    and the skill falls back to the model knowledge only. Without this
+    option, the quotes are derived from model knowledge only.
+
+`--proximity`|`-p`:
+    Widen the harvest beyond the given topic to its *conceptual
+    neighborhood* -- the parent (more general) topic, the four sibling
+    (same-level) topics, and the four child (more specialized) topics --
+    as determined by the `ase-meta-proximity` agent, which is shared with
+    the `ase-meta-proximity` skill. Each of these nine neighborhood
+    topics is harvested exactly like the given topic itself. Quotes
+    contributed by a neighborhood topic carry that topic in brackets and
+    mostly land in the `THEMATIC` quadrants, which is exactly where the
+    widening pays off. Should the agent return no usable neighborhood, a
+    warning is emitted and the skill continues with the narrow topic
+    only. Without this option, only the given topic is harvested.
+
+`--count`|`-c` *count*:
+    Maximum total number of quotes across all four quadrants (default:
+    `8`, i.e. about two quotes per quadrant). The quotes are distributed
+    as evenly as possible across the quadrants, preferring the most
+    relevant and most well-known quote per quadrant. A non-numeric value
+    or a value less than or equal to `0` falls back to the default.
+
+##  ARGUMENTS
+
+*topic-keywords*:
+    The topic keywords the quotes are searched for. They act both as the
+    search query and as the keyword set of the *literalness* dimension of
+    the matrix.
+
+##  EXAMPLES
+
+Find quotes from model knowledge:
+
+```text
+❯ /ase-meta-quotes software architecture
+```
+
+Find a wider set of quotes, grounded in Internet/Web facts and widened
+to the conceptual neighborhood of the topic:
+
+```text
+❯ /ase-meta-quotes --ground --proximity --count 12 technical debt
+```
+
+##  SEE ALSO
+
+[`ase-meta-proximity`](../ase-meta-proximity/help.md), [`ase-meta-search`](../ase-meta-search/help.md), [`ase-meta-eli5`](../ase-meta-eli5/help.md).

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

@@ -59,9 +59,10 @@ before it is committed.
     Set the *severity floor* (default `LOW`): findings below the chosen
     threshold are silently suppressed, ordered `LOW` < `MEDIUM` <
     `HIGH`. The default `LOW` keeps all findings; `ACCEPTED` findings are
-    never suppressed. The floor only affects the rendered findings table,
-    not the overall *verdict*, which is always derived from all findings
-    before the floor is applied.
+    never suppressed. Surviving findings are rendered in *descending
+    severity* order `HIGH`, `MEDIUM`, `LOW`, `ACCEPTED`. The floor only
+    affects the rendered findings table, not the overall *verdict*, which
+    is always derived from all findings before the floor is applied.
 
 ##  ARGUMENTS