| name | apex |
| description | Run structured APEX implementation (Analyze, Plan, Execute, eXamine) with parallel agents, tests, adversarial review, and proof-backed verification. Use for features, bug fixes, or code changes that need disciplined execution and real-flow evidence. |
Execute systematic implementation workflows using the APEX methodology with progressive step loading.
<quick_start>
/apex add authentication middleware
/apex -a -s implement user registration
/apex -a -x -s fix login bug
/apex -a -v implement user dashboard
/apex -a -m implement full auth system
/apex -a -x -s -t -v add auth middleware
/apex -a -pr add auth middleware
/apex -r 01-auth-middleware
/apex -e add auth middleware
/apex -i add auth middleware
</quick_start>
**Enable (lowercase ON) / Disable (UPPERCASE OFF):**
| ON | OFF | Long | Description |
|---|
-a | -A | --auto | Skip confirmations, auto-approve |
-x | -X | --examine | Adversarial code review |
-s | -S | --save | Save outputs to .claude/output/apex/ |
-t | -T | --test | Include test creation + runner |
-v | -V | --verify | Prove the feature works through its real flow, with a screenshot of every observable step |
-e | -E | --economy | No subagents, save tokens |
-b | -B | --branch | Verify not on main, create branch |
-pr | -PR | --pull-request | Create PR at end (enables -b) |
-i | | --interactive | Configure flags via menu |
-k | -K | --tasks | Task breakdown with dependencies |
-m | -M | --teams | Agent Teams parallel execution (enables -k) |
-r | | --resume | Resume from previous task ID |
Parsing: Defaults from steps/step-00-init.md, flags override, remainder = {task_description}, ID = NN-kebab-case.
1. **Init** → Parse flags, setup state
2. **Analyze** → Context gathering (1-10 parallel agents)
3. **Plan** → File-by-file strategy + TaskList creation
4. **Tasks** → Task breakdown (if -k or -m)
5. **Execute** → Implementation (standard or Agent Teams if -m)
6. **Validate** → Typecheck, lint, tests
7. **Tests** → Create + run tests (if -t)
8. **Examine** → Adversarial review (if -x) - Security + Logic + Clean Code + Thermo-Nuclear maintainability audit in parallel
9. **Resolve** → Fix findings (if examine found issues)
10. **Verify** → Prove the feature works with end-to-end interaction and step-by-step visual evidence (if -v)
11. **Finish** → Create PR (if -pr)
<step_files>
| Step | File | Purpose |
|---|
| 00 | steps/step-00-init.md | Parse flags, initialize state |
| 00b | steps/step-00b-save.md | Setup save output structure (if -s) |
| 00b | steps/step-00b-branch.md | Git branch setup (if -b) |
| 00b | steps/step-00b-economy.md | Economy mode overrides (if -e) |
| 00b | steps/step-00b-interactive.md | Interactive flag config (if -i) |
| 01 | steps/step-01-analyze.md | Smart context gathering |
| 02 | steps/step-02-plan.md | File-by-file plan + TaskList |
| 02b | steps/step-02b-tasks.md | Task breakdown (if -k/-m) |
| 03 | steps/step-03-execute.md | Todo-driven implementation |
| 03t | steps/step-03-execute-teams.md | Agent Team execution (if -m) |
| 04 | steps/step-04-validate.md | Self-check and validation |
| 05 | steps/step-05-examine.md | Adversarial code review |
| 06 | steps/step-06-resolve.md | Finding resolution |
| 07 | steps/step-07-tests.md | Test analysis and creation |
| 08 | steps/step-08-run-tests.md | Test runner loop |
| 09 | steps/step-09-finish.md | Create pull request |
| 10 | steps/step-10-verify.md | Prove the feature works through the real user flow |
</step_files>
<state_variables>
| Variable | Type | Set by |
|---|
{task_description} | string | step-00 |
{feature_name} | string | step-00 |
{task_id} | string | step-00 / step-00b-save |
{acceptance_criteria} | list | step-01 |
{auto_mode} | boolean | step-00 |
{examine_mode} | boolean | step-00 |
{save_mode} | boolean | step-00 |
{test_mode} | boolean | step-00 |
{verify_mode} | boolean | step-00 |
{economy_mode} | boolean | step-00 |
{branch_mode} | boolean | step-00 |
{pr_mode} | boolean | step-00 |
{tasks_mode} | boolean | step-00 |
{teams_mode} | boolean | step-00 |
{output_dir} | string | step-00b-save |
{branch_name} | string | step-00b-branch |
</state_variables>
<execution_rules>
- Load one step at a time (progressive loading)
- ULTRA THINK before major decisions
- Persist state variables across all steps
- Follow next_step directive at end of each step
- Save outputs if
{save_mode} = true (each step appends to its file)
- Use parallel agents for independent exploration (step-01)
- Use online research intentionally: default harness tools for local code first,
/Users/melvynx/.agents/skills/find-docs/SKILL.md for current technical docs, and /Users/melvynx/.agents/skills/exa-search/SKILL.md for broader web research or cited sources
- Treat
-v as a proof gate: do not finish while the feature is merely believed or asserted to work; finish only after every acceptance criterion and observable flow step is proven with current evidence
</execution_rules>
<entry_point>
FIRST ACTION: Load steps/step-00-init.md
</entry_point>
