| name | nw-command-design-patterns-classification |
| description | How to size and categorize a command, the declarative command template, and the WHAT-vs-HOW logic-placement rule |
| user-invocable | false |
| disable-model-invocation | true |
Command Classification, Sizing, and Declarative Template (KNOWLEDGE)
Kind: KNOWLEDGE (reference). Composed by nw-command-design-patterns core. Fires when: a command must be classified, sized, or restructured against the declarative template (the "what category / what size / what shape" question). No forced sequence.
The Forge Model (Gold Standard)
forge.md at 40 lines is the reference dispatcher. Contains: header (wave, agent, overview) | Agent invocation (name + command + config) | Success criteria (checklist) | Next wave handoff | Expected outputs. Every dispatcher should aspire to this pattern.
Command Categories
| Category | Description | Size Target | Examples |
|---|
| Simple | Direct action, minimal delegation | 40-80 lines | forge, start, version, git |
| Dispatcher | Delegates to one agent with context | 40-150 lines | research, review, execute |
| Orchestrator | Coordinates multiple agents/phases | 100-300 lines | develop, document |
Declarative Command Template
Commands declare WHAT, not HOW. The agent knows how to do its job.
# DW-{NAME}: {Title}
**Wave**: {WAVE_NAME}
**Agent**: {persona} ({agent-id})
## Overview
One paragraph: what this command does and when to use it.
## Context Files Required
- {path} - {why needed}
## Agent Invocation
@{agent-id}
Execute \*{command} for {parameters}.
**Context Files:**
- {files the orchestrator reads and passes}
**Configuration:**
- {key}: {value} # {comment}
## Success Criteria
- [ ] {measurable outcome}
- [ ] {quality gate}
## Next Wave
**Handoff To**: {next wave or workflow step}
**Deliverables**: {what this command produces}
# Expected outputs:
# - {file paths}
Size Targets and Evidence
Research (Chroma Research, Anthropic context engineering): focused prompts (~300 tokens) outperform full prompts (~113k tokens) | Claude shows most pronounced performance gap | Information buried mid-prompt gets deprioritized ("Lost in the Middle") | Opus 4.6 is proactive/self-directing; verbose instructions cause overtriggering
Targets: Dispatchers 40-150 lines | Orchestrators 100-300 lines | Current average 437 lines; target under 150
When Commands Should Contain Logic vs Delegate
Contain in command (declarative):
- Which agent to invoke
- What context files to read/pass
- Success criteria and quality gates
- Next wave handoff
Delegate to agent:
- Methodology (TDD phases, review criteria, refactoring levels)
- Domain-specific templates/schemas
- Tool-specific config (cosmic-ray, pytest)
- Quality assessment rubrics
Rule: if content describes HOW the agent does its work, it belongs in agent definition or skill, not command.
